210 JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY. 



THE LAND AND FRESHWATER MOLLUSCA OF 

 TRINIDAD. 



By R. T. LECHMERE GUPPY. 



(Read before the Conchological Society, March ist, 1893). 



The 'Journal de Conchyliologie ' for January, 1890, contains 

 a paper by H. Crosse on ' The Land and Freshwater Molkisca 

 of Trinidad,' accompanied by a neatly-executed plate. I am 

 glad that M. Crosse has taken this work in hand, and that he 

 has given us figures of some of the species. Others still await 

 iconographic representation. 



Descriptions of some of the land and freshwater shells of 

 Trmidad were published by me in the ' Annals and Magazine 

 of Natural History' {1864, 1866, 1868), the 'American Journal 

 of Conchology ' (1870), and the 'Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society of London' (1875). The latter publication contained 

 a list of the species, and another appeared in the ' Quarterly 

 Journal of Conchology ' (1875). Subsequent information en- 

 ables me to make some rectifications in the nomenclature, and 

 on one or two points I can add further particulars to those 

 given by M. Crosse. 



I had thought of adding a table giving the geographical 

 distribution of the species composing our moUuscan fauna. I 

 I did this partially in my paper in the 'Annals and Magazine 

 of Natural History' for January, 1866, and M. Crosse has done 

 it more fully in his paper of January, 1890. But I find that 

 with the extension of our knowledge we are compelled to reduce 

 the number of specific names, and that as these are reduced the 

 geographical range of species is increased, consequently the 

 number of forms peculiar to any part of the region is lessened. 

 I do not think it desirable, therefore, until the nomenclature of 

 South American and West Indian land and freshwater moUusca 

 is more settled and better defined to give such a table. 



J.C, vii., July 1893. 



