GODWIN-AUSTEX : ON DETKRMINATIOX OF GENERA AND SPECIES. I45 



the whole it is a distribution of colour typical of the species. The 

 spotting in some cases is continuous to the apex ; in other instances 

 there is no spotting, hut some particular uniform tint pervades the 

 whole visceral sac. I was particularly struck by this when going over 

 a large series of species of Macrochlamys from Sikhim, and quite 

 recently another collection from South Africa. In Sticcinea I have 

 noticed much variation of this kind in species from Europe and Asia, 

 and have made careful drawings of the same. 



Other characters are internal, and unfortunately require dissection, 

 and every one knows amongst them every kind of modification is met 

 with. I will only refer to one character which is not widely known, 

 but is common to all the land mollusca in some shape or other. I 

 refer to the spermatophore. It occupies an important place in the 

 life of the animal ; it is only present at the highest stage of its exist- 

 ence, and therefore is of considerable importance in determining the 

 relation of genera one to the other. I have found most interesting 

 variation in the details of its form even in species of the same genus. 

 As far as I have ascertained, there is a very large number of European 

 species in which it has never been observed and described. This is 

 undoubtedly due to the great difficulty of securing species at the right 

 season. Mr. John W. Taylor, who has done such valuable work in 

 the morphology of the land mollusca of our own country and the 

 continent, gives in his Monograph a drawing of the spermatophore of 

 Helix aspersa, modified after Moquin-Tandon, also of Helix virgata 

 and oi Amalia soiverbyi, the latter both in process of formation, and 

 after transfer, when complete, into the spermatheca ; also another, 

 after Moquin-Tandon, of Arion ater or A. rufa, and I would refer 

 those wishing to know more concerning its functions, etc., to read 

 Mr. Taylor's description. Mr. W. Moss has, I know, also photographed 

 some. It may be noticed how the form differs even in these four 

 examples ; still greater are the differences between those of. the 

 Asiatic and African species I have observed, particularly species of 

 PeltaUis from the latter country, hitherto placed in Helicarioii. The 

 spermatophores of this South African genus are most beautifully 

 spined, and as these are constructed organs that are known to only 

 a few, I have brought two here to-day in order that you may observe 

 what really beautiful objects they are and the wonderful structure they 

 present. Both these spermatophores are nearly perfect. They do not 

 apparently keep this perfect form long, and are generally more or 

 less broken up, emptied, and absorbed. I have been particularly 

 fortunate in finding so many. They are hardly to be sought for — ■ 

 the labour of examining specimen after specimen would be so great 

 — but they turn up from time to time in the process of dissection. 



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