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Show 1885.J FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 593 and form, apparently resulting from difference of habitat. The typical form occurs in San Christoval and Ugi, and also in Guadalcanar and New Georgia, but in a somewhat dwarfed condition. An entirely white variety with a pellucid zone on the upper surface, occupying the position of the brown band in the type, was collected by Macgillivray on San Christoval. Mr. Guppy obtained several forms of this species at Choiseul Bay, Shortland, Treasury, Simbo, Rua Sura, and Santa Anna Islands. The specimens from the last locality (var. meridionalis, fig. 6 b) are smaller than the type, pale brown above, with a white thread-like line at the suture, and the acutely keeled periphery, paler beneath, especially towards the centre, and have the aperture particularly acuminate at the termination of the keel. These specimens, which were found by Mr. Guppy living " on young cocoa-nut palms growing on low ground bordering the sea," recall to mind H. eva from the New Hebrides, which, however, has a narrower body-whorl, usually a coloured lip, and is generally of a more solid texture. The specimens from Simbo (var. simboana, fig. 6 a) are uniformly pale horn-colour, rather sharply carinate at the middle, and have the peristome white, considerably thickened and almost notched at the upper end of the columella, and the body-whorl is more contracted than in the typical form. The examples from Choiseul Bay, Short-land and Treasury Islands (var. septentrionalis, fig. 6) are all alike, of smaller dimensions than the normal form, thin, pale brownish horn-colour, with rather more convex whorls than usual, the carina at the periphery being acute and thread-like as in the variety simboana. Whether these several varieties should take specific rank is questionable, for, although there is considerable difference between the extreme forms, even in the series of nearly one hundred specimens under examination, the gradual transition from one form to another is observable. 15. HELIX (VIDENA) MERZIANA, Pfeiffer. Hab. Ugi Island. Neither of the two specimens from this locality is typical, nor are they both alike. One is about the usual size, but less sharply carinate, of a paler colour above and variegated with less of the opaque streaks. The second specimen is more abnormal, especially in form, and rather like P. meleagris, Pfr., except that it is keeled. The two species already mentioned, also H. deiopeia, Angas, and H. sebacea, Pfr. ( = FL. ce'realis, Cox, afterwards changed to H. thorpei-ana by'Brazier), are all very closely related, H. sebacea (stated by Pfeiffer to be from the Admiralty Islands) evidently being but a pale variety of H. meleagris. The typical form inhabits San Christoval and New Georgia. H. meleagris and H. deiopeia are found at Guadalcanar, and the special locality of H. sebacea is unknown, " the Admiralty Islands " given by Pfeiffer probably being one of the many false habitats emanating from Cuming's collection. Having the actual types of |
