S.A. NAT., VOL. XV. 
Nov. 30tii, 1933. 
AN AMERICAN FRESH-WATER SNAIL FROM THE 
RIVER MURRAY AT BLANCHETOWN. 
By Bernard C. Cotton. 
At a meeting of the Malacological Society held on April 3rd, 
1933, Mrs. L. A. Elliott showed some specimens of a fresh-water 
snail taken by her at Blanchetown. They were obviously quite 
distinct from any Australian form, and proved to be typical 
Planorbis campanulatus Say, a fresh-water snail originally record¬ 
ed from Newport, Iowa, U.S.A., with a distribution from Mew 
England to Minnesota. They may be described as follows:— 
Shell spirally, sinistrally, flatly coiled, linely obiquely-ridged; 
whorls six, obtusely subcarinate above and below, rapidly increas¬ 
ing, outer one large, rounded, contracted towards the. aperture, 
where it is finally expanded and ear-shaped; spire slightly de¬ 
pressed, umbilicus deep. Measurements—Height 6, drain. 1- 
mm. 
The species is well established at Blanchetown, though the 
mode of introduction is somewhat a mystery. 
In reply to a letter sent to the water works department, the 
Engineer in Chief writes:— 
“The Senior Resident Engineer, Mi 4 . Oliver.... reported 
that the shells referred to were found at approximately half a 
mile upstream, where the American machinery, purchased for 
lock construction, was unloaded. This place is, however, a land¬ 
ing place for farm machinery and windmills of American manu¬ 
facture and it is possible, in this wav, some mud containing em¬ 
bryo shells was brought from America.” 
In a later letter, talking of the imported American machinery, 
he states: ‘‘between 20 and 30 years ago a quantity of it was 
bought by local farmers.” 
It is satisfactory^:) know that the importation is apparently 
harmless, its life history and habits being similar to those of the 
few indigenous fresh water snails found in the Murray. 
1 his is the first record of a fresh-water snail being imported 
into South Australia, and probably, Australia. 
