38 

 ON THE PENNANT COLLECTION OK BRITISH SHELLS. 



By EDGAR A. SMITH, I.S.O. 



(Read before the Society, March 12th, 1913). 



The collections described and figured by Thomas Pennant in his 

 work entitled " British Zoology " have recently been presented to the 

 British Museum (Natural History) by the Earl of Denbigh, C.V.O. 



This collection has, since Pennant's death in 1798, remained at 

 Downing Hall, Holywell, Flintshire, where he resided all his hfe, and 

 it does not appear to have been consulted by subsequent writers upon 

 British shells. It is, therefore, very satisfactory, that, after lying more 

 or less undisturbed for over a hundred years, the collection has now 

 become National property. 



Pennant does not definitely state whether the specimens described 

 and figured were in his own or some other collection, but occasionally 

 they are said to be from that of the Duchess of Portland. It is, there- 

 fore, possible that some of the shells described may have belonged to 

 other collectors, although the fact is not stated, and hence they have 

 not been found among the Pennant specimens. 



The volume containing the moUusca was published in 1777. Some 

 of the species are wrongly identified, and the majority of those 

 described as new belong to well-known species founded by Linnaeus, 

 Miiller, etc. 



Of the shells received 18 are actual types of Pennant's new species 

 and 64 are figured specimens. 



The following list shows at a glance the species as given in Pennant's 

 work, and the names by which they are now known : — 



I. Types. 



(i'Ennant's nomenclature.) (modern nomenclature.) 



I. Helix rufescens = Helicigona {Arianta') arbusiorum, 



juv. 

 = Helix {Helicigona) aspersa Miiller. 

 = Flanorbis {Coretus) coriieus, juv. 

 = Helicella {Cochlicella) barbara 



(Linn.). 

 =■ Poniatias elegans (Miill.). 

 = Paludestrina ulvce (Pennant). 

 = Tyjiipanotomtis radtda (Linn.). 

 = Bullinella cylindracea (Pennant), 

 ^ Patella vidgata Linn., var. 

 =■ Tapes virgitieus (Linn.) 

 = Venus ovata Pennant. 



