1832.] On the Habits of the Paludincel 413 



of them, I turned up the earth at the base of several trees, and inva- 

 riably found the shells buried from an inch to two inches below the 

 surface. 



From this circumstance, I am strongly inclined to think, that during 

 the prevalence of the hot- weather they remain beneath the surface of the 

 earth in a state of torpor, at a sufficient depth to protect them from too 

 great a degree of heat, and the immediate action of the sun upon them, 

 until the refreshing moisture of the rains once more enables and induces 

 t ,em to come forth for the purpose of performing that part, in the 

 great chain of animated nature, for which an all-wise Creator destined 



them. 



Of these shells I have found two species, both in the same situa- 

 tions, and both having calcareous opercula. 



The largest of the two appears to be identical with that found by 

 Mr. Benson in a ditch at Banda, and the animals of both are similar to 

 those of the other Pethidines. 



No. 1. Animal with the head proboscidiform ; two tentacula long, 

 tapering, and retractile ; eyes at the exterior base of the tentacula / 

 color of the animal pale, with a dirty tinge of white ; head and tentacula 

 mottled with greyish. 



Shell. About 4£ lines long, with a pale olive-brown epidermis ; 

 whorls (apparently) 4 ; the spire very much eroded; aperture angular 

 above and below ; deeply umbilicated ; operculum calcareous ; shell 

 conoid ; whorls rounded. 



No. 2. Animals similar to the foregoing ; colour pale throughout, but 

 darkest on the head. 



Shell. About 4 lines long, with an olive-brown epidermis : whorls 4 ; 

 spire eroded ; aperture sub-ovate, angular above, rounded below ; 

 no umbilicus ; operculum calcareous, and at the very edge of the shell, 

 and incapable of being drawn within the aperture ; shell conoid ; whorls 

 rounded. 



In Lamarck's generic description of Paludina, he merely says, when 

 speaking of the aperture, u angular at the summit." If by this we 

 are to understand, that it is only angular at the summit , and not below, 

 then my species No. 1 is no longer a Paludina, being angular both 

 above and below ; it therefore remains to determine to what genus it is 

 referrible, or whether it may not constitute anew one. 



At all events, I am inclined to think, it cannot be classed with the 

 PaludincB) as all the shells of that genus in my possession (and I have 

 six or seven species) are angular at the summit alone, agreeing with the 

 generic description. 



