HUGGINS: THE SOUTH DEVON RACE OF HYC.ROMI/V LIMRA'I'A. 30I 



wet day, noticed animals laying eggs in suitable places ; but, as he 

 again noticed the enormous number of recently dead adult shells, his 

 observations tend to confirm my idea of the general breeding season 

 being earlier in tlie year. 



H. liiiibata does not seem to be found off the red limestone area, 

 but within that limit it is locally abundant. I did not find any speci- 

 mens until about a mile beyond the town on either side of the river, 

 but after that it was to be found in colonies in almost every hollow 

 full of dead leaves which was sufficiently high to prevent an accumu- 

 lation of water. The metropohs of the species is around Coombe 

 Cellars, but I found isolated colonies several miles from Shaldon, on 

 the road towards Newton Abbot, and also a few in hollows high up 

 the side of the hill leading towards Torquay. On the Teignmouth 

 side of the river its range is equally extensive, but the much larger 

 area covered by buildings makes its colonies decidedly scarcer. 



This invariable disappearance of H. limhata in the proximity of a 

 town negatives any idea of its accidental importation in rubbish, 

 especially as most of the other species {striolata, iiicida, aspersa, 

 hortensis and capenita) common in the neighbourhood, and abun- 

 dant in the grassy courts and gardens of Shaldon. Its range suggests 

 that, like A. granulata, it is an old-established, somewhat unadapt- 

 able species receding before the march of building operations. 



It is also interesting to note that our form of II. Hmbata, though 

 differing but slightly from the Southern French race, is very distinct 

 from the races found on the continent nearest Britain, which are best 

 known to our collectors and would at first sight seem mostly likely 

 to occur here. 



Mr. Stelfox has suggested that the species is a pre-glacial arrival in 

 Southern England, and hence resembles the examples from non- 

 glaciated areas rather than the present northern continental race. 



My thanks are due to Messrs. A. S. Kennard and H. Beeston for 

 generously placing their notes at my disposal, and to Mr. A. W. Stelfox 

 for his great help in breeding the species in captivity. 



Limnaea stagnalis in Edinburgh. — While in Edinburgh recently I paid a 

 visit to Duddingston Loch, and took several specimens of L. slagnalis, along with 

 L. pereger, and one specimen of Sphtzrium corneum. Referring to the recent 

 edition of the Census, I was surprised to note that L. stagnalis had not been 

 recorded from Edinburgh, vice county No. 83. It seems strange that such a 

 prominent shell should have been missed just at the doors of a large centre like 

 Edinburgh, wherein several well-known conchologists live, and it strikes me as 

 possible that L. stagnalis may have been introduced here. — E. Crapper. (^Read 

 before the Society ^ November 2nd, 192 1). 



