Mr. W. H. Benson on new Species of Helix. 137 



C. scalaris in the exuvise of the River Ganges, probably in the 

 Do-ab portion of the stream. 



With reference to the internal spiral formation of Pythia, 

 PfeiiFer observes: — "Testa ut plures Auriculaccorum sectiones 

 ea peculiaritate notabilis est quod septa interiora in anfractibus 

 superioribus desint, observante primo cl. Chcmnitzio." KUster 

 also quotes Chemnitz's observations on the same appearance in 

 the genus ; but I can trace no record in Pfeiffer respecting the 

 other genera in which it has been observed. In Alexia the 

 animal cone runs up the hollow, and has evidently absorbed the 

 portion of the shell which it has displaced. 



It is worthy of record that, about the year 1843, Capt. W. J. 

 Boys took specimens of Achatina Balanus at the Taj, near Agra, 

 in company with a minute Carychium, very similar to the Hima- 

 layan species C. indicum, B. ; subsequently Capt. Hutton found 

 it in the exuvise of the River Ganges; and in 1857, Mr. W. 

 Theobald found the same Achatina at Gopnath, in Kattiwar. 

 These shells may have a still wider range, being overlooked in 

 consequence of their minute size. 



Helix palmaria, B. 



//. testa perforata, subconica, spiraliter 7-lirata, striis filosis obliquis 

 confertissimis decussata, sub epidermide cornea albida ; spira sub- 

 conica, apice obtusiusculo laevigato, sutura impressa ; anfractibus 

 64, couvexis, ultimo subtus convexiusculo, peritremate leviter ca- 

 rinato ; apertura obliqua, late angulato-lunata, subsecuriformi ; 

 peristomate tenui, recto, margine columellari superne breviter ex- 

 pansiusculo. 



Diam. major 8^, minor 8, axis 6 mill. 



Habitat ad montem Nundydroog in regione Mysoriana. 



Two imperfect specimens were found by my son, Capt. C. A. 

 Benson, on the Fort Hill of Nundydroog, north of Bangalore, 

 in Mysore, and a single specimen (fully grown, but w^eathered) 

 by my daughter, Mrs. R. H. Sankey, at the same place, about 

 4000 feet above the level of the sea. It is very distinct from 

 the various lirate species described by the Messrs. Blanford 

 in the 'Journal of the Asiatic Society' for 1861, from the hill- 

 ranges of Southern India. 



Helix contracta, Hutton, MS. 



H. testa late umbilicata, depressa, discoidea, oblique striatula, 

 laevigata, nitidula, albida, fascia rufescente supra angulum su- 

 periorem cincta; spira planata, apice vix elevatiore, sutura im- 

 pressa ; anfractibus 4, sensim accrescentibus, convexiusculis, ultimo 

 supra peripheriam compressiusculo subangulato, antice latiore 

 oblique descendente, subtus convexo, umbiUcum mediocrem, 

 medio anguste excavatum, suturaque brevi profunda munitum 



