50 THE NAUTILCS. 



regina, the parraiana group of Helices, a host of Urocoptids, fine 

 operculates and some peculiarly painted Ligutis. Doctor Torre 

 couldn't resist the temptation at the last second, so boarded the train 

 with us. The doctor is always a most welcome and charming 

 companion. 



We located our mountains, which are in sight Irom Guane. One 

 of them is the " Sierra de Guane," and somewhere upon its steep 

 and precipitous sides we must look for elliotti ; the otlier is called 

 " Sierra de Paso Real de Guane," where presumably lived in security 

 from prowling naturalists the strange dautzenbergiana. 



Now we simply had to have those iellows. We prepared for their 

 capture with the care and thouciht that mountain climbers give to 

 their campaigns against loftier peaks. On horseback and by volanta 

 we proceeded to the base of the Sierra and began our recognizance, 

 but without a sign, not a •* bone," of elliotti. There were, however, 

 no end of other things, and the day was made glorious by a catch of 

 great size and interest. It is a day that fairly shines in memory, 

 and I have lived it over in retrospect with Simpson many times 

 since. 



The next morning bright and early we made our second attack. 

 It was apparent that some climbing must be done. Far up on one 

 side a great white limestone escarpment projects out from the mass 

 of tropical vegetation covering the mountain, like the forehead of 

 some great giant of the Sierra. It is perpendicular, forbidding and 

 dangerous. Buzzards constantly circle about it, and it is likely to 

 be the nesting-place of millions of fretful wasps ; but just in such 

 places live some of Cuba's very best molluscan offerings. I felt it 

 must be attained, so up I " goes," scrambling, slipping, clinging to 

 trees, crawling along limbs, only stopping row and then to catch a 

 breath or to pick some appealing Liguus. Up until the blue Carib- 

 bean glistened on the horizon and the plains of Pinar del Rio lay 

 stretched out like some huge map. At last the base of the cliff was 

 attained, but no elliotti as yet. Through narrow crevasses I wrig- 

 gled on up until finally, quite done for and exhausted, I lay for a 

 while upon a little projecting rock-shelf to cool off and to speculate 

 upon the folly of ever leaving a happy home, etc. Then, not sud- 

 denly, but gradually, I began to take in a remarkable sight. It 

 required some moments to acquire what the psychologists call the 

 "presentation" of the sight, but soon my heart began to thump and 



