Lingual Dentition of Achatinella, etc. 331 



XXX. — 0)1 the Lingual Dentition and Anatomy of Achati- 

 nella and other Pulmonata. 



By THOMAS BLAND AND W. G. BINNET. 



Read October 0, 1873. 



In the early part of the present jear, 1873, Bland espe- 

 cially requested his friend, the Rev. John T. Gulick, who 

 was about to visit the Sandwich Islands, to obtain and pre- 

 serve in alcohol specimens of different forms of AcJiatinella 

 with the animals, with a view to the examination of their 

 dentition.* 



It seemed probable from the diflerences in the shells, 

 on wdiich alone the subgenera of authors are founded, that 

 variation would be discovered in the dentition, leading to a 

 more satisfactory classification of the species. 



Appreciating the value of the proposed examinations, Mr. 

 Gulick, whose stay iu the Sandwich Islands was very limited, 

 forwarded to Bland from San Francisco, on his embarking 

 for China, a number of specimens with a list, of which the 

 subjoined is a copy.f 



Fkom West Maui. 

 Laminella picta, Mghls. Wailuku. Amastra Ilastcrsi, Newc. Wailuku. 

 Auriculella jucunda, Smith. Wai- Leptachatina nitida, Newc. " 

 liiku. " grana, Newc. " 



From East Maui. 

 Partnlina plumbea, Gk. Makawao. Auriculella solidissima, Smith. Ma; 



" eburnea, Gk. " kawao. 



Amastra 3Iastersi, Newc. " 



*At that time the only knowledge we had of the subject was contained in Heyne- 

 mann's description and figure ol'tlic linj;ual membrane of A.hulimoides in Mai. Bl., 1809. 

 t The following extract from Mr. Gulick's letter is too interesting not to be quoted : 

 '•I find that some of the most abundant species o)f twenty years ago have now become 

 almost, if not quite, extinct. Some have not been found for many years, tliough re- 

 peated search has been made for them. This lias occurred not only where the forests 

 have been destroyed bj' cattle and oy woodmen, but where the sunlight has been let 

 into the close shades by the tliinning out of the trees or by the increase of drought. In 

 other places, tlie various forms of vegetable and animal blight have invaded the forests, 

 proving fatal to the snails long before the trees are destroyed." 

 November, 1873. 23 Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., Vol. x. 



