144 THE NAUTIIvUS. 



A NEW GENUS 0^ HelicinidcB has been described by Commandant 

 L. MoRELET, in the last miniber of the Jonrn. de Couch. It is like 

 Helicina in form, and in absorbing the internal whorl-walls, bnt 

 differs in having several pliae or folds upon the parietal wall. 

 This type, which is named Cubjlmim, is from Laos, (Indo-China). 



The operculum is unguiform, with terminal nucleus. It appar- 

 ently represents there the Proserpina and Ceres of tropical America. 

 The type is C. massiei n. sp., a form measuring over three-fourths of 

 an inch in diameter. — H. A. P. 



Dr. W. H. Dall, of the Smithsonian Institution, is about to leave 

 "Washington for California, where he will engage in field-work for 

 three months. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Studies among Moelusks — Instinct and Genera, by Henry 

 Hemphill. (Zoe., Jan., 1892). The author discusses certain 

 apparent anomalies in the structure of land mollusks, freely criticis- 

 ing the conclusions reached by the anatomical school of investigators. 

 He elaborates the idea formerly advanced by himself, that snails 

 display instinctive impulses in the building and decoration of their 

 shells. ■' The shell bears the same relation (mechanically) to the 

 animal, that the web does to the spider." While we are obliged to 

 disagree totally with Mr. Hemphill's conclusions, the paper is still 

 in some respects suggestive. 



The American Naturalist for January, 1892, contains an 

 article upon the shell-bearing mollusca of Portage Co., Ohio, by 

 Mr. Geo. W. Dean. An annotated list of the species is given. The 

 proofreader is not quite as punctilious as Ave could desire, in the 

 matter of spelling names, and one or two difficult species are prob- 

 ably wrongly identified, such as Physa ampxdlacea Gld. ; but the 

 list is generall}' useful. ByihineUa nickliniana is reported from 

 Portage Co., a locality west of any we have hitherto noticed. 



The Naturalist is now published by INIessrs. Binder & Kelly, of 

 Philadelphia, the editors being Professors Cope and Kingsley, as 

 in the past. The editors and publishers purpose to make this once 

 excellent magazine even better than it has been in the past. — 

 H.A.P. 



