﻿124 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  A 
  NEW 
  SPECIES 
  OF 
  HELICOBONTA 
  

   FEOM 
  SPAIN. 
  

  

  By 
  G. 
  Iv. 
  GxjDE, 
  F.Z.S. 
  

  

  Bead 
  Wtli 
  March, 
  1910. 
  

  

  Two 
  shells 
  received 
  with 
  the 
  name 
  S. 
  Lusitanica 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Preston 
  in 
  

   1903 
  were, 
  contrary 
  to 
  my 
  usual 
  practice, 
  incorporated 
  in 
  my 
  collection 
  

   without 
  verification. 
  Some 
  time 
  ago 
  Colonel 
  G. 
  S. 
  Parry, 
  in 
  dispersing 
  

   his 
  collection, 
  kicdly 
  sent 
  me 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  shells, 
  amongst 
  them 
  

   two 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  H. 
  Lusitanica, 
  and 
  on 
  comparing 
  them 
  with 
  

   Mr. 
  Preston's 
  shells 
  it 
  became 
  at 
  once 
  apparent 
  that 
  the 
  latter 
  had 
  

   been 
  erroneously 
  referred 
  to 
  that 
  species, 
  and 
  as 
  they 
  cannot 
  be 
  

   identified 
  with 
  any 
  other 
  known 
  form 
  of 
  this 
  genus 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  

   describe 
  them 
  as 
  a 
  new 
  species. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Hidalgo 
  has 
  recorded 
  iZ". 
  Lusitanica 
  from 
  Tabernes 
  de 
  Valldigna,^ 
  

   but 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  clear 
  from 
  his 
  remarks 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  actually 
  seen 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  impossible 
  that 
  this 
  record 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  wrongly 
  

   identified 
  shells, 
  and 
  that, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  latter 
  may 
  be 
  conspecific 
  with 
  

   my 
  own. 
  This 
  distinguished 
  Spanish 
  savant 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  curious 
  

   occurrence 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  on 
  two 
  extreme 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  Iberian 
  

   Peninsula, 
  and 
  suspects 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  probably 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  intermediate 
  

   stations. 
  

  

  These 
  observations 
  would, 
  of 
  course, 
  apply 
  equally 
  if 
  my 
  assumption 
  

   that 
  the 
  specimens 
  to 
  which 
  he 
  refers 
  pertain 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  species 
  be 
  

   correct. 
  He 
  further 
  records 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  IL. 
  Lusitanica 
  at 
  

   Bayona.- 
  This 
  habitat, 
  however, 
  being 
  in 
  such 
  close 
  proximity 
  to 
  

   some 
  of 
  its 
  Portuguese 
  stations, 
  may 
  be 
  accepted 
  without 
  reservation. 
  

  

  Melicodonta 
  Hispanica, 
  besides 
  being 
  considerably 
  smaller 
  than 
  its 
  

   congener, 
  differs 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  characters 
  : 
  the 
  whorls 
  do 
  not 
  

   increase 
  nearly 
  so 
  rapidly 
  and 
  are 
  less 
  inflated, 
  while 
  the 
  last 
  whorl 
  

   lacks 
  the 
  yellowish 
  border 
  behind 
  the 
  peristome 
  so 
  conspicuous 
  in 
  

   H. 
  Lusitanica 
  ; 
  the 
  ribs 
  are 
  finer 
  and 
  less 
  distant, 
  the 
  umbilicus 
  is 
  

   comparatively 
  narrower 
  and 
  cylindrical, 
  not 
  funiculate 
  ; 
  the 
  aperture 
  

   is 
  much 
  more 
  contracted 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  different 
  shape, 
  being 
  crescentic 
  

   instead 
  of 
  obovate, 
  while 
  the 
  peristome 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  expanded 
  but 
  

   more 
  reflexed, 
  and 
  livid 
  instead 
  of 
  white. 
  My 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   H. 
  Lusitanica 
  are 
  possessed 
  of 
  distinct 
  incised 
  spirals 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  

   surface, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  side 
  the 
  interstices 
  between 
  the 
  ribs 
  are 
  

   also 
  spirally 
  striated, 
  but 
  very 
  minutely, 
  features 
  of 
  which 
  no 
  mention 
  

   is 
  made 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  published 
  descriptions, 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  lacking 
  in 
  

   the 
  new 
  species. 
  

  

  Helicodonta 
  Hispanica, 
  n.sp. 
  

  

  Shell 
  moderatelj'umbilicated, 
  lenticular, 
  fulvous 
  brown, 
  rather 
  thin, 
  

   sub-translucent 
  ; 
  the 
  nepionic 
  whorls 
  shining, 
  the 
  remainder 
  dull, 
  finely 
  

  

  1 
  Mem. 
  Real. 
  Acad. 
  Ciencias, 
  Madrid, 
  1890, 
  xv, 
  p. 
  2( 
  

  

  2 
  Op. 
  cit., 
  p. 
  255. 
  

  

  