T. Bland on the Geographical Distribution of Mollusca. 397 



Taking up British authors, we refer in the first instance to 

 Lyell's " Principles of Geology.^'' 



Lyell, in chapter 40, refers to the influence of climate on the 

 geographical distribution of Mollusks, and to the greater uni- 

 formity of temperature in the waters of the ocean, than in the 

 atmosphere which invests the land, as a cause of the extensive 

 diff'usion of many marine species. He mentions that some genera 

 are peculiar to warm latitudes, others to limited regions, but ad- 

 mits that we cannot as yet define the submarine provinces of 

 shells, as botanists have the provinces of terrestrial and even sub- 

 aqueous plants. 



In treating of the great range of some species, Lyell is rather 

 unfortunate, in some at least of those which he selects by way 

 of illustration. He gives various habitats, implying a very wide 

 range to Sangninolaria rugosa, Lam. : we feel confident, how- 

 ever, that analogous, but distinct species, have been confounded. 



The Cyprcea moneta, he says, "a Mediterranean shell, occurs 

 also in South Africa, the Isle of France, the East Indies, in China, 

 the South sea, and even as far west as Otaheite." It is possible 

 that an inhabitant of the Indian Ocean may have a wide range, 

 even as far east as Otaheite, but as regards the Mediterranean as a 

 habitat of this shell, we would refer to the following editorial 

 note on the species, in Lamarck's Anim. sans Vert., edition of 

 Deshayes and Milne Edwards, vol. x, p. 537 : — 



" Cette espece est mentionee dans les catalogues des coquilles 

 de la Mediterranee : elle se trouvait a Toulon, en Corse, en Sicile ; 

 mais personne ne dit avoir vu I'animal vivant. Cette coquille, 

 ainsi que le Cyprcea annulus, etaient, il y a peu d'annees, I'objet 

 d'un assez grand commerce, parce qu'elles servaient de monnaie 

 dans la traite des noirs. N'est-il pas possible que des evenemens 

 maritimes, comme des naufrages, par exemple, soient la cause de 

 la presence de ces especes dans les regions de la Mediterranee les 

 plus frequentes par le commerce, car elles ne se rencontrent pas 

 dans les regions sauvages des Cotes de Barbaric." 



Lyell also observes, that Helix putr is (Succinea piitris, Lam.) 

 " so common in Europe, where it reaches from Norway to Italy, is 

 also found in Egypt, in the United States, in Newfoundland, Ja- 

 maica, Tranquebar, and, it is even said, in the Marianne Isles." 



We venture to assert that this shell does not inhabit Jamaica. 

 Professor Adams has personally, and with much care, collected 

 terrestrial and freshwater shells in Jamaica, aided during several 

 years, by the zealous exertions of many friends, but all have failed 

 in meeting with Succifiea putris. 



Dr. Binney, in his work already mentioned, refers to this shell 

 as "not uncommon" in the United States, on the authority of 

 Forbes and Ferusac, but only as an introduced species. 



Second Series, VoL XIY, No. 42.— Nov., 1852. 51 



