8 THE ^IAUTrLIjS. 



stuinbrm^ block to the ranks of the beginners. To these the science 

 sliouUl 1)0 rendered as simple and attractive as possible, and they 

 should rather be encouraged than discouraged by a formidable array 

 of names without meaning. No one but an expert, a closet natural- 

 ist, who sits in his snug alcove, surrounded by scientific books and 

 collections, and who devotes his entire time to the study, can keep 

 track of the names introduced by this mania, and I doubt if many 

 of these can do it. 



The old landmarks of the noble science are going one by one, and 

 we should seek to fill the ranks from the young and enthusiastic, 

 from those who have a living to make, and cannot devote their whole 

 time to puzzling over a lot of names that even their authors did not 

 comprehend, and only inflicted upon the world for the sake of 

 gaining notoriety. 



STRI.ffi:. 



Palud'ma scalaris, Jay. Apropos of Mr. Pilsbry's interesting note 

 on this species, I would call attention to the fact, which does not 

 seem to be well understood, that Ameria has been shown in toto to 

 belong not to the Physidce, where it was originally placed, but to the 

 LbiDiaetda'. As there are rounded and carinate Planorbls, so there 

 are rounded and carinate Ameria. Vihether Ameria is more or less 

 than a section of Planorbis is a q.estion, but it seems to me that the 

 high form of the shells is at least as well worthy of recognition by a 

 name as Gyraulus, Helisoma, and other forms commonly so recog- 

 nized. Whether J., scalaris belongs to the Limna?ime or the Planor- 

 hiiw, should be easy of determination since the form of the tentacks 

 would serve to decide this at a glance. Wm. H. Dall, Smithsonian 

 Institution, Washington, D. C. 



Patula cooper i, in Colorado and Utah. This interesting species is 

 extremely common in parts of Colorada, and also, it would appear, 

 in the Wahsatch Mountains of Utah, where it is accomjjanied by 

 four others of the same group. It is decidedly variable and for 

 reference it may be useful to class the principal varieties as follows : 

 a. typica, the ordinary form in Colorado, with two distinct bands, 

 diameter 19 to 25 mill.; b. elevata, spire elevated, Utah (Hemphill) 

 and Colorado, a specimen found by Surface Creek, Delta Co., had 

 alt., 122, and diam. 10 mill ; c. viinor, very small, Utah (Hemphill); 

 d. conjiiiens, bands confluent, shell therefore brown with a broad 

 white band above the periphery and a white umbilical region, Col- 



