On the habitat of Nanina inquinata v. d. Busch

The habitat of Nanina (Xesta) inquinata seems still somewhat uncertain. Philippi who described the species for the first time (Abb. u. Beschr. neuer oder wenig gekannter Conchylien I, pag. 10, pl. 4, Helix tab. I, fig. 4) gives Java as locality, on the authority of Mr. Winter; this is followed by Pfeiffer (Monogr. Heliceorum viv. I, pag. 46). The species was not found by Zollinger and has only been mentioned by Mousson (Mollusca von Java, pag. 16). Reeve (Conch. 1c. fig. 399) and even still Clessin (Nomenclator Heliceorum) give Java as locality, though not one of the rather numerous explorers of this isle, had afterwards collected this species. Prof. von Martens (Ostas. Landschn., pag. 207) suggests, after seeing a young specimen in the collection of Mousson, that the habitat should be on the Banda isles, and by a new lot of shells, received from G. W. W. C. Baron van Hoëvell, this opinion prooves to be the right one, in as much as the shell has been truly collected there. Amongst shells from several localities, I find a box from Banda-Neira containing nearly exclusively specimens, which belong without doubt to Nanina inquinata.