Freshwater Mollusca of Ireland. 



121 



had not identified the species, but that the note of locality appended 

 to the shells alluded to by Mr. Jeffreys was strictly correct f. 



2. Ancylus. " GeofFroy." 



1. A. fluviatilis, Mull. Drap. p. 48. pi. 2. f. 23, 24 ; Gray, Man. p. 



249. pi. 10. f. 125 ; Turt. Man. p. 140. f. 125. 

 Patella fluviatilis, Mont. p. 482. 



This species is distributed over the island, and is equally found 

 attached to stones in the mountain torrent, the river, and the still 

 waters of the lake. The var. described by Montagu (p. 483.) as 

 being strongly striated, and by Jeffreys (p. 390.) as being pellucid, 

 &c, I find upon the first stones wet by mountain springs, on their 

 gushing from the earth. All the specimens from these localities 

 are much smaller than those found in still water, and coated with 

 green vegetable matter, which is entirely adventitious, and may be 

 seen in like manner coating the little prominences of the stone to 

 which the Ancylus adheres — this and the animal being removed, the 

 shell is crystalline. Under the name of " Ancy. fluviatilis, Drap. 

 var. montana," M. Michaud has favoured me with specimens from 

 the Pyrenees, quite identical with the var. just noticed, as it need 

 hardly be remarked are others from France with the ordinary form. 



I had often observed that beautiful and graceful bird, the Gray 

 Wagtail (Motacilla boarula), feeding about the mountain springs, but 

 was not aware of its propensity for mollusca, until on opening the 

 stomach of one without knowing where the specimen had been killed, 

 I found it to be filled with shells of this species, all of which being 

 of the var. a., afforded evidence whence they had been procured. 



Animal blueish-gray beneath ; portion which comes in contact with 

 the shell blackish-green — of six specimens, which I once kept in a 

 dry chip box for eighteen hours, two perfectly recovered on being 

 immersed in water. 



2. Ancylus lacustris, Mull. Drap. p. 47. pi. 2. f. 26, 27 ; Turt. Man. 



p. 141. f. 126. 

 Velletia lacustris, Gray, Man. p. 250. pi. 10. f. 126. 

 Patella lacustris, Mont. p. 484. 



This species, although rare, has been met with in the north, east, 

 and west of Ireland, in still and gently flowing waters. It was no- 

 ticed by Captain Brown in his ' Irish Testacea' as ' ' plentiful in a 

 mill-race a mile below Naas." By the late Mr. Templeton's MS. 

 I find that the species had been previously observed by him " on 



f Limneus glutinosus — AmpMpeplea glutinosa. 



Is enumerated in Turton's 1 Catalogue of Irish Shells,' but without any 

 locality being named. Mr. Gray notes it as found " in stagnant ditches, 

 England, Ireland." Man. p. 244. — Mr. Gray informs me that he mentioned 

 the species as Irish from specimens sent to the British Museum many years 

 ago, by a gentleman then resident in Ireland, and who had contributed a 

 number of species from this country to that collection ; but of the L. gluti- 

 nosus having been one of those so derived there is now no certain record. 



