220 JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY. 



NOTE ON COCHLICOPA TRIDENS (Pulteney). 

 By JOHN W. TAYLOR. 



Some modification would appear to be advisable in the 

 description of the typical form of this species as understood by 

 English authors, and the alteration suggested will be the more 

 desirable as it will bring our apprehension of the species into 

 harmony with that of our continental brethren. 



The shell is perhaps better known on the continent by C. 

 Pfeiffer's name of Menkeaniis, but the name tridens bestowed by 

 Pulteney was long anterior and should be retained. 



I have not had the opportunity of consulting Pulteney's 

 original description, but am inclined to believe that it will not be 

 found to have been compiled with that precision and exactitude 

 that is now desirable. 



Dr. Jeffreys in his 'British Conchology,' vol. i., page 290, 

 describes with care and minuteness the armature of the aperture both 

 as usually existing and as occasionally found, and enumerates one 

 variation — crystallina Dupuy — and further remarks that "a variety 

 (the Azeca Noidetiana of Dupuy) has been found by Boissy in 

 the Pyrenees." 



It would appear from this that Dr. Jeffreys at the time of 

 the publication of his valuable work was unaware that the variety 

 of C. tridens described by Dupuy as Nouletiaua was really the 

 prevaihng British form. The figures on pi. xviii. vol. v. would 

 appear as though intended to represent the variety Nouleiiana 

 and not the type as understood in this paper. 



Lovell Reeve in 'British Land and Freshwater MoUusks' 

 describes and figures the species, but hardly in a satisfactory 

 manner. 



Prof. R. Tate in his little work 'British Mollusks,' published 

 by Hardwicke, does not give a formal description but says "the 



J.C, u., July 1879 



