MADEIRAN GROUP. 171 



collibus aridis apricis maritimis, congregans, et vix supra 1500' 

 s.ra. ascendens. Semifossilis, sub formis plurimis diversis, 

 hinc inde sed parce reperitur. 



So numerous are the forms which are assumed by this pro- 

 tean Helix, in the various islands and districts of the Madeiran 

 Group, that the more salient ones would seem to demand, 

 each of them, an independent notice. And this is all the more 

 desirable since the major part were described by Mr. Lowe 

 (though not originally) as separate species, and it might still 

 perhaps be a question with certain monographers whether at any 

 rate one or two of those which I have thought it better to 

 treat as varieties might not be retained as distinct. My own 

 belief, however, is, that even more than those which are here 

 placed upon record will be found eventually (when the few 

 remaining localities which have not yet been fully explored shall 

 have been properly investigated) to increase the list of perma- 

 nent races, — which, although merging into the immediately 

 allied ones by unmistakeable connective links, are neverthe- 

 less sufficiently defined within their own particular provinces 

 to be properly looked upon as ' local modifications,' in the 

 usually accepted sense of that term. Commencing with the 

 phases which are more roughly granulated than the rest, I 

 think that the following thirteen (which almost arrange them- 

 selves, as might naturally be anticipated in the case of mere 

 varieties, topographically) may perhaps be accepted as the ones 

 which should principally be noticed. 



a. [normalis]. 



Helix polymorpha, a. irrasa, Lowe, I. c. 54. t. 6. f. 11 (1831) 

 „ „ a. Pfeiff., Mai. Bldtt. 81 (1852) 



„ „ Loive, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 187 (1854) 



„ „ var. a., Alb., I. c. 25. t. 5. f. 7-13 (1854) 



„ „ „ Paiva, I. c. 83 (1867) 



„ saccharata, Lowe, olim, in litt. 



Habitat Maderam ; ad rapes maritimas versus orientem, 

 praecipue in ins. parva ' Ilheo de Fora ' dicta, juxta promonto- 

 rium Sancti Lourentii, degens. 



This is the most conical state which has hitherto been de- 

 tected of the present variable Helix ; and although Mr. Lowe 

 cited it in 1831 as but one variety out of many, he subsequently 

 (in 1854) adopted it as a distinct species, — regarding it, par 

 excellence, as ' the H. polymorpha ' (properly so called) ; though 

 I think that it is much to be regretted that he should not have 

 adhered to his original (and, as it seems to me, far more correct) 

 treatment of it. Even in the elevation of its spire this roughly 



