VARIATION AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF LIGUUS IN FLORIDA. 443 



Its advent was probably after this group of keys had been isolated from the 

 other keys and the mainland, but before the area had been brol n into many 

 separate keys as at present. The presence of identical forms points to former 

 continuity of the land from Little Pine and No-Name Keys to Key Wert. Oxy- 

 styla undata reses has the same range but v tends farther east, from Key Watt 



to Grassy Key. 



5. Liguus fasciatus lignumvike, the sole race on Lignum Vit:. Ke\ . is anom- 

 alous in distribution. It is closer than any other Florida raoe to the typical 

 form of the Cuban L. fasciatus in coloration, though still distinctly different tod 

 otherwise from the parent stock; and it is certainly not at all related to forme of 

 the keys adjacent to Lignum Vita-. We can only suppose that this is eithei an 

 independent migrant from Cuba or a remnant of the same fasciatus took whirl 

 became modified into L. solidus farther west, which by isolation has been pre- 

 served on Lignum Vitsc Key. 



VI. STATION AM) HABITS OF LIGUUS. 



Liguus lives upon the trunks and branches of tn and shrub proferri g 

 dense shady woods, neither sandy nor swampy but well drained It pi r lives 

 in pine woods or mangrove thickets, always in hardwood gmves, and prefers 

 rather smooth-barked trees such as the gumbo-limbo (Urssra simaruba). 

 Such woods in Florida form what are known as hammocks. 14 As the hammock 

 land is dark, rich soil, it is much in demand for cultivation in » country other- 

 wise made up of sand and swamp. The habitat of Liguus is therefore year by 

 year diminished; the gaily clad snails near their nemesis; and before any years 

 they will become extinct except in some remote spots too income Lrablc for 



Throughout its range in Florida, Liguus lives under very snnilsr 



The climatic conditions are certainly not much varied; all of 



cultivation. 



conditions. *uv, w»*-«v.~ ~ ~ 



colonies are at practically the same slight elevation above the sea. lo casual 

 observation there seems to be far more difference between the more open and 

 denser parts of the woods inhabited by one colony than there is between corre- 

 sponding parts of other colonies. 



The eggs are elliptical, with a thin, pale brown, minutely granular, calcareoue 

 shell, and measure 5.2 X 7.2 to 6 X 8 mm. They are laid in groups o eight or 

 ten, buried in the ground or under leaves and trash. Eggs taken at .Miami, 

 January 26, were hatching. An individual in confinement laid ?W *Juiy. 



Liguus is active in rainy or damp weather and I think chiefly by ni£< m 

 daytime I have usually found them quiescent. During dry seasons they seal 

 themselves firmly to the bark, preferably in crotehes, knot-holes or oil t pro- 

 tected places. Since these snails lay their eggs in the ground and ascend I the 

 highest trees, their powers of travel are considerable OxysiyUi has theaami 

 habits as Liguus. The food of these snails is chiefly if not entirely the minute 



tt ~~\r ;« a IathI and nathft tvm, in uni- 



" Not "hummocks" as written by some persons. Hammock is a MM ^ i _ wh 



versal use in Florida, and also used by writers on the region as long ago a* we .» 

 century. To associate it with hummock (cf. Century Dictionary, page 291 w ■»» 



