CANARIAN GROUP. 421 



Bulimus myosotis, W. et B., Ann. des So. Nat. 27. syn. 319 



(1833) 

 „ variatus (var.), d'Orb., in W. et B. Hist. 71. t. 2. 



f. 27 (1839) 

 „ Webbii, d'Orb., I. c. 72 (1839) 

 „ myosotis, Pfdff., Mon. Hel. ii. 126 (1848) 

 „ Webbii, Id., I. c. iv. 419 (1867) 



Bulirninus myosotis, Mouss., Faun. Mai. des Can. 102 



(1872) 



Bulimus myosotis, Pfeiff., Mon. Hel. viii. 84 (1876) 



Habitat Canariam Grandem ; in aridis calcareis intermediis 

 prsecipue occurrens. In montibus paululum elevatis mox supra 

 Las Palmas semifossilis invenitur. 



I am exceedingly doubtful whether this Bulimus is anything 

 more in reality than a phasis peculiar to Grand Canary of the 

 very inconstant B. variatus, W. et B. ; nevertheless since it has 

 usually been acknowledged as distinct (though cited, it is true, by 

 d'Orbigny as a mere aspect of that species), and practically it is 

 easy to be recognized, I will not do otherwise than treat it se- 

 parately. Indeed the line of demarcation between these ' insular 

 modifications ' (if such indeed they may be looked upon) and 

 * species,' properly so called, is often so difficult to draw that it 

 is simply impossible to do so with any degree of certainty ; and 

 it seems to me, therefore, that it signifies but little which we 

 choose to regard them, provided that they are correctly located 

 with reference to each other, and provided also that their cha- 

 racters are accurately pointed out. 



The present Bulimus may be said to be the universal one 

 (on the B. variatus type) in Grand Canary, where it occurs 

 more particularly in dry and calcareous spots of intermediate 

 altitudes, — frequently cementing itself over so completely with 

 a hardened envelope of dirt that it is not always easy to be ob- 

 served when adhering to the stone walls, the colour of which it 

 exactly simulates. It was taken in abundance by Mr. Lowe 

 and myself at Tafira (on the road from Las Palmas to El Monte), 

 a locality in which it has subsequently been found by Mr. Wat- 

 son ; as also between Lagaete and Gaidar, on the western side of 

 the island. And on the hills immediately above Las Palmas it 

 was collected in profusion by Mr. Watson, some of whose ex- 

 amples appear to me to be subfossilized. Mousson records that it 

 was met with likewise, near Las Palmas, by Grasset and Fritsch. 



From the numerous forms of the variatus the B. myosotis 

 may be known by its rather slender and elongated contour (the 

 basal and two following whorls being somewhat less abbreviated 

 than in most of the aspects of that species), as well as by its 

 slightly more solid substance, its less shining (in fact nearly 



