JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY. 165 



AN EXCURSION TO CO. DONEGAL. 



By R. F. SCHARFF, Ph.D., B.Sc. 



BuNDORAN is a little sea-side town on the east side of Donegal 

 Bay. Its native population consists of but a few fishermen ; 

 however, a large number of visitors come there every year from 

 mland towns to enjoy the invigorating breeze of the Atlantic. 

 The accommodation is fairly good, and for any one interested 

 in marine zoology, it is a very suitable place. A flat expanse of 

 carboniferous limestone rocks, just opposite Bundoran, abounds 

 in rock-pools, which contain a great variety of animal and plant 

 life. Of course, a terrestrial conchologist will soon abandon 

 these, as there is more chance of success above high-water mark. 



Although the object of my visit was to study the distribu- 

 tion of fishes in that part of the country, I had a few spare 

 hours left to collect land and freshwater shells. 



North of Bundoran, a ridge of sand-hills stretches along the 

 coast for a couple of miles. They are covered with high grass, 

 among which may be found an occasional specimen of a species 

 of coltsfoot. To my great surprise, I discovered on these plants 

 hundreds of Helix fienioraiis, but not a trace of any other land 

 shell. The greater number of the specimens I picked up were 

 (owing to the loSs of their epidermis) of a light violet colour 

 without bands, although on some of them indications of such 

 were to be seen. The peristome was dark as a rule. Two 

 specimens, which might be referred to the variety rubella, were 

 of an intense brick-red colour. Perfectly -white specimens were 

 common. Almost all of the latter had translucent bands. 



The limestone cliffs yielded more If. nemoralis var. libelhda 

 with bands, but none of the brilliantly coloured varieties which 

 I had met with on the sands, and also the following: — Helix 

 rotundata, H. hispida, Clausilia rugosa, Pupa umbilicata, P. 

 rifigens, Cochlicopa lubrica, and Zo7iites alliarius. 



