3 6 4 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA 
are new to science. Many of them are represented by large series of specimens. 
The large number of new forms is not altogether surprising, as this particular 
region has not previously been worked for land shells, and we know that in most 
cases the African land shells are not widely distributed, each having its special 
locality. Of course there are exceptions, and a very interesting one is worth 
referring to, namely Kaliella bcirrakporensis of Pfeiffer. This little snail was originally 
described from specimens from Bengal and it is also recorded from other parts of 
India. I have noted its occurrence in the heart of Madagascar. Messrs. Melvill 
and Ponsonby described it as a new species from the Transvaal, under the name of 
Helix ( Trochonanina) pretoriensis , and in the British Museum collection there is 
a single specimen collected in Ashanti by Mr. R. A. Freeman. 
The following list is a summary of the contents of the collection : 
Helicarion 
Pella 
Macrochlav 
Mariensia 
Kaliella 
Phasis . 
Natalina 1 
Rhachis. 
Buliminus 
. 4 species. 
Hapalus 
• 1 
Achatina 
• 2 „ 
Subulina 
• 2 „ 
Opeas . . . . 
• 1 „ 
Ennea . . . . 
• 1 „ 
Streptaxis 
• 1 „ 
Physopsis 
• 2 „ 
Pomatias 
* • • 0 
Lanistes 
i species. 
3 >> 
i 
3 >> 
4 >, 
i „ 
i 
It is hoped that during the year opportunity will occur of preparing a detailed account 
of this very interesting collection. In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 
1893 I described a species of Ennea under the name of E. johnstoni , after the 
administrator of British Central Africa. As this name had already been employed 
for a West African form, the opportunity is now taken of substituting that of 
hamiltoni for the Nyasa shell, the name having reference to Sir H. H. Johnston’s 
second name. 
In regard to Spiders, I append a list of the scorpions, spiders and ticks we 
have collected. 
There are large hairy Mygale spiders, and a handsome Nephila —usually 
purple-blue and yellow—builds webs of great denseness and strength from 
branch to branch of the trees and bushes across disused paths. There is a 
spider resembling a species of Gastracantha which I have found in the mangrove 
marshes in West Africa. This creature has two extraordinarily long spines 
projecting from the sides of the abdomen. 
Scorpions are fairly abundant and of several species, two entirely new ones 
having been discovered on the island of Likoma. There is a terrible tick named 
by the Portuguese “ Carapato,” 1 which inflicts a poisonous bite causing swelling, 
great irritation, and occasionally a little fever. This tick is found in the Arab 
houses occasionally, and people bitten by it imagine that they have been 
attacked by a more than usually venomous bed-bug. 
Centipedes and millipedes are most abundant. Occasionally a very large 
centipede of greenish-blue colour with yellow legs is met with. This creature 
like others of its class is to some extent phosphorescent. It inhabits the moist 
soil of the forests, is sometimes as much as six inches long, and its bite is very 
poisonous. The large, harmless millipedes live on decaying vegetation. They 
1 Probably of the genus Argas. 
