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DESCRIPTION OF A NEW HELICOID FEOM SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



Ey G. K. GuDE, F.Z.S. 



Read 8th May, 19U. 



One of our Australian members, Mr. E. H. Mattliews, recently 

 forwarded to Mr. Robson twenty specimens of a small Helicoid, with 

 tbe request to submit tliem to me for examination. He stated that 

 they had been collected for him by Mr. J. A. Mayer amongst the 

 Melaleuca swamp of the south-east portion of Soutli Australia, near 

 Millicent, a place not far from the coast, some 200 miles south-east 

 from Adelaide. Mr. Matthews was at first inclined to think they had 

 found II. petiolensis.. Cox, but on comparison he came to the conclusion 

 that lie was unable to identify the specimens. 



After a careful scrutiny of all known species from the southern 

 portion of the Australian Continent, 1 have satisfied myself that the 

 shell in question pertains to an undescribed form. It certainly has 

 no affinity with H. pe)iolensis. I have been considerably exercised 

 in my mind, moreover, as to its generic position, since I do not know 

 any Australian form with which to class it, and I was struck with 

 its general resemblance to the Palaearctic species Helicella [Candidiila) 

 conspurcata (Drap.), recorded from Portugal, the Balearic Islands, 

 the South of France, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Dalmatia, Greece, Tunisia, 

 Algeria, and Morocco. As the members of this genus are noted for 

 their ability to withstand protracted periods of drought, the possibilitv 

 of their having been transported from some Mediterranean port and 

 introduced into South Australia in this manner is by no means 

 excluded, especially as the spot where they wei'e taken is only some 

 20 miles from the nearest seaport. As several of the shells contain 

 the animal, ilr. llobson has kindly undertaken to examine their 

 anatomy, and it will be interesting to learn whether my surmise will 

 be borne out by his investigation. Under these circumstances I 

 propose tentatively to refer this form to the section Candidula of 

 Helicella. 



While its general resemblance to JI. conspurcata possibly affords 

 a clue as to its generic position, the South Australian shell is 

 sufficiently distinct to warrant its being regarded as a new species. 

 It is more elevated in the spire, the whorls are more tumid, the 

 aperture is higher in proportion to its width, and the bristles are 

 more crowded and shorter. 



I propose to dedicate the new species to its discoverer. 



Helicella (Candidula) mayeri, u.sp. 



Shell moderately umbilicated, conoid, dull, pale fuscous, variously 

 ornamented with darker bands more or less interrupted by pale 

 ochraceous transverse streaks or blotches, rufous corneous behind the 

 aperture ; the first whorl shining and smooth, the remainder lustreless, 

 finely striated, densely covered with short bristles. Spire rather 



