343 



A LIST OF THE KNOWN SPECIES OF CLAUSILIA FROM CHINA. 



By Edgar A. Smith, I..S.O. 



Read 11th June, 1915. 



The British ^lusetiin received from Mr. W. L. Distant in October, 

 1913, a large Clamilia, 50 ram. iu length, which he was informed 

 came from Central China. Further inquiry was made, and the 

 Rev. A. Arthur Elwin staled that he collected it among trees 4(iO feet 

 above the lake at Hangchow, about 150 miles south-west of Shanghai. 



In the endeavour to name the specimen it became necessary to 

 study the whole literature dealing with the Clausilice of China, with 

 the result that it appeared to be new to the fauna. 



However, on compaiing it with the specimens of the Japanese 

 CI. martemi, Herklots, I could iind no distinguishing characters, and 

 therefore 1 was compelled to come to the conclusion that a mistake 

 had occurred with regard to the locality, or, what is very improbable, 

 it might have been accidentally imported from Japan. 



Again 1 applied to the collector of the specimen, and he then 

 wrote: "1 believe I found the big Ciaustita near the city of 

 Hangchow in China, more than 25 years ago, but, as I made no 

 special note of it at the time, I do not think it would be well to 

 publish any definite account of it. I have never received any shells 

 from Japan, and did not collect any during the three summers 

 I spent in that land." 



tinder these circumstances it may, I think, be concluded that the 

 sliell does not occur in China. However, since I have got together 

 a list of the Clausilim of that country, its publication may, I hope, be 

 useful to auyuue engaged upon that part of the Chinese fauna. As 

 many as 161 species appear to have been recorded. Pere Heude 

 heads the list of describers, having 66 species to his credit. Gredler 

 follows with 32 species, Schmacker and Biittger conjointly are 

 responsible for 19, Mollendortf for 17, Bottger for 7, Sykes for 4, 

 Pfeitfer 3, Kiister, Ancey, Benson, and Deshayes 2 each, and Menke, 

 Martens, Philippi, H. Adams, and Preston a single species each. 



In giving the following alphabetical list of the species I wish it to 

 be understood that no attempt has been made to offer a synonymic 

 catalogue. Doubtless some of the so-called species would fall as 

 synonyms, but to ascertain this would entail a very long and careful 

 study of all the numerous forms and the examination of authentic 

 examples of a considerable proportion of them. The collection in the 

 British Museum is very incomplete, and it may be mentioned that, of 

 the sixty-six species described by Heude, only five are represented. 



The numbers after the names in the list refer to the subjoined 

 bibliography. 



acanthula, Hde., 24. adaucta, Gredler, 20. 



aculus, Benson, 5. albopapillata, Schm. & Bttgr., 42. 



,, var. labio, Gredler, 22a. s-^n. papillina, Gredler, 21. 



,, var. papillana, Gredler, 22a. anceyi, Bttgr., 9. 



VOL. XI. — AUGUST, 1915. 25 



