J. 8. Gardner — British Eocene Land MoUusca. 247 



to one of the varieties shows that Mr. Edwards contemplated 

 separating it as a distinct species. 



Most of the specimens are from the Bembridge Limestone, where 

 the shell is rarely preserved, but a few are from the Headon Lime- 

 stone. It also occurs in the Paleeotherium limestone of the depart- 

 ment of Aude in the South of France. 



It is difficult to avoid uniting this with some of the existing 

 species of Qlandina from Mexico, so nearly identical are they. Their 

 connection is at all events of the very closest, and as the Glandinas 

 are entirely confined to Central America, Mexico, Florida, and the 

 West Indies, the problem as to how they formerly strayed to Europe 

 is interesting. Lying in close proximity on a fragment of limestone 

 in the Edwards' collection are two of these superb snails ; one, the 

 Glandina (PI. VI. Fig. 2) and the other, a Bulimus (PI. VL Fig. 3). 

 They lived together in company, and one may have even succumbed 

 to the carnivorous instincts of the other ; but their habitats are now 

 so widely severed that to bring them together again ten thousand 

 miles of sea must be traversed. 



The fossil, as already stated, resembles many of the existing species 

 so closely that it would be hard to find any character by which they 

 might be distinguished, especially in the cases of G. Ugnaria, Reeve, of 

 Mexico, and G. conspena, Pfr., of Guatemala. It is important to mark 

 that the genus is now entirely confined to the Westlndies and the main- 

 land south of Texas, so that its occurrence in the Isle of Wight is 

 alone a hopeless stumbling-block to the acceptance of Mr. Wallace's 

 views. 



The animal of Glandina is very large in proportion to its shell, 

 into which it retires with difficulty. It crawls with its labial palpse 

 ceaselessly in movement, and when it comes across a Bulimus or a 

 Helix, it fastens upon its victim and devours it. The snout is pro- 

 truded and swells up, and the mouth opens to its largest extent. M. 

 Salle and Mr. Gould both relate that they have seen the Glandina 

 attack individuals of their own species and size. According to 

 Raymond, G. algira of Bruguiere is exceedingly voracious, and can 

 in 24 hours devour ten or a dozen of Helix variabilis. This observer 

 relates that " apres avoir flaire sa proie, il penetre assez avant dans 

 le dernier tour de spire des Helices et fait le vide par succion ; on 

 voit tres-distinctement disparaitre le mollusque qui lui sert de 

 nourriture." ^ 



Tlie Antilles, Central America and Mexico constitute the region 

 in which the genus Glandina attains its maximum development. Its 

 carnivorous propensities are abundantly provided for amidst the 

 herbivorous pulmonata which swarm in those regions. The largest 

 species are found in Mexico and Guatemala, where the numerous 

 species of Bulimus serve tliem for food. The eggs are calcareous, as 

 in the large Bulimi, and G. Andebordi deposits 20, measuring 8 by 6 

 millims. 



1 Mission Scientific au Mexique, Eeclierches Zoologiques, part vii. Etudes snr 

 Moll. Terrestres et fleuves du Mexique et du Guatemala, par P. Fischer, H. Crosse, 

 1878. 



