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ON THE EXTENSION OF THE GENUS MACROCELAMYS TO THE 

 ISLAND OF MAURITIUS. 



By Lieut.-Colonel H. H. Godwin-Austen, F.R.S. 



Mead I6th June, 1905. 



PLATE XVIII. 



I LAST montli received from Monsieur E. Dupont, through Mr. John 

 Ponsonby, three specimens, preserved in spirit, accompanied by the 

 following short note by the donor: — '•'■ Nanina sp. from Mauritius, 

 differing from N. semifusca, Desh. = N. scalpta, Mart., by its more 

 shining appearance and more rounded periphery ; resembles also 

 Nanina renitens, Morel, of Mayotte. The animal has been drowned 

 in fresh water before being put in spirits." 



I have been trjdng for some years to obtain the animals of certain 

 species of land mollusca from this part of the world, and lately, 

 through the kind interest of the late Governor, Sir Charles Bruce, 

 K.C.M.G., I got at last into communication with the Colonial 

 Secretary and the Curator of the Museum des jardins. My thanks 

 are due to them and particularly to M. Dupont for the material 

 which I now describe. 



The bottle contained three specimens, two with their shells, one 

 without. On looking them over, this last, I considered, was another 

 species, quite distinct from the other. On a comparison of their 

 respective external characters, I was still further agreeably surprised 

 to find that these were typical of that very widely - spread 

 Indian genus Macrochlamys. I at once proceeded to examine the 

 animal of a specimen (having its shell) in detail, and as the several 

 organs came to view, they each agreed in a most interesting degree of 

 similarity with the respective organs of that genus. So similar were 

 they, 1 felt at the time I was dealing with an importation into 

 the Mauritius from some part of India. There was, however, less 

 reason for this supposition when specific identification commenced. 



I have refrained until now from cutting up the specimen sent with- 

 out a sheU in order to compare it better when further material may 

 come to hand. That it belongs to the same genus I have not 

 the slightest doubt, and the figures illustrating this paper sufficiently 

 show this, the right and left shell -lobes being well developed 

 (Figs. VI, vri). On writing to Mr. J. Ponsonby, after examination 

 of the specimens, to tell him I had made out two species, he informed 

 me he had identified three species among shells he had lately received 

 from M. Dupont, as scalpta, v. Mts. The interest surrounding 

 these land shells is thus still more increased. Mr. Ponsonby very 

 kindly offered to send me examples to look at, and having done so 

 I have no hesitation in confirming his opinion, and the late Dr. W. T. 

 Blanford, to whom I showed them, coincided. What species they 



