46 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



The Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Rhode 

 Island. 



BY HORACE F. CARPENTER. 



Chapter XXIX. 



Since writing the last chapter for the 

 Maj' number of Random Notes, I have re- 

 ceived from Mr. John H. Thomson, of New 

 Bedford, Mass., a pamphlet published by 

 him, entitled I'he Land 3folh(sca of Bristol 

 Connty^ Mass. The portion of the county 

 explored by him comfirises the city of New 

 Bedford, the towns of Dartmouth and West- 

 port, together with the adjoining town of 

 Tiverton, R. I. The climate of Tiverton, 

 Newport, and the other towns of Southern 

 Rhode Island, differs from that of Cumber- 

 land, Smithfield, etc.. although only forty 

 miles apart, more than many sections of the 

 country separated b}^ hundreds of miles. 

 The flora, too, is very different and it is not 

 surprising that the fauna should differ as 

 well. In fact, Mr. Thomson has discovered 

 in the dense woods of Tiverton, several 

 species of land shells not before known 

 to inhabit this state. I am sorry not to 

 have seen this pamphlet before, as I should 

 then have given Mr. Thomson credit for 

 these species, and described them in their 

 proper places. I will therefore describe 

 those species which have been omitted up 

 to this point in the classification, and then 

 proceed as usual, giving hiin proper credit 

 for the remaining species. 



94. Zonites (Hyalinia) Nitida, Mull. 

 Syns. : 



Helix nitida, Midler, 1774, non Gme. 

 nor Drap. 

 " succinea, Studer, 1789, non Miill. 

 " lucida, Drap., 1805. 

 Helicella nitida, Risso., 1826. 

 Oxychilus lucidus, Fitz., 1833. 

 Polita lucida. Held., 1837. 

 Zonites lucidus, Gray, 1840. 

 Aplostoma nitidus, Moq-Tan., 1855. 

 H^^alina nitida, Trvon, 1866. W. G. 



Binney, 18(69. 

 Shell depressed, moderateh' convex 

 above, and concave below, brownish horn 

 color, whorls four and a half; umbilicus 

 moderate but deep ; aperture rounded. 

 More conical and a little larger than H. 

 arborea, Say. Inhabits Central and South- 



ern Europe, Great Britain, and British 

 America. 



It was first discovered in the United 

 States by Dr. Ingalls at Greenwich, N. Y., 

 who called it Helix liygrophila. It was 

 afterward found to be one of the few Euro- 

 pean species common to both continents. 

 It is known to English gardeners from its 

 habit of infesting pine beds and orchid 

 houses. It has until now been quoted only 

 from Ohio and New York in this country. 

 I have collected it at .Sandusky City on the 

 shore of Lake Erie. Mr. Thomson finds it 

 in Tiverton, R. I., on the rocky heights west 

 of Stafford Lake. 



95. Zonites (Gastrodonta) Multidentata, . 



Binney. 



Shell depressed, yellowish horn color i 

 thin, smootli, and pellucid; whorls six; aper- 

 ture transverse, narrow ; from two to four 

 rows of five or six minute, white teeth ; each 

 are seen through the shell, radiating from 

 the umbilicus; teeth situated far within, 

 and the last row not visible from the 

 aperture. Diameter one-eighth of an inch, 

 height one-sixteenth. 



Quoted from Maine, Vermont, New York, 

 and Ohio. Mr. Thomson finds it on high 

 ridges in Tiverton and Westport. "Very 

 rare." 



96. Zonites (Stkiatura) Ferrea, Morse. 



Shell depressed, not shining, steel gray ; 

 whorls three, rapidly enlarging ; aperture 

 large, rounded ; umbilicus small and abrupt, 

 showing all the volutions ; surface minutely 

 marked with fine revolving lines. Diam- 

 eter one-tenth of an inch, height one-twen- 

 tieth. 



This species was discovered b}' Prof. E. 

 S. Morse in Maine, and was described b}- 

 him in Proc. Portland Soc. Nat. Hist., i., 

 17, 1864. It has been found in Maine, 

 Massachusetts, and New York. Mr. Thom- 

 son finds it on Tiverton '■ rocky ridge." 

 " Very rare." 



97. Patula (Planogyra) Asteriscus, 



Morse. 



Shell light brown ; whorls four, banded 

 by from twenty-five to thirty thin, transpar- 

 ent, prominent ribs ; spire flat ; suture 

 deep ; lip sharp ; umbilicus large. Diam- 

 eter one-sixteenth of an inch. 



