48 POLYGYRIDAE 



specimens are similar to those from Arkansas. This variation 

 is found mostly on the bluffs of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers; 

 only one individual v^'as noted among several hundred specimens 

 of Polygyra inflecta collected in Clark County on the Wabash 

 River. _ 



POLYGYRA PROFUNDA (Say) 



The large land snail Polygyra profunda has a yellowish shell 

 over an inch (25-30 mm.) in diameter. It may at once be 

 distinguished by the flattened spire, the widely open umbilicus 



and the rather prominent swelling 



-^^^^^^^e^ -g^ near the umbilicus on the lower 



yfj^^^ ' ..^i^rj-. P^rt of the wide, flat peristome. 



/f^W?:;ul^^^;:>^^ ^^ The animal is large, light red- 



%^-^ :...:.■■-.: L^P'^i.=-^^^^^^^\ dish-brown in color and it has 



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^yW ) smoke-colored eye peduncles and 



^^^~~2^~~^^^^ tentacles. 



In its geographic distribution 

 profunda is confined to the northern part of Illinois. Although 

 it is abundant wherever found, no living specimens have been 

 seen south of Fulton County. Its usual habitat is in moist 

 woodlands of oak, hickory and birch where there is an abun- 

 dance of fallen timber. In past ages, this species lived in southern 

 Illinois, and the bleached shells are often found in fossil deposits. 

 Several varieties, distinguished by color differences, occur 

 in this species. Only one variety besides the typical is found in 

 Illinois. 



Polygyra profunda profunda (Say). The shell of the typical 

 profunda is distinguished by a wide brown band just above the 

 periphery of the body whorl and smaller brown bands on the 

 base of the shell and on the spire whorls above the wide band. 

 A shell of this variety is illustrated by the figure. 



Polygyra profunda efasciata Walker. The color bands are 

 not developed in this variety, as they are in the typical profunda, 

 and the shell is .uniform yellowish horn. About one specimen in 

 every six of this species in Illinois belongs to this variety. 



"The snail," say the Hindoos, "sees nothing but his own 

 shell, and thinks it is the grandest place in the Universe." — 

 Sidney Smith, Peter Plywley Letters 



