GASTEROPODA. 285 



manner as L.Jilans. Having placed one on a laurel, I was surprised by 

 seeing it forthwith make use of this means for conveying itself in safety 

 to the ground. I have since succeeded in making other individuals act 

 in a similar way. The spinning Umaccs may be easily forced to do so by 

 leaving them on an evergreen or other tree which may not be congenial 

 to their tastes, when they will speedily effect their escape in this manner. 

 i. gngates, DrajD. 

 Tuam ; Dublin (1840) ; Clifden (1840) ; La Bergerie, Queen's County ; 

 Tuam Palace Gardens, Co. Galway ; Tourkmacady Lodge, near Ballia- 

 robe, Co. Mayo; llev. B. J. Clarke [he. cit.). 



Genus Testacellus. 

 T. haliotideus, Fer. 



This species was discovered many years ago by Dr. R. Ball, in the 

 Town Gardens, at Youghal, where it has become much scarcer of late. 

 The L'ish specimens agree with English examples of the var. V. scutuhtm, 

 with which I have been favoured by Mr. G. B. Sowerby. Mr. Gray 

 (Man. p. 123, 124) seems to consider this a naturalized species, but the 

 circumstance of its being found at Youghal speaks more strongly in favour 

 of the T. haliotideus being a true native than that of its being met Avith in 

 some of the gardens around London, to which it might much more readily 

 have been introduced along with exotic plants. In a garden at Bandon, 

 too, a Testacellus has been procured by Dr. G. J. Allman. The circum- 

 stance of this species, indigenous to France and to the island of Guernsey, 

 being found only in the south of England and Ireland seems to me 

 strongly in favour of its being equally indigenous to these countries. Dr. 

 Ball, in reply to some questions, observes, " I first became aware of this 

 Testacellus preying on worms by putting some of them in spirits, Avhen 

 they disgorged more of these animals than I thought they could possibly 

 have contained ; each worm was cut (but not divided) at regular intervals. 

 I afterwards caught them in the act of swallowing worms four and five 

 times their own length. Some of these Testacelli, which I brought to 

 Dublin and put in my fern-house, produced young there." 



Testacellus found in flower-gardens and neighbouring grounds, about 

 Youghal ; about Bandon also. 3Iarch, 1847. — I received three living 

 specimens from the vicinity of Cork, from J. D. Humphreys. 



Family 2, Helicid^. 



Genus Vitrina. 

 V. pellucida, Drap., 

 Is in suitable localities distributed over Ireland, and may be found 

 under the first stones we meet with in going inland from the sea-shore, 

 up to as great an altitude in the mountain-glens as there are moss and 

 leaves to shelter it. I have remarked the colour both of animal and 

 shell to vary, and the latter to present some differences in form. See 

 Jeffreys on V. MuUeri and V. iJrajxirtia/di, in Linna>an Transactions, vol. 

 xvi. When thin, and of an almost crystalline transparency, the shell is 

 often more handsomely formed than when thicker and of a gi'eenish 

 colour, and is intermediate between the V. pellucida and V. diaphana, as 

 represented by Draparnaud (])1. 8) and llossmassler (t. i.) ; this state is 

 equally common with the normal I', pellucida, of Avhich the animal is 

 lighter in colour, and not so large compared with the shell as in the 

 variety. 



