■2o6 Quarterly Journal of Concliology. 



HABITAT AND HABITS OF HELIX REVEL ATA, 

 By .Richard Rimmer. 



In Guernsey the range of Helix revdata seems to be confined 

 to the southern end of the island, where it occurs in considerable 

 abundance, but a stranger ignorant of the precise nature of its fa- 

 vourite haunts would experience as I did, much ditiiculty in finding 

 it. Armed though I was, with a chart supposed to indicate v.'ith 

 accuracy the places of its abode, I searched in vain for many days 

 and at last leaving in despair the spots which seemed most likely, I 

 found it in quite a different locality. 



On the crest of the grassy slope's which clothe with richest green, 

 the rugged cliffs down to their very edge, there runs along the 

 southern end of the island a rude stone wall, and my experience 

 with regard to revelata is that it is to be found at distances varying 

 from five to fifty yards below this wall — most frequently, and cer- 

 tainly in greatest abundance among what might be termed mimic 

 landslips of disintegrated rock. A small species of Sorrel, Rumex 

 acetoscUa I think, grows among these loose stones, and a colony 

 of revelata is pretty sure to be there also. 



I particularly remarked the absence, as a rule, from among these 

 colonies, of those commoner species such as H. hispida, Z. alliarius, 

 &c. which are abundant all around: it may be that our little friend 

 is pugnacious, and somewhat selfish. 



I cannot help thinking that its favourite food consists of the 

 eaves and roots of the species of sorrel above named, at all events 

 I fed it for several days upon that plant, which it devoured with 

 apparent relish. 



