pos 



458 VARIATION AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF LIGUTJS IN FLORIDA 



the absence of data from breeding, be considered a hybrid mosaic. There is n 

 intergradation between the "tortoise shell" race and the others, and no oth 

 varies towards this one in the slightest degree. 



The shell varies from rather solid to thin ; and the columella may be either 

 callous and truncate or thin and continuous. The apex and columella vary 

 from white to pink, but both are usually pale. This indicates its hybrid nature 

 From the fact that tortoise-shell Liguus are everywhere rare and greatly out- 

 numbered by other forms, and are extremely diverse in coloring, it seems 

 sible that the form is incapable of existing as a pure race, like yellow mice 

 Blue Andalusian fowl. 



The ground-color is usually yellow but varies to almost white. The pattern 

 consists fundamentally of broad, sinuous dark flames which fork below the white 

 sutural line producing a tessellated border, often smeared with reddish. The 

 flames terminate in a dark band at the periphery t which is bordered below by a 

 light girdle. The base is radially streaked. Over all of this there are the usual 

 green or olive spiral lines, when these are not lost in general melanism. The 

 principal modifications are as follows: (1) more or less complete interruption 

 of the flames, which remain only as tessellated subsutural and peripheral bands 

 (PL XXXIX, fig. 20e, 20/). (2) Modification of the color of the flames, 

 which may be green or blue in the middle, rich brown or black at the end (figs. 

 20a, 20c). (3) Coalescence of the flames, producing black shells with light spots 



and streaks (fig. 20, 22h). 



This is the most richly pigmented of all the Floridan Liguus. Some speci- 

 mens present wonderfully beautiful combinations of color. The coloration, 

 while greatly intensified in some and diminished in other examples, yet shows no 

 ariation in the fundamental pattern. It occurs most frequently in the densest 



hammocks and only as scattered individuals among great numbers of the other 

 color-forms. No testudineus have been found north of Miami river. 



It is impossible to calculate the proportions in which testudineus occurs 

 because none of the sufficiently large lots from Miami are strictly unse ected. 

 The importance of unselected series was not realized when they were collected, 

 and an undue proportion of the rare forms was gathered. 



The above notes and figures 20, a-m, apply to specimens from the hammocK 

 near the mouth of the Miami river opposite the town, collected by Messrs. u . 

 Moore, S. N. Rhoads, H. A. Pilsbry and others. From the south side i ot 

 Miami River one mile up specimens similar to those from near the moutn 



taken by Mr. Moore in 1904. hvbrid 



North of the Miami River the roseatus X castaneozonatus X crenatus y 



occurs. The shells are of the Miami type, but there are no ^ in ^ must 

 them; but both lots taken are so small that conclusions drawn from t ^^. 

 be taken with reserve. In the small series taken on the north side ^ 

 river, about 2V 2 miles up, there are 8 castaneus, 5 roseus and 6 crenatus. ^ 



Creek, nine miles north of Miami, near the head of Biscayne J*ay, 



occurs. 



