GASTEROPODA. 
287 
H. hortensis, Lister. Gray. 
Although apparently not numerous anywhere, it would seem to be 
widely distributed in Ireland. To myself it has occurred about Dublin, 
and at Portrush, along with H. nemoralis and H. hybrida ; has been 
obtained in the County Donegal ; at Moira and Newcastle, County Down ; 
King’s County ; Kildare ; Tipperary ; and about the city of Cork. As 
some authors make the white lip and less size the only differences between 
this species and H. nemoralis , I was for some time in doubt whether it 
might not be a small variety of the latter, but was fully satisfied of its 
distinctness by finding both species plentifully in company at Dovedale 
(Derbyshire), when every individual in size, &c., maintained the respective 
characters of its species. The H. hortensis seems partial to limestone 
districts. 
H. hybrida , Poiret. Gray. 
In July, 1833, I obtained the handsome Helix , so designated by Mr. 
Gray, on the marine sand-hills at Portrush, near the Giant’s Causeway, 
along with different varieties of H. nemoralis and a very few individuals 
of H. hortensis. When shown to Mr. Gray in the 1 following spring, he 
considered the specimen to be H. hybrida. Judging from the shell alone, 
I should not be disposed to consider this Helix more than a variety of 
H. nemoralis. 
H. nemoralis, Linn. 
This Helix, presenting its endless and beautiful varieties in colour and 
the number and breadth of bands, is more commonly distributed over Ire- 
land than any other species. When on the extensive rabbit-warren or 
marine sand-hills at Portrush, on the 10th of July, 1833, I remarked it, 
together with H. aspersa, II. ericetorum, and Bulimus acutus, to be not 
only abundant but huddled together in heaps ; the animals were alive in 
all, and of the H. nemoralis several had the apertures closed up. Among 
the individuals of this species, some were of the white-lipped variety, 
which has not uncommonly been mistaken for H. hortensis : others had 
the lip of a rose colour, margined with white ( H . hybrida) : the specimens, 
which were so numerous that every variety of shade in the lip, from white 
to the darkest brown, could be traced, seem 4o prove that the colour of 
the lip no more than that of the shell is of any specific value. The ab- 
sence of the Thrush genus (not an individual belonging to it could be 
seen on this occasion), of which some species feed very much on these 
mollusca, may be one cause of their being permitted to increase and mul- 
tiply to such an extent. Considerably the largest specimens of II. nemo- 
ralis that I have collected were obtained in the South Islands of Arran, 
off the coast of Clare. This species is generally noticed as inhabiting 
“ woods and hedges,” but to myself it has never occurred so abundantly 
in the vicinity of either wood or hedge (about which its enemies “ most 
do congregate”), as entirely remote from them; or among the debris of 
limestone or chalk cliffs and quarries, and on marine sand-hills. Found 
on Tory Island by Mr. Hyndman, Aug., 1845. 
The Rev. R. Sheppard has observed in Suffolk that the plain-coloured, 
the single-handed, and the many-banded, do not mingle with each other 
in coitu, but that each is true to its banded or bandless mate. (Linn. 
after a few months I could not find one of either species about the place. See 
Gray, Man., p. 35. 
