flERKE: NOTES ON LIMNiEA GLUTINOSA. 253 



tentacles might easily be mistaken for fragments of the little 

 weed on which it feeds. The eyes appear at the base of the 

 tentacles in the form of two tiny black specks. The mantle 

 sometimes entirely overlaps the shell, the edges meeting about 

 the middle of the body whorl. When found on the side of the 

 jar the animal has the mantle drawn in a bit, leaving the shell 

 about the centre of the body whorl uncovered. 



The mollusc appears very sensitive of touch and the 

 slightest irritation caused to the mantle will produce the with- 

 drawal of the latter more or les.s. It seems extremely light in 

 the water, and often floats about at random and if disturbed 

 instead of quickly sinking like L. peregra I have seen it gently 

 rise to the top. Another characteristic of this mollusc is the 

 power it possesses of emitting a sticky glutinous matter similar 

 to the slime of the slugs. Mucous threads are seen in the jar 

 connecting weed to weed, and sometimes even decorating the 

 shells of other molluscs with which L. glutmosa had evidently 

 come in contact. Lastly, as regards the shell itself, so far as we 

 have been able to observe, there seems but little variation; 

 nevertheless, seeing that the mollusc is fairly common in the 

 locality, and evidently living under very favourable conditions, 

 I think there is much probability of our occasionally meeting 

 with departures from the actual type. The shell is of an 

 exquisitely beautiful amber colour, transparent, and exceedingly 

 fragile. 



In concluding these few remarks on L. glufinosa, as dis- 

 covered in Skidby Drain, we are sure there are few molluscs 

 which become more interesting as a study of their life history, 

 or worthy of greater admiration for the pretty shell it possesses, 

 and, certainl)', it was a most desirable addition to the moUuscan 

 fauna of the East Riding of Yorkshire. 



HiU.L. March nth, 1800. 



