RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



55 



105. Pupa (Leucochila) Fallax, Say. 107. Pupa (Pupilla) Badia, Adams. 



A pretty, turreted shell, gradually taper- 

 ing to a somewhat pointed apex ; whorls 

 six, shining, color dusty brown ; aperture less 

 than one-third the length of the shell ; lip 

 white, expanded but not reflected ; umbilicus 

 minute ; mouth destitute of teeth. Length 

 one-fifth of an inch; breadth one-tenth. 



It is very abundant in the Western 

 States, and in some places it is a great 

 nuisance in gardens, especially in straw- 

 berry beds. It eats both leaves and fruit. 

 A collector in Cincinnati once picked fort}^ 

 specimens on one strawberry leaf. It in- 

 habits from Nebraska to Texas, and the 

 Middle States southward to South Carolina. 

 It may be considered a rare shell in New 

 England, and when found is extremely local. 

 Adams speaks of its being found in Ver- 

 mont, and Mr. Thaxter has found dead 

 specimens in Woburn, Mass. It has been 

 found on Martha's Vineyard, and Mr. Thom- 

 son finds it rare on the rocky ridge in 

 Tiverton, R. I., among oak trees. I once 

 found it in Cranston, near Providence, 

 under somewhat peculiar circumstances. 

 One da}' after a long tramp, I sat down on 

 the grass under a juniper- tree on the border 

 of CunliflT's Pond ; after a short time I 

 happened to look down, and saw several 

 objects crawling on the legs of my pants, 

 I picked off one of them and examined it. 

 and found it to be a specimen of L. fallax. 

 I looked carefully among the grass around 

 the roots of the tree but could find nothing. 

 After quite a search in A'ain, I reseated my- 

 self in the same place, and in a little while 

 commenced picking ofl' the shells from my 

 pants' legs, until I had secured a half ounce 

 bottle full. I have never seen the species 

 in any other locality in Rhode Island. 



106. Pupa (Leucochila) Rupicola, Say. 



Shell cylindrical, elongated ; epidermis 

 brownish horn color ; whorls six ; apex 

 obtuse ; aperture oval ; lip thickened 

 within, and widely reflected ; teeth five, 

 umbilicus minute. Length one-tenth of an 

 inch ; breadth one-twenty-fifth. 



It was first discovered by Thomas Say in 

 East Florida and described in Joia-. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila., II., 163, 1821, and 

 is said to inhabit all the states east of the 

 Mississippi River. It has not 3'et been 

 found in Rhode Island to m}' knowledge. 



Shell oblong, cylindrical ; whorls six to 

 seven, rounded ; color light brown, faintly 

 striated ; aperture nearly circular ; lip thick- 

 ened ; umbilicus perforate. Length one- 

 eighth of an inch; breadth one-sixteenth. 



This species was found by Professor 

 Adams near Lake Champlain, and described 

 by him in Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist., III., 

 331. Mr. C. B. Fuller first discovered the 

 species in Maine. It is very abundant in 

 places near Portland. Mr. W. C. Cleave- 

 land has found it on Oak Island, Chelsea, 

 Mass. It inhabits the islands in the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, and is quoted from New 

 York. Mr, Thomson finds it in Westport 

 and Dartmouth near the salt water, in old 

 dead trees and stumps. This species has 

 been confounded with P. niuscorum, Linn., 

 an European species, but is a larger shell, 

 with a less thickened lip. Some specimens 

 have a tooth on the parietal wall. Mr. 

 Thomson says, not one in fifty of those col- 

 lected by him has it. 



108. Pupa (Pupilla) Pentodon, Say. 



This is a minute shell of a spermaceti 

 white color, though when found is generally 

 incrusted with dirt. It is found in wet 

 places under boards and bits of wood, Mr. 

 Thomson finds it at the foot of trees in moss 

 and under leaves near water holes. Although 

 not mentioned in books as being found in 

 such places, I have found it under piles of 

 round stones by roadsides in the country, 

 closely adhering to the stones. It is only 

 one-fifteenth of an inch in length by one- 

 fortieth in breadth, but notwithstanding its 

 small size, it has five whorls, and an aper- 

 ture armed with from four to nine teeth ac- 

 cording to its age. The largest tooth, sit- 

 uated on the middle of the parietal wall, is 

 curved to the left ; at the front, nearly op- 

 posite the large tooth, is another, also slightly 

 curved to the left. The other teeth are 

 nearly straight. 



It was described by Say in 1822, but his 

 description is incorrect in several particulars. 

 It inhabits from British America to Georgia, 

 and westward to the Rocky Mountains. 

 Common in New England. 



( To be continued.) 



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