STELFOX : CROSS BETWEEN H. ASPEKSA AND VAR. EXALBIDA. 295 



Dr. A. E. Boycott in a recent letter suggests that self and not 

 cross fertilization may be common in the case of Helix neinorahs ; 

 but up to the present I have seen no evidence that such is the 

 case, although I am carrying out numerous experiments with differ- 

 ent coloured forms of that species. The above experiment at any 

 rate is a clear proof of cross fertilization. 



In their " List of British Non-Marine Mollusca," published in 

 London, 1914, Messrs. Kennard and Woodward distinguished be- 

 tween " varieties " and "forms." Unfortunately they give no reason 

 for this distinction, nor do they state in what way a "form" is 

 inferior to a "variety.'" I note, however, that in the case of 

 Helix asf>ersa, vars. major and inifwr, auct., are given as "forms," 

 while in the cases of Helix nenioralis and H. horteusis they rank 

 as "varieties." In the latter species all colour variations, even in- 

 cluding citrinozonata — which in the West of Ireland frequently 

 occurs in colonies — are regarded as " forms." 



Now my experiments have shown me that while the latter varia- 

 tions are hereditary, the size and texture of a shell can be 

 influenced by its food supply, and its general environment during 

 growth. I think, therefore, that such variations as libelltila^ rubeila^ 

 &:c., and especially citrinozonata are well worthy of the name 

 " variety." Some colour variations of Helix tienioralis, in Ireland, 

 have distinct geographical ranges: thus some are "western," some 

 " central," but many, of course, are generally distributed, though 

 few occur throughout the whole range of the species. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Our Proceedings for February contain an account of the presentation of an 

 illuminated Address to Mr. John W. Taylor at Manchester, as some slight 

 recognition of his services to Conchology, to the Society and to this /oiirnal of 

 which he was the founder. These services are more fully and adequately dealt 

 with in the terms of the Address which we print elsewhere, but it seems only fitting 

 to call attention in this column to the honour so deservedly accorded to our first 

 editor. The meeting was very enthusiastic and congratulatory — alike on the 

 seventieth birthday which Mr. Taylor was celebrating and on the completion of the 

 third volume of his Monograph. For the benefit of those members who could not 

 get to Manchester on February 6th, we are able, through Mr. Taylor's kindness, 

 to offer reproductions of the cover and front page of the Address. We should add 

 that the President of the Society, Mr. R. Bullen Newton, F.G.S., came down from 

 London specially to preside at the meeting. 



