STANDEN : CALCAREOUS EGCS OK TERRESTRIAI, MOLLUSCA. 1 59 



anatomy not previously appreciated. The group as herein under- 

 stood contains snails with helicoid or bulimoid shells, utterly dis- 

 similar from a conchological point of view. The only egg I have 

 seen belonging to this group is that of Caryodes dufresni Leach, from 

 Tasmania, of which I have specimens from the " Beddome Collec- 

 ■tion." They are pure shining white, under a lens very finely granulate, 

 regularly oval, 1 1 x 8 mm. The egg of P. cuHninghami Gra.y is globose, 

 white, hard, brittle, coarsely granular outside, smooth within, diameter 

 9 mm. 



The eggs of Stylodonta, from the Seychelles, are large. Two, rarely 

 three, lie in the oviduct one after another enveloped in a glairy mass, 

 which is probably consumed by the young when the egg hatches. At 

 birth, the young, after leaving the oviduct, pass by their own move- 

 ments out between the body and the shell of the mother. Dufo 

 describes this as the procedure in the case of 6". unideiitata Chem. I 

 have two eggs of 6". shideriana Fer., taken from a spirit specimen, 

 which measure 15x12 mm. ; they are oval and dull white in colour. 



The egg of Boms popelairianus Nyst, from Ecuador, appears to 

 be the largest known. It is elliptical, white, and measures 51 x 28 

 mm., the young on extrusion measuring 41 mm. B. ovatus Miill., 

 from Brazil, has an egg as large as that of a thrush ; that of B. hroiuti 

 Pfr. measures 15 x 11 mm. B. cantagallaniis Rang has a white 

 cylindrical-ovate egg, measuring 14 x 9 mm. These large eggs are 

 eagerly sought after by the negroes, who esteem them highly as a 

 delicacy. This may be one reason why they are so seldom seen in 

 collections. The egg of B. oblongus Miill., from Trinidad, is perhaps 

 the best known ; I have a large series, varying in size from 30 x 20 

 mm. to 19 X 17 mm. B. rosaceus King, from Chile, has oval eggs, 

 18x11 mm. ; those of B. capiUaceus Pfr., from the Amazon district, 

 are pure white, oblong-oval, and measure 15x12 mm. A lengthy 

 account of the composition and general cliaracter of the egg-shell in 

 the genus Boms will be found in Malak. Blatter, xxv., p. 176. 



The eggs of the New Caledonian Placostylus porphyrostoinus Pfr. 

 are elliptical, pure white, and measure 4x5 mm. They are always 

 laid in damp situations, in hollowed-out cavities, and thickly covered 

 with leaves. I have more than once been keenly disappointed 

 through consignments of eggs of this species having hatched out 

 during the voyage, owing to my correspondents having omitted to 

 destroy their vitality before despatching. Suter states that the eggs 

 of P. boUonsi Suter, from New Zealand, are very large, elongate-oval, 

 rounded at both ends, calcareous, thin, white, finely granular, with a 

 few larger granules irregularly interspersed, and measure 18x13 mm. 

 P. hottgi Suter has rather small eggs, measuring 5x6 mm. ; they are 



