BOYCOTT AND JACKSON : Pir,MK>NTATION IN HELICELI.A GIGAXII. 305 



Lots 1-4, agree exactly in shell-sculpture, etc., with the typical 

 H. gigaxii; lot 5, however, is quite unlike that species in its shell 

 characters, and one cannot feel satisfied as to its specific identity. 

 The characteristic eccentricity of the umbilicus of H. gigaxii is 

 wanting, and the shells have more the characters of very Jifiely 

 striuted H. candidula. 



The following specimens of H. caperata were also examined : — 

 Portsdown Hill, Hants, same source as lot 5 ; Horn Head, 

 Donegal, from Mr. Stelfox — his "large western " form. 



Both these series were quite free from pigmentation of the parts 

 mentioned, as in the original Prestatyn specimens. 



Littorina littorea (L.) : a doubtful record. — In an article by Mr. C. G. 

 Hewitt, which appeared in Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist. Edinb. , 1907, No. 64, p. 

 219, it was stated that at St. Kilda Littoritm littorea occurred living in the 

 crevices of the rocks at the top of Ruadval, almost 450 feet above sea level. 

 Its presence there was explained by the "almost constant presence of spray 

 from the Dun passage." As L. litto7-ea is a shell whose usual habitat is at and 

 below half-tide mark, such an occurrence appeared very remarkable. I, there- 

 fore, wrote to Mr. Hewitt, who is now in Canada, pointing out this fact, and 

 asking him whether he was sure that his shells were not L. rtuh's Mat. He 

 replied that he had no interest in the taxonomic side of the MoUusca, and that, 

 if he desired the name of any particular shell, he was in the habit of applying 

 to Mr. Standen or to one of the other assistants at the Manchester Museum. 

 Neither Mr. Standen nor any of his assistants have any recollection of having 

 seen or named any such specimens, and I am a^^sured that no reference appears 

 on their register to any Littorina from .St. Kilda. Under these circumstances it 

 is evident that the record cannot stand. The matter may seem of trivial 

 importance, but when the economics of the shore Mollusca come to be better 

 studied, as they will be some day, it is important that we should have none but 

 well authenticated facts to work upon. The present record, if it were left 

 uncorrected, might give rise to mistaken views with regard to the possibilities 

 of life of the species in question. Even as relating to L. riiJis, it would be 

 remarkable. But that is quite another matter. — A. H. CoOKE {Read before the 

 Society, Jan. 13th, 1915). 



Note on Helix hortensis var. fascialba Taylor.— In 1912 I was collecting 

 H. hortensis from plentiful colonies in the hedges round Barnham, Sussex (West). 

 The majority of the specimens were normal five-banded or bandless yellow ; but 

 I took three specimens oi Jascialba Taylor. All three were 00300 in Ijandino-, 

 the white zone extending slightly beyond the dark banding both aljove and below. 

 In every case the form was of the iiicamata colouring, and it is perhaps note- 

 worthy that while the other specimens were uniformly bandless yellow or type, 

 these isolated specimens from a widely extended area all showed a combination 



of imarnata colouring, 00300 banding and the atavic white peripheral zone. 



J. E. A. JOLLIFFE [Read before the Society, Feb. 6th, 19 15). 



T 



