i38 



Quarterly Journal of Cone/wlogy. 



LAND SHELLS OF THE ISLES OF SCILLY. 

 By W. H. HATCHER. 



I was able, in the summer of i875,tocarryoutalongcherishedwish, 

 and to make a visit to the Isles of Scilly. My own special 'hobby 

 is the collection of Land shells ; but I almost fear that I shall be 

 set down by enthusiastic conchologists, as unworthy of a place in 

 their confraternity, when I confess that I found in Scilly so much 

 to please and interest me, that my week in the Islands passed with- 

 out my giving any great attention to the shells. 



A collection of the Island-shells ( Land and Fresh-water ) kept 

 at Tresco Abbey is made up of the following species : — 



Sphgerium corneum, Linn. 

 Planorbis vortex, Linn. ; 

 Limnsea peregra, Drap. ; 

 Vitrina pellucida, Muller ; 

 Succinea putris, Drap. ; 

 Zonites alliarius, Muller; 

 Helix aspersa, Muller ; 



„ nemoralis, Linn.; 



„ virgata, Da Costa ; 



Helix rufescens, Pennant ; 



„ revelata, Fer. ; 



,, sericea, Drap. ; 



„ pulchella, Muller ; 



„ rotundata, Muller ; 

 Bulimus acutus, Muller ; 

 Cochlicopa lubrica, Muller . 

 Balea perversa, Linn. ; 

 Pupa umbilicata, Drap.; 



Of these eighteen species I found twelve with little trouble, and 

 I also found Zonites Cellarius, Muller (and I think nitidulus, Drap.?), 

 not named in the Tresco collection. And I believe that a concholo- 

 gist who published his list of 'findings' some two or three years ago, 

 in the Penzance Natural History Magazine, gave a notably longer list 

 than t he above, though I cannot at present refer to this list. 



I had thought it probable that the Land-shells of Scilly would 

 present marked peculiarities. For the time which must have pass- 

 ed since these islands were separated from the mainland must be 

 very long, and during this time the island-shells have been conti. 

 nually under very marked and veiy unifcim conditions of exist- 

 ance, while it is probable that few specimens find their way across 

 from the mainland, so as to introduce a means of modifying the 

 insular individuals. 



