The species are multitudinous. Mr. Cumiug has added largely to our knowledge of those of South America, and we are indebted to that gentleman for the following account of the habits of Bulimus rosaeeus. In the dry season he always found the animals adhering to the under side of stones, generally among bushes, and close at the edge of the sea-shore, within reach of the spray at times. On the hills, about 1000 feet above the sea, they were observed adhering between the lower leaves of an aloe-like plant, on the honey of whose flowers the Giant Humming-Bird (Troehilus gigaa) feeds. The natives burn down clumps of these plants for the sake of the rings at the bottom of the footstalks of the leaves, which they use for buoys for their fishing-nets and for • baking the coarse earthenware which they make on the hills, because this part of the plant when ignited throws out a great heat. Between these leaves the Bulimi lie in the dry season in a torpid state. In the spring (the months of September and October) they burrow in the shady places at the roots of this plant, and among the bushes on the sea-shore. At this period (the spring) they lay their eggs in the earth, about two inches below the surface. Mr. Coming never saw them crawling about. In the dry season they were evidently hybernating, for their parchment-like secretion, which operates in place of an oper 1 cilium to seal up the animal, was strongly formed, and they stuck to the stones so tenaciously that Mr. Owning broke many of them in endeavouring to pull them off. Chili and the neighbouring coasts of South America generally were the localities where the species was taken. Captain Phillip Parker King, R.N., has the following notice of the power of the animal to exist in a dormant state :—" Soon after the return of the expedition (his Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle—' Survey,' 1826-30), my friend Mr. Broderip, to whose inspec tion Lieutenant Graves had submitted his collection, observing toms of life in some of the shells of this species, took means for reviving the inhabitants from their dormant state, and succeeded. After they
had protruded their bodies, they were placed upon some green leaves (cabbage), which they fastened upon and ate greedily. These animals had been in this state for seventeen or eighteen months ; and five months subsequently another was found alive in my collection, so that the last has been nearly two years dormant. These shells were sent to Mr. Loddige's nursery, where they lived for eight months in the palm-house, when they unfortunately died within a few days of each other. Soon after the shells were first deposited at Mr. Loddige's, one got away and escaped detection for sevend months, until It was at last discovered in a state of hyber nation : it was removed to the place where the others were kept, when it died also. The upper surface of the animal, when in health, is variegated with ruddy spots and streaks on an ash-coloured ground." The only process used for revivifying these animals was placing them on a plate near a moderate fire, and sprinkling them with tepid water. Upon their restoration they eat a considerable part of the parchmcntdike seal or operculurn. They lived some time with Mr. Broderip before they were sent to Messrs. Loddiges. These anirmds had been packed up in n box and enveloped in cotton from the time of their capture to the period mentioned, when they were unpacked by Mr. Broderip.
The British species of this genus are of small size and ordinary aspect. The following are enumerated by Forbes and Ilanley in the ' British 3Iollusea.' B. acut ma is a small species, turreted, conical, white or clear brown,often with dark markings ; body whorl comparatively short. It is most abundant near the sea, and is found in the Channel Islands, Dorsetshire, Devon, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Scotland, and Ireland.
De Blainville quotes Defrance for thirty-seven fossil species. [II ELICID.E.
BULL. 1Bovra.r..]