14 THE NAUTILUS. 



fortress of La Ferriere we hoped to discover the habitat of that prince 

 of American Helices — Pleurodonte gigaviea. At an elevation of 

 about 8000 feet, we came upon the first evidences of our game in the 

 numerous dead shells of that superb species. Scattered about the 

 bases of huge limestone fragments which were heavily draped and 

 festooned in richest tropic verdure were thousands of dead P. 

 gigantea, but not a trace of a living animal. We remained several 

 days at Milot, but captured only three living examples of gigantea 

 and took not more than a dozen fairly good cabinet specimens. 

 Although disappointed in this respect we were cheered by a splendid 

 bag of Cylindrellas, Helicinas, smaller Helices, Stenogyra (s. s.) 

 Opeas, Subulina and several Tudora and Ghondropoma. 



One of the finest Helices of the West Indies is the large and ex- 

 ceedingly handsome P. undulata. This species is abundant about 

 the foot of the mountains near Milot. Swarms of half naked chil- 

 dren followed us about, often annoying us to the point of despera- 

 tion, but these bright little urchins proved to be clever collectors. 

 Finding that we rejected all dead shells of P. undulata, they brought 

 us worn and useless specimens into the apertures of which they had 

 carefully inserted large slugs. As this method failed them they re- 

 covered some living but immature specimens which we had thrown 

 away, and extracting the animals, they reset them in dead shells 

 and solemnly offered them to us again. The most notable catch on 

 the mountain of La Ferriere is a small operculate with free whorls 

 all in the same plane, probably a new genus. 



Returning to Cape Haitien we took a steamer for Port an Prince, 

 where we remained a full week, collecting most industriously in the 

 neighborhood. The excessive dryness of the season caused living 

 land shells to be scarce, but we succeeded in making a remarkably 

 good catch, notwithstanding adverse conditions. In this part of the 

 island the larger Helices disappear; P. undulata is replaced by the 

 smaller P. crispata and a larger proportion of operculates is apparent. 

 Mticroceramus is encountered and Cylindrella is more abundant. 



The prevailing type of operculate in this part of the island is 

 represented by the well-known Ghondropoma semilabrc, barrel- 

 shaped, whitish in color and with a descending and slightly free last 

 whorl. This last characteristic runs through nearly all the Cyclo- 

 stomacea of the island. As a persistent feature it finds no counter- 

 part elsewhere in the West Indies. 



