2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 73 



lone: ago. So much of the evidence as to distribution and other 

 matters is gone that anyone attempting to work out the story of 

 these moUusks finds himself in the position of a person who tries 

 to read an old, torn, and faded book with many of the pages missing. 



In Cuba the earlier collectors seemed to think that the different 

 forms of Liguus were merely color variations that meant absolutely 

 nothing, so they took but little pains to get complete sets of the 

 varieties or to record definite localities for them, and they mostly 

 lumped all their material together and labeled it '"''Achatina fasciata^ 

 Cuba." If only complete collections of Liguus could have been made 

 in the island and in Florida before the destruction of the forests 

 began and the records of localities carefully kept I am satisfied that 

 we could not only have deciphered their past history but by their 

 aid we could have worked out in considerable detail the geology of 

 both regions. 



It has been objected that I have given too many names to color 

 varieties of the Floridian Liguus. Wliile I do not attach any great 

 importance to most of these, yet I am sure that they stand for differ- 

 ent phases of development and distribution. It seems to me that it 

 is better to have some kind of a name for a variety, such as mosieri or 

 castaneus, than to have to say " the small form of cre^iatus with 

 narrow spiral green lines " or " the dark chestnut variety of fasciatus 

 having a few yellowish markings on the spire." A considerable 

 number of the Liguus., which Dr. H. A. Pilsbry and I have named, 

 are, doubtless, fertile hybrids; but they, as well as the rest, help to 

 tell the story of the past development, migration, and distribution 

 of these snails. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. Charles Mosier, former custodian of 

 the Royal Palm State Park, the great forest of which swarms with 

 Liguus. Mr. Mosier made careful studies of these snails for years 

 in this and many other hammocks in Florida and has freely given 

 me the result of his observations. 



The late Mr. John B. Henderson generously made it possible for 

 me to visit the island of Haiti and to make a half dozen trips to 

 various parts of Cuba, also to collect in places on the Florida Keys 

 which were difficult of access. I am also under obligatons to Dr. 

 Carlos de la Torre, of Habana, who allowed me to examine his 

 great collection and make notes on it, also for many valuable 

 specimens of Cuban Liguus. 



This paper is respectfully dedicated to Charles Mosier, friend, 

 master woodman, naturalist, and companion on many collecting 

 trips, and to whose knowledge and assistance I am greatly indebted 

 for much of what appears in these pages. 



