52 W. Stimpson on the so-called Melanians of N. America. 
opinion, but of necessity; since the type of Melania Lamare, 
and indeed the onl species mentioned by that author when he 
established the genus,” is the Helix amarula of Linnzus, an old- 
world Melanian. 
I trust that it is unnecessary to satan here that the char- 
acter of the margin of the mantle, whether fimbriated or not 
fimbriated, though made a family or a a aeaty character by 
Haldeman and Gill, respectively, is of the slightest possible im- 
portance in comparison with others easily discoverable upon 
patient observation. That the old-world Melanians are distinct 
as a sub-family from the American forms, I do not ay ut 
American speciesare oviparous. oodward,” a” 
and Carpenter,” all state that the species of gt Molaniide are 
“sometimes viviparous,” but do not attempt to establish a dis- 
tinction on this account between the American and the old-world 
species, nor do they inform us in what ee area their 
viviparity has been observed. I am inelitiéd to consider the 
old-world group as iieeeviparoas) from having found it to be 
the case in all of the species of that group accessible to me,” 
while all observations which have been made upon the Ameri- 
to prove them to as oviparous. 
species 
Prof. Haldeman, re referring to the paper of Mr. Gill (abo reo! 
quoted), remarks t r. G. “there includes the Melaniidz in 
his ‘Synopsis of the “families rs anes eet oe represented in 
the fresh-water streams of America,’ although he admits 
(note under Amnicolidz) that a ‘have not a fringed mantle, 
and consequently belong to a different cag from the ‘true 
Melanians.’ How, then, can they be Melaniide? Of this group 
e forms ‘a peculiar sub- -family, ‘Ceraphusiine.’ From his hetero- 
geneous Melaniide he rejects certain forms, including Melanopsis 
and Pirena, (probably P. atra (Linn.) and P. fluminea (Gmel.,) ) 
to form a family Melanopide (and also a sub-family Melanopinz), 
to which his Cera (Ceri-?) phasiinze should belong, as a 
seems to have a simple mantle.” ut it is plain that Mr. Gill, 
in saying that the American Melanians belong to a different 
group from the old-world species, did not mean that they belong 
= Mém. de la Soe. d’Hist. Nat. de Pa irial an vii (1799), p. 75, and Systéme 
ni’ wt examining. any of the animals of this group 
eserved in spirits, but nd no difficulty in making out the fact of ovo- 
Saas toe ont eims et ae the shells, when 
to 
the oviduct in the females, was be filled with young ani- 
mals with four- to six- worled shells about one-eighth of an an inch in a length. 
© Loe, supra cit, p. 274. 
