HORSLEY : LAND SHELLS OF MAJORCA. 67 



bare of vegetation. Therefore, prima facie, it would hardly seem a 

 'snaily' land. I may add that fowls, the great enemies of the collectors 

 of land shells, abound. Therefore, especially in November, to "leave 

 no stone unturned" is the conchologist's motto, and to search banks 

 is not so lucrative. I found, however, what British experience would 

 not lead me to anticipate, that young fir trees, about three feet high, 

 were the favourite resort of two species, If. pyramidata and H. 

 splendida. 



I will now give a few notes on the species I found. 



Helix aspersa is apparently the largest shell of the island, as I 

 saw no trace of pomatia, though that was noted in Barcelona. It is 

 invariably large, with a width of 1*75 inches. The only variety I 

 noticed was van iindaiata. It is eaten and sold in the market at Palma, 

 but it did not seem to be very common. The shells, contrary to 

 English use, seem rarely to become decorticated. 



H. balearica.— Adult specimens were hard to find. Immature 

 shells were more common, but might be confused with those of other 

 species. One specimen I took on the battlements, of the Lonja, an 

 ancient building in Palma, and one in the garden below. Others on 

 old olive trees inland. 



H. splendida. — First found between La Puebla and Alcuida on 

 shrubs and small trees, nearly always on young fir trees, rarely on 

 others, and rarely more than one on a tree. They secrete much thin 

 mucus, and the shells are found on cleaning to be much more delicate 

 than their resemblance to H. hortensis would lead one to expect. 

 The variety 00040 is more common than the type. Of ninety-seven 

 gathered one day, forty-two were of this variety, which would seem 

 as worthy of a varietal name as var. tersoni,yN\\\z\\ is simply (i23)(45). 

 The characteristic band grouping of the Helices, i.e., 1(23)45, was also 

 common. I found four beautiful specimens pure white with trans- 

 parent bands. Later, I found H. splendida by Porto Pi, on the 

 lower parts of the hills. Here again it was hardly worth while to look 

 for them except on young fir trees, which is curious considering how 

 with us conifers are avoided by shells. One fine dark specimen like 

 var. tersoni I found here, its banding being (123)45. 



H. pisana was perhaps the most common shell, especially by the 

 sea. Yellow and white varieties were more plentiful than the type, 

 and the shells generally were finer than in England. Some were 

 very broadly banded, but the var. lineolata was also found. Many of 

 the common yellow forms were almost orange in tint. 



H. lanuginosa was not very common. Covered with short hairs 

 it is yet somewhat like H. incarnata which is, I think, hairless. 



H. cespitum seemed local. It much resembles H. virgata but 

 is larger and less common. 



