224 Certain Terrestrial Puhnonata 



ularly watery and gelatinous and shrinks up as they die. "When tliey are 

 moving about, the foot looks very large and when I touclied the creature 

 it could not or would not retreat into its shell. On this point, however, 

 I shall be able to give more accurate information when I can collect addi- 

 tional specimens." 



We find that the animals ai-e completely retracted into 

 their shells and very mnch in the same manner as in Succlnea, 

 little more than the entire snri'ace of the foot being alone 

 seen within the aperture, the edges of the peristome pro- 

 jecting slightly be)ond it. AMiiie the sensitiveness of the 

 animal to touch raa}^ be slight and its habit as described by 

 Dr. Branch, they cannot be said to be much larger than their 

 shells, as remarked by Salle of Xanthonyx, and clescriijcd 

 by Fisclier and Crosse, or as descrii)ed by Dr. Cooper of 

 Binneia. The specimens for wlii<h we are indebted to Dr. 

 Branch, must have been taken alive in the month of Decem- 

 ber, and very soon at least after deatli, before becoming dry, 

 put in the glycerine. 



It will be remembered that Guppy considers Omalonyx 

 and Brachyspira as groups or sections of AnipliibuUma. In a 

 very recent letter he repeats his assurance that "the aniriials 

 of both AmpJdbidima patula and pardalina are very much 

 larger than the shells and quite incapable of retraction into 

 them." His observation agrees, so ftr as it goes, with that of 

 Dr. Branch, who adds a remark as to the shrinking up of the 

 animals "as they die." This shrinking before death must 

 be accompanied by the exercise of contractile muscular force, 

 and pr()l)al)ly further observation will prove that the animal, 

 while in possession of its full vital power, can and does with- 

 draw itself into the shell, and especially, perhaps, in seasons 

 of drought. 



The jaw of A. patuJa, of which we subjoin description, 

 has not the accessory [)late characteristic of /Succinea, and 

 which is found in Omalonyx and Brachyspira ; while the 

 latter sul)genera therefore l)elong to the Sticcinince, AmpJd- 

 hnlinia must be associated with the Helicinoi, By the char- 

 acter of the ribs of the jaw, it is most nearly allied to the 



