108 SMITH: NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF LAND SHELLS. 



I propose for it the name veneroides for obvious reasons. 



All the British species of the genus attain to a large size in the 

 Channel Islands. The figures, illustrating the divergence from the 

 type through the v. sarniensis, do not show the maximum of growth. 



NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF LAND SHELLS 

 FROM NEW GUINEA. 



By EDGAR A. SMITH, F.Z.S., 

 Zoological Department, British Museum, London. 



The British Museum has just been presented by Mr. H. Veitch 

 with a few land shells from New Guinea, including fine examples of 

 Oxytes hercules, Hedley, Nanina hunsteini and X. cairni, Smith, 

 Geotrochus zais. Brazier, and a new species of Nanina allied to 

 N. inclinata Pfr. 



Xo special locality accompanied the specimens, but from the 

 known distribution of the species quoted, we may safely conjecture 

 that they were collected in the southern part of the main Island 

 within British territory. 



I. Oxytes hercules, Hedley.* 



The three beautiful fresh specimens of this species are a very 

 fine addition to the National Collection. They are probably the 

 first seen in this country, and only three other examples have been 

 recorded. It seems to me doubtful whether this shell is rightly 

 located in the group Oxytes, the type of which is an Indian form 

 with a large open umbilicus. The present species is all but 

 imperforate, agreeing in this respect with certain species of the 

 section Rhysota, e.g., R. lamarckiana, Lea, R. vranus, Fir., &c, and 

 in geographical distribution it certainly ranges closer to those than 

 to Indian forms. A curious resemblance to this New Guinean 

 species is found in the West Indian Caracolus caracolla, Linn. The 

 general form, number of the whorls, and the imperforate base are 

 quite similar, but, the localities being so remote, a close relationship 

 is not to be expected. 



Hedley. Proc. I. inn. Sue, N. S. Wales, 1891. Vol. \i., p. 70, pi. i\.. figs. 1-2. 



