JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY. 317 



LAND SHELLS AT DOG'S BAY, CONNEMARA. 



fRead before the Conchological Society]. 



In 1865 while I was staying at Roundstone for the purpose of 

 dredging in the neighbouring seas, and also of collecting — 

 literally — bags full of foraminifera from the since celebrated 

 beach of Dog's Bay, I found in the face of the small cliff or 

 section of sand hill closing the beach to the eastward, an old 

 sward. This appeared as a black band about two inches thick 

 between blown sand below and above. When I was there no 

 such recent ^sward appeared near this spot. '^I'he sandy flat 

 above and extending to Gorteen I^ay on the east was all 

 but bare of vegetation, and apparently yielding to every blast 

 that swept across the isthmus. This sand was noticeably sand 

 mixed with comminuted shells. On the surface there was a 

 number of marine shells and (.A Helix aspersa, H. nemoralis and 

 H. ericetorum, all much worn by the blown sand. 



The H. ncfnoralis shells were remarkable for size, for eleva- 

 tion, and in many cases for a heavy lip and for a certain folding 

 inwards of this lip near the suture, amounting in one specimen 

 to a sort of tooth. 



A remarkable feature of this superficial deposit was the 

 preponderance of shells of Pwpura lapillus. These did occur 

 nearly whole, but were mostly broken (probably by frost) into 

 small fragments, all bleached snowy white. 



The black band attracted attention by showing many small 

 Helicidse, and I brought away a bag-full for search. It yielded 

 the following species : — 



Vitrina pellucida Miill. 



Zonites nitidulus (Drap.). 



Z. purus (Alder). 



Z. crystallinus (Mull.). 



Helix aculeata Miill. 



H. nemoralis var. libellula Risso. 



H. rufescens Penn. 



H. concinna Jeff. 



