116 DR. H. DOHRN ON THE SHELLS [Mar. 8, 
4. List or THE SHELLS COLLECTED By Capr. SPEKE DURING 
His Seconp JouRNEY THROUGH CENTRAL ArrRica. By 
Dr. H. Dourn. 
The more we become acquainted with the African conchological 
fauna, the more the fact is proved that there is less variety of forms 
here than in any other part of the world. It has seemed hitherto that 
the west coast, especially the countries in the neighbourhood of the 
Gaboon and the mouth of the Niger, claimed a higher rank for con- 
chological life than the rest ; but the expeditions to Central Africa 
furnish us with materials sufficient to show that, in fact, this supe- 
riority does not exist, and we see the same species occurring near 
the east coast as well as on the borders of the Gulf of Guinea. 
From Captain Speke’s collection we find this statement to be quite 
true; and, what is more interesting still, we learn that up from the 
mouth of the Nile to the Victoria N’yanza, at a distance of more 
than 32 degrees of latitude, we meet with exactly the same species. 
It is not quite clear from the collection whether freshwater species 
hitherto considered peculiar to Mozambique occur in the, Victoria 
N’yanza together with Nilotic shells, the specimens from different 
localities having been partly mixed up; but at least terrestrial spe- 
cies occur there which have likewise been found as far southwards 
as Tete and Quillimane, and others which have been brought from 
Old Calabar. 
It is much to be regretted indeed that we cannot get full know- 
ledge of the limits of South-African forms ; however, we can state 
the general fact that the same species occur from Natal (and, on 
the other side, from the mouth of the Nile) to the Equator. 
The following catalogue gives an idea of this mixture of the dif- 
ferent faunas of Natal, Mozambique, Guinea, and Egypt, all the shells 
having been collected between the fourth degree of southern and the 
fourth degree of northern latitude :— 
1. Virria, sp.? The specimens being in a very bad state, it was 
not possible to make out the species. 
2. Nanina? mozAmpicensis, Pfr. From Uzaramo and the 
banks of the Victoria N’yanza. The typical specimen in Mr. 
Cuming’s collection is not full-grown. The shell has got seven 
whorls, the white keel is prominent on the last four whorls. The 
diameter of the largest specimen is 17 millimetres. 
3. Limicouaria (BuLimus) NizoTica, Pfr. From Uganda and 
Karagwa. 
4. LimicoLariA FLAMMEA, Mill. From the same localities. I 
have tried in vain to find out differences of this and the following 
species from the West-African type. In the collection are two 
varieties, one white, the other rose with pale-brown flames. 
5. LimicoLaria TENEBRICA, Reeve. From Uganda. 
