6 MR. W. H. PEASE ON TWO NEW HELICTERES. [Jan. 14, 



I'honneur de la science et des savans anglais, nous sommes trfes- 

 eloignes de penser que les naturalistes de cette nation aient abjure les 

 principes qui prevaudront toujours cliez tous les bons esprits — ceux 

 de ne reconnaitre commes coupes methodiques du systeme que celles 

 qui sont fondees sur des caracteres organiques, bien tranches et de 

 meme valeur dans chaque ordre ou chaque famille naturelle. M. 

 Swainson, s'il ne craint pas d'etablir de mauvais genres, devrait au 

 moins craindre que Ton ne 1' accuse, ou d'ignorer ce que les autres 

 ont fait, ou de passer leurs travaux sciemment sous silence, en eta- 

 blissant des divisions methodiques et des especes deja instituees avant 

 lui. Son genre Achatinella n'est que la copie, sous un autre nom, 

 de notre groupe des Helicteres, etabli d'aborddans notre 'Prodrome' 

 et ensuite dans 'Le Voyage deM.de Freycinet.' II eut ete convenable 

 de nous citer et de proposer alors franchement I'etablissement de 

 genre distincte de notre groupe des Helicteres, en discutant les rai- 

 sons qui nous ont porte a le laisser parmi les Helices, notamment 

 I'identite de leurs animaux." 



This genus, so clearly established and justly contended for by 

 Ferussac, passed out of sight. The only authors, so far as we are 

 aware, who have adopted it are Drs. Gray, Beck, and Herrmannsen. 

 M. Deshayes has refused to acknowledge it, as well as Partula and 

 other genera now universally adopted ; but that should not lessen 

 M. Ferussac's claim, more particularly as the reason he alleges (a 

 want of a knowledge of the animal) has been set aside by Eydoux 

 and Souleyet in the 'Voyage de Bonite.' The name is classical and 

 appropriate ("a drawn-out or extended coil"), and does not of ne- 

 cessity connect the genus with the family of Helices. 



The next monograph following that by Ferussac is from Dr. Pfeiffer 

 in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,' 1845, in 

 which the Doctor not only adopts the generic name of Swainson, but 

 also his specific names for those species which are synonymous with 

 the earlier species described by Ferussac. In subsequent monographs, 

 however, by the same author, in his great work ' Monographia 

 Heliceorum Viventium,' priority is assigned to the specific names 

 given by Ferussac. 



In 1850 Mr. Reeve published a monograph in his 'Conchologia 

 Iconica,' under the name Achatinella. All future describers follow 

 Dr. Pfeiffer and Mr. Reeve's example. A full monograph and his- 

 tory of the species would require several years' laborious study and 

 research. The most perfect list of synonyms that has appeared, more 

 particularly of the earlier-described species, is that by Dr. Newcomb 

 in the 'Annals of the New York Lyceum,' 1858. 



The number described is about 325, of which (according to Dr. 

 Newcomb) more than three-eighths are synonyms. We follow the 

 rule laid down by Mr. Swainson, and adopt the name Helicter 

 for this genus, being convinced that it is classical and has priority, 

 and proceed to add two species as follows : — 



Helicter proximus. 



H. testa sinistrorsa, imperforata, oblongo-ovata, ventricosa ; 



