The SATOAMST: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 92. AUGUST 13th, 1881. Vol. 2. 



LAND AND FRESH WATER 

 SHELLS. 



WE were asked some time ago to 

 give some instructions for Con- 

 chologists. Other matters were more 

 pressing at the time, but the opportunity 

 seems to be afforded now. Land and ! 

 fresh water shells are generally kept 

 quite distinct from marine shells, both 

 in manuals and collections, and many 

 who collect one do not collect the other. 

 Some general hints on collecting marine 

 shells are given at page 190 of the 

 present volume. To-day we will give 

 a few brief instructions for collecting 

 those inhabiting land and fresh water, 

 and afterwards a paper on their prepara- 

 tion and arrangement. 



The scarcity of species of Land Shells 

 is perhaps not so noticeable to the casual 

 observer, in consequence of the great 

 abundance of some species, such as Helix 

 aspera and nemoralis, which appear to 

 occur almost everywhere. You will soon 

 learn however, that without careful 

 searching you will not find any but a few 

 of the larger and more conspicuous 

 species. Make your mind up then that 

 j you will " leave no stone unturned " to 

 find the objects of your desire. Many 

 of them are extremely minute, so small 



indeed as to need a lens for their deter- 

 mination. Suppose you begin in this 

 wood. Examine first the trunks of the 

 trees. A careful examination will almost 

 certainly give you Clausilia perversa, 

 which is common in most places. It is 

 ! about half an inch long, and has the 

 whorls of the shell reversed, or as a little 

 girl said the other day, "it has been 

 twisted the wrong way." It is rather con- 

 spicuous on a beech-tree trunk, for the 

 spire of the shell stands off at an angle. 

 In the south of England other species of 

 Clausilia may be found. Some of the 

 genera Helix, Bulemus, &c, also climb 

 trees, and may be found outside the 

 bark, while others should be sought in 

 the crevices, or concealed under it alto- 

 gether. Now examine the loose soil and 

 fallen leaves about the roots, particu- 

 larly in the crevices or interstices where 

 the roots are appearing above the surface. 

 If there are any fallen trees or branches 

 about, turn them over, and look closely 

 for the small species that prefer such 

 places. Where moss has grown about 

 the trunks, examine carefully underneath 

 it, and also shake it well to get out any 

 shells that are living among it. 



Hedgerows are also productive of 

 several species. The long grass or other 



