Remarks on Paryphanta hochstetteri.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 27, 1894, Page 670

Sir Walter Buller exhibited twelve specimens of the beautiful land-shell Paryphanta hochstetteri. Referring to Mr. Travers's proposed discrimination of two species—one distinguished by its black undersurface, whilst in the other it was yellow—he desired to point out that in the present series there was a perfect gradation of colour. One of those exhibited was from

Nelson, and in this the undersurface was of a uniform yellow colour; in another, from Manawatu, the undersurface was perfectly black; and between these two extreme forms the specimens now on the table exhibited almost every intermediate shade of colour. The size is not a criterion of specific value, for it is very variable, and evidently dependent on age. Some of those now exhibited were larger than the type figured by Hochstetter, whilst others were much smaller. One of those from Manawatu was quite as yellow on the undersurface as the example from Nelson. He concluded, therefore, that there was only one species of this form. Annual Meeting: 20th February, 1895. Major-General Schaw, President, in the chair. New Members.—Mr. T. H. Hustwick, Dr. Ewart, and Mr. G. W. Wilson.