THK NAUTILUS. 31 



Speculation relative to the origin and distribution of Helix hortensis, 

 in America, I will state that in my opinion they were introduced by 

 the early French settlers in Canada, at Gaspe and along the St. 

 Lawrence River; and that their distribution only along the coast is 

 due to the more favorable conditions. The long cold winters — 

 sometimes commencing in September and lasting into the middle of 

 May in Canada and Maine, are too severe and long for Heb'x hor- 

 tensis to spread over the interior. Along the coast, and on the 

 islands, the winters are not as long or as intensely cold as in the 

 interior. I have gone over a very large part of northern Maine and 

 a good part of New Brunswick and have never seen //. hortensis. 



I have collected Helix hortensis at Horte and Sherlotenlund on 

 the south coast of Sweden within a few steps of tlie water edge of 

 the Baltic Sea. 



A NEW WEST INDIAN NITIDELLA. 



BY WAI. II. DALL. 



During a recent visit to Cuba Mr. John B. Henderson, Jr., col- 

 lected a few marine shells from the rocks along shore, between tides, 

 at Ensenada de Cochinas, on the south side of the island. Among 

 them was the following species which I have beep unable to identify 

 among the described forms of the genus. 

 Nitidella hendersoni n. sp. 



Shell thin, fusiform, with an elongate, very acute spire, and about 

 eight whorls; nucleus minute, white, smooth; subsequent whorls 

 flatfish with an appressed suture, pinkish near the nucleus, later be- 

 coming translucent with dark chestnut-brown lineolations, zigzags or 

 dots, frequently with white, protract! ve, oblique flammulations at the 

 suture of which the anterior margins are bordered with a dark 

 chestnut line ; also on the periphery is often a narrow articulated 

 band, of white and brown spots ; the surface is covered with a con- 

 spicuous greenish periostracum, which on the body whorl is elevated 

 in axial lamellae not close enough to give a velvety effect but sep- 

 arated by wider polished spaces ; surface nearly smooth under the 

 periostracum, polished, with faint indications of fine axial or revolv- 

 ing striae; on the base there are numerous s[)iral grooves which 



