57 



THE MOLLUSCA OF WILTSHIRE. 



By E. W. Swanton. 



[Reprinted, by Icind permission, from the "Journal of Gonchology," xii., 129 

 —133, 173—190, April and July, 1908, with Addenda.] 



In 1884 the Conchological Society had not received any shells 

 from this county. The census of 1902 tabulated only forty-six 

 species — twenty-eight for the north, and thirty-two for the south 

 division. Of these, fourteen were recorded for North Wilts only, 

 and eighteen for South Wilts; whilst Vitrea cellaria, P. rotundata, 

 H. rufescens, U. hispida, H. itcda, H. virgata, Clausilia hidentata, 

 Cochlicopa lubrica, Succinea elegans, Planorbis alius, P. umbilicatus, 

 Limnma pereger, Bithynia tentaadata, and Sphcerium corneum were 

 common to both. Only three slugs — Avion ater, Limax maximus 

 and Agriolimax agrestis, found a place in the list, and no Vertigo. 



This remarkable paucity of information tempted me to spend 

 part of the summer vacation of 1905 touring in Wilts collecting 

 shells. It being unfortunately (from the conchologists's stand- 

 point !) a dry season, very few slugs were seen, and only one 

 specimen of Vertigo, but I succeeded in adding nineteen species to 

 the census records for the northern half of the county, and thirty- 

 two to those of the southern half. During the past year much 

 additional information was obtained from a valuable little col- 

 lection of land and freshwater shells presented to Sir Jonathan 

 Hutchinson's Museum at Haslemere by Mrs. F. N. Townsend, the 

 widow of the well-known critical botanist. It contained thirty- 

 two species, collected in the fifties by Mr. Townsend at Great 

 Bedwyn, in the north-east of the county. 



The earliest reference to the shells of Wilts is probably that 

 given by John Aubrey, the antiquary, in his Natural History of 

 Wilts. It deserves quotation if only for its exceeding quaintness. 

 He writes : — 



" Snailes are everywhere ; but upon our dowries, and so in Dorset, 

 and I believe in Hampshire, at such degree east and west, in the summer 



