52 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Attention is called to the Hon. Secretary's new address : — Taranaki, Vernon 

 Avenue, Blackpool. 



Mr. Stelfox' published, early last year ,a very careful study of the I^and and 

 Freshwater Mollusca of the Dingle peninsula in co. Kerry. The district has been 

 worked pretty thoroughly by Messrs. Stelfox and Welch, and the results of their 

 labours are described with the author's well-known thoroughness and acumen. 

 Alto'^ether 77 species are reported, including several almost certainly introduced ]>y 

 human agency. We note the occurrence of Ifygrowia fiisca Moni., V. ani^iistior 

 Teff., P/aitorbts g/abcr ]c^., eight species of Pi si Ji nut including P. /if/jelwrgi C\., 

 and a reversed specimen of Aciciila lineala Drp. 



Another very complete list- for an Irish area is Mr. R. A. Phillips' Non-Marine 

 Mollusca of South Galway, containing the names of 103 species. Several of these 

 again are artificially introduced. 



The /'wzrt'/a! number 13, including P. stcenbiuhi Miill., P. liUjeborgi CI., and 

 P. hibernicuin West. , and we may also mention the occurrence of Vertigo piisilla 

 Miill. (very rare living in Ireland, though locally abundant as a fossil in sand-dunes), 

 Ovatella bidentata Mont., Amphipeplea glutinosa Miill., PL glaber ]eS., PI. vortex 

 L., and B. leacJii Shep. 



A small handbook of 69 pages, illustrated with photos, and two plates borrowed 

 from L. E. Adams' "Manual," has recently appeared, by Canon J. W. Horsley, 

 ■"entitled " Our British Snails." While assuming a chatty and popular style it is 

 unfortunately marred by much slipshod writing, especially in the matter of nomen- 

 clature, and by some quite inaccurate statements. 



For instance, why talk to a beginner of "the subfamilies Planorbis, Physa, 

 Limncea and Ancyliis" and in the next line refer to the Planorbina without a word 

 of explanation? Why give a beginner such designations as Stenogyra [Azeca] 

 tridens, Liiiinrea [Ancyliis) Jlitviatilis, Paliidina {Bythinia) tenfaailata a.nd many 

 others which are not to be found in any list that we know ? 



Again the author is not careful to stick to one generic orsubgeneric name — thus 

 we are told that " Vitrea hicida is the largest of the British Hyalinia'' ; H. 

 horlensis '\% 2i Tachea q\\ p. 41 and a Cep/ra on p. 42; Pahidina (Paliidestriiia) 

 jenkinsi occmv, on p. 60, but becomes Hydrobia jeiikinsi on p. 64. 



Reference to Linne will show Canon Horsley that his explanation of the 

 meaning of ^i. anatinaia wrong, and that the anatina was intended to express 

 " cibus anatum," food for ducks, as Jefifreys says. Presumably A. lygiKca is 

 analogous. The word " mollusca" has nothing whatever to do with esca food, but 

 is merely a lengthened form of mollis soft, while in Succinea putris the specific 

 name was no doubt chosen with reference to the -^softness or, perhaps, the fragility 

 of the shell. 



There are other points which seem to merit criticism, did space allow, e.g., the 

 definition of H. concinna (p. 43), the list of but five species of Pisidiitiii, and the 

 use of various technical terms, such as septa and umbilicus, without explanation. 

 Finally, we may point out that Rimmer's "Land and Freshwater Shells" was 

 published by D. Bogue, of St. Martin's Place, W.C, and not as stated bj^ Canon 

 Horsley. 



1 Irish Nat., 1915, pp. 17 — 37. 



2 ibid., pp. 137 — 150. 



3 Published by the S.P.C.K., Northumberland Avenue, W.C. 



4 cf. Hoi-. Epod. 8-7 and Veig. Georg. 1-44. 



