t 
I’. Bland on the Geographical Distribution of Mollusca. 397 
Taking up British authors, we refer in the first instance to 
Lyell’s “ Principles of Geology.” 
Lyell, in chapter 40, refers to the influence of climate on the 
geographical distribution of Mollusks, and to the greater uni- 
formity of temperature in the waters of the ocean, than in the 
atmosphere which invests the land, as a cause of the extensive 
diffusion of many marine species. He mentions that some genera 
are peculiar to warm latitudes, others to limited regions, but ad- 
mits that we cannot as yet define the submarine provinces of 
shells, as botanists have the provinces of terrestrial and even sub- 
aqueous plants. 
In treating of the great range of some species, Lyell is rather 
unfortunate, in some at least of those which he selects by way 
of illustration. He gives various habitats, implying a very wide 
range to Sanguinolaria rugosa, Lam.: w onfident, how- 
ever, that analogous, but distinct species, have been confounded. 
he Cyprea moneta, he says, “a Mediterranean shell, occurs 
also in South Africa, the Isle of France, the East Indies, in China, 
the South sea, and even as far west as Otaheite.” It is possible 
that an inhabitant of the Indian Ocean may have a wide range, 
even as far east as Otaheite, but as regards the Mediterranean as a 
habitat of this shell, we would refer to the following editorial 
note on the species, in Lamarck’s Anim. sans Vert., edition of 
Deshayes and Milne Edwards, vol. x, p. 5387 :— : 
“Cette espéce est mentionée dans les catalogues des coquilles 
de la Méditerranée: elle se trouvait a Toulon, en Corse, en Sicile ; 
Mais personne ne dit avoir vu |’animal vivant. Cotte conmanes 
aiusi que le Cyprea annulus, etaient, il y a peu d’anneés, Vobjet 
d’un assez grand commerce, parce qu’elles servaient de monnaie 
dans la traite des noirs. N’est-il pas possible que des événemens 
Maritimes, comme des naufrages, par exemple, soient la case de 
la présence de ces especes dans les régions de la Méditerranée les 
plus fréquentés par le commerce, car elles ne se rencontrent pas 
s les régions sanvages des Cotes de Barbarie.” 
Lyell also observes, that Helix putris (Succinea putris, Lam. ) 
So common in Europe, where it reaches from Norway to Italy, is 
_. also found in Egypt, in the United States, in Newfoundland, Ja- 
maica, Tranquebar, and, it is even said, in the Marianne Isles.” 
We venture to assert that this shell does not inhabit neo 
Professor Adams has personally, and with much eare, collect 
terrestrial and freshwater shells in Jamaica, aided during cases 
years, by the zealous exertions of many friends, but all have faile 
i meeting with Succinea putris. 
* De: i in his work already mentioned, refers to this shell 
as “not uncommon” in the United States, on the authority of 
: i cies. 
Forbes and Férusac, but only as an introduced spe 
‘Szcoxp Serres, Vol. XIV, No. 42.—Nov., 1852. 5 
ee 
