MADEIRAN GROUP. 205 



and which has established itself in the Azorean, Canarian, and 

 Cape Verde Groups, is common both in Madeira and Porto 

 Santo, — principally at a low elevation, and within the cultivated 

 districts. It often congregates in dry places about old walls, 

 and beneath stones amongst the plants of Opiintia Tuna, 

 or ' Prickly Pear.' It is stated by the Baron Paiva to occur 

 also on the Southern Deserta, or Bugio ; and although it is far 

 from unlikely that this may be the case, yet, since the Baron's 

 material was seldom obtained by himself, but was brought to 

 him by paid collectors (upon whom it was often difficult to de- 

 pend), I feel that that particular habitat must be accepted with 

 some degree of caution. 



In Madeira the B. ventricosus is more particularly plentiful 

 in certain spots around Funchal, and here and there on the Sao 

 Lourenco promontory ; and in Porto Santo it was met with by 

 Mr. Lowe and myself near the Villa (especially in the Eibeira 

 de Cochim), as well as (in 1855) on the road to Camaxa, and 

 about an old wall (near the Zimbral d'Areia) at the southern 

 base of the Pico de Concelho. 1 



1 I may just call attention in this particular place to an elongate, 

 narrow, conical, white Bulimns (of the Subulina section), three examples of 

 which were met with (dead) many years ago, by the late Mr. Bewicke, ' in an 

 old bone,' in the garden of 'the Deanery,' near Funchal. There can be no 

 doubt that the species is not a native of the Madeiran archipelago, and I 

 think it is almost equally certain that it has not become even naturalized ; 

 nevertheless since it may possibly be found to have established itself in some 

 of the cultivated grounds in the hotter parts of the town, perhaps it ought 

 not to be passed over altogether in this catalogue, even though I have not 

 sufficient evidence to permit me to acknowledge it as an actual member of the 

 fauna. When examining these specimens, two years ago, with the aid of 

 Pfeiffer's Monograph, I came to the conclusion that (even if not absolutely 

 identical with it) they were more nearly related to the Subulina striatella,, 

 Rang (a species which occurs in Princes Island, and on various points of the 

 west coast of Africa) than to anything else ; and it is therefore satisfactory 

 that Mr. Watson, to whom I have lately entrusted one of them for comparison 

 wilh the types in the British Museum, has arrived, quite independently, at 

 precisely the same result, — adding ' Your specimen in form and sculpture 

 exactly resembles an unnamed one, in the British Museum, which appears to 

 be a variety of the striatella,, Rang.' And Mr. Watson further remarks (which 

 is important, as tending to throw some light upon the occurrence of this shell 

 at Madeira) ' Judging from memory, it is precisely like a specimen which was 

 found, a few years ago, in Funchal, by Senhor J. M. Moniz, amongst some 

 plants which had been sent to him from the island of St. Thomas in the 

 Gulph of Guinea ; and which he gave to me.' Mr. Watson, however, very 

 wisely, was careful not to turn it loose ; and it consequently ' died, on the 

 passage to England.' But this trivial circumstance, although not accounting 

 for Mr. Bewicke's examples, may perhaps afford some possible explanation of 

 the fact, if it should be ascertained hereafter that the Subulina striatella has 

 succeeded in establishing itself at Madeira. 



Although its narrow, elongate-conical outline, and its white and densely, 

 sharply, regularly costate-striated surface, in conjunction with its numerous 

 and convex volutions (the ultimate one of which is furnished with an obscure 

 transverse line or keel immediately above its rather small aperture), will 

 sufficiently distinguish the S. striatella, should it again occur, I will never- 



