John Templeton's Notes on Irish Land and Fresh-Water Mollusca

John Templeton's Notes on Irish Land and Fresh-Water MolluscaAuthor(s): A. W. StelfoxSource: The Irish Naturalist, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Feb., 1914), pp. 29-35Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25524218 .

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February, 1914. \Phe Irish Naturalist. ity

JOHN TEMPLETON'S NOTES ON IRISH LAND AND FRESH-WAtM MOLLUSCA.

BY A. W. STELFOX, MiR.I.A.

A manuscript bearing the title "Catalogue of Irish Shells,

by John. Templeton, Esqr.," in the handwriting of the late

G..C. Hyridman(?J, of Belfast, has recently been discovered

in a draVver of the Hyndman collection of shells now in the

Belfast Municipal Museum. Tile following extracts -relate

to the land and freshrwater species mentioned in the MS., all of which is in the handwriting of Templeton. Here and

there, notes and marks have been added in pencil by Mr.

HyndmaLti (?). The remainder of the MS. refers to marine

species.

List of Land and Fresh-water Shells mentioned in

Templeton's Catalogue. . ."Mya."

13.1 "

Margaritifera. [Margaritana margaritifera (Linne2)]. In the Lagan and other Irish Rivers."

"Tellina."

29. "

Cornea. T. with a globose smooth horn coloured shell with transverse furrows.

Lin. Trans. 8. 59. And Lim Trans. 3. t. 13. f. 39, 40. Cyclas Lamai'ck.

[Sphaerium corneum (Linne).] Drains in the Bog Meadows.

amnica. T. with an oblique somewhat oval trans

versely furrowed shell having the hinge not exactly in the middle but most

towars [sic] one side. T. rivalis, Lin. Trans. 3. 44. ?. 13. ? 37

38. Vol. 8. 60;

[Pisidium amnicum {Muller).] Found in the Lagan near Lisburn. ia^Sep. 1817."

1 The numbers refer to those in the MS. Some species, perhaps added at a later date, have no. numbers prefixed. :..'..,--> v ..

2 I give the modern synomyn as used in the" List of L. and F. W" Mollusks oilvehrXdyPmeedin^s Rj: Acad,, xxix,, Section B., no. 3, 1911.

A



30 The Irish Naturalist* February,

"Mytilus."

79, "

Cygneus [Anodonta cygnea (Linni).] Lakes in the C. Monaghan, &c. In the Friar's

Glen the Reservoir of the Head level of the ,

Lagan Canal, Sepr. 27. 1817." "VOLUTA

86B. denticulata. Lin. Tran. 8. 130. Mon. t. 20. f. 5.

[Phytia myosotis (Drap.), var. denticulata Mont] Found by Miss Templeton at Bangor?1818." "

Turbo.5'

108, "

Ulvce. [Paludestrina stagnalis (Baster).] Common on the Zostera in Belfast Lough."

110-1. "

Fontinalis. Lin. Tran. 8. 168. Mont, p, 22. f, 4,

[Valvata piscinalis (Miiller).] In the Canal &c."

110-3. cc Nautileus. Lin. Tran. 8. 169. p. 4. f. 4.

[Planorbis crista (Linne).] On the leaves of Potamogeton Natans in the

Rushy bog drain."

113. "

Perversus. Lin. Tran. 8. 181. Shell turret like,

spires contrary, striated and the aper ture without teeth.

[Balea perversa (Linni).] Common among moss.

114. Museorum. [? Pupa cylindracea (Da Costa).] Found but forget to mention where."

" Helix.

stagnalis.

Lymnaea stagnalis Lamarck.

[No locality given here. See below.]

115. planorbis. [? Planorbis umbilicatus (Drap.).] [No locality given.]

116. Vortex. [? Planorbis vortex (Linne).] Ditches.

117. Cornea. [? Planorbis corneus (Linni).] In a rushy bog drain. July 19. 1810.

118. Contorta. Lin. Tran. 8. 191, Mon. [p.] 25.

[Planorbis contortus (Linne).] In the Lagan, In the Rushy bog Drain.



1914- STKtFOX. ?John Templeton's Notes on Mollusca. 31

119. Fontana* Lin. Tr&n. 8. 193. Mon. 462. p. 6. f. -6.

[Planorbis font anus (Lightfoot)*] In freshwater, &c.

paludosa. ['? Vallonia pulchella (Muller)*] Found composing the covering of Cadworms [sic]

along with Turbo fontinalis, and Helix tenta

cula.

In the Friar's Glen, Sepr. 27. 1817. 120. Ericetorum* [Helicella itala (Linni).]

Sand hills on the shore at Ballycastle and near

Bangor.

121. Rufescens. [Hygromia rufescens, auct.] Found among grass and moss in the orchard.

Found common on the Limestone Rocks near

Cork with the Helix virgata by Dr. Flemming. Wern. Tran. 395. [The latter note is added

in Pencil; but appears to be in Templeton's

writing. A. w. s.]

122. Nitens. Lin. Tran. 8. 198. Found on the rocks at the cave hill. Common

among moss.

[The name Helix nitens probably covers all the

larger species of the genus Hyalinia. a. w. s.]

123. Hispida. [Hygromia hispida (Linne).] Among moss.

124. Radiata. Lin. Tran. 8. 199. Mont. t. 24. f. 3.

[Pyramidula rotundata (Muller).]

Among moss.

124-1. umbilicata. Lin. Tran. 8. 200. Mont. t. 13. f. 2.

[Pyramidula rupestris (Drap.).] Found among moss, under the decaying bark

of Trees, &c.

125. Arbustorum* [Arianta arbustorum (Linni).]

Sandy braes near Larne. Rocks at the Cave

hill, and found by Mary Templeton in Malone

farm.

126. Nemoralis. [Helix nemoralis Muller*] Common,

a 2



32 The Irish Naturalist. February,

127. Hprtensia. [? Helix aspersa Mutter.] Common."

130. "

Bifasoiata. Lin. Tran. 8. 210.

[Helicella barbara (Linne). On sandhills about the shore.

Stagnalis. Lin. Tran. 8. 214. Brit. Zool. t. 86. 106. Don. t. 51. f. 2. Mon. 367. t. 16. f. 8.

[Limnaea stagnalis (Linni).] Found on the shore of Lough Neagh.

131. Lubriea. Lin. Trans. 8. 213. Brit. ZooL t. 82. f. 118.

Mon. 390. t. 22. f. 6.

[Cochlicopa lubriea (Mutter).] Found in the orchard, May 16, 1812.

132. Succinea. Lin. Tran. 8. 218. Don. 168. 1.

H. putris Mon. 376- t. 16. f. 4. Don. 168. 1.

[Succinea putris (Linne). In the mill race at Seymour Hill and many other

places.

133. Putris. Lin, Tran. 8. Mon. 373. t. 16. f. 3. H. peregra, Mon. S73

[Limnaea pereger (Miiller).] Found at Lyster's spring and many other places.

:i34. tentaculata. Lin. Tran. 8. 220. Brit. Zool. t. 86. 140. Don. t. 93.

[Bithynia tentaculata (Linne).] Found at the second lock of the Lagan. July, J

29, 1799. 135. Auricularia. [Limnaea auricularia (Linne).]

In the rushy bog drain.

136. Glutinosa. [Amphipeplea glutinosa (Miiller).] In the rushy bog drain."

138. "

Bulloida. H. with a smooth shining ovate fragile shell with the spiral turns contrary and short. Lin. Tran. 8. 223.

Don. 168. f. 2.

[Physa fontinalis (Linne). Found by Miss Templeton on the seashore at

the mouth Qf a, rivulet near Bangor. Founci



tgii. Stkwox.?/<?#?tTempleton*s Notes on Mollusca* $3

by myself among reeds thrown out of a drain

at the Rushy Bog-, Augt. 26, 1817? "Patella." \ ; _ -'

146. 'ct

Lacusiris. [Ancylus fluviatilis Muller.] On stones in the Lagan, &c.

147. Oblonga. [Acroloxus lacustris (Linne)*\ On the Potamogeton &c; on the drains in the

bog meadows."

The above records are almost all from the neighbourhood of Belfast and are of great interest to a student of the local

Mollusca. I feel sure, however, that there are a few cases

of misidentification to be dealt with.

Interesting or Doubtful Records contained in the

MS. : Helix Vortex. I think this must be referred to Planorbis

spirorbis, L, var. leucostoma, Millet, rather than to

Planorbis vortex * LV The former shell is: abundant in

the habitats/such as the Bog Meadows, mentioned by

Templeton and has been frequently confounded-with

Planorbis vortex.

Helix Cornea. This can scarcely be Planorbis eomeus, L. It

is more than likely that Templeton intended to record

Planorbis carinaius, Muller, or P. umbilicaius. Drap. Mya margaritifera. No subsequent writer mentions this

shell as found in the Lagan. Thefe is no heed to doubt

the record however.

Turbo Perversus. It is strange that Templeton should record

Balea perversa and not mention the much more common

Clausilia bidentata. Yet,since he states that his T.

perversus has "

the aperture without teeth" there can

be no doubt that it was Balea which he referred to, unless he had only seen young shells of Clausilia.

Helix planorbis. This probably refers to Planorbis um

bilicaius:, Drap., which is common in the coastal

marshes between Belfast and Holywood. :

Helix paludosa. It is strange that Vallonia pulchella

(^Helix paludosa of Da Costa) could be found com

posing the covering of caddis-worms, yet this species is



34 The Irish Naturalist. February,

common on the railway bridge over the canal at Moira

station, less than half a mile from the locality mentioned

by Templeton. The shells of this species are, however,

frequently found in flood debris, and I have on at least one occasion found them on the covering of a Caddis

fly larvae.

Helix Ericetorum. Both the localities given in the MS. for

this species are new to me. It is found at Kinbane Port,

2,\ miles west of Ballycastle, in Co. Antrim, and no

doubt occurred in former times on the sand-dunes at

Ballycastle. There is, however, no other record for

this species from Co. Down, although its ally Helicella

barbara is frequent round the coast. The sandy area near

Orlock Point, east of Bangor, may perhaps contain some deposit in which dead shells of this species may still linger.

Helix umbilicata. I am afraid that here we have another

case of misidentification, because "

Helix umbilicata, Mont. t. 13. f. 2

" (?Pyramidula rupestris, Drap.) does

not frequent the under side of "

decaying bark of

Trees."

It is possible that Templeton may have mistaken

the young of some other species for P. rupestris or that

the shell referred to was the Pupa umbilicata of Drap,

(?=Pupa cylindracea, Da Costa). Helix arbustorum. The

" Malone farm" referred to as a

habitat for this shell must be somewhere near Shaw's

Bridge, Belfast. Helix hortensia. This cannot be referred to Helix hortensis,

Miill., which is very rare in NE. Ireland. Helix aspersa was of course the Helix hortensis of many early English writers, such as Pennant.

Helix Auricularia. I have been unable to trace the exact

locality referred to so frequently in the MS. as "

the

Rushy Bog ; "

but I am inclined to refer it to the

swampy ground between the second lock on the Lagan Canal and the old pumping station. This would be

within half a mile of Templeton's house, Cranmore, and

probably one of his favourite hunting grounds. It may



i9H> Stkijndx.--John Templeton"s Notes 011 Mollusca, 35

have been in the Bog Meadows, now partially destroyed by drainage and building operations. Limnaea auri cularia is not now known to live in any of the drains by the Lagan, near Belfast, but it does occur in the Gal

wolly Pond, Bel voir Park, which is close to the second

lock of the canal, but on the Co. Down side of the river. Helix Glutinosa. Not now known to live nearer Belfast than

the Lough Neagh basin.

There are many strange absentees from the above list,

suc^i as the various species of Pisidium, Vertigo, Clausilia

bidentata, and the smaller Helices. I am inclined to regard this MS., therefore, as only showing us a part of Templeton's

work in this branch of natural science. Belfast.

ON REFERENCES BY W. E. LEACH TO IRISH LAND AND FRESH WATER SHELLS.

BY A. W. STELFOX, M.R.I.A.

In 1820, "A Synopsis of the Mollusca of Great Britain,

by William Elford Leach, M.D., F.R.S., &c," was in the

press ; but owing to the ill health of the author the work

was abandoned. In 1852, however, it was published in its original form under the editorship of Dr. J. E. Gray, of the British Museum. It contains several references to

Irish Mollusca, two of which are of considerable interest.

They are as follows :?

Page 71. Teba caperata, Mont. [=Helicella inter secta,

Poir.].1 c<

Sparingly in the south of Ireland."

Page 75. Zonites rupestris, Drap. [?Pyramidularupes tris, Drap.]. ".On the Reeks, near Killarney."

Page 77. Chilotrema lapicida, L. [Helicigona lapicida,

L.]. "In the south of Ireland"

Page 79. Elismia fasciata, Pennant [=Helicella barbara,

L.]. "

On most of the sandy shores in the south of

Ireland."

1 The synonyms given are from the List of LandF. W. Mollusks of

Ireland. Proceedings* RJ. Acad., xxix., Section B., no. 3.



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John Templeton's Notes on Irish Land and Fresh-Water Mollusca