248 TEST ACE A ATLANTIC A. 



Achatina folliculus, Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 200 



(1854) 

 Glandina folliculus, Alb., Mai. Mad. 57. t. 15. f. 3, 4 



(1854) 



Achatina folliculus, Paiva, Mon. Moll. Mad. 106 (1867) 

 Lovea Wollastoni, Watson, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 334 (1877) 



Habitat Maderam australem ; sub lapidibus in aridis apricis 

 inferioribns, praecipue inter dumeta Opuntice Tunw, Dill., haud 

 infrequens. 



The Achatina folliculus of Mediterranean latitudes ( a 

 species which occurs more particularly in south-western Europe 

 and the north of Africa) is not uncommon at low elevations, 

 around Funchal, in Madeira proper, where it was first detected 

 by Mr. Leacock, and where it is far from unlikely that it may have 

 become naturalized from Portugal. It is found chiefly, beneath 

 stones, in hot and rocky situations, near the coast, amongst 

 plants of the Opuntia Tuna (or 'Prickly Pear'), as, for 

 instance, above the Lazaretto, and slightly further to the east- 

 ward in the direction of the Brazen Head; but I have also 

 met with it to the west of Funchal, towards the Gorgulho, 

 within the crevices of the friable soil (especially after showers) 

 in the early spring ; and it is recorded likewise from the hill 

 immediately above the last-mentioned district, namely the Pico 

 da Cruz, as well as from the Pico de Sao Joao. 



In its rather large size and pale yellowish-corneous hue the 

 L. folliculus has somewhat the primd facie aspect of the tor- 

 natellina; nevertheless its obtuser and more oblong (or per- 

 haps fusiform) outline, in conjunction with its more oblique 

 suture, its almost simple columella 1 and its totally different 

 aperture, which is very much shorter and is not produced back- 

 wards (or acuminated obliquely) along the body- volution, will 

 at once distinguish it- not merely from that species, but like- 

 wise from the whole five exponents of the particular section 

 (Amphorella, Lowe) to which the L. tornatellina belongs. 



The L. folliculus is stated by Webb and Berthelot to be 

 found also in the Canaries ; but this, according to Mousson, 

 appears to have been a mistake, the species which was pro- 

 bably referred to by them being distinct, and described by the 

 latter (Faun. Mai. des Can., 129) under the trivial name of 

 ' Reissi.' I am exceedingly doubtful however whether the 

 Reissi (or indeed whether the equally allied L. Vescoi, Bourg., 

 from Malta) is anything more, in reality, than a slight geogra- 

 phical phasis of the L. folliculus. , 2 



1 The Madeiran examples have the columella nearly simple ; but there is 

 said by Mr. Lowe to be a rather more evident callosity in those from Portugal. 



2 Judging from some examples, in a living state, whieh I observed when 



