Land and Freshwater Shells from Rotuma Island. 519 



LXTT. — On a Collection of Land and Fresh wati'v Shells 

 from liotuma Island. By Edgaii A. S.MITir. 



In April l.SDG tlie British Museum received from Mr. R. B. 

 Lcefe, II. M. Vicc-CiMisul at the Tonga Islands, a scries of 

 land and freshwater shells which he collected during a visit 

 to Rotuma. The collection contained one species of Partula, 

 an OpeaSj one Ilelicina, an Omphalofropisj and a Melania. 



Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner has kindly i)laced in my hands 

 for examination the specimens which he obtained in this 

 island, and which he believes to be a " tolerably complete 

 collection." In addition to the species found by Mr. Leefe, 

 his series includes one lUn/tida, two species of Chiropa^ a 

 Tornatellina, a Succinea, and a second species of Helicina. 

 Besides these land-shells, Mr. Gardiner also collected some 

 Auriculidaj and Littorinida3, some of which were obtained 

 over a hundred feet above the sea. Ho paid " a good deal 

 of attention to collecting these, searching the tops of several 

 of the hills as well as the valleys," and he thinks '' the col- 

 lection, though small, is fairly representative. There is no 

 indigenous forest left anywhere on the island." 



Kotuma, or Rotumah, is situated about 300 miles N.N.W. 

 of Fiji. As no Mollusca have hitherto been recorded from 

 this locality, the following list may have some interest. 



The land Mollusca are similar in general characters to 

 those occurring in the nearest groups of islands ; and out of 

 the ten species six appear to be peculiar to the island. Some 

 of these being obscure forms and difficult of determination 

 may, however, eventually prove to be slight variations of 

 already known species. 



None of the Auriculida^ and Littorinidfe, which usually have 

 a more extended range than terrestrial Pulmonates and 

 OperculateSj are restricted to Rotuma. 



List of the Species. 



Family Testacellidae. 



1. Rhytida Gardineri. 



Testa orbicularis, late umbilicata, albida, rufo flammulata, peri- 

 ostraco tenui olivaceo induta, lineis incrementi subrugosis curvatis 

 obliquis striisque spiralibus paucis supra et infra sculpta ; spira 

 depressa, in medio impressa ; anfractus quatuor, convexiusculi, 

 celeriter accrescentes, sutiira profunda sejuncti, ultimus supra 

 oblique depressus, ad peripheriam obtusissime subangulatus 



