130 Remarks on Certain Species of JV. A. Helioidoi. 



Helix Iticiibrata iSay. 



This species was described by Say in the " New Harmony 

 Disseminator of Useful Knowledge," 11. 229 (July, 1829), and the 

 description was republished by Mrs. Say in 1840, in " Descrip- 

 tions of some New Terr, and Fluv. Shells of N. America." 



The subjoined copy is from the reprint of W. G. Binney. 



" H. lucubrata. Shell subglobose, depressed, reddish brown, polished, 

 subtraiislacent ; whorls over four, much wrinkled ; spire much depressed, 

 convex; suture moderate ; beneath paler; umbiUcus open, rather large ; 

 aperture nearly orbicular ; labrum simple. 



" Greatest width one inch. Inhabits Mexico. Closely allied to JI. inor- 

 nata Nob., but the umbilicus is much larger, and the aperture is more 

 accurately rounded ; the color is nearly the same, excepting that in the 

 present it is of a deeper shade." 



There is great difference of opinion as to this species, and 

 indeed it has not been satisfactorily determined. 



As has been shown, Dr. Binney confounded it with H. IcBvi- 

 gata, by others it has been placed with that species in the 

 synonymy of H. fuliginosa, and Pfeiffer has recently deter- 

 mined it to be the species described by "W. G. Binney as H. 

 fridbilis. 



Mr.. Binney (Suppl. p. 106) considers the Mexican H. caduca 

 Pf. allied to, if not identical with it, and refers to "Mexican 

 specimens of lucubrata preserved for many years in the Phila- 

 delphia Academy" as agreeing perfectly with that species. 



I have critically examined the three specimens at the Aca- 

 demy; they are attached to a card, and labelled, by Mr. Phillips 

 I believe, " Helix lucubrata Say, Mexico. N. H. Disseminator, 

 vol. ii. p. 229." One of the specimens, that of which the base 

 onl}' is visible, is I think a pale var. of H. fulighiosa^ but the 

 other two differ from all the forms of the group, including H. 

 caduca Pf.^ which I have seen. The adult specimen (the other 

 is young of the same) of which both the upper and lower side 



