X In hod union. 



this same shell as a 'species rarely met with on the mountains of 

 Hawaii.' Its centre of production is the Kohala range of moun- 

 tains, notably the most ancient portion of the island, and it now 

 exists there in unparalleled abundance. During a recent visit to 

 the locality, in a few minutes I colle(5led several hundred speci- 

 mens, picking them from trees and low bushes as rapidly as one 

 would gather huckleberries from a prolific field. The shell ap- 

 pears to be slowly migrating into the adjoining districts of Hama- 

 kua and Kona, and assuming new shapes and varieties of coloring. 

 One of these varieties in our cabinet is almost worth}' of assign- 

 ment as a new species. The conchologists of a few centuries hence 

 will no doubt be naming Achatinella from the different distri<5ls of 

 Hawaii of manifold forms and gaudy colors, which have developed 

 through the mysterious processes of evolution from the now humble 

 A. physa of the Kohala mountains." 



Although but a few years have passed since the above was 

 written, this same A. physa has been found on Hawaii in a large 

 variety of shades and colors, and with beautiful dark bands, show- 

 ing that the changes of locality, rainfall, food and other conditions, 

 constantly tend to change the size and color of the shells. 



For study and comparison it is much better to have the shells 

 of a colledlion arranged according to the localities in which they 

 live. Thus the descriptions of the Achatinella may be arranged 

 in the following secflions, geographically : 



I. Achatinella (Syn. Apex). — i. Oahu, main mountain 

 range from s.E. to n.w. 2. Waianae Mountains. 



II. AcHATiNELLASTRUM. — Oahu, main mountain range 

 from .s.E. to N.w. 



III. BuLiMELLA. — Oahu, main mountain range from .s.E. 

 to N.w. 



IV. Partulina. — I. Oahu. 2. Molokai. 3. Lauai. 4. East 

 Maui. 5. West Maui. 6. Hawaii. 



V. Laminella. — I. Oahu. 2. Molokai. 3. Lauai. 4. Maui. 



VI. Perdicella. — I. Molokai. 2. Maui. 



VII. Newcombia. — I. Molokai. 2. Maui. 



VIII. Amastra. — I. Oahu. 2. Molokai. 3. Lauai. 4. Maui. 

 5. Hawaii. 6. Kauai. 



