56 General Notes. | January, 
ZOOLOGY. } 
NoTEs ON THE LAND-SHELLS OF Dominica.—Mr. Guppy, in the 
Annals and Magazine for 1868, has some remarks on the shells 
of Dominica, which are partly reproduced by Bland (Am, Your. 
Conch., Vol. tv., 1868). My stay in Dominica was too short to 
allow of a complete investigation of the conchology of the island, 
but was long enough to enable me to ascertain that Guppy’s 
_ notes, especially as to the distribution of the shells, are extremely 
erroneous, He says, “on the lower slopes near the sea I 
found a few Mollusca, chiefly Bulimus exilis, Stenostoma octona, 
Succinea approximans and Helicina humilis. Ascending higher, 
we find /7/. denticus, H. badia, H. josephine, H. nigrescens, Amphi- 
bulina patula, B. laticinetus and Heligina epistilia, Excepting the 
last, all these species are found everywhere above 300 or 400 feet 
of elevation.” The fact is that while the first-named species 
are found on the lower slopes, they are not all which are so found. 
Hf. badia and H7. denticus are found abundantly in the gardens in 
Roseau, but disappear or occur but very sparingly above 800 feet, 
their place being taken by 1. nigrescens and H. josephine, which 
I have never detected below 800 feet. My notes are necessarily 
imperfect, but through the kindness of my friend, Dr. H. A. 
Alford Nicholls, of Roseau, who is making observations and 
collecting for me, and by more extended collections which I hope 
to make in person this winter, I shall be able to add to them. 
I append a list of the species, not as a complete list of the 
shells of Dominica, but only of those which I have myself col- 
lected. 
Helix baudoni Petit.—So closely allied to H. concolor Fer., that 
I doubt its claim to specific rank. Not common. Road from 
Roseau to Rosalie; 2000 feet. I have not detected it on the 
lower slopes. 
Helix badia Ferussac.—Abundant on the lower slopes down to 
sea level, but occurs very sparingly above 800 feet. All the 
specimens I have seen are smaller than those from Guadeloupe or 
Martinique. 
felix josephine Ferussac._—Quite abundant above 1000 feet. 
Last whorl more rounded than in the Guadeloupe specimens. 
Flelix denticus Ferussac-—Common on the lower slopes down 
to sea level; rare above 800 feet. ; 
Flelix nigrescens Wood.—Abundant above 1000 feet. 
Bulimus virginalis Pfeiffer—On trees 2000 feet; not common. 
Bulimus multifasciatus Lamarck.— On trees 2000 feet ; not 
common. 
Bulimus exilis Gmelin.—Abundant below 1000 feet; occurs 
more sparingly above this height. 
1 The departments of Ornithology and Mammalogy are conducted by Dr. ELLIOTT 
Cougs, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. 
