19 1 5- Phii^UPS. — Mollusca of South Galway, 139 



numbers, and it is to be feared that some of them will soon 

 be quite exterminated. 



At Woodford the association of old woodland species 

 and varieties is most characteristic. Here may be found in 

 one wood Limax cinereo-niger, L. arborum, Arion subfuscus, 

 Hyalinia nitidula var. helmi, Hy. pura, Zonitoides excavatus, 

 Sphyradmm edentulum, Acanthinida lamellata, and a thin, 

 white-lipped form of Helix nemoralis. 



Xerophiles reach their highest development in the 

 districts where eskers occur, as at Ballinasloe, where Helicella 

 virgata, H. itala, H. inter seda, and H. barbara live together 

 in great profusion, and show considerable variation. 



Large deposits of marl underlie the peat and soil in several 

 locahties, notably along the Shannon valley, near Portumna, 

 and by Lough Rea ; these deposits are largely composed 

 of freshwater shells mostly in a state of good preservation, 

 though fragile and bleached white, showing that in former 

 times lakes extended over many miles of country now 

 under meadow, pasture, or tillage. Material from the 

 deposit near Portumna bridge, where it is covered by a 

 dark peaty soil varying from two to four feet in depth, 

 which was examined by Mr. A. S. Kennard and myself 

 yielded the following species : — Limnaea auricularia, L. 

 pereger, L. stagnalis, L. palustris, L. truncatula, Amphi- 

 peplea ghUinosa, Planorbis glaber, P. crista, P. carinatus, 

 P. ambilicatus, P. vortex, P. contortus, P. fontanus, Bithy- 

 nia tentaculata, Valvata piscinalis, V. cristata, Sphaerium 

 corneiim, Pisidium amnicum, P. obtusale, P. pusillum, 

 and P. milium. All these species, except, perhaps, Amphi- 

 peplea glutinosa and Planorbis glaber, still live in the 

 neighbourhood. The marl near Loughrea has not been 

 thoroughly investigated, but from a rough examination 

 on the spot, its fauna seems to be poor in comparison with 

 that of the adjoining lough. 



Deposits of a different nature occur in places along the 

 banks of the River Suck, near Ballinasloe ; these consist of 

 thin layers of shells sandwiched between alternate strata 

 of sand and clay. Samples taken from layers in the 

 exposed section of a fallen bank about three to four feet 

 below the surface of the adjoining field were found when 



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