292 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



A LIST OF THE LAND MOLLUSCA OF THE ISLAND OF NEW 

 PROVIDENCE, BAHAMAS, WITH AN ENUMERATION OF THE 

 SPECIES RECORDED FROM THE OTHER ISLANDS. 



By "Wilfred Bendall. 



Read April 19</*, 1895. 



The Bahamas consist of 18 principal islands and some 600 minor 

 ones, almost all uninhabited and more or less unexplored. The 

 distance from the Island of Grand Bahama, lying to the extreme 

 north-east, off the south coast of Florida, to Inagua, in the south- 

 west, close to Hayti, is over 500 miles. Although conchological 

 records have been made from most of the principal ones, no single 

 island has been at all satisfactorily -worked out, excepting New 

 Providence. On this island, which is about the size and sliape of 

 the Isle of "Wight, is situated the capital, Nassau — the only town 

 in the group. As far as I am able to ascertain, 30 species have been 

 recorded from this island (without reckoning the nine new species (?) 

 of Cerio)i^ described by Mr. Maynard). During my six weeks' stay, 

 I was able to collect 25 of them and also a Succinea, which appears 

 to have escaped notice. All the natural conditions are favourable to 

 moUusca, and, with the exception of a few species, everything is 

 common. Of the 30 species, 12 are peculiar to the Bahamas {Helix 

 Troscheli, II. Duclosiana, the I)rym<2iis, Cylindrella, Ctenojioma, Cistida, 

 Schasichila, and all the species of Cerion) ; twelve are also found 

 in Cuba, a few in Florida and Jamaica, and others have a wide 

 distribution in the Antilles. 



Undoubtedly these 30 species do not fully represent the fauna, 

 because the south of the island is practically a wilderness, with few 

 and bad roads ; there is also no accommodation oiitsidc the town of 

 Nassau, which makes distant exploration a matter of difficulty. 



1. Oleacina (Boltenia) solidula, Pfr. — Common in damp places 

 under stones. 



2. Helix (TnELinoMrs) peovisoeia, Pfr. — In damp places under 

 bushes and rubbish : dead shells common. The shell is rather 

 transparent and tlie animal black, and since it is fond of half burying 

 itself in the ground and covering its shell with slime and dirt, it is 

 not very easy to find. 



3. Helix (HEMiTROcnus) vaeians, Mke. — Common on various trees 

 and shrubs : seems to prefer young orange-trees. 



4. Hklix (Hemiteoceus) Troscueli, Pfr. — "N^cry common on all sorts 

 of shrubs. In profusion on Hog Island (Nassau Harbour) on under- 

 side of dead palm leaves. 



H. Troscheli yav. calaccda, Wein. — Sparingly on young orange -trees. 



■ The generic name Strophia, Albers, 1850, is not only preoccupied in ento- 

 mology, but must yield priority to Cerion, Bolton, 1799. 



