i6 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [January 



encrusted with extraneous material? Then there are vars. of L. 

 peregra so nearly related that it seems hopeless to attempt to identify 

 them by any written description. My list contains over fifty vars. and 

 a score of synonyms. Surely a much smaller number would be quite 

 sufficient to name all the variations worth recording of even the most 

 variable of shells, especially as they nearly all refer to differences of 

 form. Of Helix nemoralis 1 have a list of 79 vars., the variation takes 

 place in many directions, that a considerable number of varietal names 

 are required, as w^e have varieties of form, substance, size, colour of 

 shell ground, band colour, and lip colour, besides a great many of the 

 recently introduced names for band arrangements. The last are quite 

 unnecessary for the reason previously given. These varieties might 

 advantageously reduced to one-half, which could easily be done by 

 omitting all names of the last class, together with a few others applied 

 to closely related forms. Even with the abundance of named varieties 

 mentioned it is quite impossible, as well as unnecessary, to give a de- 

 finite name to every variety of shell. Mr. Taylor expresses similar senti- 

 ments in the following paragraph, quoted from the Journal of Concholdgy : 

 — " Before commencing to describe and figure the various varieties 

 " it is well to remind the student that almost innumerable minor 

 " modifications or sub-variations of every variety may and probably 

 " do exist, and that characteristic specimens, with all peculiarities 

 " exact as the original shells for which the name was instituted, are 

 " often extremely rare. I have therefore endeavoured in compiling 

 " the descriptions of the various varieties to give the essential feature 

 " and to eliminate such detaiils as appeared to me to be individual 

 " peculiarities, which might or might not be present in specimens 

 " otherwise possessing the primary character." 



Many of our first conchologists with whom I have corresponded 

 take an entirely different view, and refuse to acknowledge any shell as 

 belonging to a named variety which does not possess all the 

 characteristics mentioned by the original describer, even rejecting 

 form varieties because they differed in colour from' the shells described. 

 This does not seem to be the view entertained by most recent 

 writers. 



Tuxford, Newark, Dec, 1891. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



The Rough-legged Buzzard in Guernsey. — A fine specimen 

 of the Rough-legged Buzzard (Bide lagopus) was shot at the 

 Coutanches, Guernsey, on Saturday, 31st October, by Mr. R. L 

 Spencer, and has been preserved for the Guille-Alles museum. It 



