THE 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL 



OF 



CONCHOLOGY. 



A LIST OP LAND AND FRESHWATER SHELLS, 



COLLECTED AT ERITH, KENT. 



By harry LESLIE. 



The localities referred to in this list lie within about four miles of 



Erith, all on the Kentish side of the river Thames. Erith itself, or 



Dartford, are very convenient localities for collectors living in London 



to visit, being within easy reach by rail. The soil about Erith is a 



series of sands, gi'avels, and clays belonging to the Tjondon clay or 



Eocene formation ; while at Dartford the chalk crops out. Several 



of the species recorded are confined to the chalk. They will be noted 



in the list. 



This list does not claim to be, by any means, complete, and merely 

 gives the shells I met with there, collecting at intervals during two 

 seasons : — 



SphaBrium corneum Linne. — Rivers Cray and Darent and ditches 

 near them, largo. 



Sphserium lacustre Muller. — Found in one or two small ponds 

 near Erith, or in the brickfields. 



PiFidium amnicum Midler. — River Cray, rather plentiful, and 

 fine. 



Anodonta cygnea Linne. — A variety of this shell, or A. anatina, 

 occun-ed with a few shells approaching to the type of A. cygnea in a 

 small brook called the Shuttle, near Bexley. The shells were thick 

 and small. These shells were the only representatives of the genus I 

 foimd in the neighbourhood, although there were several ponds that 

 looked likely spots for them. 



Bythinia tentaculata Linne. — In the River Cray, and Erith 

 Marshes abundant. 



Hydrobia ventrosa var elongata Montagu. — Occurred very plen- 

 tifully near the Parafiin "Works in Erith Marshes, and on the 

 mud and reeds all along the river banks. A few Hydrobia ulvce 

 occurred with it. 



Valvata piscinalia Muller. — In the River Cray. 



Planorbis nitidns Muller. — Found only in a small pond by the 

 roadside between Cray-pond and Erith. 



