Clare Island Survey — Land and Fresh-water Mollvsca. 23 13 



Idmnaea auricidaria in addition to those species at present on the list. 

 Valvata piscinalis —discovered by 11. J. Welch in the outlet of L. Avullin — 

 was a surprise, until I remembered that this shell is frequently met with on 

 the western islands of Scotland. This is, however, the only Irish record 

 other than for the mainland. None of the land-shells on the island can be 

 considered unexpected, though the list is more complete than I had hoped for 

 and absentees are few, Hdicella barbara being the most prominent. Several 

 species on the island are in a somewhat precarious condition and a few 

 unfavourable seasons might accomplish their extinction. Among these 

 Z. nitidus, H. intersecta, and L. palustris stand in the worst position. 

 H. nemoralis is still plentiful in places, but does not appear to be thriving — a 

 condition observable on all of these western islands. The remainder appear 

 to be holding their own well, and should exist on the island far into the 

 future. In the case of only two species in the following list is there 

 sufficient evidence to doubt their rank as natives. These — Arion hortensis and 

 Limax maximus — seem to be confined to the gardens adjoining Mr. M'Cabe's 

 hotel at the harbour, and they have undoubtedly been imported from 

 the mainland, other obviously imported animals occurring with them. The 

 chief interest from a conehologist's point of view centres round the fauna 

 of the cliffs which almost encircle the island, and the escarpment of 

 Knoeknaveen in the interior of it. The cliffs and banks along the southern 

 shore are too dry at certain seasons to shelter a large fauna, but on the series 

 of cliffs facing east and north-east, from Kinnacorra to the light-house, a 

 larger list may be compiled. The cliffs on the north-eastern shoulder of 

 Knoeknaveen also proved to be a good collecting-ground, especially for the 

 Hyaliniae. It is, however, upon the great sea-cliff of Croaghmore that the 

 real head-quarters of the land-shells of the island are situated (Plate I). 

 Upon this twenty-seven of the forty-two species of terrestrial species found 

 on the island may be collected. On the 1200-foot path along the face of the 

 cliff 1 took A. agrestis, A. ater, A. subfuscus, A. intermedins, V. pelhicida, 

 H. alliaria, H. nitidula, H. pura, H. crystadina, S. edeutulum, P. rotundnta, 

 A. acukata, H. fusca, C. lubrica, P. anglica, P. cylindracea, G. bidentata, 

 C. minimum, L. truncatula, and A. lineata. Between 800 and 1100 feet 

 altitude, L. arborum, M. radiatida, E. fulvus, P. pygmaeum, and A. lamellata 

 also occurred, while at about 500 feet V. substriuta and a single dead 

 specimen of B. perversa were taken. Shells appeared to be most abundant at 

 about 1000 feet. At this elevation every handful of moss yielded dozens of 

 specimens, each patch of Luzula was crowded with Hygromia fusca, and if 

 the day were damp hundreds of Arion ater — all var. aterrima — might be seen 

 crawling upon the vegetation. This slug is reported by Welch and Praeger 



