Distribution and Variation of Achatinella 

 multizonata from Nuuanu Valley. 



C. Montague Cooke Jr., Ph.D. 



Since October of last year the writer has been engaged in 

 making a systematic collecftion of Hawaiian land shells for the 

 Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Honolulu. There is no sys- 

 tematic colle(5tion of these shells in any museum, with the excep- 

 tion of Mr. Gulick's collection now in the Boston Society of 

 Natural History. This Society also has the largest collection in 

 point of numbers. The British Museum has a large collection and 

 a very valuable one. It contains about two-thirds of the type- 

 specimens. 



There are several valuable private collecftions which have been 

 carefully made and are sj'stematic in arrangement. It would be a 

 great loss if an}- of these collections are ever allowed to leave the 

 Islands, as each contains peculiar local and color varieties which 

 could never be replaced, as the districts from which these shells 

 have been collected are now barren of shells, due to the destruction 

 of the forests. 



There is almost nothing known of the habits of the Achati- 

 nellidae. The}- are undoubtedly nocturnal. During a rain a few 

 may be found with the animal extended ; but less than three per 

 cent, have been thus found. The arboreal forms are usualh' found 

 on the leaves of trees and shrubs. A few may be found on the 

 branches or trunk, while only a very few occur on grass and ferns 

 at the base of the trunk. Nothing is known about their food. It 

 is not known whether they have a breeding season or not. Some 

 specimens ma}' be found pregnant no matter at what time of 

 the year the shells have beeii collected. No data have been pub- 

 lished showing a larger per cent, pregnant during any particular 

 season. 



All the Achatinellidae are hermaphroditic and most of the 

 genera are viviparous. The arboreal forms, when pregnant, usu- 



Occ.^siONAL Papers B. P. B. M., Vol. II., No. i.— 5. (6.si 



