1882.] ON THE MOLLUSCAN FAUNA OF MADAGASCAR. 3/5 



Although this species is so closely couuecied with C. aspersus 

 and C. vermiculatus, I think it deserves to be separated from them 

 at present. Dr. Cabanis, when answering my questions respecting 

 this species, says: — "Your Crypturus is not very different from 

 C. adspersKs, Licbt. (which I consider identical with C. vermiculatus, 

 Temm., Wagl.). The chief diiferences are that the vent is not 

 whitish, but cinereous, and the flanks brownish like the back, not 

 light ferruginous. I would consider your bird as the Peruvian 

 form of the Brazilian C. aspersus." 



I have named this bird after Mr. R. J. Balston. 



I may here mention that Crypturus bartietti, Scl. et Salv. (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 311), was obtained at Santa Cruz on the Hual- 

 laga river, E. Peru, not at Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as there stated in 

 error. 



5. A Contribution to the Molluscan Fauna of Madagascar. 

 By Edgar A. Smith. 



[Eeceived April 12, 1882.] 



(Plates XXI. & XXII.) 



Much still remains to be done before our knowledge of the terres- 

 trial and fluviatile Mollusca of Madagascar will attain any thing like 

 completeness. With the exception of Achatina fulica, Helix mag- 

 nifica, and one or two others, I am not aware that the animals of 

 any of the numerous species of shells already described from this 

 island have been examined. Of non-operculate land-shells about 

 eighty are now known, of operculate species about seventy-five, and 

 about fifty forms have been recorded from the lakes and rivers ; this 

 computation includes the new species about to be described, and a 

 few hereafter mentioned for the first time as inhabitants of Mada- 

 gascar, which were originally described without localities. One 

 minute species, Helix barrahporensis, has not previously been met 

 with except in India, where it may have been introduced, as is the 

 case with the large Achatina fulica, a most abundant shell in some 

 parts of Madagascar and also at the Mauritius. A small South- 

 African bivalve shell, Limosina ferruginea, is now cited for the first 

 time as an inhabitant of the island ; and Sphcerium madagascariense 

 of Tristram is scarcely separable from another African species, S. 

 capense of Krauss. Four species belonging to genera not previously 

 known from Madagascar are now described ; these are Fitrina mada- 

 gascarieiisis, Cleopatra trabonjiensis, Corbicula madagascariensis, 

 and Pisidimn joknsoni. 



Part of the collection which is here reported upon was liberally 

 presented to the British Museum by Mr. W. Johnson, who has re- 

 cently returned to England, and to whom much praise is due for so 

 carefully noting the precise localities where he collected the various 

 species ; and on this account his name will be found associated with 



