Mr Etheridge's Concliological Notes. 129 



variety, in proportion to the height of the shell, than the 

 examples figured either by Forbes and Hanley, or Jeffreys. 

 Many of the Scrobicidarice are strong thick shells. 



The mud in which these species were living was black, 

 stinking, and offensive in the extreme, and contained a 

 quantity of partially-decayed vegetable matter, and the shells 

 are all much stained with a ferruginous and blackish tinge, 

 arising from this. 



The occurrence of Scrobicularia piperata in the fossil 

 state in beds forming the banks of the Cocklemill Burn has 

 already been pointed out by the Eev. T. Brown, M. A.,* the indi- 

 viduals, in every case, being found in their natural position 

 with the posterior or siphonal end of the shell uppermost. 

 It is quite unnecessary for me to dilate on the importance, 

 from a geological point of view, of the occurrence of this 

 species in the fossil and living state so close together at one 

 locality. 



(2.) On varieties in colour and banding in Helix aspersa 

 (Muller) ; H. nemoralis (Linn.) ; H. arhustorum (Linn.) ; and 

 H. ericetorum (Lister). 



I have next to draw the attention of the Society to the 

 unusually large number of the foregoing species of Helix in- 

 habiting the links around Elie during last summer. On the 

 links east of Elie, H. asp)ersa and H. nemoralis occur in 

 thousands, especially the latter species, with a few H erice- 

 torum. The two former are also equally plentiful on the 

 links west of Earlsferry, and along the cliff-edge above Kin- 

 craig. It was, however, on the St Ford Links, west of Kin- 

 craig, around the Cocklemill Burn, that the greatest profusion 

 was met with of all except H aspersa, which was compara- 

 tively scarce. When walking across the links, the observer 

 could not avoid crushing under his feet hundreds of H. 

 nemoralis, and thousands of H. ericetorum ; indeed, I do not 

 recollect ever seeing any shell, recent or fossil, in such over- 

 whelmiug abundance as the last named. Along the hedge- 

 row leading to Kincraig farmhouse, a locality pointed out to 

 me by Mr Howie, H. arhustorum was found in abundance, 

 and I also found the same species feeding amongst the long 



* Transactions, Edinburgh Royal Society, xxiv., p. 624. 



