192 



FOUR COLOUR VARIETIES OF CYPR^A. 



By JAMES COSMO MELVILL, M.A., F.L.S. 



(Read before ihe Society, March 8, 1905). 



The following have mostly been in my possession for many years. 



1. C. asellus L. var. vespacea nov. — Bears a certain superficial 

 resemblance to C. dandestina L. var. artuffeli Jouss., being almost 

 invisibly thrice-banded, bands very pale-fawn, shape as in ordinary 

 asellus. This is almost certainly conspecific with the shell figured by 

 Sowerby ("Thes. Conch.," pi. 30, f 327) as being in Mr. Jonathan 

 Rashleigh's collection. 



2. C. lynx L. var. michaelis nov. — A rare colour variety, in 

 which a black suffusion more or less clothes the whole dorsal surface. 

 I have only seen six or seven examples of this form, one in Mr. J. 

 Michael Williams' collection, three in that of Mr. R. Standen, one in 

 my own, one in the British Museum, and finally one in that of 

 Mr. R. Cairns. 



3. C. OCellata L. var. pretiosa nov. — A wonderfully beautiful 

 dwarfed and subpellucent form. Base quite immaculate, with none 

 of the usual lines or maculations, dorsal surface yellowish-fawn, almost 

 transparent, pattern very obscure, the ocellations, few in number, 

 appearing as smaller shaded ochreous spots. Locality unknown. 



4. C. SCurra L. var. standeni nov. — -A remarkably pale variety, 

 and inclining to translucidity. Base palest fawn, teeth apparently un- 

 coloured, but with a lens the faintest touch of red is perceptible, 

 markings dorsally typical, but lateral maculations absent. Mr. Cairns 

 writes that a specimen in his possession approaches this, but it is 

 evidently of exceedingly rare occurrence. 



Do Swans and Ducks eat Anodonta cyg-nea ?— I have never heard ques- 

 tioned the propriety of Linnes specific name for the above species, but experience 

 in many branches of natural history tends to make one sceptical of even the most 

 familiar legends, and therefore I was not surprised at the negative results of the 

 following experiments. Having procured an ordinary specimen of A. anatina^ 

 measuring 2-!,- by il inches, I proceeded to a neighbouring common, and called 

 up a flock of tame ducks, which came expecting to be fed. I threw the musseL 

 down before them, and they gathered eagerly roun 1 it, but after examining it closely 

 they turned away and waddled off with a universal chorus of disappointment. I 

 tried a second flock of ducks and three flocks of geese with exactly the same result. 

 Two couples of tame swans acted in a similar though rather more dignified manner, 

 nor would they have any more to do with a young A. cygiiea ; and yet presumably 

 Linne had some reason for his appellation. — Lio>^el E. Aoams {Read bajore the 

 Socielv, November qih, 1904). 



