2 94 Quarterly Journal of Conchology. 



3. THE ATLAKTIC REGIOX.-^\-yQ fauncc of the Archi- 

 pelagoes forming this region are so diverse that they might ahiiost 

 be considered distinct, but they have certain features in common. 

 Geological research has shown these Islands to have been the 

 result of separate volcanic upheavals, and that they are not frag- 

 ments of a former Atlantis, as was at one time supposed. The 

 subgenus of Helix, Leptaxis, and the operculate genus Craspedo- 

 poma are specially characteristic. 



A. The Azores. These islands are known chiefly from the 

 researches of Morelet and Drouet, of which the results were pub- 

 lished in i860 by Morelet (Notice sur I'Histoire naturelle des 

 Agores). 69 species were described, 28 being European shells of 

 wide distribution, and several others common to the other Atlantic 

 Islands, as Helix paupercula to Madeira and the Canaries, H. 

 arjnillata to Madeira and the Cape de Verdes, H. erubescens to 

 Madeira. 33 species only are peculiar. The most striking features 

 of the fauna are no less than 7 species of Vifrina, of moderate 

 size, 6 species of Leptaxis, 3 peculiar Hyalince, several Buliuiini of 

 the s.g. NapiBus, 5 species of Pupa, of a peculiar group, allied to 

 those of Madeira, and one Craspedopoma ( C. hespericum). 



B. The Madeira Archipelago, comprising Madeira, Porto Santo, 



the Desertas, and a few islets ; perhaps the most thoroughly 

 worked ground out of Europe. Lowe, Albers, WoUaston, and 

 Castello de Paiva are the most distinguished names in Madeiran 

 conchology. Albers published a monograph many years ago, 

 giving figures of all the species, but the more recent A\ork of 

 Castello de Paiva is naturally the most complete enumeration, and 

 all the species and varieties are fully described, though only the 

 novelties are figured. 



The fauna of Madeira is far more special than that of the 

 Azores. There are i sp. of Arioii, 4 of Limax, 2 of Testacella, 

 3 of Vitrina, 93 of Helix, i of Stenogyra, 11 oi Cionella, 25 of 



