THE LAND-SHELLS OF LUNDY ISLAND. 



By T. R. Le B. TOMLIN, M.A. 



Read before the Society, February 13th, 1907). 



As far as I can ascertain no mollusca have ever been recorded from 

 Lundy. I must own that coleoptera and not molkisca were the 

 primary object of my visit last Easter, but fortunately these two forms 

 of collecting so often coincide, that I am able to present a list of 

 thirty-five species — no doubt further collecting would considerably 

 increase this total, especially in the way of aquatic species, as I paid 

 very little attention to the numerous tanks and ponds on the island. 

 Of trees there are very few and the vegetation chiefly consists of 

 heather, grass, brambles and bracken, as well as great quantities of 

 thick moss. It was in this moss that nearly all the terrestrial species 

 occurred. Nothing could be called at all plentiful but this may have 

 been due to the early time of year. 



Lundy Island is situated off the north coast of Devon, about four- 

 teen miles from Hartland Point and thirty from the Welsh coast. In 

 spite of its isolation, there is a local post office, served by a fortnightly 

 mail from Instow, and the proprietor of the island, the Rev. F. G. 

 Heaven, usually supplements this by one in the alternate weeks, the 

 mail boat in each case being a local trawler. The facetious Devonian 

 is fond of pointing to Lundy as " the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth." 

 The island is an isolated rock of granite, some three and a half miles 

 long by half a mile broad, about i,ooo acres in extent, and rising more 

 than 400 feet directly from the sea. Exposed as it is to the full force 

 of the Atlantic Ocean, one must be prepared for a rough passage out 

 and be considered lucky if one can leave on the day appointed. There 

 is only one landing-place, a little bay well sheltered from the pre- 

 vailing S.W. winds, but fully exposed to the east, so that a change of 

 wind may mean a delay of many days in getting off. This bay lies 

 towards the S.E., under the lee of Rat Island, and at the S.W. 

 corner is the dreaded Shutter rock, made famous in " Westward Ho," 

 and recently familiar in connection with the "Montagu" disaster. 

 There are now two lighthouses, one on Rat Island, and one at the 

 very bare north end, a third towards the centre of the island being 

 now disused and occasionally let to visitors in the summer. On the 

 west side the cliffs are magnificent and descend perpendicularly to 

 the sea, but on the east they are less sheer and to a great extent 

 covered with thick vegetation. 



It was visited once or twice last century by entomologists; thus in 

 June, 1844, and in July, 1845, Mr. T. V. WoUaston collected in the 



