SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



323 



of Nyssa ; and further still, the hills sheltering 

 Mastavron, some fifty miles distant. 



The object of our visit, however, was neither to 

 study the ancient remains nor to admire the 

 scenery, and whilst appreciating both, we were 

 too eager to learn what molluscs dwelt there to 

 devote much time to either. Stones were therefore 

 turned over industriovisly, bushes searched, moss 

 carefully picked, and walls scanned, until the 

 declining sun, with the rising miasma, and the 

 knowledge that a band of brigands were in the 

 neighbourhood, warned us that we must not linger 

 longer. Mounting our horses, we quickly traversed 

 the twelve miles separating us from home. 



The following is the list of our takings : Helix 

 lens FerrxTsae ; H. virgata Da Costa, with several 

 varieties ; H. variabilis Drp. ; H. aspersa ; H. 

 lucorum; Buliminus pupa; B. quadrldens Mull 

 Pupa doliolum Brug; Vitrea spratti Westerland 

 V. koutaisiaTia Mousson ; Zonite smyrnensis 

 Melanopsis proerona ; Limnea peregra ; Valva,ta 

 aegyptiaca ; Bythinia ventricosa Grey. 



I am indebted for the identification of some of 

 these shells to the kindness of my friend, the 

 Eev. Prof. H. M. Gwatkin, M.A., of Cambridge, 

 and Mr. E. A. Smith, of the British Museum. 



In addition, we found in the crevices of the 

 stone seats of the Theatre a number of specimens 

 of a brown Clausilia, regarding which Dr. Boettger, 

 of Frankfort, writes : " I believe I recognise in it 

 the lost Clausilia (Pseudalinda) semidenticulataFir." 



The following morning we started for the ruins 

 of Priene and Miletus, though circumstances pre- 

 vented ovir carrying out the full programme, and 

 we were obliged to postpone the pilgrimage to the 

 latter place. It was one of those perfect morn- 

 ings of which one dreams, but so seldom experi- 

 ences elsewhere than in Asia Minor in midwinter. 

 The sun was bright and warm, while the north 

 wind was keen enoiigh to stimrdate to exertion, 

 and the air so clear that the separate houses of 

 villages at the base of Mount Latmos, fifteen 

 miles away, could be easily distinguished. Oiir 

 road lay southward, along the foot of Mycale, 

 and doiibtless was the same as that followed by 

 the Ephesian elders on their journey to Miletus 

 to bid farewell to St. Paul. In the swamps 

 on otir left, and in the canal-like depressions, 

 through which the Maeandre once flowed, we 

 noted large flocks of mallard ducks. Vultvu-es 

 were numerous over the brow of Mycale, and 

 one pair of eagles was seen. In days gone 

 by, francolins (Francolinus vulgaris), were not 

 uncommon here, but have now all but disappeared 

 from the neighbourhood, and sportsmen have to 

 be content with bags of such game as the red- 

 legged partridges (Caccabis chukar), woodcock, 

 hares, quail, and snipe, and during rainy seasons, 

 a wonderful variety of ducks. Wild boars are 

 plentifiU, and up in the mountains to our right 



leopards and bears are to be had, when the 

 brigands are obliging enough to retire from their 

 fastnesses, and allow some freedom of movement. 



The road was rough and stony, but arriving at 

 length at Priene, we spent some hours wandering 

 about the old town and theatre, uncovered in a 

 most systematic way by an agent of the Imperial 

 Berlin Museimi. On my first visit there in 1872, 

 the centre of attraction was the remains of the 

 temple of Minerva Polias, then recently excavated 

 by Mr. Pullan, and reputed to have been the most 

 artistically jierfect Doric temple of the age. 



0\ir conchological finds here were not so many 

 as those at Magnesia. On the rocks of the Acro- 

 polis a variety of Clausilia messenica was abundant, 

 and a brown Clausilia, related to C. semidenticu- 

 lata Pfr., though not identical with the speci- 

 mens of that species found on the previous day. 

 Many dead shells of Vitrea spratti were found, but 

 on that occasion no living ones. Then several 

 specimens of Helix cyclolahris Desh., and H. halmei 

 Pol., were discovered, the latter after prolonged 

 digging under a great boiilder. In the fields 

 below the to^\^l, attached to a species of Euphorbia, 

 the following were foixnd in considerable num- 

 bers : Helix acuta, H. syriaca, H. cartusianella 

 H. cornea, and another shell very much resembling 

 the last-named, but clearly a different species 

 In addition to these, we took H. aspersa, H. poma- 

 tia, H. virgata, Buliminus pupa, and B. quadridens 

 The number of species found during the portion 

 of the two days specially devoted to the search 

 amounted to twenty-six. 



The extremes of climate ruling in this part of 

 Avestern Asia Minor, especially the great dryness, 

 and long diu'ation of the svunmers, tend to a 

 paucity in variety and niunber of molluscs. Such 

 as do exist are somewhat difficult to find, for the 

 animals generally take refuge under and in the 

 deep recesses of rocks, where alone some moisture 

 is found away from the few perennial streams. 



Smyrna, 12th January, 1899. 



PiRULA NODULIFEBA IN NoETH KeNT. It is 



not often that one has the good fortune to add to 

 the fauna of so classical a section as that of the 

 Lower London Tertiaries at Charlton. On a 

 recent excursion to that place I unearthed a 

 gasteropod of the genus Pirula from the Thanet 

 sand. As it is merely a cast in sand, it is not 

 easy to accurately identify ; but Mr. E. B. Newton 

 thinks it is probably the P. nodulifera of G. B. 

 Sowerby. As far as I know, the only molluscan 

 remains previously recorded from this locality are 

 casts of Arctica ( = Cyprina) and Pholadomya, the 

 latter being frequently found by the workmen. 

 At the time of my visit, there was exposed in the 

 Blackheath pebble-bed a large mass of lignite, 

 probably the remnant of some drift-wood which 

 the sea had once cast up on this ancient beach. — 

 J. P. Johnson, The Glen, Glengarry Road, East 

 Bulwich, S.E. 



