THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROFP. 433 



the approximate tivc hundred species and varieties of Hawaiian land and 

 fresh-water shells then known, were placed in the one t'aiiiil.\' ' whicli. accord- 

 ing to his view, was made up of nine genera. Of that numbei- the four genera, 

 Achatinella, Amastra, Leptachatina and Auriculella, contain the great bulk of 

 the species. These names occur so often in the literature on the siielis of the 

 group, and are represented by such extensive and liandsome series in the 

 various noteworthy collections in the islands, that the remaining genera of 

 the family and the long list of genera belonging to other Hawaiian families 

 too often appear to be lost sight of. 



Variations. 



The super-genus AcJtafiiK (la, for example, is represented l)y upwards of 

 one hundred species,- the majority of which grade through such a perplexing 

 variety of shades and forms that it is usually impossible to fix the exact limits 

 of the species. Indeed, Rev. E. W. Thwang collected from various sources 

 and published no fewer than three hundred and fifty-eight descriptions that 

 have been applied l)y different authors to the various forms in the above 

 genus alone. 



With so long a list of names founded on such variable characteristics as 

 size, shape, locality, color pattern, banding and other variable mai-kings to 

 be considered for the most part as synon>'ms, the amateur collector although 

 he may be provided with the literature on the subject — a literature which 

 includes more than two hundi'ed titles — finds himself involved in an almost 

 endless confusion of names. AVhat is worse there is such a diversity of o])inion 

 among the authorities on the minute points involved in the classification of 

 the shells in this important genus, that for the present, at least, the student in 

 desperation is reduced, as a rule, to simply keeping his shells, gathered from 

 various localites carefully separated — usually labeling them l)y valleys, i-idges, 

 side ridges, spurs and in some cases indicating the pai-ticular bush or tree 

 from wdiich they were taken, in the hope tliat some day the subject of iioiiirn- 

 clature will be definitely settled. 



Nevertheless, this tendency to wide divergence in form and cobu- in the 

 vai'ious groups and species fiu'nishes to the tnu^ shell collector liis chief soui'ce 

 of interest and relaxation at home and a w^orthy excuse for any nuinlici' of all- 

 day rambles in the mountains. This ])oint can better be appreciated by taking- 

 one or two fairly typical examples. 



Color \\\rieties. 



Extending over Ijoth sides of the mountains hack of Honolulu, iVoiii .\iu 

 Valley to and including Makiki Valley, are disti"il)uted the species ;nid varie- 

 ties of what for convenience is known to some authors as the Fidgens group. 

 To this group seven described species have been i-eferi'ed. IJut each of the 

 so-called species ranges through a series of varieties sufficient in the ojunion of 



The exact mimbei- varviiig' witli rliffi-i-cut autliorities. 



