ON THE MOLLUSCA OF BIRKET EL QUEUN, EGYPT. 



By Edgar A. Smith, I.S.O. 



Read 8th November, 1907. 



The MoUusca quoted in the following list were collected by 

 Dr. W. A. Cunnington and Mr. C. Boulenger in the Birket el Qurun, 

 an expanse of water some twenty-five miles in length west of the 

 Nile below Cairo. It is slightly saline, especially in places most 

 remote from the canals and streams which drain into the lake. A list 

 of the species obtained by M. Blanckenhorn ' includes the following: — 



Melnnia tuberculata. Neriiina Nilotica. 



Cleopatra buUmoides, Flanorbis Ehrenhergi. 



Hydrobia stagnalis. P. inarginatus, var. siibangulata. 



Valvata Nilotica. Gorbicula Jluminalis. 



To this list I now add a species of Lanistes, a Corbictila, and an 

 Isidora. "Whether the Paludestrina obtained by Messrs. Cunnington & 

 Boulenger is the same shell as that quoted by Blanckenhorn as 

 Sydrohia stagnalis, L., var. cornea, Kisso, is somewhat uncertain, as 

 it is quite impossible to know what his idea of that form may 

 have been. 



The Helix stagnalis of Linnaeus, founded on the Turho stagnalis of 

 Baster, according to Hanley is a doubtful species, but may be the 

 Helix \_Turho] ventrosa of Montagu. On the contrary, Jeffreys regarded 

 Baster's species the same as the well-known Paludestrina idvce. 



All of the eleven species now enumerated may be regarded as 

 Nilotic forms, some ranging into Upper Egypt or even to the great 

 lakes of Central Africa. 



The localities quoted are situated as follows, and were the places 

 where the collectors encamped for a time : — 



(1) East End Camp. At the extreme eastern end of the lake. 



(2) Taban Bay, (3) the Sand-spit, Taban Bay, and (4) Promontory 



Camp. On the north shore, east of the middle of the lake. 

 (5) Kahk Camp, (6) Wady Camp, (7) mouth of Wady, west of road. 

 All south of the lake, near the middle. 



1. ViviPAEA. TjNicoLOR (Olivicr). 



Hah. — From beach near Kahk Camp, dead shells only ; one living 

 example from Taban Bay. 



2. Cleopatra bulimoides (Olivier). 



Hob. — Dead shells from beach near Kahk Camp; and live specimens 

 in swamp, East End Camp. 



3. Lanistes carinatus (Olivier). 

 Hah. — Swampy ground, East End Camp. 



' Zeitsch. deutsch. geol. Oesell., vol. liii, p. 4G3 (1901). 



