MOLLUSCA.
Molluscs eaten by Wood-Pigeons.—On Sept. 5th, whilst shooting on the confines of the Bog of Allen, Co. Kildare, I killed a Wood-Pigeon, in whose crop I found thirty-nine Snails, which appeared to me to be Water-Snails. An instance of this sort has never come under my notice. The bird was in first-rate condition, and corn in the neighbourhood at this time of year is easily obtainable. There was nothing else in the crop save two hawthorn-berries and one oat. T send you by this post some of the Snails, and shall be glad to hear whether this is an unusual occurrence.—H. Marmaduke Langdale (Compton Vicarage, Petersfield, Hants).
[The specimens forwarded by Mr. Marmaduke Langdale represent the "Amber Snail" (Succinea putris), an amphibious species, seldom seen in the water except in the spring, when on its way from winter quarters in the mud. It is probable that its attack by Pigeons is not unusual. One of my sons keeps a quantity of pond-fish in a garden-tank, and, on my advice, introduced as scavengers a number of Limnæa stagnalis. These molluscs have steadily disappeared, while his Fantail-Pigeons seem to have a great attraction for the sides of the tank. Mr. Langdale's communication perhaps offers a suggestion as to what hitherto seemed a mysterious disappearance. Mr. Collins Baker, who has recently written on the Mollusca of the Chicago Area, states that Passerine birds are fond of Pupa, Vertigo, and small Limaces (cf. Chic. Ac. Nat. Sci.—Nat. Hist. Surv. Bull. iii. p. 33).— Ed.]
CRUSTACEA.
Meristic Variation in the Edible Crab.—I forward a sketch and examples of two different malformed claws of Cancer pagurus. I have obtained several Crabs with double and treble pointed large pincer-claws (cf. Zool. 1897, p. 340, and 1898, p. 220), but this is the first time I have met with malformation in the smaller claws. In one the two end claws are fused into one, in the other example they can be worked separately.—A. Patterson (Ibis House, Great Yarmouth).
MYRIOPODA.
Marine Centipede in Somerset.—There are two species of marine, or, rather, littoral Centipedes found in England—Geophilus submarinus and Linotænia maritima. So far as I know, Polperro, on the coast of Cornwall, is the only spot in England where G. submarinus has been collected; L. maritima, on the contrary, has been found at several localities, and is evidently widely distributed. In the British Museum there are examples from Bexhill (H. Scherren) and Polperro (Mr. Laughrin), in England; and from Portmarnock, Co. Dublin (G.H. Carpenter), and the coast of Galway
