23 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



there is an easy transit by rail and steamer, and 

 from Sadya the Mishmi Hills are not far distant. 



As will be seen by reference to the last number 

 of the " Geographical Journal," the tea-planters of 

 Assam are now pushing northwards into the Mishmi 

 Hills, which, until recently, had been considered 

 very difficult of access. I see no reason, therefore, 



why young calves of the takin should not be 

 obtained from the natives of this district, and the 

 size and appearance of this singular representative 

 of the goat-antelopes would serve to render it a 

 valuable addition to the varied forms of foreign 

 ungulates which have been already exhibited in the 

 menageries of Europe. 



DISPERSAL OF FLORA AND FAUNAE. 



By E. L. Layakd, C.M.G., F.Z.S. 



(LaU H.B.M. Consular Sa i ice. 



TN his review of "Books to Read," the editor of 

 Science-Gossip quotes a passage from Mr. 

 Wall is Kew's book on the " Dispersal of Shells," 

 which has a peculiar interest for me. I may or 

 may not be the individual "within whose memory," 

 as far as Mr. Kew knows, the common English 

 garden snail (Helix aspersa) was introduced into 

 the Cape Colony ; but as I w-as there at the time it 

 was introduced, and got the credit at first for 

 being the introducer of the pest I should like to 

 put on record the real facts of the case. I would 

 like to add also some other information on the 

 introduction of animals and plants into different 

 countries that has actually occurred within my 

 knowledge, thinking that such a record will be 

 valuable for future reference. 



Helix aspersa was introduced into the gardens in 

 the neighbourhood of Cape Town, in the year 1855, 

 by MM. Dastre, some French mercantile gentlemen 

 residing there. A French man-of-war calling at 

 the Port presented these gentlemen with a small 

 barrelful of the esteemed dainties. They ate the 

 full-grown fat ones, but, with an eye to future 

 feasts, distributed the young ones broadcast in the 

 gardens and vineyards round the town in their 

 daily walks. I found them abundantly in my little 

 plot of vines, and showing them to friends, and 

 being known as a " shell man," got the credit of 

 the introduction, till I traced it to MM. Dastre, 

 who rather plumed themselves on the exploit ! 



I found the snail abundant in St. Helena, on my 

 way out to the Cape in 1853-54; and in these 

 latitudes its rapid increase may be attributed to the 

 fact that the mild climate does not necessitate 

 hibernation, and it breeds all the 3-ear round. 



It has been introduced into South Australia and 

 Victoria, from both of which Colonies I have it in 

 my collection. 



In 1878 I was on a collecting trip in Lifu, one of 

 the Loyalty Islands. I stayed with a gentleman 

 named Wright, who had much dealing with the 

 natives. One afternoon a young maTi came in and 

 said he had a great curiosity for sale — a new shell. 

 With much parade he unwound from his waist- 



cloth corner, and handed to my friend, a fine 

 specimen of H. aspersa ! On questioning him we 

 learnt that while working with others in his yam 

 patch he had found the treasure. " The oldest 

 inhabitant " had not seen such a thing before. The 

 natives are very? observant, and know all their 

 various birds, shells, butterflies, etc. He expected 

 a long price from my friend, who, born in Australia, 

 had likewise never seen such a shell. His horror 

 may be imagined when I deliberately threw it on 

 the ground and crushed it under foot. After ex- 

 plaining to the native the harm the}- would do, and 

 exhorting him to destroy all he could find, I set to 

 work to discover how it came there, and, remem- 

 bering the Cape episode, I called on the "Resident," 

 or Governor, of the Island, to "pump him." I 

 soon learnt that a French man-of-war had called 

 there, and given him several plats of these, and 

 having eaten sufficient, he had sown the rest for a 

 happy future. If French men-of-war habitually 

 carry, as part of their commissariat, barrels of 

 escargots, we need not wonder at their general dis- 

 tribution. 



While in New Caledonia (in 1S89 or 1890), I was 

 showing M. Bernier, a brother collector, some 

 remarkably fine examples of Sienogyra souverliana, 

 Gassies, as the largest I had ever seen. To my 

 astonishment he " turned up his nose " at them, 

 saying he had far finer, in great abundance. On 

 nry exhibiting incredulity he promised to bring me 

 some, and next day brought me a large match-box 

 full of Sienogyra octona, Chem., the well-knowm 

 West Indian shell, all alive, and many of them 

 with their ova. On my questioning him as to 

 where he got them, he told me he had just returned 

 from his uncle's coffee plantation at Canala, on the 

 east coast of the island, and that the shell occurred 

 in great abundance in the court-yard of the house 

 and store, in between the flag-stones. He declared 

 his uncle had never got am- seed-coffee nor plants 

 from the West Indies, only from Bourbon ; the 

 shells must then have been introduced from the 

 latter place. It would be interesting to learn if 

 the species has been noticed in Bourbon, but here 



