1880.] LAND-SHELLS OF MENTON. 99 



cave. "Within the cave itself I only detected two shells in original 

 position ; they fortunately further confirm my view, as they were 

 attached to a small ledge against one of its walls, well inside the 

 cave, and near its present floor. The bones have been dug out by 

 M. Riviere &c. from a depth above them of about 6 feet. One was 

 the species of Trochus already mentioned as found outside, the 

 other a fine specimen of the distinct and well-marked variety of 

 Pupa 5-dentata, which I found in abundance in deposit F, and 

 which I shall hereafter describe as P. (Torquilla) 5-dentata, var. 

 sj)elunca7'um. 



I will conclude by pointing out that M. Riviere himself speaks of 

 the land-shells he came across mixed up with the large bones of 

 extinct animals in these caves ; indeed it was this remark that first 

 led me to search for these subfossils. 



From the memoirs of M. Bourguignat (' Note compl. surquelques 

 Mollusques et Mammiferes de'couverts dans une Caverne pres de 

 Vence,' 1868, and 'Revue et Mag. de Zool.' 18/7, pp. 11-17), and 

 from those of Prof. Issel ('Delle Conch, nelle Breccie &c. della 

 Liguria occidentale,' 1867), and of Mons. Bambur ('Journ. de 

 Conchyl.' 1868, p. 265), as also from the present researches by Mr. 

 Coombe WiUiams and myself, the conchological fauna of Menton, 

 in the early part of the Quaternary epoch, appears to have been 

 especially characterized by numerous striking forms of Tachea (some 

 of which present some of the features of Macularia and seem to me 

 to form a connecting link between the two subgenera), by species of 

 CampylcBa and Fruticicola (section Zenobia), by numerous species of 

 Hyalina (Euhyalina and JEc/opina), Clausilia (Delima and Iphi- 

 genia, sect.), Pupa {Torquilla, Sphyradium, Orcula, and Pagodina), 

 by the two forms Cydostoma physetum and C. lutetianum (quite dis- 

 tinct from G. elegans), Potnatias, sp., and the largest as yet known 

 Actne and a new form, allied to it, which I am about to describe as 

 a new genus ("Benea") ; lastly, by species oi Baudebardiu, Testacella, 

 Limax, &c. 



Several of the genera, or subgenera, now abounding in the district 

 do not seem to me to have existed then— Xerophila, Cochlicella, Eu- 

 parypha, Leucochroa, Succinea, Rumina, and Ferussacia. It is true 

 there are great doubts as to several of them. Issel mentions having 

 discovered a unique subfossil Ferussacia at Capo Zoppa ; Mr. 

 Coombe Williams also found a single specimen, subfossil in his 

 opinion, at Menton. Personally I doubt very much that either of 

 the specimens belong to this early period ; I think, at the oldest, 

 they belong to the zone of H. paretiana. The same remark applies 

 to Rumina, of which I found one or two fragments in doubtful posi- 

 tion, and which Issel also mentions in his above cited work. Xero- 

 phila appears considerably more doubtful, even, than either of 

 the preceding. Bourguignat mentions a species from the cavern of 

 Vence. I myself found numerous specimens of various new species 

 (allied to X terveri), not only immediately associated with H. pare- 



