North American Helicidm. 355 



immature state. This is a less delicate shell, but in its earlier 

 stages, when there is but a small umbilicus, there is no incon- 

 siderable resemblance between the two, and it would accord 

 well with the description ; but no one familiar with the present 

 species would ever mistake one for the other." 



Dr. Binney was probably influenced by Dr. Griffith's opinion 

 as to the identity of H. glaphyra and II. cellaria, but seems to 

 have arrived at that conclusion rather from the assumed 

 habitat of Say's specimen, than after critical study of his de- 

 scription. 



Say states that the shell was taken in Mr. Ord's garden, but 

 Mr. Ord has recently informed Mr. W. G. Binney that he found 

 the single specimen, without the animal in it, on his wharf. 



Dr. Binney, speaking of H. cellaria, says, "This is the shell 

 which was found by Mr. Say in gardens in the city of Philadel- 

 phia, and by him described as H. glaphyra." 



This is not only erroneous in fact, but conveys the equally 

 erroneous impression that living specimens of II. cellaria were 

 collected by Say in Philadelphia. So far as I have been able 

 to ascertain, E. cellaria has never been found in that city, or 

 even in the State of Pennsylvania ; only in the New England 

 States. 



Dr. Binney and Dr. Gould, having under such circumstances 

 pronounced Say's species to be identical with H. cellaria, insist 

 on the identity of the H. cellaria of America and Europe. 

 On the latter point I entirely agree with them, but the question 

 as to H. glaphyra is in no way affected. 



Looking at Say's description, I cannot believe that his shell, 

 found by Mr. Ord, was H. cellaria. Say describes the umbili- 

 cus of II. glaphyra as "moderate, not exhibiting the volutions," 

 and compares the species with H. nitens of Europe, " particu- 

 larly in being whitish beneath." At that date II. nitens Gmel. 

 and II. nitens Maton and Rackett were known to conchologists, 

 the one placed by Pfeiffer in the synonymy of R. nitida Mull., 

 and the other in that of H. cellaria Mull., both widely umbili- 



