THE NAUTILUS. 1 15 



eral of these are increasing rapidly. Eecently two bright lads of our 

 " Isaac Lea Chapter," Masters Doe and GifFord, brought me fine 

 specimens of Modiola plicatvla Lam. which they had found on the 

 southwestern shore of San Francisco Bay. They also guided me to 

 numerous colonies of Urosalpinx cinereiis Say. on the Alameda 

 shore, which they had naturally mistaken for the native Ocinebra 

 circumtexta Stearns. They showed me several dead valves of Venus 

 mercenaria Linn, which they had picked up on the same shore, but 

 of which they had not been able to find living specimens. We can- 

 not, therefore, certainly add this species to Mr. Stearns' list, but it 

 is quite probable that living forms of the same will soon be found in 

 deeper water. 



Of the land species included with the twelve, two at least are be- 

 coming quite common. Zonites cellarius Mull, appeared abundantly 

 the past season in the college garden, and Helix aspersa Mull. I have 

 artificially propagated with much success, using a frame like a board- 

 covered hot-bed, and feeding with cabbage leaves and similar vege- 

 tables. I have now introduced several native species into the frame 

 and am awaiting the spring-time with much interest. Helix califor- 

 niensis Lea does not thrive, as it evidently sighs for the sands of 

 Monterey and the toothsome rattle-weed ; but its near neighbor, 

 Helix dupetithovarsii Desh., from Cypress Point, seems quite at 

 home, and is as happy as if it were shaded by the venerable trees on 

 that rocky promontory. Possibly it is because the frame is sheltered 

 by a hedge of tall cypresses, lineal descendants from the trees on 

 Cypress Point. I have often wished that the long and cumbrous 

 name of this species could be changed to the short and highly- 

 suggestive one, Helix cupressa, the cypress snail. But I suppose 

 that the law of priority is like the law of the Medes and Persians, 

 " which altereth not." 



Mills College, Cal. 



NOTICES OF NEW JAPANESE LAND SNAILS. 



l'.V HENRY A. PILSBRY, 



Clausilia Hiraseana n. sp. A Megalophcedusa with the >ize and 

 general form of Gl. japonic a, but strongly sculptured with rih-strice, 

 far coarser than in anv other known Japanese species. The sub- 



