142 REPORT — 1839. 



The Limacidae of the Continent cannot well be compared 

 with those of Britain, as they have been but imperfectly ob- 

 served in most countries, and in many Faunas omitted altogether. 

 France and Sweden appear to excel us in the number of spe- 

 cies ; but it is probable we possess several unnoticed forms. 

 Of the two species of Testacellus generally enumerated as 

 British, one, the T. Maugei, found near Bristol, was undoubt- 

 edly introduced ; it is a native of the Canaries. The other 

 is a true native, found generally throughout the south-western 

 countries of Europe, the distribution of which may be regarded 

 as regulated by climate. Our single species of Vitrina is a 

 shell found in most parts of Europe, in all the northern di- 

 stricts especially. It occurs also in Greenland. Its distribu- 

 tion appears to be essentially climatal, as is the case with the 

 genus generally, of which the European forms are the northern 

 representatives, the true centre of the genus being near the 

 tropics. The distribution of the genus Succinea appears to 

 be similarly regulated ; but our common British species, the 

 Succinea amphibia (including S. gracilis or Pfeifferi), is much 

 more widely spread than any Vitrina, being found throughout 

 Europe, from Archangel downwards, in North America, and 

 in North and South Africa, as far as the Cape of Good Hope. 

 The Succinea oblonga has also a very wide range. In Europe 

 it occurs in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, and Swit- 

 zerland, and is found at Lima, Vera Cruz, and the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



In the number of native species of the genus Helix, England 

 exceeds Scandinavia by 17 species, and Brabant by 15, but 

 yields to the other European lists of equal importance, espe- 

 cially to those of the southern countries. France exceeds 

 Britain by no less than 41 species. The only species which 

 can be looked upon as certainly peculiar to the British Isles 

 is the Helix fusca of Montagu ; the Helix scarburgensis, 

 till lately considered as exclusively British, having been 

 found in Northern Germany. It is difficult to say whether any 

 of the Helices allied to H. nitens are confined to Britain, 

 so much confusion prevailing in the Continental lists as regards 

 that tribe. Thus in no foreign catalogue do we find Helix 

 alliaria, though without doubt it occurs in most parts of Eu- 

 rope. I have collected specimens in France and elsewhere. 

 It extends to Greenland. This interesting subdivision of the 

 genus prevails most in the moor-land or elevated districts of 

 England. We find such to be the case also abroad. Helix 

 cellaria is found throughout Europe, and the countries bor- 

 dering on the Mediterranean. Helix nitida extends its range 



