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Show 466 REV. A. H. COOKE ON [May 17, A word may be added with regard to three groups of islands which link the Philippines with other points of g « * ™ P « ^ interest. These are the Tular Islands, the Talautse Islands, and the Bashee or Batan Islands. pa, . The Tular Islands are situated between Miudanao and Uilolo, in Lat 4° N Long. 127° E. The only Mollusca which appear to be known from them are 1 Helix physalis, Pfr., and Partula newcom-biana, Hartm. Ancey 2 doubts the correctness of the locality for the latter (Salisbaboe Island, one of the group). It is certainly, if correct, the most westerly Partula known, the few species from the Pelew Islands coming next. The Tular Islands are known to be volcanic and a more thorough knowledge of their fauna, as illustrating the relations between Mindanao and Gilolo, would be most interesting. ine depth of water, both to the north and south of the group, is From Sanghir, the largest of the Talautse Islands (situated in Lat 3° N Long. 125° E.), the only Mollusca known are Cyclophorus sericatus, Anc, and Obba linnceana, Pfr. The latter is a very interesting shell, and approximates closely to the Celebesian forms mamilla, Fer., and quoyi, Desh. In the Brit. Mus. there is a tablet of Corasia leucophthalma, Pfr., from Sanghir Island, but 1 do not feel confident of the authority. The Bashee or Batan Islands, lying midway between Luzon and Formosa in Lat. 21° N., Long. 122° E., appear not to have been visited by a naturalist since the voyage of the ' Samarang. 1 hey are a continuation of the volcanic chain which runs through the Philippines, Formosa, and the Loo-Choo Islands to Japan and Kamtschatka. The depth of water all round them is profound, 1000 fathoms being recorded immediately off the S. point of Formosa, while the Ballintang Channel, which separates the Bashee Islands from the Babuyanes, is certainly of great depth. The only Mollusca known from these islands are Helix batanica, Ad. & Rve., Cochlostyla ? speciosa, Jav, and Bulimus kochii, all from the island of lbugos (' Samarang,' Zoology Preface, Narrative, vol. i. p. 72). Helix batanica, a sinistral species, appears to be of a thoroughly Chinese or Formosan type, belonging to the same section as peliomphala, Tfr.,formosensis, Pfr., and bacca, Pfr. The Cochlostyla, on the other hand, is of course Philippine, and it is very remarkable that the species should occur on an island separated by such great depths from the Philippines proper. What the exact species may be is uncertain. Adams originally considered it to be C. speciosa. Reeve afterwards described it (Conch. Ic, Helix, pi. ix. f. 2) as batanica, afterwards altered to volubilis. Pfeiffer regarded it as either his dubiosa or as decipiens, Sowb. Hidalgo thinks it a variety of damahoyi, Pfr. (Journ. de Conch. 1887, p. 129). What ' Bulimus kochii' may be (Adams says it occurred in three varieties, 1 Described in Mai. Blatt. xviii. 1871, p. 123, from Mr. J. H. Thomson's collection. In the Nomenclator Hel. Viv. it is classified as a Cochlostyla. An examination of specimens in Mr. J. H. Ponsonby's collection, received from Mr. Thomson, makes m e very doubtful on this point. 2 Le Nat, 1889, p. 266. |