36 



The Natuealist, 



In the journey to Zuricli many charming views of the beautiful 

 river present themselves, and we get a last glimpse of the falls. By 

 the side of the Hohe promenade, in an avenue of lime trees situate a 

 considerable height above the lake, of which it commands an extensive 

 and charming view, I observed Helix pomatia, the only mollusk I saw 

 at this place. 



Fluellen, at the foot of Lake Uri, is situate amidst the most 

 sublime mountain scenery, the massive mountains towering almost 

 vertically from the margin of the lake, and snow-capped summits 

 often wreathed with clouds are visible in the distance. In this 

 vicinity occurred many of the most stirring events of Swiss history. 



At Tell's Platte, on a ledge of rock at the base of the Axenfluh, 

 embowered in trees, stands Tell's chapel, on the walls of which are 

 depicted scenes Irom the life of the great patriot. It is said to have 

 been erected on the very spot where he sprang from Gessler's boat. 

 At Altorf, near Fluellen, is said to have occurred Tell's great exploit 

 of shooting the apple from his son's head. An immense statue of 

 Tell, in plaster, and a fountain commemorate the event. 



Between Fluellen and Altorf the abundance of Helix rupedris and 

 Pupa secale was something astonishing, filling almost every convenient 

 place in the wall bordering the road. Under stones and amongst the 

 herbage of the hedge bank were Helix pomatia^ H. nemoralis, H. 

 rotimdata^ and Clausilia hiplicata. 



Helix rotundata , Yihioh in England is one of our very commonest 

 shells, only occured to me sparingly at this place. This is an 

 extremely pretty species, and would be prized for its beauty if it were 

 a greater rarity. 



The Axenstrasse, or road skirting the lake and leading from 

 Fluellen to Gersau, abounds with scenery of imposing grandeur, the 

 mountains rise directly from the sides of the path, and in many cases 

 overhang, or actually, as at Axenberg, have so obstructed the path as 

 to have necessitated tunnelling through a massive buttress of solid 

 rock. On the scanty vegetation by the path side I found several very 

 characteristic specimens of Helix ericetorum^ var. minor, H, arhuBtormn^ 

 and the universally distributed H. pomatia. 



On the slopes of the Eighi I saw very few moUusks. At Kaltbad, 

 which is about 5000 feet high, I found H. arbustorum, var. alpestrisj 

 H. pomatia, and H. villosa. H. arhustoriim belongs to the sub-genus 

 Arionta, which has its largest development on the Pacific coast of the 

 United States, and is represented in Europe by this single species, 

 far removed from the head quarters of the group. 



