lO CURRENT LITERATURE. 



foreign species of mollusca attached to it. Again, there is no case of timber 

 bringing live molhisca, the author can only say "it may be done," not "it has 

 been done." Put shortly the facts will only account for the stocking of isolated 

 ponds and other such localities, not for the introduction of species from another 

 country by animals. It is surely "flogging a dead horse," too, to expend time 

 and space in proving that Helix cantiana is indigenous to Britain, and that 

 H. limhata and H. aperta, &c., are not. The mass of references — which should 

 have appeared as a biljliography— will l^e found very useful, though by no means 

 complete. They are somewhat alarming in their present form to the ordinary 

 reader. Chapter v. and vii. are very fragmentary. 



It must not be supposed because we have dwelt upon the above points, 

 that we do not appreciate the time and attention that has Ijeen given to so interesting 

 a subject ; on the other hand, we feel sure that the work will be read with much 

 interest by many, and form a handy reference volume on the subject of distribution. 



—1-:. R. s. 



Pilsbry, H. A. — Tryon's Manual of Conchology, ser. i., pt. 57 : ser. ii., pt. 33. 

 Philadelphia. Academy of Natural Science. 



In the Marine series, part 57 commences vol. xv., with which the first series 

 will close, and contains Acanthochiles, Katharina, Amicula, Cryptochilou, 

 Cryploplax, and Choneplax. The following are described as new : — Acauthochites 

 pygiiticus {near A. spiciilosiis), A. exquisittis, A. rhodeiis, A. hisukatiis, 

 A. hemphilli, A. carpenteri (described from a series of drawings left by 

 Carpenter !), A. invo/iitus, Cptr. 



An appendix to vol. xiv. is commenced, in which 'J'rac/ij'deniion is raised from 

 a sub-genus to a genus and divided into three sections, chiefly distinguishable 

 by the length the gills extend. 



In the Land series, vol. ix. commences with a guide to the groups of the 

 Helices and a synopsis, partly contained in part t,],. It opens with 'J'rochoiiiofpha, 

 and the species of this group are catalogued geographically. It may be noted that 

 the distribution is as follows: — India, China, &c., 15; Andaman and Nicobar 

 Islands, 6 ; Philippines, 26 ; Java, Celebes, Moluccas, 13 ; New Guinea, &c., 7 ; 

 Solomon and New Hebrides, 27 ; Polynesia, Pelew to Marquesas groups, 41 ; 

 unknown habitats, 8. We then pass through Pnnctum to Laoma, which is 

 divided into Laonia, s. s. and Phrixgnathtis. Flatiimuliim comes next, and is 

 divided into many sub-genera, one of these, Plcdleyeconcha (a horrilile name), 

 is new. Its type is H. delta, Pfr. EnJodouta next occupies our attention, it is 

 divided into eight sub-genera, chiefly founded on the presence or aljsence of teeth 

 in the aperture, and the shape or sculpture of the shell. Diglyptus is a new name 

 for Diaglyptiis, Pilsbry, which has been found to be preoccupied in Insecta. 

 Tesseraria, Bttg. (preoccupied in Medusne), and Tropidoptera, .Vncey (preoccupied 

 in Coleoptera), are replaced hy Fhetiacharopa and Plerodiscus. Thanmiiiatodon is 

 a new section for part of Fitys, Pease (not of Beck). Nesophila is proposed for 

 species of the last, having no teeth on the outer wall. We now pass to Phasis, 

 containing only South African species, and then to Aniphidoxa. Next comes the 

 great Patuloid grou]i. For the group usually known as Patiila; Fyraiiiiditla, 

 Fitzinger, is proposed. The reason of this is, Mr. Pilsbry states, that "In treating 

 of the sub-genus Patiila it will be shown that the name is not available for the 

 present genus as a whole." Anxiously we turn on and we find that the part, like 

 the first volume of an ordinary novel, has stopped at the most interesting point — 

 viz., half-way through the generic description of Patiila. — E. K. .S. 



STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT. 



Boutan, L. — Memoire sur le systeme nerveux de la Nerita polita et de la /Vaviicila 

 porcellaiia. Arch, de Zool., exp. et. gen., 1893, PP- 221-266, pits, xv.-xvi. 



Collinge, Walter E. — The anatomical characters of Arioji Jlagellus, Cllge. 

 Irish Nat., 1893, ^^h !'••. PP- 316-17. 



