322 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



inhabit Tunis and Algeria. Dr. Kobelt connects the 

 wider range of Pomatias with the geological history 

 of the genus (b, i., p. 253). He tells us that species of 

 Pomatias have been found in eocene deposits differ- 

 ing but little from our present forms, while undoubted 

 Campylaece are not met with till we reach the upper 

 Miocene. 



Zonites is, according to Dr. Kobelt, a third Alpine 

 genus, whose range scarcely differs from the other 

 two (b, i., p. 254). The centre of distribution lies at 

 present in one of the branches of the most southern 

 Alpine chain which help to form a large portion of 

 the Balkan peninsula. The bulk of the species 

 inhabit that peninsula, the Greek Islands (except 

 Crete) and Asia Minor. Neither in the Tyrol nor 

 in Switzerland do we find any Zonites^ and the few 

 species that do occur in the south-eastern Alps 

 only just cross the outliers of these mountains. 

 Between the south-western Alps and the Rhone we 

 again find a Zonites a remarkable case of discon- 

 tinuous distribution, since the nearest other habitat 

 of the genus is Monte Gargano in South-eastern 

 Italy, which is known to harbour a good many 

 interesting geographical puzzles. 



We still have a good deal to learn as regards the 

 molluscan fauna of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. 

 These islands have scarcely been more than skimmed 

 by conchologists, and Zonites may inhabit one or all 

 of these, which might indicate to us the manner in 

 which this genus travelled from Southern Italy to 



