256 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETX. 



European species. Delima (about ninety species), Medora (twenty-four 

 species), and Agathylla (thirteen species) are the characteristic sub- 

 genera, Medora, with its smooth, blue-grey shells, ranging from 

 Carniola and Croatia to Cattaro, and (puncttdata, Kiist.) just reaching 

 Italy, Agathylla, with its pretty latticed forms, being almost confined 

 to the coast-lands and islands. Bilataria abounds in the Velebit 

 region. The group Seteroptycha, West., is peculiar to Dalmatia. 

 The common sub-genera of Central Europe are crowded out, and even 

 Papillifera scarcely occurs. The whole district bears signs of an 

 individual development hardly to be paralleled in any other region of 

 Europe. 



Italy a7id Sicily. — The Italian peninsula falls into three divisions, 

 northern, central, and southern, while Sicily stands quite apart. 

 Nowhere is there the same rich development, either of genera or 

 species, as on the eastern coasts of the Adriatic. Deli?na is the 

 characteristic group of North Italy; Pirostoma and Marpessa, abundant 

 in the north, fail in numbers as we go southward. Papillifera, on the 

 other hand, is strongest in the south, and has only a few species in 

 the north. Alinda, and even Strigillaria, pass the Alps, but do not 

 seem to occur in Central or South Italy. The peninsula appears to 

 have developed no characteristic group whatever. A single Medora 

 {punctiilata, Kiist.), no doubt a migrant from the East Adriatic, 

 reaches Central and South Italy. 



Sardinia has two or three species of Marpessa, all peculiar ; Elba 

 has only two species of Papillifera. 



Benoit (1) in 1881 catalogued twenty-five species from Sicily and 

 the neighbouring islands. Since his time many have been added, 

 by tlie labours of Monterosato and others, not all of which, perhaps, 

 will stand the test of time. The characteristic sub-genus is Siciliaria, 

 wholly peculiar to the island. Papillifera is common, and there are 

 a few Delima, but Medora, Alinda, and even Pirostoma and Marpessa 

 appear to be entirely absent. Sicilian influence on North Africa is 

 very marked (see p. 260). 



The Maltese group contains some remarkable and peculiar forms of 

 Papillifera, a single Delima {imitatrix, Bttg.), and even an Alhinaria 

 {degregorii, Plat.). The solitary island of Lampedusa has a form 

 {lopedusce, Calc.) generally assigned to this same group, and marking 

 its furthest westward extension. 



Montenegro and North Albania, whose fauna has been catalogued 

 by Wohlberedt (61), are a meeting-ground for East European and 

 Dalmatian influences. The elevated nature of the country differentiates 

 the fauna from that of the North Adriatic littoral. Medora and 

 Agathylla have only two species apiece, Delima has eigliteen ; on the 

 other hand, there are Alinda (three species), Uerilla (five species), 

 Pseudalinda (one species), Strigillaria (two species ; one is vetiista, 

 the common Strig. of East Europe). Triloba, with two species, is 

 peculiar to this region and Macedonia. The most remarkable fact 

 is the occurrence of two species of Alopia, laleiformis, Bttg., and 

 diirmitoris, Bttg., the former of which has no clausilium. Boettger 

 remarks: "Whether a special name is necessary for this group, 



