PONSONBY : REMARKS ON MALTESE MOLLUSCA. 251 



viz., H. calcarata Benoit and H. cucullus Mart. Thanks 

 to the great kindness of Madame Paulucci,the distinguished 

 Italian conchologist, the present writer has had the oppor- 

 tunity of seeing the two last named shells. It appears 

 that the three run so closely into one another as to be 

 almost inseparable ; in fact it is a question whether they 

 maf not all prove to be varietal forms of H. Spratti. It 

 is hoped that some conchologist, possessed of a large series 

 of Maltese specimens, or who may visit the island, may be 

 able to determine satisfactorily the specific value of these 

 four Helices. 



H. meda Porro. It may be worth mentioning that this species 

 was found by the writer, some years ago, among plants on 

 the roof of Morel's Hotel at Valletta. 



H. striata Drap. In consequence of this specific name being 

 generally conceded to Miiller's shell, H. profuga Schmidt 

 has been adopted for the species under consideration. 

 Some day the question will have to be decided as to the 

 limits within which H. variabilis Drap. (our British H. 

 virgata Da Costa) is to be allowed to vary. Capt. Becher 

 makes it synonymous with H. cespituvi Miill. Any one 

 who would work out the bewildering series of names in- 

 flicted on H. variabilis by various authors would be a 

 public benefactor. 



H. melitensis Fer. Dr. Kobelt, who made large collections 

 of Iberus in Sicily, will no doubt have something to say 

 about this shell. It may prove to inhabit Sicily also. 



H. Erdelii Roth. See Paulucci's 'Fauna Malacologica della 

 Calabria,' p. 60, where it is shown that this shell, and its 

 synonym H. flavida Ziegl., should more properly be called 

 H. Balmei Pot. and Mich. 



Zonites cellarius Miill. This is not the time to raise the 

 question as to the relative merits of the terms ' Zonites ' 

 and ' Hyalina,' nor to enquire whether Rossm.'s H. hyda- 

 tina is or is not distinct from H. crystallina. It may, 



