80 A Second Recent Shell of Helix Lowei, Ferussac. 



ordering some of these I did not include the latter, since I 

 had a sufficiency of the fossil specimens. The shells came, 

 and a letter from Herr Rolle saying that he had also sent the 

 H. Lowei, as he felt certain that I should like to have it. 

 It may be imagined that my surprise was not unlike that of 

 Signor Moniz when he raised the heavy stone, when, on 

 opening the box, there lay before me a second recent specimen 

 of this grand shell. Careful comparison witli the fossils 

 showed no differences except those produced by fossilization. 

 The only information that Herr Rolle could give me respecting 

 the specimen was that it came from the collection of Baron 

 von Maltzan, recently deceased. 



Wishing to have my own opinion ratified or otherwise by 

 the highest authority, I sent the shell to Rev. R. Boog Watson, 

 whose collection of, and knowledge with respect to, the 

 Mollusca of Madeira is unequalled. He pronounced it to be 

 a recent specimen of Helix Lowei. The question then arose 

 whether it was Signor Moniz's specimen which had passed 

 into the possession of Baron von Maltzan. A letter which 

 Mr. Watson wrote to Mr. J. Y. Johnson, however, elicited 

 the reply that the original specimen was still in the collection 

 of Signor Moniz, and that neither he nor Mr. Johnson had 

 ever heard of the capture of a second specimen. Lastly, 

 when I went to Madeira last year I took my specimen with 

 me, and Mr. Johnson entirely agreed that it was a recent shell 

 of 17. Lowei. When, and by whom, and in what exact 

 locality it was found remains a mystery. 



The specimen measures 1 t 9 q inch (or 48 millim.) in dia- 

 meter and 1^ inch (or 30 millim.) high. The thinness of 

 the shell for so large a Helix is remarkable, and it is trans- 

 lucent in every part ; the weight is only 2 scruples. The 

 colour on the under surface is pure white, on the upper the 

 white is slightly tinged with brown ; two very narrow rufous 

 bands gird the body-whorl, the one just above, the other just 

 below the periphery. In form and sculpture there is no 

 difference whatever from those of the fossil shells. 



Mr. Lowe, when he first described and figured this shell, 

 suggested that the recent Helix portosantana, Lowe, of 

 Madeira, might be specifically the same species as the extinct 

 //. Lowei, its representative in a depauperated form. But 

 the shells are perfectly distinct. Helix portosantana is not 

 only very much smaller, the spire more depressed &c, but 

 there are the following marked differences in sculpture : — In 

 H. Lowei, both recent and fossil, the apical whorls are strongly 

 and markedly pitted, and the underside of the shell exhibits 

 not the slightest trace of punctation. These features are 



