CURRENT LITKRATUKE. I 7 



The Mcgaspiridae, Pils., are next commenced. The author remarks tliat the 

 members of this family seem to have been differentiated from their allies, the 

 Claiisili iliac, in the Northern Hemisphere of the Old World, during Mesozoic time. 

 Eoincgaspira represents a branch which attained high specialisation at the dawn of 

 the Eocene in Western Europe, and shortly thereafter became extinct, either in con- 

 sequence of over-specialisati&n, or as a result of physical changes in the unstable 

 geography of this area. The ancestors of Perricn'a and Coclocion made their way 

 south-eastward to Papua and Australia, while the Brazilian Megaspira traces its fore- 

 bears over the mid- Atlantic, like the Strcpiaxidae, AiupuUariidae, of the same region, 

 from tropical Africa, whence they migrated to South America over the Cretaceous 

 land-bridge supposed to have spanned the Atlantic. 



The following genera are reviewed, CalUoncpion, Pils. and V^an., Megaspira, 

 "Lea," Jay, Eoiiicgaspira, Pils., and Pcrrieria, Tap. Can. 



An Index to the Urocoplidac and Mcgaspiridae follow, and the author then passes 

 on to the Acliatiiiidac. 



In this last mentioned family the following genera are treated of : Pseitdacliatina, 

 Albers, with P. pyrainidata, Kob. v. kobeltiaita, n. var., P. daillyana, n.sp., from West 

 Africa ; Atopocochlis, Cr. & Fisch. ; Pseitdotrochus, H. & A. Ad., with P. morclctiaitiis 

 (Desh.) v. pallidior, n. var. : Perideriopsis, Putz. ; Limicolaria, Schum., with L. tryon- 

 iaiia, L. agatliina, L. hicalaiia, and L. feliiia, Shuttl. v. zebra, all new and from West 

 Africa ; L. fiaiiiniata (Caill.) v. smitlii and L. longa, both new from East Africa ; Biirtoa, 

 Bourg., and Metachatina, Pils. 



The supplementary part (64a) is an exceedingly interesting one, and is entirely 

 devoted to the Urocoptidae. 



Commencing with a definition of the family, the author passes at once to the 

 general morphology. The general structure of the pallial organs is lather that of the 

 Bnliiniilidac than of the Clausiliidac. The generative organs have been examined in 

 a few species of Ettcalodinin, Coeloccninini, Bcrendtia, Aiiisospira, Epirobia, Holospira, 

 Urocoptis, and Brachypodclla. In the first six genera they are characterised by a 

 usually very short, thick penis, with a long epiphallus, the retractor muscle is inserted 

 on the diaphragm, and the receptaculum seminis has a long duct arising not very 

 high on the vagina. In the two remaining genera, the penis is longer, the epiphallus 

 apparently obsolete, aud the receptacular duct arises higher. The alimentary canal 

 is long and varies considerably in the different genera, the pharynx or buccal mass, 

 however, is always short, as in the HeJicidac. The jaw and radula are subject to much 

 variation. Respecting the free retractor muscles, in Eiicalodinm the pharyngeal and 

 left retractors branch from the root of the columellar, and then the ocular, which is 

 thus united for a short distance with the columellar. Anteriorly the two oculars unite 

 to form a muscular plate over the pharynx. In Coclocciitnnn the left ocular and 

 pharyngeal retractor are united for a third of their length, and the pharyngeal retract- 

 or gives off a band to each anteriorly. In Holospira the left ocular is united part way 

 with the pharyngeal and the right with the columellar muscles. In I'rocoptis brcTis 

 the muscles arise as in Eiicalodiiiin, but are independent distally, and the right ocular 

 functions also as a penial retractor. Finally in Bracliypodtlla clieiimitziaiia the pha- 

 ryngeal and ocular retractors are united for a third of their length, and the columellar 

 runs free of them. From the morphological right retractor a group of fibres arise 

 which pass to the vas deferens and vagina. 



The form, colouration, sculpture, and axis of the shell are next dealt with, followed 

 by a consideration of the significant characters and evolution of the family. It is 

 pointed out that many genera are in the stage termed phylogerontic by Hy.itt. They 

 are in the old age of the race, and Dr. Pilsbry believes that many phyla will not out- 

 last the present geological period. Evidences of decadence are seen in the special- 

 isation of the radiila, the decreasing growth-power indicated by the fusiform shape of 



