Stei.fox — List of Land and Freshwater MoUusks of Ireland. 89 



upptr tidal reaches of the Shannon and 

 its tributaries, and its empty shells are 

 to be found in enormous quantities 

 among the debris aloug their banks 

 after high winter floods. In Limerick 

 it occurs in woods with Acanthinula 

 lamellata and Pupa anglica" Though 

 often inhabiting damp situations, this 

 shell will also thrive in very diy places, 

 as it has recently occurred to me at 

 Ardfert, in North Kerry, living on the 

 upper storeys of the old abbey, among 

 nettles and brambles. As I have 

 noticed in Cornwall, Hygromia hispida 

 is seldom found associated with the 

 present species, though probably living 

 in its neighbourhood. Miss "Warren's 

 record from Killanley marsh, in SUgo, 

 shows that its range may possibly be 

 extended in the future, and there are 

 old records for '■'■ Helix sericea" from 

 Dublin and Kildare. These latter may 

 possibly, liowevcr, only refer to a variety 

 of H. liispida, and I regard them as 

 doubtfnl. 



Hygromia hispida (Linne). 



Selix Inspida and S. concinna, Thomp- 

 son, Cat. L. & F."\^^ MoU. of Ireland, 

 p. 13, 1840. 



WD ED LD AN 

 FE TY AR DO 

 WMSL LE MO 



EM RO OV LH 

 WC NG LF WH ME 

 SG KG KD DU 

 CL NT QC CW Wl 

 NK LK ST KK WX 

 SK MG EG WA 

 WG 



A most variable shell, and one whicli 



K.I.A. PEOC, VOL. SXES., SECT. B. 



is found in all parts of the four pro- 

 vinces, though somewhat scarce in some 

 districts, and seldom common on peaty 

 areas. Three fairly distinct forms of 

 variation can be observed ; but in cer- 

 tain districts connecting forms may be 

 obtained: — 



(«.) The small, contracted form of 

 the drier parts of the central and 

 eastern counties. This shows a strongly 

 calcicole distribution. In appearance 

 it sometimes resembles superficially the 

 Hijcjromia pleleia Drap. of the Conti- 

 nent, but is at once distinguished from 

 that shell by its less conoid shape, its 

 more strongly marked suture, and 

 tliicker peristome. 



(J.) The large, flat, and very openly 

 umbilicated form which prevails in 

 parts of the north-eastern, eastern, and 

 south-eastern counties. This is parti- 

 cularly common around the edges of the 

 basaltic plateau of Antrim and Derry 

 and in the valleys and tidal marshes of 

 the Barrow, Js^ore, and Suir, in Wexford 

 and Kilkenny. 



(tf.) This, wliich appears referable to 

 Clessin's var. septentrionalis, is found in 

 many parts of the north and west, and 

 is the only form that I have ever found 

 on the western islands. In appearance 

 it is usually hairy, thin, high-spired 

 and therefore with a narrow umbilicus, 

 and, though sometimes girdled with a 

 white peripheral band, it is more often 

 of a unicolorous walnut-brown. Out- 

 side Ireland I have taken specimens 

 of this form in the Orkneys and in 

 western Norway. 



In the nortli-east one seldom finds 

 .fully grown shells, as this species breeds 

 and often dies long before the lip of the 

 shell is formed. 



