Unicorn snail

This species was introduced as British by Pulteney (1799) and and others including Montagu, but Montagu (1808) was reluctant to accept this species as British. It appears that specimens were in circulation in the early 19th century as they are in a number of collections. The label gives the source as 'Mr Dillwin, Bantry Bay' which coincides with Dillwyn’s visit to Ellen Hutchins the Irish botanist in 1809. It is not known if they were collected from sites in the UK or from collections brought back from its native Caribbean.

In January 2020 the Montagu Collection was awarded Designated status by Arts Council England. This mark of distinction recognises the collection’s international significance to the scientific community - it is the most intact and taxonomically important collection of British shells of the early 19th century (1800-1816) to be found anywhere in the UK.