AURICULELLA. 



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Genus AUEICULELLA Pfeiffer. 



Auriculella PFR., Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1855, p. 1, for 

 Helix auricula Fer., Tornatellina petitiana Pfr., Partula pu- 

 silla Gld.(?), Achatinella (Auriculella) cerea Pfr.; Mono- 

 graphia Heliceorum Viventium, viii, 1877. PEASE, Journ. 

 de Conchy!., 1868, p. 342; P. Z. S. Lond., 1869, p. 649. 

 Frickella PFR., Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1855, p. 2, monotype 

 A. amoena Pfr. Trickella Pfr., NEVILL, Handlist Ind. Mus., 

 1878, p. 159. 



The shell is oblong-conic or ovate-pyramidal, perforate or 

 closed ; the internal axis is slender, imperf orate, unarmed ex- 

 cept in the last whorl; surface highly polished; aperture 

 ovate, the outer lip somewhat expanding, blunt, usually thick- 

 ened ; there is a well-developed parietal lamella and often one 

 or two columellar lamellae or folds, the latter always present 

 in the young stages. Animal oviparous, the eye-tentacles 

 swollen at their tips. 



Type A. auricula (Fer.). Distribution, Hawaiian Islands 

 (except Niihau, Kauai and Kahoolawe) ; station, on bushes 

 and other plants. 



The first species known, A. auricula, was placed by Ferus- 

 sac in Partula, where it was retained by von Martens as late 

 as 1860. Chamisso described a species as Auricula. Pfeiffer, 

 in his earlier writings, described various Auriculellas as Tor- 

 natellina and Balea, and he originally proposed Auriculella 

 and Frickella as sections of Achatinella. 



Pease, in 1869, was the first author to rank Auriculella as a 



