13 



ADDITIONS TO THE LAND AND FRESHWATER MOLLUSCA 

 OF JURA, COLONSAY WITH ORONSAY AND ISLAY. 



By I. F. MUSHAM, F.E.S. 



(Read before the Society," Jan. 13th, 1915). 



These islands form the Vice-County 102, or Ebudes South, and with 

 the exception of Islay are off the track of ordinary tourist traiific. 



By their position one would naturally be led to expect a continuity 

 north of the Donegal forms of the more conspicuous, dominant 

 species ; but observations so far seem to negative such a proposition, 

 as instanced by the Donegal form of Helix fiemoralis occurring in 

 numbers on the Island of lona (Ebudes Mid), twenty nautical miles 

 N. by W. of Colonsay, whereas on Colonsay it favours the type in 

 size and shape, and is absent altogether, as far as observed, from the 

 larger areas of Islay and Jura. Further field-work is here required, 

 but will take time, as, with the exception of Islay, the group is very 

 difficult to investigate. 



Jura, some 30 miles by 9 miles, has only one decent road at the 

 southern end, and accommodation for strangers is restricted to one 

 private house near the landing-pier in Small Isles Bay. 



The Island of Islay has an extensive area under cultivation, and 

 large peat beds, which supply the nine distilleries round the coast. 

 The sand-dunes of Kilnaughton and Machrie, near Port Ellen, swarm 

 with shells, and well repay a visit. 



• On Colonsay the same conditions obtain on the golf-links of 

 Machrins and Kiloran Bay. 



Oronsayis difficult of approach, and a certain amount of adventure 

 is experienced in getting to the island, the usual mode being by 

 conveyance from the hotel at Scalasaig, across the strand at certain 

 states of the tide, and the water often for upwards of a mile reaches 

 to the horse's girths. Consequently the time at one's disposal is short. 



The first record we have for this group is in Forbes and Hanley's 

 British Mollusca (1853), and relates to Limax arbonim. About 1900 

 and later specimens were received from Mr. W. and Miss Evans, and 

 from Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones, totalling some nine species. 



No fresh species seems to have been added to the list until my 

 visit to Jura and the north-east coast of Islay in June, 1908, when, 

 notwithstanding the spell of dry weather, the list was increased to 

 fifteen. 



