The Solomon Islands and Their Natives - H. B. Guppy

[488] Ibid, p. 210.

Amongst the new fresh-water shells that I found in this group was a species of Unio, to which Mr. Smith did me the honour of attaching my name, it being the first species of this genus of river-mussels that has been found in the Solomon Group. But its occurrence there means something more than a new locality, since, as I believe, I am correct in asserting, we have in it the first record of this widely distributed genus having reached the Pacific islands. I do not think that this species can be generally spread through the Solomon Group. I only found it in one locality, namely the Shortland Islands, near the western end of the group.

A very familiar shell, in low-lying moist and marshy situations throughout the Solomon Islands, is that of the auriculoid, Pythia scarabæus, Linné. Being usually accustomed to find it in the low-lying districts, I was surprised on one occasion to find it in the higher parts of Faro Island, which attains an elevation of 1,900 feet above sea. In the mangrove swamps and in the lower parts of the streams at Choiseul Bay, I found a species of Cyrena which has not yet been described, together with Cerithidea cornea (A. Adams: var.) and Pyrazus palustris, the last species occurring also in India. On the moist ground of the taro patches in the islands of Bougainville Straits thrives a species (S. simplex, var.) of that ubiquitous genus Succinea. The operculated land-snails, of which the Helicinæ are the most numerous, are found more frequently in calcareous districts.

LIST OF LAND AND FRESH-WATER SHELLS COLLECTED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS [489] DURING 1882 AND 1883. (EXTRACTED FROM MR. E. SMITH’S PAPER IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, JUNE, 2ND, 1885.) THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE NEW SPECIES AND VARIETIES FOLLOW:

[489] The habitats given are confined to the Solomon Group. I have added the new habitats of species in my collection to those previously ascertained from the collections of Brenchley, Macgillivray, Hombron and Jacquinot, etc.

(1) Helicarion planospira (Pfeiffer) Hab. Santa Anna, Ugi, St. Christoval, Guadalcanar.

(2) Helix (Nanina) nitidissima (nov. spec.) Hab. Treasury Island, a variety in Guadalcanar.

(3) Helix (Nanina) solidiuscula (nov. spec.) Hab. Santa Anna, found generally on the trunks of cocoa-nut palms.

(4) Helix (Corasia) tricolor (Pfeiffer) Hab. St. Christoval, Ugi, Santa Anna.

LIST OF LAND AND FRESH-WATER SHELLS COLLECTED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS[489] DURING 1882 AND 1883. (EXTRACTED FROM MR. E. SMITH’S PAPER IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, JUNE, 2ND, 1885.) THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE NEW SPECIES AND VARIETIES FOLLOW:

LIST OF LAND AND FRESH-WATER SHELLS COLLECTED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS [489] DURING 1882 AND 1883. (EXTRACTED FROM MR. E. SMITH’S PAPER IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, JUNE, 2ND, 1885.) THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE NEW SPECIES AND VARIETIES FOLLOW: