CHRISTY : ON MOLLUSCA COLLECTED IN SWITZERLAND. 59 



arbustorum. Some of the larger bivalves very possibly inhabit 

 the lakes, but unfortunately I had no dredge to obtain them. 

 On the whole it may be noticed that the species inhabiting this 

 high Alpine locality do not differ greatly from those to be found 

 in our own country. So far as climate goes I may say that we 

 found this summer to be somewhat wetter and far colder than 

 an average English summer, but the weather over the whole of 

 Switzerland has been this year exceptionally bad. There are 

 limestone rocks among various others in the vicinity of 

 St. Moritz. 



On the 14th of September we left the Engadine to spend a 

 few weeks in the lower parts of Switzerland where shells are to 

 be met with in larger numbers, and I think one or two remarks 

 on the few I met with will not be out of place. We crossed 

 the-Julier Pass in a soaking rain, and whilst the Diligence 

 horses were being changed I found plenty of Clausilia biplicata 

 upon a wet wall close at hand. Next day I got plenty more of 

 the same with H. pomatia and large darkly coloured H. arbus- 

 to7'um in the garden of the Hotel Via Mala at Thusis. During 

 the morning we drove up the Via Mala. This stupendous 

 gorge is I think the most wonderful place I have ever seen. It 

 is I suppose in reality a deep " canon," which in the course of 

 time has been sawn out of the soft shaly rock by the rushing 

 Hinter Rhein, until its sides are in places 1500 feet high. The 

 road runs at first along the left side, and in one place a tunnel 

 has been cut with infinite trouble to accomodate it through a 

 projecting spur of rock. Three times the sides of this tre.r.en- 

 dous gorge approach each other near enough to be bridged, 

 and the abyss below each of these bridges is marvellous, 

 especially that below the third, where the river several hundred 

 feet below runs along a mere crack but a few yards wide. The 

 Via Mala is the commencement of the Spliigen Pass on the 

 Swiss side, and derives its name from the fanciful idea that on 

 account of its wild and gloomy appearance it is the way to Hell. 

 However this may be I found plenty of shells on the wet rocks 



