JACKSON: THE CANDIDULA SECTION OF HELICELLA. I97 



and myself, based upon specimens collected last summer at Pres- 

 tatyn, N. Wales {antea, p. 164). 



H. gigaxii appears to live under pretty much the same conditions 

 as its congener If. caperata, by which it is often accompanied. As in 

 this last species the size of the shell varies according to locality and 

 environment, i.e., whether largely calcareous or otherwise. The 

 largest specimens I have seen are from I.ewes, East Sussex, and 

 these measure up to 15 mm. in diameter ; the smallest I have in my 

 own collection come from Southport, Lanes., and these measure 7 mm. 

 These two extremes, however, can be linked together by intermediate 

 forms from various localities. 



The Southport specimens are from the coastal sand-dunes and are 

 interesting from the fact that they are small in size and agree in every 

 particular with Canon Horsley's specimen from Avignon, as well as 

 with Pfeiffer's figures and description. 



Judging from specimens in the Layard and Crosse collections (in 

 the Manchester Museum), the following species, H. idanica Locard 

 (Avignon) ; H. lieuranensis Bourg, (Avignon) ; H. scnipellina Fagot 

 (Haute Garonne), and H. derogata Rossm. (Spain), are synonymous 

 with H. gigaxii. 



Two varieties have recently been distinguished by the Rev. C. E. Y. 

 Kendall,^ (i) var. lutescens — shell a wet sand colour without markings; 

 (2) var. albicans— ^q}\ white, without markings, apex dark brown to 

 black. 



There is an interesting remark in Montagu's " Testacea Britannica " 

 (p. 432), which may possibly have some reference to this species. 

 Under his description of H. caperata Montagu refers to a variety from 

 Kent "of a light cinereous colour, with so little appearance of bands or 

 fascia; that it might readily have been mistaken for a distinct species, 

 was it not for the strong, regular strige, which, amongst the British 

 Helices, seems to be confined to this [i.e. caperata^ and the radiata 

 \=rotundata Miill.j. Mr. Boys favoured us with this shell, by the 

 name of Apex-tiiger, by which it was known to Dr. Solander, and 

 placed as such in the Portland cabinet." 



As to whether the above variety refers to H. gigaxii or not can only 

 be decided by an examination of the specimens. 



It is not without interest to note that H. gigaxii frequently presents 

 a unicolorous creamy or brownish shell, without a trace of any 

 markings, though the apex is conspicuously of a dark fulvous colour. 



Two very early figures of what appears to me to be H. gigaxii are 

 given by Captain Thomas Brown in his 1827 work on British Shells.^ 



1 Journ. of Conch., vol. 13, igi2, p. 345. 



2 Ulus. Conch. Gt. Brit, and Ireland, Lend., 1S27, pi. 40, f. 37 and 39. 



