SCOTT : LAND AND FRESHWATER MOLLUSCA OF TARBERT. 75 



irony of time not revealed in very bold characters indeed when 

 it is considered that in the place where men once held high 

 revelry, and from whence they, doubtless, often issued armed 

 with sword and spear and buckler to do battle against their 

 foes, the conchologist now peacefully hunts for snails ! 



About these ruins there are at least four varieties of Helix 

 arbiistorum : a light and a dark variety, both with band, and both 

 about equally numerous ; a small form with band, and a form 

 about the usual size, somewhat light in colour, without a band 

 — these two are rare. There are also two distinct forms of H. 

 aspersa of frequent occurrence \ H. nemoralis is also frequent, 

 as well as the variety cornea (only) of H. sericea — these I find 

 indifferently under stones, upon grass, nettles, cow-parsnips 

 {Heracleufu), and beaked parsley {Anthriscus). These Helices, 

 though frequent here, I seldom meet with anywhere else in the 

 locality ; a few other species are also found about the ruins. 



Of course, when the district becomes more thoroughly 

 worked up, other localities will likely be found for the species 

 mentioned in the list, and possibly other species will be added 

 thereto. The time I have been able to give to this subject 

 since I came to Tarbert last summer has been exceedingly 

 limited, and therefore this paper cannot be considered as in any 

 sense exhaustive ; as it is, it shows that even in this out-of-the- 

 way place a few things may be met with which are, comparatively 

 at least, not altogether without interest. 

 Pisidium fontinale (Drap.). Loch-na-Kenna. 

 P. pusillum (Gmelin). Generally distributed. 

 Limnaea peregra (MiilL). Generally distributed. 

 L. peregra var. Very scarce. 

 L. truncatula (Mlill). Generally distributed. 

 Ancylus fluviatilis Miill. Rivulet near head of West Loch 



Tarbert. 

 Arion ater (L.). Common. 

 Arion subfuscus Drap. var. rufo-fuscus. About the old 



castle, and one or two other places. 



