XXX. — On the Lingual Dentition and Anatomy of Achaii- 

 nella and other Pidmonata. 



By THOMAS BLAND AND W. G. BIISWEY. 



Read October 6, 1873. 

 [Reprinted from the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History, N. Y., Vol. x, Nov., 1873.] 



In the early part of the j^resent year, 1873, Bland espe- 

 cially requested his friend, the Rev. John T. Guliok, who 

 was about to visit the Sandwich Islands, to obtain and pre- 

 serve in alcohol specimens of different forms of Achatinella 

 with the animals, with a view to the examination of their 

 dentition.* 



It seemed probable from the differences in the shells, 

 on which alone the subgenera of authors are founded, that 

 variation would l)e discovered in the dentition, leading to a 

 more satisfactory classitication of the species. 



Appreciating the value of the proposed examinations, Mr. 

 Gulick, whose stay in the Sandwich Islands was very limited, 

 forwarded to Bland from San Francisco, on his embarking 

 for China, a number of specimens with a list, of which the 

 subjoined is a copy.f 



From West Maui. 

 Laminella picta, Mghls. Wailuku. Amastra Mastersi, Newc. Wailuku. 

 Auriculella jucunda, Smith. Wai- Leptachatina nitida, Newc. " 

 luku. " grana, Newc. " 



From East Maui. 

 FartnUna plumhea, Gk. Makawao. Auriculella soUdissi7na, Smith. Ma- 



" ehurma, Gk. " kavvao. 



Amastra Mastersi, Newc. " 



* At that time the only knowledge we had of the subject was contained in Heyne- 

 mann's description and figure of the lingual membrane of A . huUmoiiles in Mai. Bl., 18fi9. 



t Tlie following extract from Mr. Gulick's letter is too interesting not to be quoted : 

 "1 tind that some of the most abundant species ol twenty years ago have now become 

 almost, if not quite, extinct. Some have not been found for many years, though re- 

 peated search has been made for them. This has occurred not only where the forests 

 have been destroyed by cattle and ny woodmen, but where the sunlight has been let 

 into the close shades by the thinning out of the trees or by the increase of drought. In 

 other places, the various forms of vegetable and animal blight have invaded the forests, 

 proving fatal to the snails long before tlie trees are destroyed." 



NovEMEEE. 1873. 23 Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., Vol. x. 



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