JO CURRENT LITERATURE. 



foreign species of mollusca attached to it. Again, there is no case of timber 

 bringing live mollusca, the author can only say "it may be done," not "it has 

 been done." Put shortly the facts will only account for the stocking of isolated 

 ponds and other such localities, not for the introduction of species from another 

 country by animals. It is surely "flogging a dead horse," too, to expend time 

 and space in proving that Helix cantiana is indigenous to Britain, and that 

 H. limbata and H. aperta, &c, are not. The mass of references — which should 

 have appeared as a bibliography — will be found very useful, though by no means 

 complete. They are somewhat alarming in their present form to the ordinary 

 reader. Chapter v. and vii. are very fragmentary. 



It must not be supposed because we have dwelt upon the above points, 

 that we do not appreciate the time and attention that has been given to so interesting 

 a subject ; on the other hand, we feel sure that the work will be read with much 

 interest by man)', and form a handy reference volume on the subject of distribution. 



— E. R. S. 



Pilsbry, H. A — Tryon's Manual of Conchology, ser. i., pt. 57 ; ser. ii., pt. 33. 

 Philadelphia. Academy of Natural Science. 



In the Marine series, part 57 commences vol. xv., with which the first series 

 will close, and contains A cant koc kites, Katharina, Amicula, Cryptochiton, 

 Cryptoplax, and Choneplax. The following are described as new : — Acantkochites 

 pygmaus (near A. spiculosus), A. exquisitus, A. rhodeus, A. bisulcatus, 

 A. hemphilli, A. carpenteri (described from a series of drawings left by 

 Carpenter !), .-/. involutes, Cptr. 



An appendix to vol. xiv. is commenced, in which Trachydermon is raised from 

 a sub-genus to a genus and divided into three sections, chiefly distinguishable 

 by the length the gills extend. 



In the Land series, vol. ix. commences with a guide to the groups of the 

 Helices and a synopsis, partly contained in part 33. It opens with Trochomorpha, 

 and the species of this group are catalogued geographically. It may be noted that 

 the distribution is as follows: — India, China, &c, 15; Andaman and Nicobar 

 Islands, 6 ; Philippines, 26 ; Java. Celebes. Moluccas, 13 ; New Guinea, &C, 7 ! 

 Solomon and New Hebrides, 27; Polynesia, Pelew to Marquesas groups, 41; 

 unknown habitats. S. We then pass through Punctum to I, noma, which is 

 divided into Laoma, s. s. and Pkrixgnathus. Flammulina comes next, and is 

 divided into many sub-genera, one of these, Hedleyeconcha (a horrible name), 

 is new. Its type is II. delta, I'fr. Endodonta next occupies our attention, it is 

 divided into eight sub-genera, chiefly founded on the presence or absence of teeth 

 in the aperture, and the shape or sculpture of the shell. Diglyptus is a new name 

 for Diaglyptus, Pilsbry, which lias been found to be preoccupied in Insecta. 

 Tesseraria, littg. (preoccupied in Medusae), and Tropidoptera, Ancey (preoccupied 

 in Coleoptera), are replaced by PhenacharopaMv\ Pterodiscus. Thauminatodon is 

 a new section for part of Pity s, Pease (not of Beck). Nesophila. is proposed for 

 species of the last, having no teeth on the outer wall. We now pass to Phasis, 

 containing only South African species, and then to Amphidoxa. Next comes the 

 great Patuloid group. For the group usually known as Patula; Pyra/uidula, 

 Fitzinger, is proposed. The reason of this is, Mr. Pilsbry states, that " In treating 

 of the sub-genus Patula it will be shown that the name is not available for the 

 present genus as a whole." Anxiously we turn on and we find that the part, like 

 the first volume of an ordinary novel, has stopped at the most interesting point — 

 viz., half-way through the generic description of Pat it la. — E. R. S. 



STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT. 



Boutan, L. — Memoire sur le systeme nerveux de la Nerita polita et de la A T avicella 

 porcellana. Arch, de Zool., exp. et. gen., 1893, pp. 221-266, pits, xv.-xvi. 



Collinge, Walter E. — The anatomical characters of Arion flagellus, Cllge. 

 Irish Nat., 1893, vol. ii., pp. 316-17. 



