22 horsley: helix nemoralis axd helix iiortensis. 



not rare and giving us many shades, from a dark ruddy brown to 

 a light yellowish brown ; but in hortensis the corresponding var. 

 fusca is rare, and there is nothing like the series of shades of 

 brown to be found. 



Another point of difference is the prevalent ground colour. 

 Looking at nemoralis in quantit}', and inckiding both banded and 

 imbanded varieties, one would certainly come to the conclusion 

 that the original type was red, whereas in hortensis yellow is the 

 prevailing colour. The percentages of nemoralis were found by 

 Mr. Belt, of Ealing, to be, at any rate for his neighbourhood, 

 37 per cent, yellow, 51 red, and 12 brown; while those of hortensis 

 from the same district were 86 per cent, yellow, 14 red, and 

 o brown. 



Another point of difference seenis to be that the colour of 

 the peristome and columella is normal in ncnioralis and accidental 

 in hortensis, and collectors will notice that it is much more fugitive 

 in hortensis than in nemoralis, so that the varieties of the latter 

 shell with dark red, pink, or yellow lips should be protected from 

 the light, and even then may be found to lose the colour of their 

 peristome. 



No doubt some of these differences are not of very conclusive 

 force when used singly as arguments for the species being only 

 allied and not one, but the cumulative force they possess when 

 considered all together is by no means small. 



Nemoralis is probably the older sliell of the two, being found 

 not only sub-fossil, but actually in Miocene strata, while I am 

 not aware that a similar antiquity can be claimed for hortensis. 

 It might, therefore, be held that hortensis is but a weak offshoot 

 from nemoralis, or a more northern form. My own observations, 

 however, in Central and Southern France and in Switzerland 

 would not lead me to tliis conclusion. 



