412 TERRESTRIAL AIR-BREATHING MOLLUSKS. 



Pundum minutissitmim, Morse, Journ. Portl. Soc, I. 27, Figs. 69, 70, PI. VIII. 

 Fig. 71 (186:1). —W. G. BiNNEY, L. k Fr.-W. Sh., I. 222 (1869). 



Pig 290 Connhis minutissima, TuyoN, Am. Journ. Conch., II. 257 



(1866). 

 Hyalina minutissima^ Gould and Binney, Inv. of Mass., 

 (2), 403 (1870). 



Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Bosque Co., 



Texas, in the Eastern Province ; San Francisco, Lone 



^^^^ ^^|gg| Mountains, California, in Pacific Province. Probably will 



^^^^^ ^H^^ ^'^ found over all the continent. In Northern and Cen- 



^"^^ tral Europe it has also an extensive ranjje. 



p. pygmaum. ^ 



I repeat below the complete history of the species as 

 given by Bland (Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist, of N. Y., X. 306). 



This species was described as Helix minutissima by Dr. Lea, in 1841. Its proper 

 generic position was unknown, however, prior to 1864, when Professor Morse 

 published figures of the jaw and lingual dentition (Journ. Portland Soc., I. p. 

 27, Fig. 70, PI. VIIL Fig. 71). 



He thus described the jaw : — 



The buccal plate is made up of sixteen long, slender, corneous laminjE, recurved 

 at their cutting edges, these plates partially lapping over each other. 



Morse remarked on the similarity between Lea's species and H. pygvuea 

 Drap., of Europe, adding, " and it seems singular that it has never been re- 

 ferred to that species," but after examination of the jaw of the latter, as figured 

 by Moquln-Tandon, Morse considered it generically distinct. 



The following is Moquin-Tandon's description of the jaw of //. pygmeea 

 (Moll, de France, IL p. 103, PI. X. Fig. 2, 1855) : — 



** Mdchoire large de 0.25°"", peu arquee, mince, a peine cornee, transparente, assez 

 facile h. etudier a cause de la transparence des teguments ; extremites amincies ; partie 

 moyenne du hord libre un peu surbaissee ; c6tes verticales nombreuses, fines, ser- 

 rees ; crenelures tres petites." 



In W. G. Binney's Synopsis (Smith. Inst. Coll., p. 4, Dec, 1863), Hyalina 

 (Co7nilus) minutissima, Lea, is enumerated, and Tryon (Amer. Journ. Conch., 

 II. p. 257, 1866) placed the species in Conuhis, while quoting the particulars 

 given by Morse of the jaw. 



In 1868, Lindstrom (Gotland s Nut. Moll, taf. IIL Fig. 12) published fig- 

 ures, but without description, of the jaw of //. pygmcea. On comparison of 

 this with Morse's figure of minutissima, the identity of the two species could 

 scarcely be inferred. 



In our Land and Fresh-water Shells (Part I. p. 221, 1869) we adopt Punctum, 

 Morse, as the generic name of Lea's species, treating that genus as belonging 

 to Orthalicince, by reason of the structure of the jaw. 



W. G. Binney (Invert. Mass., 2d ed., p. 403, Fig. 665, 1870) has Hyalina 



