Mr. W. H. Benson on some Tenasserim Mollusca. 93 



When viewed in conjunction with the external characters of the 

 animal and the form of the shell, they will eventually serve to 

 give an accurate idea of the relations of the genus with the rest 

 of the family. 



I have four other Moulmein shells living — Pupina artata, B., 

 Helix Achatina, Gray, Helix pyla'ica, B., and Rhaphaulus Chry- 

 salis, Pfr. The three former creep about briskly, and have 

 allowed their form to be ascertained. The retiring habits of Rha- 

 phaulus, which shelters itself under leaves, and obstinately refuses 

 to expose itself while under observation, withdrawing quickly 

 into its shell when uncovered, have hitherto prevented me from 

 making a description of it. Helix Achatina and pyla'ica differ 

 widely in their animals. Specimens of the former having pro- 

 duced, on the 23rd and 26th inst., a single young shell with 

 several whorls, and measuring 6 millimetres in diameter, I am 

 disposed to set the species down as ovoviviparous, no previous 

 deposit of an ovum having been observed on either occasion. 

 The young ones are as agile and fearless as their parents. 



The rapidity of our steam-communication with tropical cli- 

 mates, and the knowledge that even land-shells provided with 

 opercula, and to all appearance empty, may be reanimated, 

 ought to stimulate our collectors, in the West as well as in the 

 East, to transmit freshly-taken specimens to Europe for exami- 

 nation. In 1853, specimens of Cyclophurus Indicus, Desh., from 

 Bombay, reached me in a living state, after a voyage of four 

 months round the Cape; and one of the specimens of Otopoma 

 clausum, which I examined a year ago, is still living, although 

 in a torpid condition. The arrival of Camptonyx from Kattiwar 

 is also a case worthy of remembrance. 



Since writing the above, Rhaphaulus Chrysalis has moved about 

 sufficiently to allow its main points to be ascertained. 



Cheltenham, June 29th, 1 859. 



IX. — Notes on the Animals of Rhaphaulus Chrysalis, Pupina 

 artata, Otopoma clausum, Helix Achatina, and H. pyla'ica. 

 By W. H. Benson, Esq. 



In the account of Hybocystis gravida, mention was made of 

 several other Tenasserim species of Mollusca found alive among 

 the shells procured for me by Captains Sankey and Haughton 

 at Moulmein. A few notes on their external characters will 

 prove acceptable to conchologists. 



