THE

NAUTILUS

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL

DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS

OF CONCHOLOGISTS

VOL. 69

JULY, 1955 to APRIL, 1956

EDITORS AND PtJBUSHEBS

HENRY A. PILSBRY

Curator of the Department of Mollusks and Marine Invertebrates,

Academy of Natural Sciences

H. BURRINGTON BAKER

Professor of Zoology, University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pa.

lANCASTER PKESS, INC., LANCASTER, PA.

CONTENTS

Names of new genera and species in italics.

Achatina fulica 37, 142

Alderia modesta 22, 72

American Malacological Union 34, 71

Arctica islandica 53

Atlantic, western. .20, 26, 35, 47, 53, 73, 109, 115, 121, 139, 140

Arctic mollusks 139

Australia 6

Bland, Thomas 52

Bolivia 110

Bom's "Index'' and types 78

Bostryx (Platyhostryx) fisheri Pilsbry 92

California, inland 37, 100, 142

marine 22, 79

Cassididae predation 73

Cepaea nemoralis 104

Clam industry 53

Collecting data 88

Columbia 140

Conus andrangae Schwengel 14

Conus drangai Schwengel 13

Conus gradatus thaanumi Schengel 15

Conus macgintyi Pilsbry 47

Conus recurvus helenae Schwengel 15

Conus stinging 76

Crampton, Henry Edward 142

Crooke, John J 52

Cyclochittya schumoi Morrison, for Incerticyclus schermoi 72

Dates of The Nautilus 34

Davis, William T 52

Discus maeelintocki 34

Doryssa kappleri, anatomy 44

Family names in Pulmonata 128

Florida, marines 47, 73, 109, 121, 139

Geoduck, eastern 121

Georgia 69

Gonaxis 37, 142

Gracilinenia aequistriata Weyrauch 110

G. filicostulata 112

ill

iv THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Gratacap, Louis P 50

Haplotrema kendeighi 126

Happia (Scolodens) 134

Hawaii and Helix aspersa 141

Hubbard, Eber W 51

Humholdtiana pergranulosa Solem 42

Hyridella australis 6

Illinois 28, 36

Iowa 34

Lottia gigantea, water circulation 79

Louisiana 124

Lysinoe sebastiana 43, 140

MegapalUfera Hubricbt, subg. of Pallif era 126

Mesodon normalis 140

Mexico 40, 93, 140

Minnesota 56

Missouri 36

Mucronalia nidorum Pilsbry 110

Nenia {Columhinia) zischkai Weyrauch 113

Neptunea decemcostata clenchi Clarke 116

N. d. turnerae 117

New York 48, 104

Nomenclature of families 128

North Carolina 126, 140

Ohio 35

Oklahoma 16

Ontario 18

Pacific, eastern 13, 22, 72, 79

western 1, 76

Pallif era fosteri 35

Pallifera, subg. MegapalUfera Hubricht 126

Panope bitruncata 121

Peru 92, 110

Polinices predation 20

Pollution of streams 96

Polygyra scintilla Pilsbry & Hubricht 94

Pomacea cumingi 140

Predatory snails 20, 37, 142

Prime, Temple 49

Pseudochama 1

Publications received 36, 107

Pulmonata, family names 128

Scolodens H. B. Baker, new name for Stenopus 134

Sea urchin spines, shells in 109

Smith, Sanderson 51

April, 1956] the nautilus v

Soil and land snails 62

Spirula spirula 35

St. Petersburg shell club 34

Stream pollution 96

Tennessee 123, 126, 128

Texas 93

Valentine collection 141

Venezuela 44

Ventridens intertextus eutropis 123

Virginia 62

Wheat, Silas C 49

INDEX TO AUTHORS

Abbott, Donald P 79

Abbott, R. Tucker 44, 141

Anonymous 88

Baker, H. Burrington 34, 128

Baily, Joshua L., Jr 100

Bureh, John B 62

Clarke, Arthur Haddleton, Jr 115

Dawley, Charlotte 56

Dexter, Ralph W 35, 141

Dundee, Dee Saunders 16

Hand, Cadet 72

Hand & Joan Steinberg 22

Hubricht, Leslie 34, 124, 126, 140

Hubricht (Pilsbry &) 93

Johnson, Malcolm C 121

Keen, A. Myra 139

Kline, George F 76

Kondo, Yoshio 141

Landman, M. Alan 104

McGinty, Thomas L 35

McMichael, Donald F 9

Mead, Albert R 37

Moore, Donald R 73

Morrison, J. P. E 72

Odhner, N. H 1

Parmalee, Paul W 28

Pemberton, C. E 142

Pilsbry, H. A 47, 92, 109, 140

Pilsbry & Leslie Hubricht 93

Russell, Henry D 53

Rutsch, R. F 78

Schwengel, Jeanne S 13

Solem, Alan 40

Steinberg, Joan (Hand &) 22

Swanker, Dr. & Mrs. W. A 18

Teskey, Margaret C 34, 69, 123

Turner, H. J., Jr 20

Weingartner, Mathilde P 48

Weyrauch, Wolfgang 110

Wurtz, Charles B 96

vi

THE NAUTILUS 69 (1)

PLATE 1

/./'//

'v ' . ^.

Odhner: On Pseuclochama.

(Exi)lanation on opposite page.)

The Nautilus

Vol. 69 JULY, 1955 No. 1

SOME NOTES ON PSEUDOCHAMA

By N. H. ODHNER

Stockholm

In 1919 I published an investigation on recent species and

genera of the Lamellibranchiate family Chamidae of which I

had in 1917 established the genus Pseudochama ^ for forms

fixed by means of the right valve in contrast to Chama, or those

fixed by their left valve. These two different genera proved to

be distinct also in their shell (as well as soft) morphology, inas-

much as the juvenile stage still persists with the different char-

acters preserved in the umbones of the adult shell. I held

in 1919 the genus Echinochama Fischer 1887 as well motived

on account of its characteristic sculpture ; else it shares the

principal features of Pseudochama, above all the umbonal

juvenile shell, which is quite different in Chama both in sculpture

and dentition in small free stages. It was stated, besides, that

a small recent form of Pseudochama, P. pusilla n.sp., offered

hinge characters primitive with regard to all other Pseudochama

1 Type by subsequent designation Chama crisiella Lamarck 1819 (cf.

Gardner 1926; Nicol 1952a,b).

Explanation of Figures, Plate I.

Fig. a-i, Pseudochama (Eopsemna) pusilla Odhner 1919

right valve of one specimen, exterior (a), interior (&), X 3.5

left valve of the same specimen, interior (c), exterior {d), X 3.5

a second specimen, left valve, interior (e), exterior (/), X 3.5

g hinge of left valve, X 7.5; /i, hinge of right valve, X 7.5; i

left valve with nepionic shell, X 20. From Odhner 1919. — j, k,

Pseudochama dra<^onis Dall 1903, hinge of left valve (i), hinge

of right valve (A:), X 6, D. Berg phot — 1, 2a, 2h etc. cardinal

teeth (Bernard's designations) ; LI, LII lateral teeth; M. mar-

ginal teeth.

2 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

(incl. Echinochama), a fact which caused me to establish for

that new species a distinct subgenus Eopseuma.

Dr. D. Nicol of the U. S. National Museum has recently

(1952 and 1953) in some interesting and critical papers cor-

roborated my conclusions from 1919 and pointed out that the

genus Echinochama is to be derived from the earlier existing

P. draconis Dall 1903, a species that I had in 1919 already re-

ferred, from the original description by Dall, to Pseudochama.

Nicol now (1952) states, on material studied by him, that P.

draconis may be in reality the probable ancestor of the genus

Echinochama.

This statement induced me to a supposition that P. draconis

would perhaps also prove to belong in the subgenus Eopseuina

and to be closely related to the recent P. pusilla. My request

for material of P. draconis for examination was most kindly

answered by Dr. Nicol, who sent, together with his publications

on Chamidae, some valves of that species against other material

for exchange. Unfortunately, however, there is insufficient

material in the Swedish Riksmuseum for exchanging cotypes of

P. pusilla in return.

A comparison with the valves of the latter species in Riks-

museum (from Macassar Strait) and the received P. draconis

at once proved a close agreement in the hinge characteristics.

I give here two figures (j and k) showing the tooth elements of

P. draconis for comparison with those of P. pusilla reproduced

from my work of 1919 with a common designation of the par-

ticulars. A still persisting bipartition of the right cardinal

teeth (1 -f 3b) is clearly seen, and this character is stated by

me in 1919 (p. 75) as the chief significance of Eopseuma in con-

tradistinction to Echinochama and other Pseudochama species;

in Echinochama a separation of these teeth is scarcely \dsible

and, besides, the shell has become almost equivalve, which seems

to be a secondarily acquisition (Odhner 1919, p. 93; Nicol 1952c,

p. 804). In the second place the sculpture of the nepionic shell

should be decisive according to my table of classification (1919,

p. 75).

If now the dentition of P. (E.) pusilla is compared with that

of P. draconis, reproduced in figs. j. k., we find a great similarity

inasmuch as both parts of the right cardinal (1 + 3b) are still

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 3

distinct and well separated by a transverse deep furrow, and

also other elements of the hinge of P. pusilla can be recognized

(cf. figs, g, h). But they are more differentiated and altered

by additional details than in P. pusilla, thus already on the way

towards an Echinochama stage, where the original elements are

difficult to discern.

It is true, as mentioned, that some agreement of the dentition

exists between P. draconis and pusilla, but with regard to the

nepionic shell structure, a still stronger resemblance is extant

between P. draconis and Echinochama, as Nicol has already re-

marked. This similarity quite justifies Nicol's opinion that

P. draconis ''is the probable ancestor of Echinochama' ' (Nicol

1952c, p. 815). In P. draconis the nepionic shell is strikingly

larger than in P. pusilla and sharper marked off in its sculpture

from the remaining shell surface. It measures 1.5 mm in length

and resembles that of Echinochama arcinella figured by me

(1919, pi. 1, fig. 5), but the latter or properly nealogic one is

still larger (1. about 2.4 mm, Odhner, I.e., p. 75, 93) and fur-

nished with 6-7 concentric lamellae (Odhner, I.e., pi. 1, figs.

5, 6; p. 93), whereas in P. draconis there are only 5-6. This

difference implies a specific distinction which may certainly be

apt for separating other different species of Pseudochama too

(cf. figures in Odhner 1919, pi. 1 ; p. 93).

In P. pusilla, on the contrary (cf. fig. i — pi. 2, fig. 21 of

Odhner 1919), the nepionic shell is ''rounded square with a few

distant concentric threads and traces of some radiating posterior

riblets" (I.e., p. 24). The length of the nepionic shell proves to

be 1.2 mm, the number of concentric threads is 5-6 on half the

valve and as many on its posterior half, where the raised

lamellae (or threads) are broken into radiating rows of scales.

The latter feature is a peculiarity distinguishing P. pusilla

from both P. draconis and Echinochama. It also unequivocally

shows that P. pusilla is essentially distinct from P. draconis,

which, as mentioned, has only concentric sculpture and lacks

every trace of radial sculpture in its nepionic shell, which be-

sides, is more sharply limited off from the disk of the valve than

in P. pusilla.

These comparisons in sculpture and dentition give the im-

pression that there is less agreement in the former and more in

4 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

the latter respect, and that the agreement in the dentition may

imply common stages of the development passed by both sections

(Pseudochama and Echinochama), whereas the shell sculpture

is a quality more independently acquired. The increasing size

and lamellae of the nepionic shell, if Eopseuma and Echino-

chama are compared, also give support to the supposition ex-

pressed by me in 1919 (p. 92) : ''This nepionic stage interjacent

between the prodissoconch and the permanent stage, is to be

considered as a juvenile specialization or a caenogenetical larval

stage, which has arisen through a development produced some-

what beyond the direct line of evolution."

When describing P. pusilla in 1919 from the Macassar Strait,

I supposed that a second find of this species had been made by

the Siboga Expedition and was represented in a small shell from

its St. 79^ and figured by Pelseneer (1911 on pi. XXI, fig. 7).

This specimen seems namely to have been fixed by its right valve

and to be as large as P. pusilla and sexually mature. In order

to subject this specimen to a direct examination, I asked to

borrow it from Holland, and Mrs. W. S. S. van der Feen most

obligingly sent it. The specimen has a complete left valve 7.5

mm in length, and a right one, defective but evidently the

moiety. Their colour is a vivid rose, deeper in the interior,

paler at the margins, and both colour and sculpture completely

agree with those of the typical specimens, just as do also the

teeth of the left valve. Without this direct comparison, the

identity could probably not have been ascertained,^ because

the Siboga specimen has its left valve umbo covered with a

colony of the rosy Polytrema miniaceum (Pallas), a Foraminifer,

which entirely hides the nepionic shell. In the right valve, the

upper portion with the hinge is broken off together with the

substratum of the mussel. Thus it has now been stated that this

species occurs also on the Siboga Station mentioned (the

Borneo Bank), not far from the type locality, or exactly 2°38'.5S,

117° 46' E, 54 m, coral-sand.

Pseudochama draconis has a peculiar shell sculpture consisting

of dense knots all over the valves but rising, towards the mar-

gins, to waved lamellae. Some variation seems to exist; the

2 Prashad (1932, p. 298) reported this specimen from St. 79a among

' * young shells apparently belonging to several species of the genus Chama. ' '

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 5

figure 3, pi. 119, in Nicol 1952c, shows a more separate arrange-

ment and pustulate shape of the knobs, whereas in fig. 5 in the

same plate they appear more in series and of a half open tubular

shape, similar to those of P. pusilla. It may be supposed that

this agreement implies a development from scales like those of

Eopseuma and that this mode of progression, thus, is also the

case with the sculpture of Echinochama.

In the genus Chama there are also differences in the sculpture

of the nepionic shell, but the latter is less distinctly marked off

from the valve than in Pseudochama; its sculpture passes, as in

Eopseuma, more continuously into that of the valve disc. This

difference is the more striking if we compare some of the fossil

forms, e.g. Chama lamellosa Lamarck or Ch. papyracea Deshayes,

both from the Eocene in France, with recent species (e.g. Ch.

gryphoides). In Ch. lamellosa the nepionic shell grows to

about 0.6 mm until it forms its first concentric lamella, and all

the sequent lamellae pass gradually into the spinose undulating

marginal ones. In recent species {Ch. gryphoides e.g.) the

nepionic shell of 0.4 mm 1. is microscopically striated radially

before the concentric and scaly sculpture of the adult shell be-

gins. It seems possible to base a classification also of the species

of the genus Chama on the different shape of the embryonic

shell stages, but presently this possibility can only be remarked

as a problem for future research.

References

Gardner, Julia, The Moll. Fauna of the Alum Bluff group of

Florida, II. U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 142 B, 1926.

Nicol, D., Nomenclatorial review of genera and subgenera of

Chamidae. Journ. Washington Acad, of Sci. 42: 5, May 15,

1952a.

, Designation of the type species of Pseudochama (addi-

tional note) . Journ. Washington Acad, of Sci. 42 : 8, Aug. 15,

1952b.

Revision of the Pelecypod Genus Echinochama. Journ. of

Paleontology 26: 5, Sept. 1952c.

Odhner, N. H., Results of Dr. E. Mjobergs Swed. Sci. Exp. to

Australia 1910-13. XVI Mollusca. K. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl.

52: 16, 1917.

, Studies on the Morphology, Taxonomy and Relations of

Recent Chamidae. Ibid. 59 : 3, 1919.

6 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Pelseneer, p., Les Lamellibranches de 1 'expedition du Siboga.

Monogr. 53 a, 1911.

Prashad, B., The Lamellibranchia of the Siboga Expedition,

Syst. Part. II. Monogr. 53 c, 1932.

THE IDENTITY AND VALIDITY OF HYRIDELLA

AUSTRALIS (LAMARCK) 1819

By DONALD F. McMICHAEL

The Australian Museum, Sydney *

Lamarck (1819) described two species of freshwater mussels,

Unio australis and TJnio depressa, from Australia. The descrip-

tions were brief, without figures, and the only locality given was

New Holland. Unio depressa was figured by Delessert (1841)

and there is no doubt as to its identity, although the species was

known for many years as Unio paramattensis Lea (1862) which

is an absolute synonym of Unio depressa Lamarck. It is a

species widely distributed along the east coast of Australia, and

occurring in streams near Sydney, New South Wales, where

specimens could have been collected at the time Lamarck

described the species.

Unio australis was figured by Hanley (1843) but the figure

was very small and of little use in identification, and Lamarck's

description was repeated with it. Philippi (1847) also figured

and described this species, giving the dimensions of his specimen

and a full description. Possibly both these authors had studied

Lamarck's types, but despite Philippi 's account, its identity

remained uncertain. No further attempt has been made since

that time to determine this species exactly by examination of

Lamarck's types as far as I know.

The freshwater mussels of Australia were reviewed by Iredale

(1934; 1943) who divided them into four subfamilies, of which

two included most of the Australian species. These are the

subfamilies Velesunioninae and Propehyridellinae. The validity

and systematic position of these subfamilies need not be con-

sidered here, but the two groups serve to differentiate the

* By Permission of the Trustees.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 7

Australian mussels on several characters. The Velesunioninae

all lack beak sculpture, and the subfamily includes the genus

Velesunio Iredale which possesses simple lamellar cardinal

teeth. The Propehyridellinae includes several genera in which

the beaks are sculptured with radial ridges, and the genus

Propehyridella Cotton and Gabriel possesses relatively complex,

grooved, erect cardinal teeth.

Simpson (1900) determined a species of Velesunio as Unio

australis Lamarck, and since that time the name has been ap-

plied more or less indiscriminately to species of this genus: see

Simpson (1914), Haas (1924), Cotton and Gabriel (1932), for

example. At no time after Simpson's account, till 1934, was

the name Unio australis associated with a member of the

Propehyridellinae .

Iredale (1934) noted the difficulties of accurately determining

this species, and logically assumed that it was likely to be a

species occurring near Sydney with Unio depressa Lamarck. A

species of Velesunio does occur there, but it is not found in

association with depressa. Two species of Propehyridellinae do

occur in association with depressa however, Propehyridella

nepeanensis (Conrad), a long-standing species, and another

species which had not previously been recognised as distinct

from nepeanensis and had not been described under any other

name. This species resembled Philippics figure, and Iredale

selected it as probably being australis. Iredale named several

subspecies of this form, including australis drapeta from North-

ern New South Wales and South Queensland. At first he

placed this species in a new genus Hyridunio, in the subfamily

Velesunioninae, but later (1943) transferred Hyridunio to the

Propehyridellinae, as specimens with uncorroded beaks showed

the characteristic beak sculpture.

During the course of research on the Australian freshwater

mussels it became necessary to determine this species definitely,

and M. Andre Franc, Curator of Mollusks, Museum National

d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, kindly supplied photographs of

Lamarck's two specimens, with detailed descriptions. This in-

formation indicated that the types of Uriio australis were

identical with the species known for many years as Unio

nepeanensis Conrad (1850), the type species of Propehyridella,

8 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

mentioned above as also occurring with TJnio depressa Lamarck.

M. Franc has compared two specimens of nepeanensis with

Lamarck's types and finds that they are the same species. He

wrote as follows: ''The two smaller valves are absolutely com-

parable to Lamarck's larger specimen. . . . But there are less

differences between your two smaller valves and Lamarck's

larger two, than between the two specimens of Lamarck. ... I

think that one could affirm the identity of the two forms ; it is in

any case, what I would do if I had to decide this question."

This difference in Lamarck's specimens might indicate that two

species are represented in the type lot, but the photographs

reveal only the normal differences between young and adult

specimens of nepeanensis. The only measurement given by

Lamarck was the length of the larger specimen, so that this

should be considered the lectotype and is here selected as such.

Thus TJnio nepeanensis Conrad 1850 must be placed in the

synonymy of Unio australis Lamarck 1819. The species selected

by Iredale must therefore take the next available name, and

becomes Hyridunio drapeta Iredale 1934.

The correct allocation of this specific name would be no great

problem in nomenclature if it were not for the fact that the

three specific names, australis Lamarck, nepeanensis Conrad,

and '^australis" drapeta Iredale, have all been designated as the

type species of different genera.

Swainson (1840) named Unio australis Lamarck as type

species of his genus Hyridella. For many years the name has

been listed as Hyridella australis (Lamarck). Cotton and

Gabriel (1932) still confusing australis with a species of

Yelesunio, named TJnio nepeanensis Conrad as type species of

their genus Propehyridella. Iredale (1934) pointed out that

Swainson 's description of the generic characters of Hyridella

based on his ^' TJnio australis Lamarck" could not apply to any

Australian species, and it seemed likely that Swainson had mis-

identified his type species. Iredale did not attempt to deter-

mine which species Swainson really had, but proceeded to reject

Hyridella for any Australian group. The validity of this

procedure will be discussed below. Meanwhile, for the species

he thought to be australis, Iredale gave the new generic name

Hyridunio, and in case he later proved to be mistaken in his

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 9

determination of australis, he designated the subspecies drapeta

Iredale as the type species of Hyridunio, in order that the latter

name would be associated with the species ** drapeta" and not

simply with the name australis.

Before discussing further the validity of the names involved

in this problem, some comments on the genera and species

themselves are necessary. There remain only two species in-

volved, Unio australis Lamarck (= Unio nepeanensis Conrad)

and Hyridunio drapeta Iredale, both valid specific names and

distinct species. Three generic names are involved, Propehy-

ridella and Hyridella, each with Unio australis Lamarck, or a

synonym as the designated type species, and Hyridunio with

drapeta Iredale as type species. I consider that there are no

valid grounds for maintaining the generic distinction between

these two species, so that Hyridunio Iredale must be considered

a synonym of one or both of the other names. The problem

which remains to be decided is, which of the available generic

names, Hyridella or Propehyridella, should be used for australis

Lamarck.

The genus Propehyridella presents no nomenclatural problem.

It was validly proposed, with a junior synonym of Unio

australis Lamarck as type species, and that species was cor-

rectly identified as Unio nepeanensis Conrad. It has been used

quite consistently since 1932 for the group which now proves

to include australis Lamarck, but has never been used for

''australis" of most authors, i.e. Velesunio sp. Two New

Zealand species at least belong in this genus, but Propehyridella

has never been used by New Zealand authors.

The genus Hyridella Swainson however, as Iredale (1934)

pointed out, was probably based on a misidentified species.

The generic characters given by Swainson were presumably

based on his ''Unio australis Lamarck" since the genus is

monotypic. These characters included, among others, "bosses

not sulcated; a posterior margin elevated and winged; one

cardinal and one lateral tooth in each valve" and Swainson

wrote that "the whole shell has very much the aspect of an

Anodon. " None of these characters describes Unio australis

Lamarck. Only one Australian species approaches this descrip-

tion, Unio wilsonii Lea 1859, from Central and north Western

10 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Australia, and Swainson may well have had that species be-

fore him. However, TJ. wilsonii Lea belongs with the Velesu-

nioninae, and in any case there is no way of proving just which

species Swainson had, since his material is presumably no

longer extant. As Iredale (1934) pointed out, quite possibly

Swainson did not have an Australian shell before him.

The correct procedure in handling cases of apparently mis-

identified type species of genera has been the subject of two

opinions of the International Commission on Zoological Nomen-

clature (Opinions 65 and 168) and was further deliberated upon

at the Paris meetings in 1948. The conclusions of the Inter-

national Commission are set out in the Bulletin of Zoological

Nomenclature, 4: 159. If there are grounds for believing that

the type species was misidentified, it is recommended that the

case be referred to the Commission, whereupon three possible

courses of action might be taken. If the species intended as

type species by the author can be identified, the Commission

could designate that species to be the type species. If the in-

tended species is doubtful, then a species could be designated as

type species in conformity with current usage. However, if

either of these actions would cause more confusion than uni-

formity, then the Commission could direct that the nominal

species cited by the author of the generic name be accepted as

type species.

In the present case, Swainson 's material is not available, so

that it is impossible to identify his intended type species. Even

if this were possible, action by the Commission designating the

intended species as type of the genus might not be advisable,

since the well known name Hyridella might be removed from

the Australian fauna, and might cause the displacement of some

other well established generic name elsewhere. None the less,

it is clearly laid down in principle by the discussion and con-

clusions of the Commission that credit should be given if pos-

sible to the author of a genus for the group which he intended

to recognise, and not to some other group simply because of an

error in identification.

The possibility of designating a type species in conformity

with current usage must be considered. Unfortunately this

cannot be done without confusion, since there is no agreement

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 11

on the usage of Hyridella. For example, current usage in

Australia places Hyridella with the Velesunioninae as a senior

synonym of Velesunio, since most Australian workers do not

follow Iredale, and still refer to Velesunio amhiguus (Philippi)

as Hyridella australis. To satisfy them, the Commission would

have to designate Vnio amhiguus Philippi as type species of

Hyridella. However, New Zealand workers, including the latest

reviewer, Dell (1953), refer their species to Hyridella, and

none of these belong to the Velesunioninae. To satisfy their

current usage, a Propehyridelline species, such as true Vnio

australis Lamarck would be the most acceptable type species.

It seems quite clear that the application of either of the first

two possible Commission rulings would lead to greater confusion

than uniformity. Hence the third possibility is the only logical

course of action, that is, to ignore Swainson's obvious error,

and to redefine the genus in terms of Vnio australis Lamarck as

here determined. This course is chosen for two principal rea-

sons ; first because Hyridella is associated throughout the world

with the Australian freshwater mussel fauna, and particularly

with the name australis Lamarck. Secondly, because this will

preserve the name Hyridella for the New Zealand species. It

is not proposed to take this problem to the International Com-

mission, since for the reasons outlined above, it is unlikely that

the Commission would follow any other course of action than

that adopted here.

The subfamily name will have to be changed to Hyridellinae

Iredale 1934, and the genus Propehyridella Cotton and Gabriel

1932 must be ranked as a junior synonym of Hyridella Swain-

son 1840. The generic characters of Hyridella will be those

listed by Cotton and Gabriel in their original definition of

Propehyridella, and not necessarily those of any previous

author, including Swainson. The generic characters of Hy-

ridella as given by Cotton and Gabriel (1932) must be dis-

carded, and the group known under this name by them will

take the name Velesunio Iredale 1934 with generic characters

as defined by Iredale (1934). The type species of Velesunio

Iredale is Vnio halonnensis Conrad 1850, which is a junior

synonym of V^iio amhiguus Philippi 1847. This systematic ar-

rangement is tabulated below:

12 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Subfamily Velesunioninae Iredale 1934

Genus Velesunio Iredale 1934 {— Hyridella of Cotton and

Gabriel 1932) non Hyridella Swainson 1840. Type species

= Unio ambignus Philippi 1847 (= TJ. Balonnensis Conrad

1850)

Subfamily Hyridellinae Iredale 1934

Genus Hyridella Swainson 1840 (emended) {= Propehyridella

Cotton and Gabriel 1932). Type species = Z7mo australis

Lamarck 1819 (= Unio nepeanensis Conrad 1850)

Species included in Hyridella: H. australis (Lamarck); H.

drapeta (Iredale) 1934; H. menziesi (Gray) 1843, and other

New Zealand species.

The main purpose of this paper has been to reveal the true

identity of Unio australis Lamarck 1819, and to bring to light

the facts concerning the genus Hyridella Swainson. It is hoped

that other workers will agree with the course of procedure sug-

gested here, and that the changes in collections made necessary

by the displacement of the name Hyridella from the usually

accepted group will be outweighed by the advantages of pre-

serving this name for the Australian and New Zealand faunas.

Acknowledgments: I wish to thank sincerely the following

persons for their help and cooperation in the completion of this

paper: M. A. Franc, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle,

Paris, for photographs and descriptions of Lamarck's types;

Mr. T. Iredale for information concerning his previous research;

Drs. W. J. Clench and E. Mayr, of the Museum of Comparative

Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts for advice on the problem;

and Mr. E. K. Dell, Dominion Museum, Wellington, New

Zealand, for reading the original manuscript and for bringing

to my attention a number of important matters.

References

Conrad, T., 1850, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 5 : 10.

Cotton, B. C, and C. J. Gabriel, 1932, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria

44: 155-160, pi. 16.

Delessert, B., 1841, Recueil Coquilles decrites par Lamarck,

pi. 12, fig. 5.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS ~ 13

Dell, R. K., 1953, Trans. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 81: 221-237,

pis. 17-19.

Gray, J. E., 1843 in Dieffenbach's *' Travels in New Zealand,"

vol. 2, p. 257.

Haas, F., 1924, Nova Guinea 15 : 65-76, pi. 2.

Hanley, S., 1843, Cat. Recent Bivalve Shells, p. 192, pi. 21, fig.

25.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1914,

Opinions, No. 65, Smithsonian Institution Publ. No. 2256,

p. 152.

, 1945, Opinions and Declarations Rendered, No. 168,

London.

, 1950, Bull. Zooloor. Nomenclature 4 : 158-159.

Iredale, T., 1934, Australian Zoologist 8 : 57-78, pis. 3-6.

, 1943, Australian Naturalist 11 : 90.

Lamarck, J, B. P., 1819, Histoire Naturelle Animaux sans

Vertebres 6 : 80.

Lea, Isaac, 1859, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 11 : 153.

, 1862, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 14 : 176.

Philippi, R., 1847, Abbildung. Beschreib. neuer Conchylien,

vol. 3, Unio pi. 3, fig. 2, p. 7 (47).

, 1848, Ibid., Vol. 3, Unio pi. 5, fig. 5, p. 13 (81).

Simpson, C. T., 1900, Synopsis of the Naiades, Proc. U. S. Na-

tional Museum 22 : 501-1044.

, 1914, Descriptive Catalogue of the Naiades. Bryant

Walker, Detroit, Mich., 3: 1288-1308.

SwAiNSON, W., 1840, Treatise on Malacology, pp. 285, 360.

NEW CONUS FROM COSTA RICA

By JEANNE S. SCHWENGEL

CoNus DRANGAi n. sp. Plate 2, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Shell 32-35 mm. length, 16-20 mm. width; straight sided,

sloping to about 6 mm. width at base ; strong and solid, with a

heavy, dark brown periostracum which almost entirely obscures

the color pattern of the shell. Two to two and a half apical

whorls, glassy, buff colored ; followed by eight or nine revolving

body whorls. Color cinnamon to blackish brown, the tip

apricot-buff, this color spreading upward on the columnar

surface. A wide median band, occupying nearly a third of the

outer whorl, white and brown blotched, resembling somewhat

14 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

a string of dancing paper dolls; four to six rows of revolving

brown dots, which show only on the white blotches; evenly

spaced, raised lineations on the body whorl, becoming gradually

stronger and closer as they near the base of shell. Lower

fifth or sixth of whorl very light buff, turning to apricot color

as it nears the inner lip ; aperture white.

The spire is thickly blotched with brown and white, giving a

somewhat checkered appearance. Definite sutures, whorls un-

evenly joined ; curved growth lines on spire which gives a raised,

laminate appearance to the peristracum. A faint suggestion of

raised, revolving lines on each whorl of the spire, sometimes

clearly defined and then almost disappearing, only to be re-

sumed farther on toward the last whorl. In appreciation of

assistance from Dr. Harald A. Rehder, the holotype and one

paratype is in the U.S.N.M. Other paratypes are in the col-

lections of Jeanne S. Schwengel and Ted T. Dranga, for whom

the shell is named. These shells were collected by Ted and

Anna Dranga in 1954 at Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica. Unfor-

tunately no live specimens were collected.

Conus drangai most nearly resembles Conus vittatus Bru-

guiere, though considerably smaller ; much darker brown ; not as

neatly and evenly patterned; with no spots on the encircling

raised lineations, except over the white areas. The bright

apricot tip is constant and very distinctive.

Conus andrangae n. sp. Plate 2, figs. 8, 9, 10, 11.

Shell 47 mm. length, 32 mm. width; heavy, straight sided,

low spire, each whorl coronated, body whorl having 15 stubby,

rounded, white-tipped nodes. Growth lines evident on spire

and body whorl. Ground color chestnut brown, splotched with

white near the periphery, with a median and basal white band.

Entire body whorl encircled with brown lineations which break

up into dots and dashes over the white areas, and become raised

and slightly nodulous on lower third of shell. Interior of

straight sided aperture white, slightly wider at base. Holotype

is in U.S.N.M. ; paratypes in collections of Jeanne S. Schwengel

and Ted T. Dranga. These shells were collected in 1953 at

Bahia El Coco, Costa Rica by Ted and Anna Dranga. This

species is named for Anna Dranga.

THE NAUTILUS 69 (1)

PLATE 2

%i^

Schweugel: Costa Eicaii Conus.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 15

C. andrangae somewhat resembles C. hrunneus Wood, but

has no lineations on the spire, and the median and basal white

bands are constant ; the nodes on the spire are more conspicuous

and closer together, being placed more nearly as in C. diadema

Sowerby. The triangular shape is like C. hartschi Hanna and

Strong, though shorter and wider.

CoNUS GRADATUS THAANUMi n. subsp. Plate 2, figs. 12, 13.

Length 47 mm., width 21 mm. Specimens collected by Ted

and Anna Dranga are much more slender than C. regularis

Sowerby, a moderate spire, neither as high as Reeve's illustra-

tion of C. gradatus Gray nor as flat as C. regularis Sowerby.

They are marked with the spiral dotted lines, scarcely broken

below the center for one faint band, as in C. scalaris Valen-

ciennes and with the heavy longitudinal markings of chestnut

brown of C. gradatus Gray.

Having definite characteristics of so many different species,

it would seem to simplify the assorting of the several varieties

which are found in Lower California, if this shell were given

the sub-specific name above, to honor Mr. D. D. Thaanum, a

dear friend of Ted Dranga, and a great collector of conus.

These specimens were collected in 1954 at Bahia Salinas, Costa

Rica.

Conus recurvus helenae n. subsp. Plate 2, figs. 14, 15.

Length 44 mm., width 18 mm. This shell is quite slender, a

high spire, with slightly rounded shoulder, and no bands of

white, though nearer to C. recurvus Broderip than any other

named species. Beginning below center of body whorl are deep

spiral lineations, which do not seem to be mentioned in any of

the descriptions of C. recurvus Broderip in the various books.

Whether this should be a new species or only a sub-species is in

doubt, but we suggest a sub-specific name until numerous live

specimens may be obtained, at which time the study of this

shell should be pursued.

These specimens were collected in Curu, Gulf of Nicoya,

Costa Rica by Ted Dranga in 1952, and are named for his

mother.

16 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

ADDITIONAL LOCALITIES FOR LAND MOLLUSCA

IN OKLAHOMA

By DEE SAUNDERS DUNDEE

University of Michigan

Land mollusks have now been reported from 65 of Oklahoma 's

77 counties. The total number of species (exclusive of their

subspecies, varieties and forms) reported so far is 81.

Oklahoma is an interesting state from an ecological stand-

point in that ten biotic districts (Blair and Hubbell, 1938)

exist within it. A deciduous forest element in the eastern part

of the state, a large area of grassland of the Great Plains ex-

tending from north to south through the central portion, and a

southern Rocky Mountain district in the extreme west are the

three principal subdivisions of the state. Elevations range from

350 feet in the Mississippi biotic district (a portion of the Gulf

Coastal Plain) to 4,500 feet in the Mesa de Maya district of

the west. The western portion of the state, largely open plains,

is drier and cooler than the rather heavily forested eastern part.

Annual precipitation ranges from 17 inches in the panhandle

to 50 inches in McCurtain County of the extreme southeast.

It is the purpose of this paper to make additions to the grow-

ing list of mollusks of Oklahoma so that the fauna will soon be

known. Only then can we correlate the distributions with data

such as those given above. Following the pattern set by Lutz

(1949), and adopted by Wallen (1951) and Wallen and Dunlap

(1954), only county names will be given here even though exact

locality data are available.

The specimens comprising this list have been collected over

the past three years by Harold Dundee and myself. Some of

these have been deposited in the U. S. National Museum and the

remainder will be placed in the collection of the Museum of

Zoology, University of Michigan.

Thanks are due Dr. J. P. E. Morrison of the U. S. National

Museum for checking identifications of many of the species and

to Dr. Henry van der Schalie of the Univ. of Michigan for read-

ing the manuscript.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 17

Polygyra leporina (Gould) 1848. Wagoner, Mayes, Bryan

Polygyra texasiana (Moricand) 1833. Rogers, Mayes, Hughes

Polygyra dorfeuilliana Lea 1838. Choctaw

Polygyra dorfeuilliana sampsoni Wetherby 1881. Adair, Chero-

kee, Sequoyah, Murray, Osage, Me Curtain, Bryan, Coal

Stenotrema labrosum (Bland) 1862. Adair, McCurtain

Stenotrema monodon aliciae (Pilsbry) 1893. Adair, Cherokee,

Rogers, Delaware, Coal, Hughes

Mesodon thyroidus (Say) 1816. Adair

Mesodon thyroidus hucculenta (Gould) 1848. Adair, Choctaw

Mesodon clausus (Bay) 1S21. Adair

Mesodon indianorum (Pilsbry) 1899. Latimer, Rogers

Mesodon hinneyanus (Pilsbry) 1899. McCurtain, Latimer

Mesodon kiowaensis (Simpson) 1888. Choctaw-McCurtain

County line

Mesodon inflectus (Say) 1821. Adair, Sequoyah, Mayes, Dela-

ware, Choctaw

Triodopsis cragini Call 1886. LeFlore, Mayes, Coal, Okmulgee,

Hughes, Latimer

Triodopsis alholahris alleni (Wetherby) 1883. Mayes, Dela-

ware, McCurtain

Triodopsis divesta (Gould) 1851. Adair, Latimer

Bulimulus dealhatus (Say) 1821. Cherokee, Sequoyah, Tulsa,

Mayes, Choctaw, Bryan

Retinella indentata paucilirata (Morelet) 1851. Murray, Cleve-

land, LeFlore, Mayes, Bryan, Coal Okmulgee, Latimer

Mesomphix friabilis (W. G. Binney) 1857. Adair, Sequoyah,

McCurtain

Mesomphix cupreus ozarkensis (Pilsbry and Ferriss) 1906.

Adair, LeFlore

Ventridens hrittsi (Pilsbry) 1892. Adair

Zonitoides arhoreus (Say) 1816. Adair, Coal, Okmulgee,

Hughes

Limax flavus Linnaeus 1758. McCurtain

Deroceras sp. Delaware

Hawaiia minuscula (Binney) 1840. Latimer

Anguispira alternata crassa Walker 1928. Sequoyah, Delaware,

McCurtain

18 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Philomycus caroUnianus (Bosc) 1802. Delaware, McCurtain,

McCurtain-Choctaw County line

Helicodiscus parallelus (Say) 1817. Okmulgee

Succinea grosvenori Lea 1864. Murray, Hughes

StroUlops texasiana (Pilsbry and Ferriss) 1906. Murray,

Tulsa, Bryan, Okmulgee, Hughes, Latimer

Gastrocopta armifera (Say) 1821. Sequoyah, Mayes, Bryan,

Latimer

Gastrocopta contracta (Say) 1822. Mayes, Bryan

Gastrocopta procera (Gould) 1840. Bryan

Pupoides albilahris (C. B. Adams) 1841. Mayes, Hughes,

Latimer

Oligyra orhiculata tropica Pfeiffer 1852. Sequoyah, Bryan

Literature Cited

Blair, W. F., and T. H. Hubbell, 1938, The biotic districts of

Oklahoma. Am. Mid. Nat. 20 (2) : 425-454.

LuTZ, Louis, 1949, A check list of the land snails of Oklahoma.

Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 30: 32-35.

Wallen, I. Eugene, 1951, Additions to ^'A check list of the land

snails of Oklahoma." Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 32: 27-30.

Wallen, I. Eugene, and Paul Dunlap, 1953, Further addi-

tions to the snail fauna of Oklahoma. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci.

34 : 76-80.

SHELLS COLLECTED AT LOUGHBOROUGH LAKE,

ONTARIO, IN JULY

By Dr. and Mrs. W. A. SWANKER

Loughborough Lake is one of the numerous Rideau Lakes

Group which are to be found in Ontario, north of Kingston.

The southernmost of these lakes is Loughborough which extends

in northeasterly direction from a point a little west and some 20

miles north of Kingston. It is about 22 miles long and from

one-half to three-quarters of a mile wide. As it empties into

others of the Rideau Lake system, it is a part of the St. Lawrence

water shed.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 19

The lake has numerous shallow mud-bottomed flats which have

a good growth of aquatic plants. It is here that shell collecting

is at its best. Most of the types listed below are seen in quan-

tity. The unios were the most widely recognized as they were

only partly buried in the mud among the sparcer areas of

vegetation. There were quantities of dead shells everywhere.

Among the dead shells, which seemed to be grouped as though

they had been swept together here and there, the first of the

Planorhis and Lymnaea were found. These dead shells stimu-

lated the search and soon several specimens of the living snails

were collected. Some were found on the bottom detritis while

many of the Planorhis were found feeding on the aquatic

vegetation.

Three stations were selected at or near the southern extremity

of the lake.

Station No. 1 : Nearest the tip, it had a shale shore which rose

from the water edge a few feet, extended back from the water

about 30 to 50 feet and then rose sharply to a high hill. The

bed of the lake at this station was covered with small stones,

decaying logs and aquatic vegetation out to 15-20 feet where

it gave way to a soft mucky ooze covered by a thick carpet of

vegetation. The water depth sloped slowly to 4 feet about 100

feet off shore. The species found there were:

Lymnaea stagnalis Linnaeus ; numerous dead and several

living shells.

Planorhis trivolvis Say; few dead and numerous living shells.

Elliptio complanatus Dillw^ii ; many valves and few pairs, no

living.

Anodonta marginata Say ; few valves, 1 pair, no living.

Station No. 2: Along the eastern shore of the lake about 2

miles from the first station, it had a gravelly shore line with a

low well wooded background. The bed of the lake here was a

more sandy type of mud, more sparsely covered with aquatic

vegetation in which there were areas of the bottom free of any

vegetation. The water depth was slight as this great sub-

merged flat extended out 300 feet with water reaching only

about 18" and then dropping off rapidly to a considerable depth.

The species found at this station were :

20 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Lymnaea stagnalis Limnaeus; numerous living and dead

shells.

Planorhis trivolvis Say; numerous living and dead shells.

Elliptio complanatus Dillwyn; numerous living and dead

shells.

Anodonta marginata Say ; many living, occasional valve.

Lampsilis luteolus Lamarck; occasional shells.

Lampsilis siliquoidea Barns ; 1 pair of valves.

Sphaerium sulcatum var. insigne; 1 pair and 2 valves.

Station No. 3 : Along the western shore about 2 miles from

the first station, there was a broad meadow that made a low

shoreline that was of a clayish gravelly nature. The slope of

the bed of the lake was much more acute, reaching a depth of

10 feet only about 25 feet from the shore. The aquatic vegeta-

tion was very sparse and consisted of small thin clumps here

and there. An occasional damaged old valve of a Unio was

found near the water's edge along with one or two old mud

filled Lymnaea shells. A few living Planorhis were found on

the vegetation. The absence of shell life was most striking when

one considers the abundance of mollusks across the lake only %

of a mile away (Station No, 2).

These specimens collected were housed in the shell collection

of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

HOW CLAM DRILLS CAPTURE RAZOR CLAMS

By HARRY J. TURNER, JR. *

During the past few years, the author has observed a number

of instances of predation by the carnivorous marine snail,

Polinices duplicatus, on the razor clam, Ensis directus. In every

case, the snail and the razor clam were found on the surface of

the substratum with the clam enveloped in a coating of slime

and the snail attached along the mid-ventral region with its

proboscis inserted between the valves. No drilled razor clam

shells have ever been found.

* Contribution No. 777 from the Woods Hole Oeeanographic Institution.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 21

It is difficult to imagine how P. duplicatus can capture a razor

clam and hold it long enough to render it inactive, because razor

clams normally retreat to considerable depths when disturbed.

Burrowing is accomplished by extending the foot downward,

expanding the distal portion as an anchor, and pulling the

body down by strong contractions of the proximal portion of the

foot. The process is then repeated so rapidly that a depth of

ten inches can be reached in a matter of seconds and the force

of the contractions is so great that the foot and part of the

viscera may be torn out if the shells of a burrowing razor clam

are held to prevent them from following the foot.

Recently, the author had the good fortune to make some ob-

servations on an attack by P. duplicatus on a razor clam which

gave some indications as to how the snail may immobilize its

prey. A 97 mm razor clam was found on the surface of the

sand with a 15 mm snail attached to the posterior end. The

clam was extending and retracting its foot in writhing motions

as if making an attempt to escape. The clam finally managed

to work its foot down into the sand, pull itself into an erect

position, and begin to burrow. As soon as the clam had erected

itself, the snail quickly crawled down the body and burrowed

into the sand along side of its prey. The razor clam continued

to dig in until % of its length was buried and then stopped.

After a two-minute period the razor clam suddenly forced its

way out of the sand with violent thrusts of its foot. The snail

was attached to the lower third of the body but the final thrust

detached it. The razor clam immediately extended its foot and

began to burrow, touching the snail as it did so. The snail

then dug in along side of the clam which again stopped as soon

as % of its length was buried. The clam made one or two

feeble attempts at digging in deeper. The posterior end was

just level with the surface when it suddenly forced its way out

again with the snail attached to the lower portion. The last

motions detached the snail and thrust it a few centimeters away

from the clam. The clam and the snail then dug in inde-

pendently although the activity of the clam was much slower

than during the early part of the encounter.

No further activity was observed for the next ten minutes.

The razor clam and the snail were then dug up and found to be

22 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

separated from each other by five centimeters. The snail was

expanded with its head oriented away from the clam. When

placed on the sand, the clam showed no activity during the next

30 minutes after which observations were discontinued. All

but the lower (anterior) end of the body of the clam was

covered by an envelope of slime secreted by the foot of the snail.

It seems clear that P. duplicatus captures Ensis directus by

approaching it below the surface of the substratum and by ir-

ritating the lower portion so that it retreats upward. The snail

then coats the razor clam with an envelope of slime which ap-

pears to have anesthetic properties. Successful capture proba-

bly depends on the ability of the snail to maintain contact with

its prey until anesthesia takes place.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE NUDIBRANCH

ALDERIA MODESTA (LOVEN, 1844) ON THE

CENTRAL CALIFORNIAN COAST

By CADET HAND and JOAN STEINBERG

Department of Zoology, University of California, Berkeley

Alderia modesta (Loven, 1844) has long been known from the

coasts of northern Europe. It has been recorded from as far

north as the Trondheim Fjord in Norway (Norman, 1893),

south to Skibbereen in Ireland (Allman, 1845) and on the

French coast (GoUien, 1929). Therefore, it has been of con-

siderable interest to us to find well-established populations of an

Alderia in two localities on the central Californian coast.

Through the kindness of Monsieur G. Van Put of the Royal

Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium in Brussels and Dr.

Erik Rasmussen of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural Col-

lege in Copenhagen, we have been able to compare specimens

of Alderia modesta from both Belgium and Denmark with

specimens collected by us from the California localities. The

results of these comparisons have shown the Alderia from

California to be identical with A. modesta.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 23

Alderia Allman, 1845

Alderia Thompson, W. (nomen nudum), 1844, Rep. Brit. Assoc.

Adv. Sci. for 1843, p. 250.

Alderia Alder, J., and A. Hancock (nomen nudum), 1845, Rep.

Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1844, p. 26.

Alderia Allman, G. J., 1845, Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for

1844 ; Trans, of the Sections, p. 65.

Aldenu (error pro Alderia Allman, 1845) Paetel, 1875, Fam.

Gatt. Moll 6.

Type by subsequent designation: Stiliger modestus Loven,

1844.

Alderia modesta (Loven, 1844)

Stiliger modestus Loven, 1844, Of vers K. Vetensk.-Akad. For-

handl. Stockholm i (3), p. 49.

Alderia amphihia Thompson, W., 1844 nomen nudum, Rep. Brit.

Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1843, p. 250 ; Alder, J., and A. Hancock,

1845, nomen nudum Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1844, p. 26.

Alderia modesta Allman, 1846, Ann and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser.

1, 17, p. 5; Loven, 1846, Ofvers K. Vetensk.-Akad. Forhandl.

Stockholm, p. 8.

Alderia scaldiana Nyst, 1855, Bull, de I'Acad. de Belgique XXII,

no. 2, pp. 435-37, figs. 1, 2.

Diagnosis. — Alderia: Body elongate and elliptical. Head

without rhinophores but produced into rounded lobes on either

side of median line ; mouth a vertical slit ; eyes visible through

integument behind lobes. Foot nearly straight anteriorly,

bluntly tapered posteriorly; lateral margins wider than body.

Groove laterally between body and foot. Cerata cylindrical,

bluntly pointed apically; arranged longitudinally on either

side of posterior three-quarters of body and roughly divisible

into 3-5 rows set obliquely to longitudinal axis of body; number

of cerata variable, maximum 15-16 on a side, often fewer.

Anus on free tube located posteriorly in median line. Genital

pores situated below first cerata on right side. General ground

color translucent yellowish white ; dorsum and cerata speckled

with numerous black pigment spots ; cephalic lobes and anterior

dorsal region often heavily pigmented ; anterior edges of

cephalic lobes lacking pigment, unpigmented area sometimes

extending back to region of eyes as a colorless line ; cerata with

a few opaque white dots, especially apically. The animals

sometimes appear green because of the color of food present

in the highly ramified digestive diverticula.

Jaws absent. Radula uniserial with 11-14 spoon-shaped teeth

and sac containing discarded teeth at base ; a single tooth measur-

24

THE NAUTILUS

[Vol. 69 (1)

Penis bearing single

ing 120 fx. with a base of 40 fx (Fig. 1).

large spine 180 fx in length (Fig. 2).

The largest specimens collected measured 8 mm. in length.

One of average size measured 5.5 mm. in length, 1.2 mm. in

height and 2 mm. in breadth (Fig. 3).

Figure 1. Top and side views of a portion of the radula of Alderia

modesta. Figure 2. The penial spine of Alderia modesta. Figure 3.

Alderia modesta (Loven). Figure 4. Larval shell of Alderia modesta.

Occurrence: Type locality: Bohuslan, Sweden (Loven,

1844). Other localities: northern and central Europe. New

localities: (1) Bay Farm Island, Alameda Co., California, on

Vaucheria sp. in a Salicornia marsh bordering San Francisco

Bay in area wetted only by high tides, May, July, August, 1951

and March, 1954; with various ciliates, diatoms, nematodes, fly

larvae, mites, small oligochaetes, harpacticoid copepods, amphi-

pods. (2) Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Co., California, in Sali-

cornia marsh on Vaucheria sp., August, 1951 ; July, 1952 ; with

Cerithidea and Phytia.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 25

Discussion : The eggs of Alderia modesta are laid in round to

elongate masses measuring about 5.5 mm. in length and 1.5 mm.

in diameter. These masses are anchored at one end to the

substrate and consist of an irregular coil of egg capsules em-

bedded in a soft gelatinous matrix. The coil is about 200 ^

wide. The capsules measure 150-180 fx, in diameter and each

contains a single egg measuring 70-80 fi in diameter. The

capsules may be so closely packed together in the coil that many

assume a polyhedral shape. The color of the eggs is yellowish

when laid but changes to white as development proceeds. The

veligers have been described by Rasmussen (1951), and ours

appear to be quite similar. The larval shell is bowl shaped

with only a suggestion of a whorl. A shell measured 124 fx in

length and 88/a in width (Fig. 4). There are no pigment spots

on the veligers.

Insemination has been observed several times and is accom-

plished by hypodermic injection. During copulation persistalic

waves move along the extended penis and a flow of seminal

material can be seen entering the recipient Alderia. Injection

can apparently occur at any point on the body, and after copula-

tion the body spaces, including those of the cerata, can be ob-

served to be full of sperm.

Copulation was not observed to be reciprocal nor was there

any indication of self-fertilization. Sperm were recovered from

a recipient Alderia after copulation and were found to be very

active. The sperm appear to have a spiral head (approx. 60 /x

long) and a tail piece (approx. 45 /x long), but no middle piece

could be distinguished.

On August 14, 1951 collections at Elkhorn Slough revealed

many egg masses as well as four juvenile specimens, each about

one millimeter long and having only a single pair of cerata with

the anus located between. Others, about % millimeter long,

were found without cerata and with the shell still present. At

this time an adult pair were observed copulating. One of the

individuals injected the sperm into the fourth ceras on the

right side of the other.

The animals, for the most part, are confined in their distribu-

tion to Vaucheria sp. which forms dark green mats on the mud.

Other mats of algae, lighter green in color, generally support no

26 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Alderia, These mats consist of a Cladophoracean (either

Rhizoclonium or ZJrospora), Oscillatorm and Enteromorpha.

The food of Alderia seems to consist entirely of Vaucheria on

which it actively grazes.

An interesting characteristic of Alderia is a peculiar sickly

sweet smell which is especially noticeable after a group of

animals have been confined to a jar for some time. Another

characteristic of the live animals is that the body surface, in-

cluding the cerata, possesses many scattered ciliated cells. These

cells appear to be effective in moving the film of water present

on the algal substrate over the body of the animal, thus keeping

the Alderia continuously wet in what approximates a terrestrial

habitat. Still another characteristic of Alderia is that the

cerata exhibit a rhythmic contraction which alternates from one

side to the other. There are no anterior-posterior differences in

the time of contraction.

Two other species ascribed to the genus Alderia have been

reported from the Pacific Basin. One, Alderia? alhopapillosa

Dall, 1872, has been shown by Bergh (1880) to belong to the

phanerobranchiate genus Adalaria Bergh. The other, Alderia

nigra Baba, 1937, possesses distinct rhinophores, a character

which excludes it from the genus Alderia. Alderia harvardien-

sis Gould and Binney, 1870, which was collected by A. Agassiz

(1851) in the Charles River and the creeks around Cambridge,

Massachusetts and by W. Stimpson (1853) in the region around

the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, is distinguish-

able from A. modesta only in the form of the anterior margin

which appears in Agassiz 's drawing (in Gould and Binney,

1870) to be concave rather than bilobed and in the darker colora-

tion. There is, in the U. S. National Museum, a single specimen

of A. harvardiensis. Through the kindness of Dr. Rehder this

specimen has been examined by one of us (Steinberg), although

no decision as to its real identity could be made. The specimen

is in very poor condition and the anterior end has been damaged

and the radula removed. From the form of the body which is

still clear the specimen looked suspiciously like a small A.

modesta. This species has not been recorded since the last

century, but, if further material becomes available, it appears

quite possible that A. harvardiensis may actually be A. modesta.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 27

Acknowledgments. — We gratefully acknowledge the kind

help of Dr. Isabella Abbott for the identifications of the several

genera of algae mentioned in the text, and Mrs. Lois Stone for

the preparation of the figures.

Literature Cited

Agassiz, a., 1851, A note in the Proc. Boston. Soc. Nat. Hist.

Ill, pg. 191.

Alder, J. and A. Hancock, 1845, Report on the British Nudi-

branehiate Mollusca. Rep't 14th Meeting Brit. Assoc. Adv.

Sci. for 1844, pg. 26.

Allman, G. J., 1845, On a new genus of Nudibranchiate Mol-

lusca. Rep't 14th Meeting Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1844,

Trans, of Sections, pg. 65.

, 1846, Note on a new genus of Nudibranchiate Mollusca.

Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. XVII: 1-5.

Baba, K., 1937, A new noteworthy species of the Saccoglossan

genus Alderia from Amakusa, Japan. Dobutsvigaku zasshi

(English title: Zoological Magazine) Tokyo 49: 249-51, 3 figs.

Bergh, R., 1880, On the nudibranchiate gasteropod Mollusca of

the North Pacific Ocean, with special reference to those of

Alaska. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. for 1880, pg. 83.

Da Costa, A., 1867, Saggio sui Molluschi eolididei del golfo di

Napoli. Annuario del Mus. Zool. della R. Univ. di Napoli IV,

pg. 32, Tav. II, fig. 3.

Dall, W., 1872, Descriptions of sixty new forms of MoUusks

from the West Coast of North America and the North Pacific

Ocean. Amer. Journ. Conch., VII, pg. 137.

Eliot, Sir C, 1906, Notes on some British Nudibranches. J.

Mar. Biol. Assoc. 7(3) : 334-82.

Gallien, L., 1929, Etude de deux mollusques opisthobranches

d'eau saumatre. Bull. Soc. Linn. Normandie, Caen, Series 8,

1 : 162-89.

Gould, A. A., 1870, Invertebrata of Massachusetts, edited by W.

G. Binney, Boston.

Loven, S. L., 1844, Om nordiska Hafs-Mollusker. Ofvers. Kongl.

Vetensk.-Akad. Forh. Stockholm, 7, pg. 49.

, 1846, Index Molluscorum litora Scandinaviae occid. habi-

tantium. Ibid., Ill, pg. 8.

Norman, A., 1893, A month on the Trondheim Fjord. Ann. and

Mag. Nat. Hist., Series 6, XII, pg. 351.

Nyst, H., 1855, Description succincte d'un nouveau mollusque

marin des rives de I'Escaut. Bull, de I'Acad. Roy. des Sci.,

des Lettres et des beaux Arts de Belgique, Brussels XXII:

435-37, figs. 1-2.

28 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

Paetel, T., 1875, Die bisher veroffentlichten Familien- und

Gattungsnamen der Mollusken, Berlin, 229 pp.

Stimpson, W., 1853, Synopsis of the Marine Invertebrata of

Grand Manan, pg. 25.

Thompson, W., 1844, Report of the fauna of Ireland: Div. In-

vertebrata. Rep't Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sei. for 1843, pg. 250.

SOME ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE NAIAD

FAUNA OF LAKE SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

By PAUL W. PARMALEE

Lake Springfield, which is approximately 2 miles south and

east of Springfield, Sangamon County, underwent construction

in 1931 and was completed in May of 1935. The lake has a sur-

face area of 6.8 square miles; there is approximately 57 miles

of shoreline, 40 of which has been riprapped. By riprapping

(placing broken stone or rock along the lake edge) much of the

shoreline, silting resulting from eroded banks and bordering

fields has been reduced to a minimum. The lake was formed

by the damming of Sugar Creek, a small, relatively shallow,

muddy creek that presently has little or no effect in feeding

Lake Springfield with renewed water supplies. Lake Spring-

field is approximately 12 miles in length with a maximum

width of two miles. Maximum depth is about 40 feet; average

depth, 15 feet. Except for some emerging vegetation, there is

little or no submerged or floating aquatic vegetation in most

parts of the lake.

The year 1953 was one of below-average rainfall for Illinois

and there was 12-14 inches less precipitation than during normal

years. Because of this reduced precipitation and the continued

use of the lake as a source of water by the city of Springfield,

the water level dropped approximately seven feet during 1953.

The gradual receding of the water left most of the shallow bays

and inlets dry, and thereby exposing much of the mussel fauna

of these areas to desiccation.

During October, 1953, an attempt was made to determine the

species composition and relative abundance of the Lake Spring-

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 29

field mussels. This lake presented an interesting study since

(1) the effects on a mussel population by damming and thereby

changing the physiographic condition of a natural creek could

be observed; (2) it was possible to note the influence of bottom

types on distribution and abundance, and (3) the species

composition and relative abundance could be studied in this

somewhat limited area.

Twenty sites or stations (Fig. 1), including the various

bottom types, were sampled. At each site, all mussel shells were

removed within a space approximately 50 yards long and four

yards wide. The abundance of dead shells and partially or

almost wholly buried individuals at the water's edge would

tend to show their inability as a whole to retreat with the re-

ceding water. Although this distance varied slightly at some

sites, an effort was made to keep the area covered at all stations

equal in size. Numerous other localities were examined for

the purpose of locating species not found at the other sites, but

no additional species were discovered.

Unfortunately there are no early studies of the mussel fauna

of Sugar Creek and other neighboring streams and rivers, so

that comparisons of naiad populations in the lake with these

creeks and rivers must be based on current observations. In

addition, there have been numerous fish-stocking programs

since the completion of the lake in 1935, and these introduced

fish could carry glochidia and hence introduce and possibly

establish certain species.

The bottom types can arbitrarily be divided into either coarse

gravel and rock (riprap), a mixture of mud and sand, or mud,

the latter constituting a large percentage of the bottom surface

of the more sheltered bays and inlets. It is of interest to note

that portions of the lake bottom consisting of rock and gravel,

and sand in some cases, are often almost devoid of mussels.

For example, the shoreline in front of Spaulding Dam (Station

I) and the Dividing Dam (Station II), as well as Lake Park

(Station VI), is mostly rock fill and gravel, and the mussel

population in these areas is low in both abundance and number

of different species. Such areas of coarse gravel and rock

bottom are in themselves generally unsuitable for habitation by

the mussels, although these portions of the lake are more exposed

30 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

to the prevailing winds and consequently a more severe wave

action results. A combination of less suitable bottom habitat

(conditioned in part by wave action) and frequently turbulent

waters would tend to inhibit the growth of naiad populations

in such situations. The mud-sand bottom, formerly covered

by water to a depth of two to four feet, appeared to have pro-

vided the most suitable habitat for these animals, and in such

areas the mussel fauna of Lake Springfield reached its greatest

abundance, both numerically and in numbers of species.

The majority of species now found in the lake were probably

present in Sugar Creek before it was dammed. These species

are also present in the Sangamon River and the South Fork

of the Sangamon. Other species such as Tritogonia verrucosa,

Quadrula pustulosa, Ohliquaria reftexa, Megalonaias gigantea,

Truncilla truncata, and Leptodea fragilis, common in the South

Fork of the Sangamon River (which flows at one point within

approximately half a mile of Lake Springfield), are absent from

the lake. If these, and possibly other stream or river species,

were ever present in Sugar Creek, they apparently were not

able to adjust to lake conditions after the creek was dammed.

Van der Schalie (1938) mentions the occurrence of T. iruncata

in Lake Erie and Brown, Clark and Gleissner (1938) refer to

Lake Erie specimens of Leptodea fragilis. However, the ability

of such river species to adjust to lake conditions in one instance

and not another may be the result of differences in size of the

body of water, the influence of current or the absence or abun-

dance of the regular host fish of the glochidia.

Normally M. gigantea, T. truncata and other species that are

adapted primarily to moving bodies of water would not be

expected in a lake environment. However, the common Maple-

leaf (Quadrula quadrula), a species also found typically in

larger rivers and streams, has become well adapted to a lake

habitat and constitutes over 45% of the total number of mussels

in Lake Springfield (Table 1). It is the most abundant species

and can be found in all parts of the lake. Amhlema costata,

primarily a species of medium-sized rivers, is also present in

the lake but in relatively small numbers. The predominating

mud bottom may limit the abundance of this species in the lake

since it appears to prefer a sand or gravel bottom, although it

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 31

was found to be most numerous in mud (Station XV) where

Lick Creek enters the lake.

In this connection it is of special interest to note the situation

encountered at Lake Decatur, a man-made lake lying immediately

southeast of the city of Decatur (approximately 45 miles east

of Springfield), Macon County, Illinois. This lake is somewhat

smaller and generally more narrow than Lake Springfield, and

it is fed directly by the Sangamon River. Much of the bottom

consists of a mixture of sand and mud, and at one point ap-

proximately % mile from the dam, large colonies of Truncilla

truncata, Quadrula quadrula, Q. pustulosa, Carunculina parva

and Fusconaia flava have become well established in three to

four feet of water. In comparison, Arcidens confragosus and

Amhlema costata are uncommon, but this particular situation

illustrates the adaptive ability of river forms to lake conditions.

Although F. flava has been recorded as part of the Lake Erie

fauna (Brown, Clark and Gleissner, 1938), it apparently be-

comes abundant only in rivers and in lakes (such as Lake

Decatur) that are influenced by river current. The occurrence

of river species such as F. flava, Quadrula quadrula, Q. pustulosa

and T. truncata would tend to verify the fact that Lake Decatur

is a river-lake, defined by Coker as **a body of relatively still

water as would ordinarily be called a lake, which is yet inti-

mately connected with a river, either as interpolated in the

course of the river, or as an arm of a river" (van der Schalie,

1938). Such river species would be expected in Lake Decatur

where river-lake conditions exist. It is reasonable to assume

that the almost complete lack of current influence in Lake

Springfield has inhibited the establishment of river mussel

populations, Quadrula quadrula being the one notable exception.

In Lake Springfield Anodonta grandis is widely distributed

but it is generally not common anywhere. It was found at a

variety of depths up to about six feet, in either a sand or mud

bottom or a combination of both, but preferably sand. Anodonta

imhecilis, although also distributed throughout the lake, is rela-

tively rare and is limited to those shallow bays and inlets with

a soft, black mud bottom.

Leptodea laevissima, the Fragile Heel-Splitter, is the second

most abundant species in the lake, constituting approximately

32

THE NAUTILUS

[Vol. 69 (1)

T«bl9 1, The Species Composition, Distribution, and R«l«tlT» AbundSDCo of th« nussla

of Lake Springfield, Illinois.

SUGAR CREEK

22% of the total population. This species is usually found in

large rivers on sand and mud bottom in good current (Baker,

1928) but, as in the case Q. quadrula, it can adapt itself to lake

conditions and has become quite numerous and widespread in

Lake Springfield. The adaptation of river species to a true lake

habitat is unusual although van der Schalie (1936) found such

a situation in the case of Lampsilis ventricosa and Strophitus

rugosus in a small lake in southern Michigan. The White Heel-

Splitter (Lasmigona complanata) , a species typical of the quiet

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 33

waters of rivers and creeks, is also quite common. In the lake,

both species of heel-splitters reach their greatest abundance in

the mud bottoms of shallow (one to three feet) bays and inlets.

Ligumia suhrostrata ranked fourth in abundance and, like

most species in the lake, becomes most numerous in the shallow,

mud bottom regions. It is often found in the quiet backwaters

and sloughs of rivers, so that the prevailing physiographic

conditions of Lake Springfield provide a comparable habitat.

Only one specimen (an adult) of Arcidens confragosus was

found and therefore it should be considered as accidental or

stray and not part of the permanent population. It is nor-

mally found in rivers and streams (occurring in the Sangamon

River) and does not ordinarily inhabit quiet waters. However

A. confragosus is never common when it is found in Illinois.

Representatives of the Sphaeriidae were found at only one

location in the lake (Station 3), a shallow, mud bottom inlet.

Apparently little is known concerning their means of distribu-

tion.

Summary

Lake Springfield is one of the largest man-made impound-

ments in Illinois; its surface area is almost seven square miles.

The lake has an average depth of 15 feet, and most of the bottom

is composed of a black, soft mud.

During 1953 the lake level dropped approximately seven

feet, exposing most of the shallow bays and inlets. In Oc-

tober, 1953, an attempt was made to determine the species com-

position and relative abundance of the mussels by collecting

them within a comparable measured area at 20 sites or stations

along the lake shore. Although only nine species of naiads

were encountered (excluding the Sphaeriidae), several, espe-

cially Quadrula quadrula and Leptodea laevissima, were ex-

ceedingly abundant. These two species are of particular in-

terest since in Illinois they are normally found in streams and

rivers, but in this instance they have very successfully adapted

themselves to a lake no longer influenced by current.

Protected bays and inlets (two to four feet in depth), having

a bottom surface composed of soft, black mud and/or sand,

34 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

provided the most suitable habitat for the majority of species

and in such areas they reached their greatest abundance.

Literature Cited

Baker, Frank C, 1928, The fresh water Mollusca of Wisconsin.

Part II. Pelecypoda. Bull. 70 Univ. Wis., Gen. Series No.

301, 495 pp.

Brown, C. J. D., Clarence Clark and Bruce Gleissner, 1938,

The size of certain naiads from western Lake Erie in relation

to shoal exposure. Amer. Mid. Nat., Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 682-

701.

Van der Schalie, Henry, 1936, An unusual naiad fauna of a

southern Michigan lake. Amer. Mid. Nat., Vol. 17, No. 3,

pp. 626-628.

, 1938, The naiad fauna of the Huron river, in southeastern

Michigan. Univ. Mich. Misc. Pub. No. 40, 83 pp.

NOTES AND NEWS

Dates of The Nautilus. — ^Vol. 68, no. 1, pp. 1-36, pi. 1, was

mailed July 24, 1954. No. 2, pp. 37-72, pi. 2, Nov. 15, 1954.

No. 3, pp. 73-108, pi. 3, Feb. 11, 1955. No. 4, pp. 108-144, i-v,

pi. 4, April 28, 1955.— H. B. B.

Discus macclintocki (F. C. Baker), I have finally found

living at Bixby State Park, Clayton Co., Iowa. In this park

is a cave from which a continuous blast of cold air (tempera-

ture about 50° F.) issues. The shells were found in pockets of

leaves and moss in crevices from which the cold air blows. —

Leslie Hubricht.

The St. Petersburg Shell Club held their annual Shell

Show in the Rod and Gun Clubhouse on March 5th to 9th. The

Smithsonian Institution award was given to James R. Kelley

and Mrs. J. F. Kelley.

The twenty-first annual meeting of the American Malaco-

logical Union will be held from July 26th to 29th at Wagner

College, Staten Island, New York. Details will be mailed

to members as soon as available. — Margaret C. Teskey, Secre-

tary.

July, 1955] THE NAUTILUS 35

Change of address: for American Malacological Union and

Margaret C. Teskey.

Old address: 144 Harlem Ave., Buffalo 24, N. Y. New ad-

dress: Buffalo Museum of Science, Humboldt Parkway, Buf-

falo 11, N. Y.

Spirula spirula Linne, a remarkable find. — ^While it is not

at all unusual to find these fragile coiled shells cast up upon

the beaches of Florida, little is known of the small squid-like

creature which forms the shell beyond the fact that it lives at

great depths and is world-wide in distribution. It is presumed

that the graceful white shell floats to the surface after the

squid's life is ended, then being extremely light with numerous

gas-filled chambers the dainty shell drifts with the sea-currents

until some of them are washed high and dry among the seaweed

on our beaches. Apparently most remain at the surface for a

considerable time for colonies of small goose barnacles are

oftener than not found attached to the shells. The late winter

of 1954 was a rather stormy one and it was in December that

Mrs. Elizabeth B. Phelps discovered one of these interesting

deep sea creatures which had just washed up on the shore at

Boynton Beach. The squid was in excellent condition, an adult

over 50 mm. in length, with the shell partly visible within the

animal. To my knowledge, this is the first record for this

squid-like creature having been found in Florida. This unique

specimen has been donated to the Academy of Natural Sciences

in Philadelphia. — Thomas L. McGinty.

Extension of known range of the slug Pallifera fosteri

F. C. Baker. — In my paper on the ''Distribution of the mollusks

in a basic bog lake and its margins" (Nautilus 64(1) : 19-26,

1950), I reported a specimen of Pallifera collected on the shore

of a glacial bog lake in Portage County of northeastern Ohio.

Since publication this specimen has been identified by Dr. C.

Bruce Lee, Materials Laboratory, Detroit Arsenal, as Pallifera

fosteri F. C. Baker 1939, confirming the belief of the writer

who did not want to put the name in print until checked by a

specialist on the group. The species was described by Baker

from specimens collected in Vermilion County, Illinois, and

additional specimens were collected from Monroe and Wayne

Counties (Fieldbook of Illinois Land Snails). H. A. Pilsbry's

36 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (1)

monograph of the "Land Mollusca of North America" (Vol. II,

part 2) also lists St. Louis Co., Missouri, attributed to Leslie

Hubricht. The known range is now extended from eastern Mis-

souri and central Illinois to northeastern Ohio. — Ralph W.

Dexter, Dept. of Biology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED

How TO COLLECT SHELLS. A symposium by members of the

American Malacological Union. 75 pp. A.M.U., Buffalo Mu-

seum of Science, Buffalo 11, N. Y. $1.00. 1955.— This hand-

some and inexpensive booklet contains a wealth of information

on how to collect, dredge, trap and clean marine, land and fresh-

water mollusks. There are two dozen chapters by well-known

American collectors, and both the novice and the experienced

will find this attractive manual extremely useful. Also in-

cluded are lists of useful books, shell clubs and outstanding

American mollusk collections. Mrs. Margaret C. Teskey, who

is largely responsible for assembling and editing the material,

is to be congratulated for what will doubtlessly be a very

popular publication — R. T. Abbott.

Marine Shells of the Western Coast of Florida. By

Louise M. Perry and Jeanne S. Schwengel. 198 pp., 55 pis.

Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, N. Y. $7.00.

1955. — Fifteen years ago. Dr. Louise M. Perry published her

''Marine Shells of the Southeast Coast of Florida" which soon

became the most popular of the several books written about

the marine mollusks of Florida. It has now been revised and

somewhat expanded by Dr. Jeanne S. Schwengel. The eleven

additional plates include drawings of the egg capsules and

veligers of 21 gastropods, a noteworthy addition to the knowl-

edge of the life histories of our AVestern Atlantic species. The

revisor, perhaps wisely, has avoided using the "common"

names of the Florida shells. The photographs are excellent,

and "shellers" along the west coast of Florida should find this

new edition very helpful. — R. Tucker Abbott.

The Nautilus

Vol. 69 OCTOBER, 1955 No. 2

THE PROPOSED INTRODUCTION OF PREDATORY

SNAILS INTO CALIFORNIA

By ALBERT R. MEAD

University of Arizona

Largely through the fact that there has been a great deal

of publicity on the subject, a surprising number of people know

that a small predatory snail from East Africa has been enlisted

in Man's fight against the giant African snail, Achatina fulica

Bowdich. This predatory snail, Gonaxis kihweziensis (E. A.

Smith), at present is scheduled to invade new areas at a rate

that may well outstrip the records set by its prey. One thing

is different. Man wants Gonaxis to spread. Or, more exactly,

those in charge of the proposed biological control program

want it to spread. Here is the story.

The small island of Agiguan, off the coast of Tinian in the

Marianas Islands, has for five years been the scene of an ex-

perimental battle between the giant snail and the predatory

snail. Even before the first phase of the battle was over,

Gonaxis was released in Oahu of the Hawaiian Islands, and

later in Guam and Maui in the hopes that it would help control

the giant snail. A seventh expedition to Agiguan in October

of 1955 has been planned to assist in spreading Gonaxis still

further. Reportedly, the mission is to collect as many live

Gonaxis as possible with the plan that one portion is to go to

Hawaii for further releases on Oahu and Maui ; a second portion

is to go to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands for release

on other infested islands, such as Saipan, Rota, and Truk; and

a third portion is to go to California under the tentative plan

to use it against the green snail (Helix aperta) in the San

Diego area, and against the brown snail (Helix aspersa) es-

pecially in the citrus groves of southern California.

37

38 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

The announcement that it is to be introduced into California

will come as a surprise to many, especially in view of the

''anti-snail" legislation enacted by Congress only a relatively

few months ago. If the Secretary of Agriculture, who has

promulgated the required protective regulations, approves of

an introduction of this sort, there is the immediate implication

that he is acting on the advice of his consultants. With an

approval, the machinery for introduction is set in motion.

Without significant objection, at either the State or National

level, it is simply a matter of time, and short time at that, until

the introduction becomes a fait accompli.

For those who would take precious time in Man's battle

against pestiferous snails, the thoughts might occur, "Is an

introduction of this type really wise ? Is it scientifically sound ?

Is it actually justified? What if the experiment does not work

— then what? Are any dangers involved?" In an attempt to

find answers to these questions, there should be an examination

of the very small store of knowledge available on this subject.

First of all Gonaxis has not been scientifically proven to be

capable of controlling Achatina fulica or, for that matter, even

any snail in its own native heath. The observed buildup of

Gonaxis on Agiguan is not ipso facto evidence that there is

present an inherent capacity for controlling snails by predation.

A survey of the ecology of Agiguan was not made prior to the

release of Gonaxis and the observed results today therefore

cannot properly be evaluated. This is especially the case since

the bases of evaluation used in the several expeditions to

Agiguan are of different caliber and are therefore not resolvable

to comparison. Only a beginning has been made on a determi-

nation of the gustatory affinities and idiosyncrasies of Gonaxis;

but even with an exhaustive examination and testing in the

laboratory, there is no way of predicting for certainty what

will take place in the field at the population level. Nor can

one safely speculate transphyletically from the classical ex-

amples of biological control in the insect world.

As to the potential dangers, there are several. If the estab-

lishment of other foreign snails is any criterion, Gonaxis, once

established, will not be eradicated. Such is a road on which

there is no turning back. Furthermore, secondary foci will

unavoidably develop in spite of internal quarantines or other

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 39

measures to check their spread. What the snails will do in

Louisiana and Florida is anybody's guess. In the Pacific

Islands, the greatest potential danger is the irretrievable loss,

even before they can be studied, of the endemic snails, which

because of their secretive habits form precious ''keys" indeed

for unlocking the vast zoogeographic storehouse of the Pacific.

And now that snails are known to carry disease of their own,

still another item of precaution has made its appearance. It

may be apropos to recall at this point that Gonaxis was reported

last year to be dying off inexplicably in appreciable numbers

in the area of its first release on Agiguan.

In view of these fragmentary data, what sort of prognostica-

tion can be made at this early date ? Actually, until it is known,

among other things, just how much chilling Gonaxis can with-

stand, any prognostication can be hardly more than speculation.

In the warmer regions of this country, such as the areas where

H. aspersa is damaging citrus, Gonaxis probably will be able to

survive. In spite of the fact that Gonaxis has demonstrated its

ability to tolerate fairly long periods of drought in coastal East

Africa, there is less certainty about its ability to survive in the

open, grassy, usually very dry banks of the Tiajuana River

where H. aperta has become so thoroughly established in the

past few years. Gonaxis has the habit of burrowing three to

four inches below the surface of the ground during unfavorable

conditions; this may possibly permit it to escape the effects of

frost or near-frost temperatures. But it might not. Therefore

there is no way of predicting how far north in the United States

secondary infestations might become successfully established.

Snail-infested greenhouses quite probably will form the outposts

of penetration.

In areas where environmental conditions are suitable, Gonaxis

will build up in numbers, but subsequently it will go into a de-

cline. The resultant residual population will reflect the effects

of the selecting force of the environmental factors. Since the

complement of environmental factors will be different from that

of the autochthonous area, there might well be commensurate

differences in the populations — depending, of course, upon both

the genetic makeup of the introduced specimens and the relative

genetic stability of the species. But the introduced specimens

will have come from a population which has already suffered

40 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

the modifying effects of a strange environment in Agiguan!

Whether any acceptable foreign environment or combination of

foreign environments can influence, through a number of gen-

erations, the formation of a population of individuals with strik-

ingly different feeding habits, is problematical, but certainly it

is not impossible. Nor would change of feeding habits consti-

tute a reversal of evolution, for herbivorousness and carnivorous-

ness are merely the extremes of a flexible scale of omnivorousness

on which there is every possible intergradation. It is the nature

and affinities of the individuals of the residual population which

will determine the relative success of the proposed experiment —

and no one can contemplate these.

Finally, there is a very great chance that if Gonaxis can be-

come established, it will eventually settle down in a semblance

of endemicity, doing little good or little harm save possibly the

extinction here and there of a localized endemic snail for which

it has developed an especial appetite. Conversely, there is a

slim chance that it will make considerable and permanent in-

roads in the populations of the introduced helicines; and it is

on this that the authorities concerned are pinning their hopes.

With the odds and penalties so great, it is questionable, in the

present seriously inadequate state of our knowledge that the de-

cision to introduce Gonaxis kibiveziensis into continental United

States and in the islands of the Pacific is a wise one at this time.

But in an adjudged emergency, with its unfortunate concomitant

''pressures," any measure that holds even the faintest promise

of success, irrespective of so-called "minor side effects," is con-

sidered by many to be worth trying. As one has said, ''When

crops are at stake, one cannot afford to be a conservationist."

But there is also an old adage, "The remedy is worse than the

disease. ' '

NEW AND LITTLE-KNOWN MEXICAN HELICIDAE

(MOLLUSCA, PULMONATA)

By ALAN SOLEM

Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan

During the author's tenure as Jessup Fellow at the Academy

of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia from June through August

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 41

1955, preliminary studies were raade towards a revision of the

Mexican Helicidae. Since completion of the study will be de-

layed, the figuring of two previously unfigured species, descrip-

tion of a new Humholdtiana and addition of several locality

records to the range of H. durangoensis Solem seem worthwhile.

I am indebted to Dr. Harald A. Rehder of the United States

National Museum (USNM) for the loan of type material, to

the Jessup Fund Committee of the Academy of Natural Sci-

ences (ANSP) for their financial support and to Dr. Henry A.

Pilsbry for his invaluable advice.

HUMBOLDTIANA QUERETAROANA Dall PL 3, figS. 4, 5, 6

(see Nautilus 11 (7) : 73)

The unique holotype (USNM 134691) from 8000-9500' at

Pinal de Amoles, Queretaro, Mexico, is a high-spired, bandless

shell of the same degree of granulosity as humholdtiana Pfeif-

fer, nuevoleonis Pilsbry, huffoniana Pfeiffer and taylori Drake

(see Pilsbry 1927: pi. 13, figs. 2-3). It differs from all of

these in its higher spire, lack of color bands and prominent

white axial streaks. The sculpture, umbilicus and apertural

callus are nearest to huffoniana Pfeiffer and further collecting

may show that queretaroana is only a high-spired, bandless

subspecies of huffoniana. The less depressed apex mentioned

by Dall may have been the result of an injury, since the shell

has a slight break just below the embryonic whorls. The high

spire is more characteristic of the durangoensis complex, but

the lack of color bands, much heavier sculpture, smaller nuclear

whorls and less deeply impressed sutures ally queretaroana to

the humholdtiana series.

HUMBOLDTIANA DURANGOENSIS Solcm

(see Nautilus 68 (1) : 4-6, pi. 1, fi^s. 2, 6)

Apparently H. durangoensis is the common species of the

Sierra Madre Occidental from the drainage basin of the Rio

Mezquital near Durango city, north to the Rio Mayo in SW. Chi-

huahua. Specimens from Tepehuanes (105° 42', 25° 22') (USNM

198517), El Bonete (105° 55', 24° 55') SW. of Santiago Papa-

squiaro at 8000' (ANSP 164047) and at 9000' on the trail from

42 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

the town of Pueblo Nuevo (105° 24', 23° 24') to the Metates

lumber camp, Durango (ANSP 164053), give additional locality

records near the northern edge of the Rio Mezquital drainage.

The actual basin of the Rio Mezquital is inhabited by an un-

described Hum'boldtiana which probably extends into Zacatecas

and Aguacalientes (ANSP and USNM undescribed specimens).

Near Concepcion del Oro in eastern Zacatecas, another species,

H. chrysogona Pilsbry is found (ANSP 164055 and ANSP

164067). In SW Chihuahua, shells from Lareto (ANSP

188914) and the Sierra Saguaribo (ANSP 195108) on the Rio

Mayo are juvenile, but not conchologically separable from the

southern Durangan shells. Adult specimens from 65 mi. E. of

Batopilas (approx. 106° 40', 26° 35') near the Rio Verde

(USNM 251794) also seem to be durango ensis. The exact

boundary between durangoensis and the hogeana group remains

uncertain, but will probably be found in southern or central

Chihuahua.

The numerous fine granulations, dull color, large nuclear

whorls and many white color streaks easily separate durango-

ensis from the liumholdtiana series. The specimens from El

Bonete are quite large, the largest individual being 45.9 mm.

in diameter, 41.1 mm. high with 4% whorls.

HUMBOLDTIANA PERGRANULOSA, UCW SpCCicS PL 3, figS. 1, 2, 3

Diagnosis: A Humholdtiana the size, shape and coloration

of the humholdtiana Pfeiffer series, but allied to durangoensis

by its impressed sutures, large nuclear whorls and umbilicus.

It differs from both groups, and all other Humholdtiana, in the

very large granulations, hence the name pergranulosa.

Description: Shell large, solid, helicoid. Whorls 41/4, rap-

idly increasing in size with moderately impressed sutures. Nu-

clear whorls lyo, large, smooth, with a brown band below. Next

whorl worn, with only a few minute granulations. Penultimate

and body whorl with very large (0.05-0.75 mm.), numerous

white granulations. Ground color light chestnut, with three

reddish-brown spiral bands, the upper slightly wider than the

lower two. Aperture ovate, parietal callus almost absent. Lip

broken, but basal and columellar portions are slightly reflected.

THE NAUTILUS 69 (2)

PLxVTE 4

Boryssa hohenaclcrl form Vapplen.

THE NAUTILUS 69 (1

PLATE 3

1, 2, 3, Humholdtkiyia pergranulosa. 4, 5, 6, H. queretaroensis. 7,

Lysinoe sehastiana. 10, 11, Conns mcgintyi.

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 43

Diameter 42.5 mm., height 40.7 mm.

Type locality : San Jose Range Mts., Durango, Mexico.

HoLOTYPE : ANSP 194820, ex Brooklyn Museum.

Remarks: The size of the granules at once separates per-

granulosa from all the other Hunih oldtiana. The general ap-

pearance of pergranulosa is perhaps nearest to durangoensis,

but the tremendous difference in size of sculpture alone makes

separation advisable.

The exact location of the San Jose Mountains was not speci-

fied. There are nine towns named San Jose in Durango, but

the most probable location is in NE. Durango near the town of

Jaralito. The U. S. Army Mexican Air Navigation Map N-G

13-North shows a Cerro San Jose (104° 15', 26° 12') located

near a spur of the Mexican National Railways just north of

Jaralito. The isolated nature of the mountain and proximity

to the railroad make it rather probable that such a striking

endemic could have developed and yet been accessible to col-

lectors in 1903.

Lysinoe sebastiana Dall PI. 3, figs. 7, 8, 9

(see Nautilus 11: 74-75)

The unique holotype (USNM 251792) was collected by Nelson

in a canyon near Milpillas, about five miles from San Sebastian,

Jalisco, Mexico on March 16, 1897. The elevation was between

3850' and 6000'. A second specimen (UMMZ) was collected by

I. J. Cantrall at 6650' on the Sierra Autlan about 20 miles SSB

of Autlan, Jalisco. The Autlan shell is in much better condition

and has been figured for that reason. To Dall's description it

might be added that the last whorl descends sharply and the

lip is slightly reflected and thickened.

The Autlan shell is much smaller than the holotype and has

umbilical and a sub-peripheral color bands which the type

lacks. The comparative measurements of the two shells are:

Holotype: diameters 41.6 and 33.2 mm.; height 0.03 mm.; 4i/i

whorls.

UMMZ: diameters 32.1 and 28.1 mm.; height 24.1 mm.; 41/2

whorls.

44 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

L. sehastiana is obviously related to L. eximia (Pfeiffer)

from Guatemala, but differs in having a keeled periphery, less

strongly reflected lip, darker color and finer sculpture. A

fully relaxed animal of sehastiana was obtained and a study on

the anatomy will be published later.

ANATOMY OF THE VENEZUELAN GASTROPOD,

DORYSSA KAPPLERI

By R. TUCKER ABBOTT

Pilsbry Chair of Malacology, Academy of Natural Sciences

of Philadelphia

This is a brief account of the gross anatomy of one of the

two fresh-water species of mollusks obtained on the Franco-

Venezuelan Expedition to the upper reaches of the Orinico

River in 1951-52. This was a government sponsored expedi-

tion led by Major Franz Risquez, F. A. V. Dr. Luis Carbonell

collected a total of 100 fresh-water specimens in four localities

along the river. Samples of the shells are in the Museo de

Ciencias Naturales in Caracas, the U. S. National Museum in

Washington, D. C, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology

at Harvard College, Massachusetts.

The accompanying anatomical drawings depict the gross

anatomy of Doryssa JiohenacJceri Philippi, form kappleri Vern-

hout 1913. The other species, which we did not dissect, is

Doryssa decollata Lamarck 1822. The latter differs from

hohenackeri in having very distinct decussate sculpturing which

may be seen in the illustration of Lamarck's type (Mermod, G.,

1952, p. 72, fig. 134-3). We do not think that Haltenorth and

Jaeckel (1940, p. 112) were justified in considering these species

as the same.

Doryssa hohenackeri, form kappleri Vernhout

D. kappleri was found in large numbers clinging to the rocks

in the rapids of the upper reaches of the Orinoco River. The

pH of the water was 5.7, a slightly acid condition likely re-

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 45

sponsible for the eroded spires of all specimens. An aquatic

plant (Podostemonaceae) was found associated with the snails.

Dr. Carbonell reports that these moUusks are eaten by the

"Waica (Oiaca, Uaica, Guaica, Uaika or Waika) Indians of

that area.

The collecting localities are all on small tributaries of the

Rio Orinoco in Territoria Amazonas: La Esmeralda (May 20,

1951) ; Randal Guaharibo (July 20) ; Ugueto; and Salto Boba-

dilla (Sept. 29).

Shell. — Turreted conic, with the early whorls eroded away;

length of adults varying from 25 to 40 mm., wddth 10 to 15 mm.

Early whorls with almost flat sides, becoming increasingly

rounded in the last three or four whorls. In young specimens,

periphery of whorl rather sharply angulate, but in adults the

last whorls are gently rounded. Aperture broadly oval and

almost as wide as high. In adults, the outer lip is usually

thickened on the outside, particularly at the shoulder. Colu-

mella very short, flattened laterally, and advanced at the base.

Shell smoothish, except for microscopic lines of growth. Spiral

sculpturing very weak, consisting of three to seven fine grooves

which are more prominent just below the suture. Lowest part

of the base of the shell with three to four w^eak, rounded spiral

threads. Suture smooth, finely indented, and with the upper

whorl slightly overhanging. Color of shell light-yellowish brown

to dark olive-yellow with numerous, irregularly-placed and —

shaped spots of dark chestnut-brown which in places coalesce

to form short, axial flammules.

Animal (PL 4, figs. a-j). — The animal is typical of that found

in the pleurocerid prosobranchs, having a broad, anteriorly bi-

furcate proboscis and relatively short tentacles with rather

swollen eye bases. The color of preserved animals is dark black-

ish gray to black. Operculum chitinous, transluscent-brown

and multispiral. The only unusual feature noted in the anatomy

are the numerous, blunt papillae that line the wall of the

esophagus and crop. Each of the papillae, which are possibly

secretory in function, is embedded with fine clumps of melanistic

granules. The two otocysts located at the base of the cerebral

ganglia are elongate in shape and each contains about 100

46 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

variously-sized, oblong otolith crystals. The gills consist of about

200 low lamellae that are welded to the mantle. The inner

wall of the buccal opening is strongly plicate longitudinally.

Behind are two light-tan, translucent jaws. The radular ribbon

is long, consisting of about 105 transverse rows of teeth. The

first 20 rows are exposed and used for rasping.

DoRYSSA DECOLLATA Lamarck

Thirteen immature specimens, of which the largest is 20 mm. in

length, were collected at Ugueto, and seem referable to Lamarck's

species, D. decollata. They are characterized by a very distinct

microscopic sculpturing which is very evident in the rather thick

periostracum. The periostracum has strong spiral and axial

threads which cross at right angles to give a woven-cloth or

beaded appearance. The shells differ from kappleri in having

a flatter-sided spire of about 28° to 30°, while the former has

a spire angle of about 22° to 25°. The color markings are more

suffused and darker. The spiral threads at the base of the

shell are much stronger. The operculum is the same.

Literature Cited

Haltenorth, Th. and S. Jackel. 1940. Ueber einige am Rio

Jary im Nordwesten Brasiliens von der Schultz-Kampfhenckel-

Expedition 1935-37 gesammelte Mollusken. Archiv fiir Mol-

luskenkunde, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 97-112.

Mermod, G. 1953. Les types de la Collection Lamarck au

Museum de Geneve. III. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, vol. 59,

no. 2, pp. 23-97 [72], figs. 94-153.

Vernhout, J. H. 1913, The Non-marine Molluscs of Surinam.

Notes from the Lyden Museum, vol. 36, pp. 1-46, 2 pis.

PI. 3, figs. a-j. Doryssa hohenacTceri, form Tcappleri. A, entire animal

with its shell removed; B. operculum; C. otocyst and its otoliths; D. view

of esophagus showing the papillae in cross-sections; E, jaws showing

detail of structure; F. entire radular ribbon; G, four views of the central

tooth; H. lateral tooth; I inner marginal; J. outer marginal. (cm =

columellar muscle ; cr = crop ; di = digestive gland ; ft = foot ; gi = gills ;

go z= gonads ; hy = hyaline sheath ; ms = muscle scar ; op = operculum ;

pr = proboscis ; ra = radula ; re = rectum ; st = stomach ; te = tentacle.)

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 47

ANOTHER FLORIDAN CONUS

By H. A. PILSBEY

CoNus MCGiNTYi new species Plate 3, figures 10, 11

Shell rarely reaching 2 inches in length, long, narrow, rather

thin, of about 12 whorls, including a glassy-smooth nucleus of

nearly 3 whorls. Spire extended, slightly concave, with the

carina (immediately above suture) prettily beaded on the early

whorls, the tubercles gradually becoming subobsolete on the

last whorl. There are 4 to 6 lightly wrinkled threads on the

sloping whorls of the spire. Body-whorl long, nearly flat-sided,

with spiral sculpture of flattened smooth cords separated by

slightly narrower grooves which are crossed by delicate axial

threads giving the surface a punctate appearance. Aperture

oblique, long and narrow. Color cream with dots or blotches

of light shades of brown, which are often arranged in spiral

rows, or streaked and diffused longitudinally. Periostracum

very thin^ straw colored. No operculum.

Holotype: Length 41.6 mm., greatest width 11.7 mm., length

aperture 30.5 mm., ANSP No. 193858, dredged 165° off Pensa-

cola, northwest Florida, by T. L. Moise, yacht ''Escape,"

July 12, 1954.

Figured paratype : Length 42.1 mm., greatest width 13.5 mm.,

in the McGinty collection, dredged living off Palm Beach,

Florida, in 70 fathoms, bottom mud and broken shell, "Triton"

Sta. 1256, August 24, 1953. Paratypes in the McGinty collec-

tion from off Palm Beach, Sombrero Key Light and Key West.

Paratypes in the collections of Dr. Jeanne S. Schwengel and

Mr. Arthur R. Thompson from the "Triton" dredgings. Depth

range known for live specimens in 70 to 120 fathoms.

This unusual cone has been figured in recent shell literature

as Conns mazei Deshayes. ("Johnsonia" No. 6 by William J.

Clench, Plate 9, figures 1 and 2; "American Seashells" by R.

Tucker Abbott, in color, Plate 14 K.) Mr. Axel A. Olsson when

abroad last summer examined the holotype of Deshayes in the

Paris Museum and he agreed with the conclusion I had formed

from a study of the description, that there are two distinct

species which in Florida have passed under the old name of

C. mazei. For the specimens which are uniformly sulcate all

48 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

over the body whorl, the new name Conus mcgintyi is proposed.

The true C. mazei, from Martinique in 50 fathoms, is apparently-

known only from the unique type of Deshayes. It differs con-

spicuously from this new species by the smooth, shining sur-

face of the body-whorl and the regular brown spots arranged

as in Scaphella junonia.

There are several slender, strongly sculptured fossil cones, of

which C. gracilissimus Guppy from the Miocene of Jamaica

appears to be the nearest to mcgintyi.

The type of this cone was collected dead, but Mr. Thomas L.

McGinty has supplied the following details from living speci-

mens dredged by the "Triton." The animal is a dull yellow

with the sides of the foot and the area around the head peppered

with small black dots. A marginal tooth from the toxoglossate

radula is shown in figure 10. The tooth has two barbs on one

side and is very small, .19 mm. length. The camera lucida

drawing was made 310 X. While making a microscopic exami-

nation for an operculum, a pair of very minute mandibles was

found, probably, from a very small Cephalopod eaten by the

cone.

This striking new cone is named for Thomas L. McGinty.

SOME MALACOLOGISTS OF THE NEW YORK AREA

By MATHILDE P. WEINGARTNER

Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences

During the latter part of the 19th century and the early part

of the 20th there appear in the annals of malacological history

a few names of men who lived or worked in the New York area,

and who, not only because of the hobby they pursued, but

because of the people that this hobby brought together, led

very interesting lives.

These men may have had demanding jobs in the economic

struggles during their lifetime, but either as a diversion or as

a long delayed hobby in their older years, they took up natural

history. Most of them were well acquainted with each other

and spent a great deal of time in the field. They collected ex-

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 49

tensively, exchanged notes on their collections, and enriched

more than one museum with their finds. Here, after consider-

able research, are a few glimpses into their very interesting

lives.

Temple Prime was born at 1 Battery Place, N.Y.C. on

September 14th, 1832, the son of Rufus Prime. He was edu-

cated abroad, and upon his return took a course at Harvard

Law School. He was for some years connected with the United

States Legation at The Hague. When this service was over he

returned home and, as he had an ample fortune, he never en-

tered upon the practice of his chosen profession, but spent his

time managing his large estate at Huntington, Long Island. He

wrote a genealogy of the Temple family, which apparently

stemmed from English nobility.

In conjunction with Sanderson Smith he wrote A Report on the

Mollusca of Long Island published in theAnnals of the Lyceum

of Natural History, Vol. 9 (1870). He described the little

Gemma manhattensis, but his chief work was on the fresh water

fingernail or pea clams, publishing many papers on the Corbi-

culidae (+ Sphaeriidae) in the Proceedings of the Academy of

Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the Annals of the Lyceum

N. H. of N. Y. and elsewhere. His magnum opus was the

^'Monograph of American Corbiculidae," in the Smithsonian

Miscellaneous Collections, no. 145 (1865). Though now long

past its useful times, this 90 year old monograph remains our

only American manual of this ubiquitous and very difficult

family. Prime's collection was left to the M. C. Z.

Silas Carmi Wheat was born in Franklin, N. Y. on De-

cember 11, 1852. He was graduated from the Delaware Li-

brary Institute in 1876. After many years of teaching he

received from New York University in 1898 the degree of

Master of Pedagogy. From 1894 until his death he was a

resident of Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1910 he became president of

the New York Men's Teachers Association. The impetus of

his strength is still felt in New York educational circles today.

But for his work as a scientist he will perhaps be most

widely recognized and longest remembered. He wrote many

articles on nature topics. He was long a member of the

Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. For the

State Museum in Trenton he prepared a Report on the Mollusks

50 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

of New Jersey and for the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sci-

ences he wrote a similar Report on the Mollusks of Long Island.

He contributed several papers to the Bulletin of the Brooklyn

Conchological Club (1907), of which he was President, one of

them a ''List of Long Island Shells." He also wrote a genea-

logy of the Wheat family. He was an honored member of the

Brooklyn Entomological Club as well as the Brooklyn Concho-

logical Club. He died suddenly on September 1st, 1922.

A contemporary of the previous two gentlemen was Louis

Pope Gratacap. He was born in Brooklyn on November 1st,

1851, the son of John and Lucinda Gratacap. He was gradu-

ated from the College of the City of New York in 1869, and

from the Columbia School of Mines in 1876. The family had

moved to Staten Island many years before, and it was from here

that young Louis attended college, a tedious journey in the days

of slow ferries and horse cars.

He was connected with the American Museum of Natural

History from 1876 on and became Curator of Mineralogy in

1881. With one assistant, Mr. Quinn, he not only kept the

great collection of this museum, both mineral and shells, in

excellent order, but he found time to give the displays artistic

settings. His writings were of a varied character. Among

them were: Vade Mecum Guide to Mineral Collections, Broad-

way Press, N. Y. (no date) ; three editions of the Geology of

The City of New York, Henry Holt & Co., and Brentano, N. Y.,

1901, 1904, and 1909. His principal conchological papers were

a catalogue of the Binney & Bland Collection in the American

Museum, and several articles published in Nautilus, 1906 to

1914. His non-scientific writings include: Substance of Litera-

ture, Frank Rogers, N. Y., 1913; Philosophy of Ritual, James

Pott & Co., N. Y., 1887 ; Analytics of a Belief in a Future Life,

James Pott & Co., N. Y., 1888; and novels like A Woman of

the Ice Age, Brentano, N. Y., 1906 ; Benjamine The Jew, Thomas

Benton, 1913 ; and The Evacuation of England, Brentano, 1908.

As a lecturer Mr. Gratacap had few equals. Not only did

he have original ideas, but these were expressed through the

medium of a remarkable vocabulary. He never cared to go

into public life but lived quietly with his brother. Pie had a

great many friends and was always helpful to them both with

kindly acts and financial aid.

I

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 51

In 1881 he became a member of the Natural Science Associa-

tion of Staten Island, and from 1887 to 1888 he was president

of this organization. From 1884 to 1901 he contributed twenty-

four papers to the Proceedings of this institution among them

a Memorandum on Lymnea palustris, Vol. 11, May 1891. In

this paper he described an experiment he carried on with these

snails, maintaining them in very cold water over winter. He

found that they survived, and he watched them breeding the

following spring. Other authors had believed that they wintered

in the form of eggs, a fact now disputed by Mr. Gratacap. His

busy life ended in December 1917, and he is buried in the

family vault in the churchyard at Trinity Church, Manhattan.

Another Staten Islander who gained fame in the malacological

world is Sanderson Smith. He was born in London, England,

in 1832 and died in Port Richmond, Staten Island, in 1915.

Little seems to be recorded about his early life and education,

but he was well known for the work he did for the United

States Fish Commission.

From 1881 to 1893 Mr. Smith was engaged by the American

Museum of Natural History to catalogue, label, and arrange

the shell collections, under Professor R. P. Whitfield.

He was elected first president of the Natural Science Associa-

tion of Staten Island in 1881 and made a number of contribu-

tions to the Proceedings of this organization. Among these

were: Notes on the Mollusca of Staten Island, Note on the

Distribution of Littorina Littorea, Note on Limax Maximus and

Notes on the Shells of the John J. Crooke Collection.

Of great interest to the local malacologists are: A Catalogue

of Mollusca of Staten Island, A Catalogue of Mollusca of Little

Gull Island, Suffolk County, N. Y., and his earliest paper, On

the Mollusca of Peconic and Gardiner Bays, Long Island which

was read before the New York Lyceum of Natural History on

December 5th, 1859, and printed in their Annals in 1862. The

other two papers were printed in the Annals of the Lyceum of

Natural History in 1867.

Mr. Eber Ward Hubbard, according to Leng and Davis'

Staten Island and its People, was born October 8th, 1797 in

Jefferson County, N. Y. He practiced medicine in La Grange

and Elmyra, Ohio, before he settled in Tottenville, Staten

Island. As an avocation he studied shells and, with Sanderson

52 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

Smith, published that first Catalogue of Staten Island Mollusca

in 1865, which later appeared in the Annals of the Lyceum. In

this report his name is erroneously given as J. W. Hubbard.

He died May 7th 1872.

John J. Crooke, another of Staten Island's naturalists and

collectors was born in Columbia County, N. Y., in 1824. He

came to Staten Island and purchased a large tract of land on

the south shore of the island, where he built his house. This

point of land for many years bore his name, Crooke's Point,

until the New York City Department of Parks took over the

area and called it ''Great Kills Marine Park." Mr. Crooke

purchased and collected numerous natural history objects, in-

cluding herbarium specimens and shells. These later found

resting places in libraries and museums.

Sanderson Smith was given the job of going over the shell

collection which Mr. Crooke had accumulated, but he did not

find anything new to add to the list of local shells. Mr.

Crooke's collection consisted mainly of land shells, and, as

such, was a rather complete one. He not only had a great deal

of local material, but a large collection of shells from the West

Indies and South America assembled by Thomas Bland, and a

collection of land shells from the Pacific Islands by William

Harper Pease. Mr. Crooke does not seem to have interested

himself in marine shells, as his collection of such was a very

small one. Mr. Crooke's shells were presented to the American

Museum of Natural History.

Thomas Bland, 1809-1885, one of the great figures in

American land shell lore, was born in England, but he resided

for more than thirty years of his life in New York City. He

had lived for a time in Barbados, Jamaica and in Colombia,

and became deeply interested in West Indian land shell faunas.

Upon coming to New York he took up the study of United

States land shells, and collaborated with W. G. Binney in sev-

eral important publications. Bland was author of more than

70 papers, dealing with West Indian and North American land

shells, their distribution and relationships.

Perhaps Staten Island's foremost naturalist and collector was

William Thompson Davis. ''One Davis," as he liked to refer

to himself, was born in 1862 into an old Staten Island family,

the Thompsons, and an equally fine New England family, the

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 53

Davises, of Freetown, Massachusetts. He grew up with his

mother's people, and his only formal schooling came from two

Staten Island private schools. From early childhood he was

interested in flowers, plants, insects, mammals, and any other

natural phenomenon.

From 1883 to 1909 he worked faithfully at a book-keeping

job for the New York Produce Exchange. Being of a frugal

nature, he accumulated a small sum of money which, wisely

invested, brought back a comfortable living, so that he could

devote himself to his hobbies from 1909 on. His main interest

was entomology, but he by no means neglected other fields of

nature. Having always gone afield and collected natural ob-

jects, he did not neglect shells. Among other specimens, among

those carefully put away in shirt boxes, cigarette boxes, or

vials was a Mya arenaria, from whose grip he had released a

hapless sandpiper. All his specimens were carefully labeled, ex-

cept that the location given may be rather vague, such as ' ' South

Shore, S.I." This was due to the fact, perhaps, that Mr. Davis

was always conservation-minded and afraid that someone else

might go to the location and collect to excess. Mr. Davis carried

on a lively correspondence with many naturalists, and concho-

logists, such as Silas Wheat. In the Proceedings of the Staten

Island Institute of Arts and Sciences he also wrote about the

first occurrence of Littorina littorea, this being a milestone in

the migration of this mollusk along the Atlantic coast.

''Willie Davis" or ''Uncle Billie," as he was affectionally

called, will long be remembered by his friends, of whom he

made many in almost 80 years of nature rambling.

Many museums in the New York area can give thanks to the

diligent work that these men have contributed in the field of

malacology.

A NEW CLAM INDUSTRY IN NEW ENGLAND

By HENRY D. RUSSELL

A new deep ocean clam industry, dredging Arctica islandica

Linne, was incorporated in Massachusetts in February 1954.

This company. The Cape Cod Shellfish Corporation, was founded

54 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

as a result of pioneering surveys carried forward by the Woods

Hole Oceanographic Institution during 1949. These surveys

indicated that there were beds of A. islandica in commercial

abundance south of Cape Cod and in Massachusetts Bay.

The purpose of this company was to dredge these clams,

eviscerate, chop, freeze them and attempt to meet the ever in-

creasing demand for frozen sea foods for the institutional and

restaurant trades. The use of polyethelene bags prevents

contamination and loss of flavor and insures a high degree of

sanitation for the chopped meats which are frozen in five pound

blocks, ten blocks to the case. A large plate-type freezer freezes

one and one-half tons in two and a half hours and the removed

frozen blocks are then ready for distribution or storage at —10°

F. at which temperature they keep for six months to one year

without deterioration.

The processing plant is located on the south bank of and at

the eastern end of the Cape Cod Canal. Here the vessels can

come alongside the dock and unload their deck cargos of culled

and washed clams directly into a conveyor leading to the

shucking room. Five minutes after the two-bushel, mud-free

boxes of clams are unloaded from the dredging vessel they are

on the tables in the shucking room and ready for removal of the

shells. An experienced shucker can shuck clams at a rate of one

every 3-5 seconds. A deft turn of the shucking knife sends

the shells into an empty 50 gallon drum and the meats into a

ten-quart stainless steel pail perforated with small holes.

Through these holes the clam juice drips into a second pail where

it is caught, later to be strained and frozen in one-gallon tins.

It is used chiefly for clam bouillon, adding flavor to clam

chowders and for clam juice cocktails.

As the stainless steel buckets are filled with clam meats, they

are passed through a window to the processing room. Here

the clams are eviscerated which removes the dark digestive

gland, gonads, stomach and intestine. The next step in the

process takes the eviscerated meats to the washer, a large

circular stainless steel tank three feet in diameter by two and

a half deep. Here they are stirred and agitated in water

through which air is forced under pressure, thus turning them

over and over and washing off any bits of broken shell or ad-

hering mud. Cleaned after five minutes, they are released from

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 55

the bottom of the tank and poured onto a drain board. Next

they are cut into approximately %-inch pieces and then weighed

out into five pound lots which are poured into polyethelene

bags. When a truck load of these five-pound bagged lots in

their respective waxed boxes has accumulated, it is sent to the

freezer a few miles away and the freezing and storage process

begins.

In addition to the shucking and processing rooms, there is a

second floor laboratory in the plant where the biology of A.

islandica is under investigation and where a dietician devises

new recipes and uses for clam products.

This is but half the story, however, for it is the action on the

dredging vessels that is the stimulus for the events that take

place in the plant. Leaving the Cape Cod Canal early in the

morning to take advantage of calm weather conditions, the

dredging vessels arrive at the dredging grounds one to one and

one-half hours later. The two iron, 16-toothed, dredges with

their 7-foot iron ring bags are then lowered by a steel cable one

over each side. Feeling the vibration of the cable an experi-

enced fisherman can determine manually when the dredge is

on bottom, in general, what type of bottom, and whether the

dredge is fishing properly or not. After 20-30 minutes, the

dredge is brought to the surface, the draw strings of the iron

ring bag are pulled and the contents dumped on deck. The

catch is sprayed with salt water to wash off any mud and the

culling process begins. Broken shells and extraneous matter

are thrown over the side while whole clams and broken ones

are placed in separate 2-bushel wooden boxes and stacked on

deck. As the first catch is culled and stacked in boxes the

dredge is lowered over the side again and the second one starts

towards the surface where the process is repeated. This series

of events requires about twenty minutes so that it is about time

to haul the second dredge as the first one is lowered for the

second time. When a deck load has been gathered the vessel

returns to the plant where processing begins. Thus within

twenty-four hours of the time the clams leave their ocean bed

they are cleaned, frozen and ready for distribution. Their

distribution during the first year of operation has taken A.

islandica from Cape Cod south to Norfolk, Virginia, westward

to Oakland, California, into many hotels and restaurant chains

56 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

in the northeastern and middle Atlantic states and into many

Massachusetts State Institutions.

After each day 's work both the shucking and processing rooms

and the apparatus in them are thoroughly washed with hot water,

soap or disinfectants, as a high standard of sanitation must be

maintained and the rooms are made ready for the next day.

The officers of the new company are Mr. William C. Waugh,

President, Mr. Charles T. Russell, Jr., Treasurer and the author

as Secretary.

MINNESOTA LAND SNAILS

By CHARLOTTE DAWLEY

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the present knowl-

edge of the land snails of Minnesota, exclusive of slugs. It

is based largely on the collections housed in the Zoology Depart-

ment of the University of Minnesota which were started in the

1880s by members of the Geological and Natural History Sur-

vey.

Minnesota is almost in the center of the northern tier of

states, directly south of Ontario and western Manitoba. Most

of the state is gently rolling or level, with an average elevation

of about 1200 feet above sea level. All except the extreme

southeastern tip has been glaciated at least once, and the effects

are still visible in the many lakes and swamps.

Vegetationally there are three regions — coniferous forest,

deciduous forest, and prairie. The northeastern third of the

state was originally coniferous forest, with white pine, red pine,

jack pine, white spruce, balsam fir and white birch in the well-

drained areas, and black spruce, tamarack, and white cedar in

the swamps. Much of this region is not a good habitat for

snails, the soil being poor and with very little lime, but many

of the smaller species are found in the wetter places and in the

islands of maple-basswood found here and there among the

predominating conifers.

Bordering the coniferous forest on the west and south was a

strip of deciduous forest, narrow in the northwest, broadest

in the central part of the state and narrow again along the

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 57

Mississippi River to the Iowa line. Oaks predominate in the

northern part. Sugar maple, basswood, elms, and red oak

formed an extensive climax forest in the rich calcareous soils

of the central part, now largely farms. Along the river bot-

toms the flood plain forests contain willow and cottonwood, with

white elm and soft maple on slightly higher ground.

The southwestern part of the state was mostly prairie, with

trees only along streams and around lakes. Very little col-

lecting of land snails has been done in this part of the state.

Land snails are reported from about thirty of the state's

eighty-seven counties. The most concentrated collecting has

been done in four different areas:

1) The southeastern corner of the state, chiefly in Houston

and Winona counties. Underlain by limestone and dissected

by many streams, the wooded hills along the Mississippi River

and its tributaries have yielded many species. Collecting be-

gan in the 1880s with J. W. Holzinger, a professor at the

Winona Normal School, and U. S. Grant of the Geological and

Natural History Survey and has continued to the present time.

North of this area some collecting has been done in AVabasha,

Goodhue, Rice, and Scott counties.

2) The central part of the state around St. Paul and Minne-

apolis, in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. The University of

Minnesota is found here and almost everybody who has been

interested in moUusks in the state has worked in this region.

It is an area of terminal moraines, cut through by the Min-

nesota and Mississippi Rivers. Pine, Chisago and Washington

counties are a few miles to the east along the St. Croix River,

and Anoka and Wright counties lie just north.

3) North central Minnesota. Collecting here has centered

around Itasca State Park in Clearwater County, famous for

containing the source of the Mississippi River. Since 1936

students of Dr. Samuel Eddy at the University of Minnesota

Biological Station have collected here each summer. The most

recent and most extensive collecting was done by Mrs. Marjorie

Harrison in 1949. She also collected farther north around Red

Lake in Beltrami County. L. E. Daniels collected in Marshall,

Pennington, Red Lake, and Becker counties in 1909.

4) Northeastern Minnesota. St. Louis, Lake, and Cook-

58 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

ties form a triangle north and a little west of Lake Superior.

It is resort country, with many lakes and beautiful woods.

U. S. Grant collected around Tower on Lake Vermilion in St.

Louis County in the 1880s and F. C. Baker in the same region

in 1929 as well as in Itasca County a little farther west. Mrs.

Harrison in 1949 collected in Finland State Forest in Lake

County and on an Indian reservation in Cook County. I have

collected around Hibbing in St. Louis County.

Fifty-five species of land snails, not counting slugs, have been

reported in Minnesota.

Family Polygyridae

Stenotrema hirsutum (Say). Abundant in Winona County,

found also in Houston County. This is the smaller upland

form.

Stenotrema monodon (Eackett). Abundant at Hidden Falls,

a moist, shady glen on the banks of the Mississippi near St.

Paul. Also found in damp places in Winona, Hennepin, Scott,

and Wright counties.

Stenotrema fraternum (Say). Abundant in Nerstrand Woods

in Rice County and at Taylors Falls in Chisago County.

Widely distributed in central and southern Minnesota.

Mesodon thijroidus (Say). Found only in Winona County

where it is abundant in Whitewater State Park.

Mesodon clausus (Say). Several places in Houston County,

and once each in Winona and Ramsey counties.

Triodopsis albolahris alleni ('Wetherby' Sampson). Widely

distributed in southern and central Minnesota.

Triodopsis multilineata (Say). Southern and central Min-

nesota. They all seem to be the small form algonquinensis

Nason, which Pilsbry regards as an ecologic form inhabiting

woods rather than marshes.

Allogona profunda (Say). Southern and central Minnesota,

not found in large numbers anywhere.

Family Zonitidae

Euconulus fulviis (Mliller). Whole state except southeastern

part.

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 59

Euconulus chersmus polygyratus (Pilsbry). Whole state.

It is difficult to separate E. fulvus and E. cher sinus polygyratus

in our material because of the scarcity of mature forms, but

both species are present.

Retinella indent at a (Say). Houston, Winona, and Hennepin

counties, not abundant anywhere.

Retinella electrina (Gould). Whole state. Common.

Retinella hinneyana (Morse). Keported by F. C. Baker in

Itasca County and by Daniels from Becker and Red Lake

counties.

Hawaii minuscula (Binney). Whole state except north-

eastern part.

Zonitoides arhoreus (Say). Whole state. Very common.

Zonitoides nitidus (Miiller). Central and southern part of

state in wet places. Not common.

Striatura exigua (Stimpson). A northern species, found in

damp woods or bogs. Our largest collection is from a bog in

Itasca Park in Clearwater County, others from Finland State

Forest in Lake County, and the Indian reservation in Cook

County. A single specimen was found in Nerstrand Woods in

Rice County.

Striatura milium (Morse). Whole state, more common in

northern part.

Vitrina limpida (Gould). Rare; northern part of state.

Family Endodontidae

Anguispira alternata (Say). Whole state, more abundant

in the southern part.

Discus cronkhitei (Newcomb). Whole state. Abundant.

Helicodiscus parallelus (Say). Whole state. Common.

Punctum minutissimum (Lea). All parts of state except the

northeastern part.

Family Succineidae

Oxyloma retusa (Lea). Whole state.

Succinea ovalis Say. Whole state.

Succinea avara (Say). Whole state.

60 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

Family Strobilopsidae

Strohilops labyrinthica (Say). Common in all parts of the

state. The colorless variety virgo is also found.

Strohilops affinis Pilsbry. Central and southern parts. Not

common.

Family Pupillidae

Gastrocopta armifera (Say). Central and southern parts of

state.

Gastrocopta contracta (Say). Whole state except north-

eastern part.

Gastrocopta holzingeri (Sterki). Abundant at Hidden Falls,

Eamsey County. Whole state except northeastern part.

Gastrocopta pentodon (Say). Whole state.

Gastrocopta tappaniana (C. B. Adams). Central and north-

ern parts.

Gastrocopta corticaria (Say). Found in small numbers in

central and northern parts.

Pupoides alhilahris {C.B. Adams). Rare. Houston, Winona

and Ramsey counties.

Vertigo milium (Gould). Ramsey, Hennepin and Pine coun-

ties.

Vertigo ovata (Say). Hennepin, Ramsey and Clearwater

counties, found especially on cattails or grasses on edge of lakes

or SAvamps.

Vertigo elatior Sterki. Hennepin and Clearwater counties.

Not common.

Vertigo ventricosa (Morse). Widely distributed through the

northern part of the state, south to Hennepin County.

Vertigo tridentata Wolf. Rare. Houston, Ramsey, Chisago

counties.

Vertigo nylanderi Sterki. Rare. Found by Mrs. Harrison in

1948 and 1949 at Bear Paw Point in Itasca Park, Clearwater

County.

Vertigo gouldi (Binney). Widely distributed through the

state. Large collections from Itasca Park, Clearwater County

and Tower, St. Louis County.

Columella edentula (Draparnaud). Abundant in Beaver

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 61

State Park, Houston County. Also found in Winona, Hennepin,

Pine, and Clearwater counties.

Family Vallonidae

Vallonia pulchella (Miiller). Abundant in leaf mold at Isaac

Walton Bass Ponds and Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Hennepin

County. Also collected from Winona, St. Louis and Big Stone

counties.

Vallonia costata (Miiller). Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

Vallonia parvula Sterki. Rare. River flats, Hennepin

County and Tower, St. Louis County.

Vallonia gracilocosta Reinhard. Whole state. Abundant in

Itasca Park, Clearwater County.

Vallonia perspectiva Sterki. Abundant at Hidden Falls.

Ramsey County. Also at other locations in central part of

state.

Planogyra astericus (Morse). Rare. F. C. Baker found

them in Itasca County and Mrs. Harrison in the Finland State

Forest in Lake County.

Zoogenetes harpa (Say.) Rare. Our only specimens were

collected in the 1880s by U. S. Grant from Tower, St. Louis

County.

Family CiONELLroAE

Cionella luhrica (Miiller). Whole state, more common in

north.

Family Carychiidae

Carychium exiguum (Say.) Found in small numbers in

several places in Clearwater and Hennepin counties.

Carychium exile canadense Clapp. Common in leaf sif tings

from all parts of the state.

Family Helicinidae

Hendersonia occulta (Say.) Found in several places on the

wooded hills and wet, rocky ravines along the Mississippi River

and its tributaries in Houston and Winona counties.

62 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

Family Amnicolidae

Pomatiopsis lapidaria (Say.) Found in wet places in Hous-

ton, Winona, and Hennepin counties.

Literature Cited

Baker, F. C. 1929. Mollusca from Vermilion and Pelican

Lakes, Minn. Naut. 42 : 95-97 ; 131-136.

. 1935. Land and fresh-water Mollusca from North Star

Lake and vicinity, Itasca County, Minn. Amer. Mid. Nat. 16 :

257-274.

Daniels, L. E. 1909. Records of Minnesota Mollusks. Naut.

22 : 119-121.

Grant, U. S. 1885. Conchological notes. Ann. Kept. Geol.

and Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn. 14 : 114-124.

. 1887. Notes on the molluscan fauna of Minnesota.

Ibid. 16 : 481-484.

Holzinger, J. M. 1887. Notes on the Mollusca of Winona

County. Ann. Kept. Geol. and Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn. 16:

485-491.

PiLSBRY, H. A. 1939. Land Mollusca of North America.

Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., monograph no. 3, v. 1, pt. 2.

SOME ECOLOGICAL FACTORS OF THE SOIL AF-

FECTING THE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUN-

DANCE OF LAND SNAILS IN

EASTERN VIRGINIA ^

By JOHN B. BUECH 2

University of Richmond

The purpose of this investigation was to study land snail ais-

tribution in relation to certain inorganic compounds, hydrogen-

ion concentration, and organic matter present in the soil.

Description of the area. — This study was made during 1952-

54 in Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterfield counties, an area of

1 From a M. S. thesis submitted to the Departm.ent of Biology, Univer-

sity of Richmond, June, 1954. This investigation was supported (in part)

by a research grant from the Virginia Academy of Science.

2 Present address : Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 63

1179 square miles in east-central Virginia. The area comprises

two physiographic regions, the Coastal Plain to the east and

the Piedmont Plateau to the west, which merge along a line that

crosses each county, dividing Hanover and Henrico counties

roughly into equal halves and Chesterfield County into an area

about four-fifths of which lies in the Piedmont Plateau. The

fall zone is several miles wide, with no definite boundaries.

The soils of the Piedmont province have been derived mainly

from granite and gneiss formations and comprise primarily the

Durham and Cecil series (Bloomer, 1938). The Cecil series is

the most widespread type of soil occurring over the Piedmont

region. It is a gray, red, or brown loam with a red clay sub-

soil. In its eastern part the Piedmont Plateau has an average

elevation of about two hundred feet above sea level, but it rises

gradually toward the west. What was formerly a plateau is

now so deeply eroded by drainageways that little of the plateau

surface remains.

The Coastal Plain is a region of sand, clay, and other soft

materials, which lie on an eastward-sloping floor of granite and

crystalline rock. The soils differ from those of the Piedmont

in their loose structure, lack of loaminess, the predominance of

sand, and the frequent occurrence of water worn gravel through-

out the soil profile. For the most part the Coastal Plain consists

of a wide plateau trenched by broad, terraced valleys of numer-

ous streams.

The major portion of the two regions is well drained by sev-

eral rivers and their tributaries. The most extensive drainage

system is the James Kiver which flows through the central part

of the area, marking the boundary between Henrico and Ches-

terfield counties. The Appomattox River is the largest tribu-

tary of the James in this area. The drainage system to the

north consists primarily of the North Anna, Little, New Found,

Pamunkey, Chickahominy, and South Anna Rivers.

Materials and methods. — Soil samples were taken at forty-one

stations, picked at random from the one hundred twenty-three

stations visited during a survey of the land Mollusca of this area.

This represented one-third of the total number of stations. At

each of these stations where soil analyses were made all the

snails found in an arbitrarily selected nine square feet of habitat

64

THE NAUTILUS

[Vol. 69 (2)

COLLECTING STATION

SOIL ANALYSIS

AShLAND 'HANOVER^ "^

0 # ,^

■^COUNTY

Fig. 1. Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterfield Counties, Virginia.

were recorded. A liter sample of soil and humus was taken and

analyzed for organic matter, calcium (CaO), magnesium (MgO),

potassium (KgO), and phosphorus (P2O5) by the Virginia Ag-

ricultural Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia. The data

were recorded in terms of availability to plants, the amount

extracted by a weak acid. A flame photometer was used for the

determination of potassium and a photolometer for calcium,

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 65

magnesium, and phosphorus. The pH values were obtained by

a Hellige colorimeter as soon as the samx-)les were brought in

from the field.

Analysis of soil samples. — The correlation between lime sup-

ply and abundance of land snails is close enough that collectors

recognize the presence of limestone in the form of cliffs and out-

crops as particularly favorable collecting stations. It is to be

expected that snails would also be more abundant where cal-

cium is richest in an area devoid of limestone, such as the area

investigated in this study. The calcium obtained for growth

in these habitats must come directly from the soil, organic ma-

terials of the humus, or from shells of other snails. The number

of snails in this area was found to increase with the amount of

calcium present in the samples, the greatest number of both

species (Table I; Figure 2) and specimens (Table I; Figure 3)

occurring where the available calcium content was 0.075 per

cent or higher. No specimens were found in samples contain-

ing less than 0.019 per cent calcium.

Magnesium has been shown (Clarke and Wheeler, 1922) to

be an important constituent of marine mollusk shells. It might

also be expected essential for land snails. The correlation of

magnesium (MgO) with land snail distribution was somewhat

similar to that of calcium, the majority of the snails being

found where the concentration was 0.018 per cent or higher.

The number of snails also increased with an increase in the

concentration of potassium (KoC^) and reached a maximum at

a phosphorus (P2O5) concentration of 0.002-0.004 per cent, de-

clining for higher concentration. The effect of these two com-

pounds on snail distribution is probably indirect, being impor-

tant in plant metabolism.

The importance of organic matter or food as a limiting fac-

tor in snail distribution has received some attention and Boycott

(1929, 1936) and Oughton (1948) do not consider food, other

than calcium, restrictive. Shimek (1930) is of the opinion that

food is one of the prime factors in the distribution of land snails.

In this investigation a close correlation was found between the

amount of organic matter and presence of snails. Ninety-four

per cent of all snails collected were found where the organic

matter present in the samples was three per cent or greater, and

66

THE NAUTILUS

[Vol. 69 (2)

Table I. Frequencies of snails in

uciivixca uj. isiiaxia xix relation to pH, calcium, magnesium^

phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter.

very few where concentrations were less. Whether or not the

organic matter present in the samples is significant as actual

food material per se may be questioned, but doubtless it gives

an indication of certain other environmental conditions.

Oct., 1955]

THE NAUTILUS

67

o o o o ^

< s ^ <^ ^ ■

O 5 :^ Q. O

5^° ^ S5 ^ J^

SN3tNi03dS JO yaavsnN

•" in

O O O O o<

+ ° ° ° °

•O lo

fcJO

o

bX)

C3 S

o

o o

a ^

2 O

Z p^

O Pi

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68 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

Studies on land snail distribution in relation to soil reaction

have produced varying results (Jacot, 1940; Oughton, 1948;

Atkins and Lebour, 1923 ; Okland, 1930 ; Archer, 1939 ; Stran-

dine, 1941; Lee, 1952; Burch, 1955). Land snails in this area

were found to occur at pH ranges of 4.8-7.7, and most fre-

quently at a pH range of 6.3-6.7. It is the opinion of this

investigator that pH is not a limiting factor in their distribu-

tion and probably has scarcely any influence. The occurrence

of snails within certain pH ranges can be related to numerous

conditions other than soil reaction, such as physical makeup of

the soil, content of available nutrients, and influences of climate

and vegetation.

Summary. — 1. Samples of soil and humus from forty-one

stations where land snails were collected were analyzed for

organic matter, certain inorganic compounds, and hydrogen-

ion concentration.

2. Snails were found to increase with increase in concen-

trations of calcium (CaO), magnesium (MgO), potassium

(K2O), and organic matter. They were found in greatest

abundance at a pH range of 6.3-6.7 and where the phosphorus

(P2O5) concentrations were between 0.002 and 0.004 per cent.

3. The primary conditions of the soil, other than moisture

and the provision of cover, which limit the distribution of land

snails in this area appear to be calcium, magnesium, and or-

ganic matter. Potassium, phosphorus, and hydrogen-ion con-

centration may have some indirect effect but are assumed not

to be limiting factors.

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge the aid of Dr. N. E. Rice, University

of Richmond, for advice and criticism, and Dr. C. I. Rich and

Mr. W. W. Lewis, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station,

for analysis of and information concerning soil samples.

Literature Cited

Archer, A. F. 1939. The ecology of the Mollusca of the

Edwin S. George Reserve, Livingston County, Michigan.

Occ. Papers Mus. Zool. U. Mich. 389: 1-24.

Atkins, W. R. G. and M. V. Lebour. 1923. The hydrogen-ion

concentration in the soil and natural waters in relation to

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 69

the distribution of snails. Proc. Koy. Dub. Soc. 17: 233-

240.

Bloomer, R. 0. 1938. The geology of the Piedmont in Chester-

field and Henrico counties, Virginia. M.S. Thesis. U. Va.

p. 8.

Boycott, A. E. 1929. The oecology of British land Mollusca,

with special reference to those of ill-defined habitat. Proc.

Malac. Soc. London. 18(5) : 213-224.

. 1936. The relation of slugs and snails to man in Britain.

Proc. Cotteswold Nat. Field Club. 26(1): 73-82.

BuRCH, J. B. 1955. The land snails of Hanover, Henrico,

and Chesterfield counties, Virginia. Va. Jour. Sci. (In

Press).

Clarke, F. W. and W. C. Wheeler. 1922. The inorganic con-

stituents of marine invertebrates. U.S.G.S. Prof. Papers

125: 1-62.

Jacot, a. p. 1940. The fauna of the soil. Quart. Rev. Biol.

15 : 28-58.

Lee, C. B. 1952. Ecological aspects of Stenotrema hirsutum

(Say) in the region of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Amer. Mid.

Nat. 47(1): 55-60.

Okland, p. 1930. Quantitative Untersuchungen der Land-

schenckenfauna Norwegens. I. Zeitschr., Wiss. Biol. Ab. t. A.

Zeitschr. Morphol. u. Okol. Tiere. 16: 748-804.

OuGHTON, J. 1948. A zoogeographical study of the land snails

of Ontario. Toronto Studies, Biol. Ser. 57: 1-126.

Shimek, B. 1930. Land snails as indicators of ecological con-

ditions. Ecol. 14(4) : 673-686.

Strandine, E. J. 1941. Quantitative study of a snail popula-

tion. Ecol. 22(1) : 86-91.

THE MOLLUSKS OF WARM SPRINGS, GEORGIA

By MAHGAEET C. TESKEY

"Warm Springs (Merriwether County), Georgia; popula-

tion 557, elevation 930 feet. Site of the Warm Springs Founda-

tion Hospital for Infantile Paralysis. Part-time home of Presi-

dent Franklin Delano Roosevelt which he loved and where

he died." So reads the guidebook. In the study of the late

president in the Little White House (now open to the public)

two shelves are crowded with books written on all phases of

70 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

his life in this obscure village as well as in the world outside

it. Several describe the area in detail, yet it is safe to assume

that no one of them records the molluscan denizens of Warm

Springs.

An opportunity was afforded to collect there during the

final two days of June, 1955. The following stations were

investigated, all in the immediate vicinity of the village: (1)

grounds of the Foundation hospital, wooded and clogged with

undergrowth; (2) forest on slope at base of Pine Mountain

fire tower; (3) open field nearby, beneath pile of rotting plaster

sacks; (4) Dowdell's Knob, scenic lookout, outcropping of

granite boulders on mountain top, occasional rotting log; (5)

Cascade Falls, leaf mold on loose shale; (6) Parkman Pond,

detritus in crannies of stone walls and rotting timbers of old

mill; (7) state fish hatchery; (8) cattail swale at edge of man-

made pond.

Search in several brooks draining the so-called warm springs

was unrewarding. One faunistic detail might be mentioned:

at the first four stations, scorpions outnumbered the snails two

to one. This collector who works best in prone position learned

early in the day to first clear away elbow space.

I am indebted to Mr. Ralph W. Jackson who identified the

land material, to Dr. Henry A. Pilsbry who helped out on two

specimens which Mr. Jackson found puzzling, and to Dr. Wil-

liam J. Clench who identified the Physidae.

Following is a list of twenty-three species taken together

with the stations at which they occurred:

Stenotrema stenotrema Pfr. 2, 6

Stenotrema maxillatum Gould 5

Praticolella lawae Lewis 3

Mesodon thyroidus Say 6

Mesodon inflectus Say 2, 6

Mesodon perigraptus Pils. 6

Triodopsis albolahris major Binn. 2, 3

Triodopsis vannostrandi Bland 2, 3

Eucomilus chersinus Say 4, 5

Retinella indentata Say 5

Betinella indentata paucilirata Morel. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6

Mesomphix vulgatus H. B. Baker 1, 6

Oct., 1955] THE NAUTILUS 71

Mesomphix 2^^181) ryi Clapp 2, 4

Gastrodonta interna Say 2

Ventridens intertextus Binn. 2

Ventridens gidaris theloides Walker & Pils. 2, 4

Zonitoides arhoreus Say 6

Eelicodiscus parallelus Say 5

Succinea avara Say 5

Strohilops lahyrinthica Say 5, 6

Vertigo ovata Say 8

Vertigo rugosida oralis Sterki 6

Physa crocata Lea 7

AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL UNION

Twenty-first Annual Meeting, July 26th-29th, 1955

By MAEGAEET C. TESKEY, Secretary

It was a combination of organizations and individuals work-

ing together which made the 1955 meeting an unqualified suc-

cess. Wagner College on Staten Island, New York, began by

providing a new dormitory, dining hall and meeting room,

even a spacious porch for lounging and quiet talk. And as

though such generosity was not enough, tendered a gracious

tea on the evening of opening day. The Staten Island Museum

opened its doors for an entire day, providing meeting facilities

for two sessions and a bountiful luncheon at noon. And finally,

the co-host New York Shell Club was represented by A.M.U.

President M. K. Jacobson and his right-hand team Mr. and Mrs.

Anthony D'Attilio who were everywhere at once, overseeing

the thousand-and-one details which entertainment on such scale

always brings forth.

About eighty members and their guests attended the meeting

representing eighteen states, the District of Columbia, Puerto

Rico and the Philippine Islands. It was hot in New York, but

hot too over the rest of the nation and Wagner's hilltop site

brought cooling breezes each evening. As the stars came out

so did the delegates, out upon the great stone porch to rest,

72 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (2)

to chat and watch the lighted ships as they passed up and down

the Narrows far below.

At the annual business meeting the following officers and

councillors were elected to serve for the next twelve months:

President, Allyn G. Smith; Vice-president, Ruth D. Turner;

2nd Vice-president, Edward P. Baker; Secretary-treasurer,

Margaret C. Teskey; Publications Editor, George M. Moore;

Councillors-at-Large, R. Tucker Abbott, Ralph W. Jackson,

Katherine Van Winkle Palmer, Juan J. Parodiz.

The scheduled program clicked off as the days passed: regis-

tration-reunion the morning of opening day; scientific sessions,

two each day; two field trips; the annual dinner followed by a

rib-tickling skit (one snail to another!) and movies by Dr.

William H. Loery, filmed on Guam with living mollusks in

leading roles.

Then it was over for another year. Who can say which

brings greater joy — remembering the past or planning for the

future? Future A.M.U. meetings, of course.

NOTES AND NEWS

Alderia modesta in Washington. — Since preparing the paper

on this nudibranch in July Nautilus I had an opportunity to

spend some time on San Juan Island, Washington. There I

discovered in a Salicornia marsh at Garrison Bay numerous

specimens of Alderia modesta. This then extents the distribu-

tion of this nudibranch on the American West Coast from

Central California to the Canadian border. — C. Hand.

Mr. John Q. Burch 1584 W. Vernon Ave., Los Angeles 62,

is now assembling names, addresses and interests for the 1956

Directory of Conchologists. Free listing.

A correction. — Dr. Pilsbry has kindly brought to my atten-

tion an error in the name of a Miocene fossil species of Cyclo-

phorid land snail from the Bowden Beds of Jamaica. The name

Cyclochittya schermoi Morrison (Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 45

(5) : 154, May 1955) should be corrected to C. schumoi. The

name of the collector was Silas L. Schumo. — J. P. E. Morrison.

The Nautilus

Vol. 69 JANUARY, 1956 No. 3

OBSERVATIONS OF PREDATION ON ECHINO-

DERMS BY THREE SPECIES OF CASSIDIDAE

By DONALD R. MOORE

Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Recorded observations on living cassids are rare in the litera-

ture and the writer has found nothing in a search of the corn-

man works on the feeding habits or prey of these gastropods.

The following observations were made during the course of

several years diving in Florida waters.

In the spring of 1949, a collecting trip was made with Gilbert

Voss and Frank Lyman to the Florida Keys. On the morn-

ing of May 13th, just north of Conch Reef, a large colony of

Cassis madorgascariensis spinella Clench was sighted on clean

sand bottom in about twenty feet of water. This subspecies

seems to be limited to the Florida Keys (Clench, 1944, p. 16).

Some individuals were crawling on the bottom while others

were buried to a depth of six inches or more. Upon investiga-

tion it was found that they were feeding on heart urchins that

live buried in the sand. Mr. Voss later identified the urchin

as Plagiohrissus grandis (Gmelin). It is a large species at-

taining a length of more than 200 mm. This is one of the most

beautiful of the heart urchins and has been considered quite

rare by specialists on West Indian echinoderms. This apparent

rarity is probably due to its penchant for slightly deeper water

than other littoral echinoderms and to a very spotty distribution.

Where it is found, however, the colony may consist of many

individuals. Clark (1919, p. 62) states that it is common near

Nassau, Bahamas, but reliable records from elsewhere are rare.

The test of P. grandis is white, thin, flattened and very grace-

ful in outline. Clark (1917, p. 207) states, ''no ecinois so well

deserves the name grandis as does this magnificent spatangoid.

When in perfect condition with all its long, dorsal primary

73

74 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

spines intact, it is certainly the handsomest and most remark-

able of shallow water spatangoids. "

Several Cassis were observed as they located a buried urchin.

They burrowed down at a rather steep angle and ploughed

through the sand to their prey. Several shells that were al-

most buried were removed with urchins clasped in the fore

part of the foot. One urchin that had escaped was seen

trundling along on its short secondary spines with a large Cassis

in hot pursuit. Evidently this was an exception, as no other

fugitives were seen. The result of the chase was not observed

but the heart urchin seemed to be making good his escape.

An examination of one of these urchins from which the

gastropod was removed showed that an area of approximately

25 mm. in diameter had been cleared of spines. In this area

there was a neatly drilled hole through the thin test. One

specimen, which was placed in The University of Miami Marine

Laboratory Museum (specimen No. 42: 33) has a hole 9 mm. in

diameter in the antero-lateral edge.

Most of the Cassis were large or very large and fully mature.

The largest specimen taken was nearly fourteen inches long

(approximately 350 mm.). A specimen collected a few miles

north of Conch Reef in 1952 measured 300 mm. long by 230

mm. wide by 185 mm. high. This is by no means a giant but

seems to be average size for the adults.

One hundred and fifty Cassis were counted and probably twice

as many more were seen. The author has found other Western

Atlantic species of this genus, but never in large colonies.

In June, 1950 the author, while following the edge of a reef,

observed another member of the genus in the act of feeding.

The empty tests of several sea urchins provided an easily fol-

lowed trail, at the end of which was a Cassis tuherosa (L.).

It was eating a large white sea urchin, Tripneustes esculentus

(Leske).

This handsome sea urchin is dark with white spines; the test

is circular in outline, but slightly depressed. Since it lives out

in the open, it has been taken much more frequently than has

Plagiohrissus grandis. It is fairly numerous in some localities,

but individuals are usually well scattered.

Cassis tuherosa appears to be a solitary species. This colorful

gastropod is usually found living on reefs where a supply of

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 75

sea urchins is always at hand. The author has never seen this

species except as single individuals.

In July, 1954, while examining the sea bottom about two

hundred yards off Pensacola Beach, Florida, the author found

a great concentration of the sand dollar, Mellita quinquies-

perforata (Leske). These echinoids are greatly flattened and

have secondarily acquired bilateral s^Tiimetry. Since they live

in a zone where large waves exert considerable force, they have

many partitions and columns which strengthen the test. Five

holes near the outer edge serve to strengthen the test also. They

were most numerous where the water was about twenty feet deep.

Here and there, they were so crowded that they overlapped,

with a density of more than ten per square foot.

At first, Mellita appeared to be not only the dominant organ-

ism, but the only one present. However, a search revealed the

presence of the sand dwelling gastropod, Oliva sayana Ravenel.

Three live PJialmm granulatum, the Scotch Bonnet, were also

found, each one perched on a Mellita. When these were re-

moved, a small hole was revealed near the center of the test of

each echinoderm. The holes were a little less than two mm. in

diameter, but since the test of the sand dollar has a rather

porous structure, the teeth of the radula did not leave any

distinctive marks.

Apparently, the sand dollar is a dominant organism in a

rather narrow zone just offshore along much of the Gulf coast.

Off the Texas coast, where the water is very turbid, this is the

most common animal to be found in fifteen to thirty foot depths.

In slightly deeper water, Mellita is replaced by another sand

dollar, Encope michelini (Agassiz). Whether or not this

species also serves as food for the Scotch Bonnet, remains to be

determined.

The members of the family Cassididae are carnivorous and

thus are normally solitary individuals. Although further ob-

servations are needed, it is perhaps significant that each of the

three species discussed in this paper was found feeding on three

different types of echinoids in slightly different habitats. The

zones of these echinoids apparently overlap little, if any.

Probably the concentration of Cassis madagascariensis spinella

off Conch Reef was due to its selective feeding habits. There

must have been a large colony of heart urchins at this locality,

76 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

as shown by the number of empty tests lying around. This

local abundance of food was probably the cause of the ^ouping

of so many of these large predatory gastropods in such a small

area.

Although numerous at Pensacola Beach, the sand dollars

were actually part of a vast population extending for many miles

along the Gulf coast. Since there is no local concentration of

these animals it would be logical to find Phalium granulatum

well scattered. The author's observations indicate that this is

apparently the case.

Literature Cited

Clark, H. L. 1917. Mem. M. C. Z. 46, pt. 2.

. 1919. Carnegie Inst. Wash., Pub. 281.

Clench, W. J. 1944. Johnsonia 1, No. 16.

NOTES ON THE STINGING OPERATION OF CONUS

By GEOEGE F. KLINE i

While collecting on the ''Gloria Maris" expedition in the

Palau Islands, Western Caroline Group, during the summer

of 1955, we had several opportunities of observing specimens of

Conus stinging their victims. Much has been written regarding

the effects of the venom of Conus and the apparatus by means

of which it is injected, but to our knowledge no observations

have been recorded of the actual behavior at the moment of

attack.

Several species were used in our experiments, but only two

performed in captivity — Conus auratus Hwass and textile Linne.

One of the chief problems was to find some means to stimulate

the animal to attack. Most cones are quite retiring, and some

of the renowned venomous species, such as Conus marmoreus

Linne, striatus Linne, tulipa Linne, and geographus Linne, re-

fused to perform in our aquaria. In fact marmoreus would not

even emerge from its shell.

Conus auratus and textile seemed to be quite aggressive, and

would obligingly crawl about whenever placed in fresh sea

1 Eesearch supported by the Natural Science Foundation, Philadelphia,

Pa.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 77

water. It was found that if the shell was held, aperture up,

and a few drops of fresh water or saliva allowed to drip on the

retracted animal, it would produce results rather quickly. If

the specimen was replaced in the sea water, its brilliant red

proboscis would immediately be thrust out in an exploratory

manner. At this stage, the proboscis is quite evenly tapered

from base to tip, and would be moved about in a deliberate,

sinuous manner. The proboscis can be extended to about three

quarters of the length of the shell — thus a two-inch specimen can

''reach out" to about a length of 1% inches.

If, while in this state of excitement, suitable prey was placed

nearby, the cone usually stung fairly promptly. The moving

proboscis would ''discover" the soft parts of, say, a Cypraea.

There seemed to be an immediate heightening of excitement

when the desirable location on the victim was found. The tip

of the proboscis was brought stationary at this point, and a

quick spasm of the whole proboscis immediately ensued, with

obvious thrusting pressure. It became momentarily rigid and

turgid, although usually in a curving rather than a straight line.

Simultaneously with the muscular spasm and thrust, a small

milky cloud appeared around the point of contact, and the

proboscis then was quickly withdrawn, still emitting a small

amount of the milky fluid. The cloud reached a diameter of

about one fourth to one half inch before it dissipated itself in

the water. Having executed its sting, the cone seemed to lose

interest in the prey. On several occasions the small, glass-like

barb was seen protruding from the victim following the striking

operation.

One of the most interesting occurrences was the lethal stinging

of Conus geographus by a C. textile about one-third its size.

Several textile, ranging from two to two and one-half inches in

length, were placed in a container of sea water with a four-

inch long geographus. Without any special stimulus one of the

smaller textile, which crawled close to the moving geographus,

instantly shot out its proboscis and stung the foot of the latter.

A few moments later a second textile made a similar strike and

within five minutes the geographus was limp and evidently dead.

Several species of "victims" were tried. The cones would not

sting Oliva or Nassarius, but readily responded when Cypraea

was offered. Small species of Cypraea were killed by one or two

78 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

stings ; larger ones, such as Cypraea tigris Linne, seemed able to

absorb more of the venom and still live, although they obviously

became seriously affected.

REMARKS ON I. BORN'S INDEX RERUM NATURA-

LIUM MUSEI CAESAREI VINDOBONENSIS, 1778

By E. F. EUTSCH

University of Berne

Dodge in his valuable *' Historical Review of the Mollusks of

Linnaeus" (1952, 1953) refers to two publications of Ignatius

BoRN,^ the ''Index rerum naturalium Musei Caesarei Vindo-

bonensis" and the ''Testacea Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis "

and states (1952, p. 231; 1953, p. 125) :

"The 'Index' of Born, which bears the date 1778 on its title

page, was not published until 1780. His 'Testacea' bears the

date 1780 on its title page and was published in that year. The

latter is a folio volume and is not a second edition of the ' Index. '

It is limited to Mollusca. The two works were, however, pre-

pared simultaneously as they quote each other."

This is certainly incorrect. The Library of the University of

Berne has a copy of the "Index" with the handwritten comment

of J. S. Wyttenbach (one of the founders of the Swiss Society

of Natural History), that he received this copy in 1779. More-

over Brauer (1878) in his publication on Ignatius Born cites

1778 as the date of publication of the ' ' Index. ' ' We have there-

fore no reason to doubt that Born's "Index" was really pub-

lished in 1778.

Several living East American species such as Phalium granu-

latum (Born), Ostraea cristata (Born), Dosinia concentrica

(Born), Tivela mactroides (Born), etc. date from 1778 and not

from 1780 as often stated in American conchological literature

(e.g. Johnson 1934, Clench 1944, etc.).

I wish also to draw the attention of American conchologists

to the fact that according to Brauer (1878) many of Born's

types are still preserved in the Zoological Museum at Vienna.

1 Ignatius Born (1742-1791) was curator of the ' ' Kaiserliches Natural-

ienkabinet" of Vienna from 1776 on.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 79

Literature

Born, J. (1778) : Index Rerum Naturalium Musei Caesarei

Vindobonensis. Pars I : Testacea. Verzeichnis der natlir-

lichen Seltenheiten des k. k. Natnralien Cabinets zu Wien.

Brster Theil: Schalthiere. Vindobonae (ex. officina Kransi-

ana) 1778.

Born, J. (1780) : Testacea Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis.

Vindobonae, 1780.

Brauer, Fr. (1878) : Bemerkmigen iiber die ini kaiserlieh zoo-

logischen Museum aufgefundenen Original-Exemplare zu Ign.

V. Born's Testaceis Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis. Sitzber.

Kais. Akad. Wiss. (Wien) Math. Natw. CI. 77, Abt. 1, No. 2,

p. 117-192.

Clench, W. J. (1944) : The Genera Casmaria, Galeodea,

PJialium and Cassifi in the Western Atlantic. Johnsonia 1,

No. 16, pp. 1-16.

Dodge, H. (1952) : A historical review of the Mollusks of

Linnaeus. Part 1. The Class Loricata and Pelecypoda.

Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 100, Article 1, pp. 1-263.

Dodge, H. (1953) : A historical review of the Mollusks of

Linnaeus. Part 2. The Class Cephalopoda and the Genera

Conns and Cypraea of the Class Gastropoda. Bull. Am. Mus.

Nat. Hist. 103, Article 1, pp. 1-34.

Johnson, Ch. W. (1934) : List of marine mollusca of the At-

lantic Coast from Labrador to Texas. Proceed. Boston Soc.

Nat. Hist. 40, No. 1, p. 1-203.

WATER CIRCULATION IN THE MANTLE CAVITY

OF THE OWL LIMPET LOTTIA

GIGANTEA GRAY

By DONALD P. ABBOTT

Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, California.

On the Californian coast the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea Gray,

occurs on intertidal rocks in and above the mussel beds in areas

where wave action is often severe. The anatomy of this form is

well known through the work of Fisher (1904). As in other

members of the Patellacea, the mantle cavity includes not only

the nuchal cavity lying back of the head, but also the pallial

groove surrounding the body. In Lottia the pallial groove

bears a cordon of secondary gills consisting of lappet-like out-

growths of the mantle (Figs. A, C). This ring of gills is in-

80 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

complete anteriorly, and is poorly developed or absent in indi-

viduals less than about 20 mm. in length (Fisher, 1904). The

nuchal cavity bears the single left ctenidium; this is oriented

such that the efferent ("ventral") vessel lies toward the left side,

and the afferent ("dorsal") vessel is directed toward the right

(Figs. A, B). Afferent and efferent suspensory membranes are

virtually absent.

The pallial water currents produced by Lottia have never been

reported, though Yonge (1947) has predicted the probable

circulation of water in this genus from a study of living repre-

sentatives of the related limpets Helcion {Patina), Patella, and

Acmaea (Patelloida) . He notes that "... the presence of the

ctenidium indicates ... an inhalant current on the left of the

head. The pallial gills presumably produce diffuse inhalant

streams into the pallial grooves, while conditions in Patina indi-

cate the probability of a sediment-laden exhalant current on the

right of the head" (Yonge, 1947, p. 472, and Fig. 23 B). These

predictions have proved substantially correct.

In the present studj^ ciliary currents in Lottia were observed

in living intact individuals immersed in seawater containing a

small quantity of suspended carmine. Some individuals were

attached to upright or inverted glass plates ; other animals were

inverted unattached. Additional observations were made on

living animals in which the anterior portion of the shell was re-

moved and the nuchal cavity laid open.

The ctenidium resembles that of Theodoxus as described and

figured by Yonge (1947, p. 476 and Fig. 18 B) ; it differs in ap-

pearing somewhat more regularly elliptical in cross-section, and

in having very active lateral cilia distributed all over the flat

surfaces of the filaments instead of being confined to definite

bands. Circulation in the nuchal cavity results largely from the

beating of these lateral cilia on the filaments. Water enters the

nuchal cavity on the left side, passes between adjacent filaments

above and below the ctenidial axis, and exits on the right side

accompanied by waste materials from the anus and renal aper-

tures (Fig. B). In addition, there are powerful ciliary currents

on the posterior head and neck which sweep from left to right.

The roof of the nuchal cavity shows very little ciliary activity.

In contrast to the water currents of the nuchal cavity, those

of the pallial groove are rather weak. The mantle margin in the

Jan., 1956 J the nautilus 81

region of the sensory tentacles shows little or no ciliary activity.

The remainder of the flat mantle surface and the basal portions

of each pallial gill possess incnrrent ciliary tracts. The erect

surfaces of the pallial gills bear ciliated areas that carry ma-

terials toward the free margin of the gill (Fig. C) . The sides of

the foot and body which form the inner wall of the pallial

groove show almost no ciliary activity. Sediments entering

with the inhalant current tend to accumulate along the mantle

margin and along the side of the foot, trapped in a layer of

mucus. In a moving animal this material is left behind with the

mucous trail; in stationary individuals it is expelled not by

ciliary action but by irregular muscular movements of the ani-

mal. Proper determination of the ciliary currents of the pallial

groove is rendered more difficult in bigger individuals by the

presence of large numbers of both attached and free-moving

ciliated protozoans on the mantle and gill surfaces.

The functional significance of the ciliary currents is not en-

tirely clear from laboratory studies of owl limpets attached to

glass plates. For one thing, the anterior margin of the shell in

Lottia is usually curved downward, making it impossible for

the animal to seal itself tightly to a smooth flat surface. On

such a surface the lateral margins of the shell remain slightly

elevated, and even when the animal is firmly clamped down,

the shell may be rocked slightly from side to side. This shell

condition is rather consistent regardless of the substrate form,

though the nature of the modification is somewhat similar to that

noted by Comfort (1946) in Patella growing on mussels or um-

bonate rocks. On a flat rock this shell-form would insure an

opening through which water could always be drawn into the

pallial and nuchal cavities at high tide. However, the presence

of such a groove is not in consonance wdth the commonly held

picture of a limpet clamped to a perfectly-fitting home scar at

low tide to prevent water loss from the pallial complex. Numer-

ous questions arise : Is the pallial groove open to the outside or

sealed off at low tide? At low water is the pallial groove filled

with air or water? How does wave action affect water move-

ment in the mantle cavity? Field observations of Lottia have

been made at various phases of the tidal cycle. These have pro-

vided some interesting and somewhat unexpected answers to the

above and related questions.

82 THE NAUTILUS fVol. 69 (3)

At Mussel Point, Pacific Grove, California, Lottia occurs on

surf-beaten rocks in the intertidal zone from the 0.0 datum line

to about 4.0 ft., the great majority of the individuals being found

within the range of 0.5 to 3.4 ft. (Hewatt, 1937, PI. 1). Oc-

casional individuals occur higher in crevices or in areas where

wave splash is great. In southern California, Lottia is said to

occur a bit higher in the intertidal (Rasmussen, 1935; Ricketts

and Calvin, 1952). The upper limit of Lottia coincides remark-

ably well with the 3.4 ft. height reached by the very lowest of

the lower high waters in this region (Ricketts and Calvin, 1952,

Figs. 1, 132). Animals below this level are never exposed for

periods longer than about 10 hours, and are always covered by

the tides twice each day. Above this level, the forms present

may be covered by the sea only once in 24 hours during equa-

torial tides, and the maximum period of continuous exposure

extends abruptly to about 18 hours.

During periods of low water Lottia is generally inactive.

Some individuals are found occupjang distinct ''home scars"

which fit the shell margin very well. Frequently, however, there

is no clear scar below or near the animal, and the shell margin

does not conform very well with local small irregiilarities of the

granite. Where scars are present, these are usually nearly as

well covered by an algal film as the adjoining rock surface, sug-

gesting that individuals of Lottia are often away from home.

Probably, as in Patella, the homing habit is not so well de-

veloped in individuals living on a relatively even substrate,

and the animals may not remain in the same place for long

periods (Orton, 1929; Jones, 1948).

Many Lottia have been examined closely at low tide. With

few exceptions these show the following features. First, the

shell, while it rests lightly against the substrate, is seldom

clamped firmlj^ down. Especially along the lateral margins

there usually remain slight gaps between shell and rock. The

mantle often protrudes slightly in these areas, and here and

there are places where a narrow open communication exists be-

tween the pallial groove and the outside. With the shell muscle

slightly relaxed, an air space is present in the pallial groove, and

the ciliary currents described earlier are probably effective in

circulating the surface film of moisture over the mantle and

pallial gills. When disturbed the animal clamps firmly down;

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 83

this reduces the volume of the nuchal cavity and compresses the

pallial groove to a mere slit, eliminating the air space and often

squeezing a bit of water out at the shell edges as well. Subse-

quent relaxation again opens the pallial groove and draws air in

under the shell. It appears, then, that at low water the pallial

groove contains a sizeable air space, that under these conditions

the pallial gills and relatively vascular mantle are wet but ex-

posed to air, and that these ciliated structures probably play a

primary role in aerial respiration. Openings to the outside are

so small that desiccation is probably no problem, for exposures to

air never exceed 10 hours and are usually of a shorter duration.

The pallial groove and nuchal cavity contain considerable

residual water, and any surfaces tending to dry out could be

wetted by an occasional slight contraction of the shell muscle.

Such movements might also help ventilate the pallial cavity,

though this would not appear to be necessary.

Observations of limpet behavior when the tide is in are by no

means so easy. However, with the aid of binoculars, good ob-

servation>s were obtained on a total of 18 Lottia which were being

regularly pounded and exposed again by the waves at inter-

mediate water levels. Six animals were watched during tidal

ebb, and twelve during tidal flow. The findings were somewhat

surprising to one accustomed to thinking of limpets as tightly

drawn to the rocks in pounding seas. With only two exceptions,

all of these individuals had their shell margins elevated an esti-

mated distance of two to six mm. above the rock surface, leaving

the pallial groove broadly open to the surging waters all around.

Thus with every wave the pallial cavities and grooves were

flushed with a torrent of water, and even in the full force of the

waves the shell was not clamped to the rock surface, though the

animals were stationary. It seems clear that at this phase of the

tide, the real work of circulating water through the pallial com-

plex is accomplished not so much by ciliary activity as by the

action of the sea itself. No observations have been carried out

during the highest waters, for the animals are then fully and

continuously submerged and the rocks scarcely approachable.

Under conditions of full submersion it would seem that the

respiratory effectiveness of the ctenidium would reach its peak;

in contrast, the pallial gills would appear to be able to operate

effectivelv regardless of the height of the water. This is of

84 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

interest in view of the series one finds in the Patellacea : Acmaea

with ctenidium only, Lottia with ctenidium and pallial gills, and

the Patellidae with pallial gills only.

The vast majority of Lottia are found clinging to steeply

sloping or vertical surfaces of rock in central California. Dur-

ing the tidal periods when they are being wetted by the sea, they

are subjected to moving water coming from various directions.

The most persistent water flow, however, is from above, consist-

ing of waters draining down the surface of the rock. It is ap-

parent that the current of water down the face of the rocks and

around animals whose shells are slightly raised, might serve

either to reenforce or to counteract the action of the ciliary

currents, particularly those of the nuchal cavity, depending on

the orientation of the individual animal on the rock. If the

anterior end of the animal, as viewed from the dorsal surface,

is directed to the right or downward (from about 2 to 5 or 6

o'clock), the water runoff would tend to supplement and reen-

force the ciliary currents of the nuchal cavity and flush wastes

away from the ctenidium. For animals with the head pointed

upward or inclined toward the left, the reverse would be true,

and these individuals would appear to be at some disadvantage.

Orientation of the body on the rock surface was plotted for

175 animals. Of this number, 9 were on approximately hori-

zontal surfaces, the remaining 166 on rather steeply sloping or

vertical rock faces. Distribution of the 166 individuals into 8

classes on the basis of body orientation is shown in Fig. D.

Very clearly there is a tendency for the animals to orient with

their heads more or less do^\^iward, and a Chi-square test indi-

cates the odds are less than one in 10,000 that such a distribution

of orientations is due to chance alone.

If we omit, for the moment, animals with heads pointing either

up or down (octants IV and VIII, Fig. D) and consider the re-

mainder, the tendency for the animals to orient with the head

to the right rather than to the left is by no means so clear.

While a total of 58 individuals were assigned to the right-facing

group (presumably advantageous octants I-III), and only 40 to

the left-facing group (presumably disadvantageous octants V-

VII), the difference here proves only of borderline or dubious

statistical significance (5% level). Such a difference is sug-

gestive but scarcely conclusive.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 85

The real and significant tendency seems to be to keep the

head down. This finding agrees in general with that of Wells

(1917), who found positive reactions to gravity and ''the cur-

rent made by the waves" in five species of limpets including L.

gigantea. Over one-third of the present animals have the head

pointed almost straight downward, while fully two-thirds fall

into octants III-V. In these animals, the ciliary currents of the

nuchal cavity would be slightly helped, slightly hindered, or

relatively unaffected. The possible advantages of the head-

downward position would appear, on speculation, to be at least

two-fold. First, this position affords the best drainage from the

nuchal cavity of contaminating renal and fecal wastes. Point-

ing the head toward the right would be better than to the left,

but head downward would be best under conditions of exposure

at low water. With any significant downflow of water on the

rock the sanitary problem would be negligible. Second, with

the head down, water trapped in the mantle cavity at ebb tide

would tend to drain toward the anterior end, where a deep

recess underlies the beak of the shell. Thus under any condi-

tions where desiccation might become a problem, the head and

nuchal cavity bearing sense organs and ctenidium would be the

last structures to suffer from drying. It seems doubtful that

orientation would make much difference as far as deflecting the

force of oncoming waves is concerned. The shell is low, offering

little resistance to water coming from any direction, and, to an

animal which can cling firmly in pounding seas with its shell

raised almost like an umbrella above the body, this should be a

negligible factor.

Summary: Ciliary currents in the nuchal cavity and pallial

groove of Lottia gigantea are described and figured ; these eon-

firm earlier predictions of Yonge and add details. Studies of

Lottia in the field indicate that the pallial gills serve as organs

of aerial respiration at low tide, that wave action is the primary

moving agent in water circulation at intermediate water levels,

and that Lottia tends to orient on sloping rock surfaces with the

head downward.

86

THE NAUTILUS

[Vol. 69 (3)

Explanation

Fig. a. Dorsal view of Lottia gigantea Gray Avitli the shell removed

and the mantle cut away anteriorly to show the head and structures in the

nuchal cavity. The horseshoe-shaped shell muscle is heavily stippled.

Lateral to this the positions of the pallial gills below the mantle are

indicated by short black lines.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 87

Literature Cited

Comfort, A, 1946. Patella vulgata L. : Relation of habit to

form. Jour. Conchol. 22(9) : 216-217.

Fisher, W. K. 1904. The anatomy of Lottia gigantea Gray.

Zool. Jahrb. Anat. 20(1) : 1-66.

Hewatt, W. G. 1937. Ecological studies on selected marine

intertidal communities of Monterey Bay, California. Amer.

Mid. Nat. 18(2): 161-206.

Jones, N. S. 1948. Observations and experiments on the

biology of Patella vulgata at Port St. Mary, Isle of Man.

Trans. Liverpool Biol. Soc. 56: 60-77.

Orton, J. H. 1929. Observations on Patella vulgata. Part

III. Habitat and habits. Jour. Mar. Biol. Assn. U.K. 16(1) :

277-288.

Rasmussen, D. I. 1935. Southern California Balanus-Lit-

torina communities. Effects of wave action and friable ma-

terial. In: Shelf ord et al. Some marine biotic communities

of the Pacific coast of North America. Part I. General sur-

vey of the communities. Ecol. Monogr. 5 : 249-354.

Ricketts, E. F. and J. Calvin. 1952. Between Pacific Tides,

3rd ed., revised by J. Hedgpeth. Stanford University Press.

1-502.

Wells, M. M. 1917. The behavior of limpets with particular

reference to the homing instinct. Jour. Animal Behavior

7(6): 387-395.

Yonge, C. M. 1947. The pallial organs in the aspidobranch

Gastropoda and their evolution throughout the Mollusca.

Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond., Ser. B, 232(591) : 443-518.

Fig. B. Dorsal view of the head and nuchal cavity with the mantle

removed. Solid arrows indicate the main flow of water through the cavity.

Dotted-line arrows show ciliary currents on the head, neck, and ctenidium.

Fig. C. Cross-section through the shell, mantle, pallial groove, and

adjacent body and foot in the mid-body region. Arrows indicate ciliary

currents on the flat mantle surface and pallial gills.

Fig. D. Graph showing orientation of individuals of Lottia gigantea

on steeply sloping or vertical granite surfaces at Pacific Grove, California.

Arrows indicate direction of the anterior end. Arabic numerals and black

bars show the number of individuals observed whose orientations were as-

signed to each octant.

88 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

TWO ANONYMOUS LETTERS

Dear Dr. Curator :

With the current interest in all phases of natural sciences,

with more and more people travelling each year, with increasing

knowledge of the sea and its abundant life, the ranks of shell

collectors are growing by leaps and bounds. Perhaps one should

say by ''stoops" and ''dunks" as generally the novice starts by

beachcombing.

From here the next phase can be illustrated by watching a

hypothetical Mr. X who in all innocence has gathered a few

shells on his vacation. He pockets a dozen or so and they find

their way into his homeward bound luggage. The next step is

a critical one for him. If he ceases to be interested in his bag

or box of shells when his vacation has passed, all well and good,

but if he so much as questions the name of one small mollusk

he is in danger of starting on a hobby that can become in-

triguing, rewarding and time-taking.

As the years slip by Mr. and Mrs. X realize that their hobby

has brought them much more than a collection of sea shells.

They have covered a considerable area in pursuit of moUusks,

bounded only by economic considerations. Their horizon has

broadened as their travels have introduced them to people and

customs they might never have encountered had they not become

members of the shell collecting group. Interest in one aspect

of natural science has brought with it an awakening to other

forms of nature ; with each new awareness they have gained im-

measurably as human beings. They have learned that any

pleasure is deepened with a fuller understanding of the subject.

Our couple has become sincerely interested in conchology. They

have purchased serious volumes on shells, have visited museums,

and have met others who share their interest. No longer do

beach specimens have the power to charm them — shells from the

living animals are now their aim. Gradually the X's realize

that their shelling trips might in some w^ay be helpful to the

scientists in the museums. Is there any way they can contribute

to this great renaissance ?

At this point our imaginary couple becomes real and joins

the group of collectors who exist in substantial numbers. Man}^

of us are in that odd position of an amateur status but advanced

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 89

enough that the language of the scientist no longer seems strange.

We can understand reasonably well a lecture or an article on

mollusks. We have a sincere wish to contribute something and

we think we can. How and what and where, are the big ques-

tions. Through education and more aggressive public relations

work on the part of museums the public is more and more aware

that with intelligent cooperation our great institutions can be-

come even greater. Statistics prove that globe trotting is wide-

spread and growing and there seems to be ample proof that

many of the * trotters" are collectors. There must be some way

for the museums to capitalize on this state of affairs. It is at

this point that the non-professional is apt to flounder. The in-

telligent collector knows that he can help. The question is how?

We all know that the scientist has said in as many ways as

there are scientists '* Shells with proper data are welcome ad-

ditions to any scientific collection." Right here Dr. Curator,

is where we need your help. Just what do you mean by proper

data? You tell us to keep good and accurate field notes. Speci-

fically^ what, in your opinion, IS a good set of field notes? We

ask you what kind of shells you would be particularly interested

in having from Idyllic Reef and you say "Bring any you can".

Seriously, do you mean you really want a basket full of, say,

Neritas, or should we try to bring a representative group of

shells from a particular locality? Another question, learned

Dr. — Do you want shells with opercula or not ? If the answer is

* ' yes, ' ' do you mean that you want each shell with its individual

operculum, or do you mean for instance, fifty Neritas from one

station with a bag of their fifty opercula collectively? And

still another question — Are you interested in pictures or descrip-

tions of the living mollusks ? Does a description of any interest-

ing characteristic behavior mean anything? For example —

would you like to know that on several occasions it was observed

that a particular species cut off part of its body when disturbed?

Does it interest you to learn that some species described as

"rare" in certain recognized publications proved quite common

once the idea of "fanning" (stirring with the hand or a swim

fin to sweep the sand away) for them was tried? Would you

want any record of population in certain species? Would it be

of any significance to record that particular varieties are con-

sidered a gastronomical delicac}' on a certain island?

90 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

The questions could go on and on, but these few will illustrate

our quandary. You see, Dr. Curator, we are serious in a desire

to help you, we earnestly want to do a good job. We 're in the

hemi-, demi-, semi-, state of being a bit above the amateur in the

strictest sense of the word and are conscious that we have a long

way to go to rank with the professional, but. Dr. Curator, we're

a mighty big group and you have created us — the next move is

up to you.

How 'bout straightening us out?

(signed) A Collector

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Collector:

Your quandary is not limited to the legions of serious amateurs

who wish to add to the knowledge of mollusks, but is a dilemma

which faces any scientific observer, professional or otherwise,

who goes into the field to pry into nature 's secrets. The amount

and types of data to be made are in direct proportion to the

observer's training, interests and experience, but practical mat-

ters, such as time, money, equipment and physical endurance,

will, in the end, dictate the nature and limits of the studies. It

is the sum of these factors that helps the expedition-bound

Curator to answer your same questions for himself.

Let's take this matter of a good set of field notes. I know

a competent Curator and field observer who has made five or

six summer trips to the West Indies in search of mollusks. His

field notes consist, for example, merely of ''One mile south of

Pirate's Town, Grand Cay. August 1, 1935. Xancus and Oliva

abundant. " Profound notes? No, but he was not making a life

history study of Xancus, nor an ecologic investigation of Grand

Cay. He was sampling the marine fauna at 500 stations in the

Bahamas. This was later to serve as an important basis for the

study of speciation and zoogeography of the Western Atlantic

marine mollusks. I also know of a curator who spent three

years in the Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean, making observa-

tions and experiments on one species of marine gastropod. The

result was a splendid and worthwhile report on the biology of

Trochus, but we know practically nothing about the other

marine mollusks of the Andamans to this day. These are two

extreme examples of how much information can go into field

notes.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 91

Your notes should be geared to fit your circumstances. If

you are making short, annual trips to far-off places, make your

notes on marine species brief and accurate, and, as time affords,

include the following in descending importance ; geographical

location to within a half-mile ; date ; general ecological habitat

(sandflats, rocks, beach, dredged in 10 feet, etc.) ; special water

conditions (heavy surf, quiet bay, cold or warm water, etc.) ;

relative abundance or scarcity of mollusks, other animals or

plants; outstanding habits noticed about certain species (feed-

ing, reproduction, locomotion, etc.) ; colored paintings of or

color notes on certain species; ethnological observations (native

uses, methods of collecting, legends). If you are a born col-

lector and hope a Conus gloria-maris will turn up at the next

reef, you'll be lucky if you have time to write down the first two

observations.

On the other hand, if you live a coconut's throw from that

Elysian Reef, your notes can follow the above outline, but think

of the possibilities! Not just one date, but a year round

chronicle of the changing tides, moving sand bars, the seasonal

disappearance and reappearance of different species, the breed-

ing and egg-laying periods, the months of increasing size of

individuals, the days when predators or storms produce their

havoc. And with the help of an aquarium, think how many

pages you could write on the color phases, feeding and egg-laying

habits and locomotion of your local mollusks! Any curator

would be glad to show you a dozen good publications which re-

sulted from such simple observations.

As for some of your specific questions, Mr. Collector, I be-

lieve you will find many answers in the booklet entitled "How to

Collect Shells" issued by the American Malacological Union in

1955 or in some larger popular books on seashells (modesty pre-

vents me from mentioning one in particular). You should also

read an excellent article by Dr. David Nicol, ' ' The Scientific Role

of the Amateur Malaeologist, " which appeared in the October

1953 issue of the Nautilus (vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 41-44). And as

for how many specimens to bring back for the museum. Sir or

Madam, you underestimate the greed of a Curator ! Seriously,

though, most curators would prefer to select out a representa-

tive set for their research collections, and return the surplus to

you or use them for exchange. Some departments of mollusks

92 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

are over-crowded, others specialize only in certain groups, al-

though, a few are singularly in position to absorb, exchange or

even sell surplus material (modesty again prevents me from

mentioning a certain Pennsylvanian institution).

And before I climb the stairs to my ivory tower to continue

identifying dusty shells, let me remind you, Mr. and Mrs.

Collector, that an amateur is not ''just an amateur" or novice,

but one who loves his work or hobby, whether he be a so-called

professional or not, and I would add that it was the widespread

interest among many people who created the Curator, and not

we few professionals who made your mighty big group.

(signed) A Curator

A NEW BOSTRYX FROM PERU

By H. a. PILSBEY

Some years ago a paper on the carinate Bulimulidae of Peru

was brought out by A. A. Olsson and the writer. In the ex-

amination of Peruvian collections made by the geologist Mr.

A. G. Fisher an addition to this peculiar series of land shells

came to light. Four specimens of this species were found, all

dead and more or less broken, but so distinct from known

species that it should be described.

BosTRYX (Platybostryx) fisheri, new species. PI. 5, figs. 4, 5.

The shell is somewhat wider than high, openly umbilicate, the

periphery carinate. The first 1% whorls are smooth, strongly

convex, forming a short, obtuse apical nipple. The following

whorl is less convex, and the third whorl becomes flattened and

carinate, the keel projecting above the suture. The last

whorl has a flat, horizontal upper surface and strongly ex-

pressed peripheral keel; the somewhat convex lateral outline

slopes inward anteriorly, and the base is strongly angular

around the ample, funnel-shaped umbilicus. The aperture is

sub triangular ; peristome simple.

Height 5.6 mm. ; diameter 6 mm. ; 4% whorls.

Peru: below Tarma on the Tarma-Chanchamayo road. Col-

lected by Mr. A. G. Fisher. Type and three paratypes are

196550 ANSP.

THE NAUTILUS 69 (3)

PLATE 5

1, la, Poliigiira Uimanlipasensis Lea, type. 2, 2a, Polygyra polita P. &

H., type. 3, 3a, Polygyra scintilla P. .S: H., type. 4, 5, Bostryx fisheri

Pils., type and immature paratype.

All

larged.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 93

This species appears to be related to B. erymothauma of north-

ern Chile, but that is a much larger shell, 12 to 15 mm. in

diameter with about the same number of whorls. The spire of

B. fisheri is much higher than that of the Chilian species and

the umbilicus is not so wide. Some specimens show very weak

traces of axial wrinkles.

This addition to the small group of carinate Bostryx is named

in honor of its discoverer.

With these shells there is a fragmentary spire of some other

species having a thin keel projecting above the suture, the

generic relation unknown.

BEACH DRIFT POLYGYRIDAE FROM

SOUTHERN TEXAS

By HENRY A. PILSBEY AND LESLIE HUBEICHT

At the bases of the dunes, near the beaches along the Gulf

of Mexico in southern Texas, are to be found incredible num-

bers of land shells which have been washed in from the sea.

Most of these shells are of species which are found living in

Texas, but many of them are of Mexican species. The Texas

shells appear to be derived from the drainages of the Rio

Grande, Brazos, and Colorado Rivers. Not many shells char-

acteristic of the Mexican side of the Rio Grande drainage were

found. The El Azucar dam on the lower Rio San Juan and the

Don Martin dam on the Rio Salado have apparently prevented

many shells from reaching the sea. Most of the Mexican shells

appear to be from farther south, from the Rio Panuco drainage

southward.

Shells were collected at the following three places. The ab-

breviations BC, Pla, and PIb are used, followed by the number

of specimens found.

BC. Near the mouth of the Rio Grande, 1 mile south of

Boca Chica, Cameron Co., Texas. At this locality, shells were

found literally by the millions. Most of the shells were Polygyra

texasiana. Sorting through the piles of this species became

so tedious that not as many foreign shells were found here as

at the other localities where P. texasiana was not so abundant.

94 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

Pla. Padre Island, 2.5 miles north of the Port Isabel Cause-

way Road, Cameron Co. T. texasiana was not as abundant here,

numbermg in the thousands, but was still numerous enough to

hamper collecting of the foreign shells.

PIb. Padre Island, 30 miles north of the Port Isabel Cause-

way Road, in Willacy Co., Texas. Here the percentage of

Mexican shells Avas higher than at the other localities.

Polygyra cereolus (Miihlfeld), PIb-1.

Polygyra cereolus fehigeri (Bland), PIa-3.

Folygyra auriformis (Bland), BC-2, PIa-61, PIb-101.

Polygyra oppUata (Morelet), BC-27, PIa-270, PIb-139.

Polygyra oppilata (Morelet) var. ?, BC-1, PIa-7, PIb-1.

These shells differ from typical P. oppilata in having a narrow

channel separating the parietal tooth from the end of the upper

lip. It may prove to be a distinct species.

Polygyra implicata (Martens), BC-23, PIa-145, PIb-217.

This species has been considered a subspecies of P. oppilata,

but there was no intergradation in the beach drift shells. The

two species sorted without difficulty.

Polygyra leporina (Gould), BC-1, PIa-12, PIb-39.

Polygyra rhoadsi Pilsbry, BC-2.

Polygyra ariadnae (Pfr.), BC-1.

Polygyra texasiana (Moricand). The material found on the

beaches shows all the variation in size and sculpture found in

the species. In sculpture the shells vary from smooth to rib-

striate above and below. Smooth shells are found living along

the western edge of the range of the species, being found from

the Pecos River eastward to Roma, Starr Co., Texas, and Oglesby,

Coryell County. In Mexico it is found at Cerralvo, Nuevo

Leon. Shells with basal rib-striae are found only within a few

miles of the coast, in Cameron, Willacy, Calhoun, and Harris

Counties, Texas.

Three sinistral specimens were found at Boca Chica.

Polygyra texasensis Pilsbry, BC-10, PIa-33, PIb-2.

Polygyra scintilla, new species, pi. 5, figs. 3, 3a. BC-15, Pla-

38, PIb-4.

The shell is strongly depressed, with rounded periphery, the

spire very low or nearly flat. The surface is almost smooth,

being finely striate above and below, with a few rib-striae behind

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 95

the lip. Color pale brown, usually with a narrow reddish-brown

band above the periphery. The umbilicus has an externally

small axial hole, expanding in the last half whorl to about one-

seventh of the diameter of the shell. The last quarter whorl is

strongly expanded, giving the shell an oval outline. The last

whorl descends abruptly in front, and is deeply contracted be-

hind the lip. The lip is reflected, forming about three-fourths

of a circle, rather heavily callused within, strongly dished, with

two rather slender teeth, set close together, one basal, the other

on the outer margin. Parietal tooth v-shaped, lower branch

straight or nearly so, upper branch with a slight curve. There

is no internal tubercle on the columellar wall.

Height 3.6 mm. Diameter 7.5 mm. 4.3 whorls. Paratype.

Height 4.8 mm. Diameter 10.0 mm. 5.0 whorls. Paratype.

Height 4.2 mm. Diameter 9.1 mm. 4.7 whorls. Holotype.

Texas : Willacy Co. : along the railroad, 1.5 miles north of

Raymondville. Holotype 196560 and Paratypes 196559 ANSP

Paratypes 14407, collection of L. Hubricht. Mexico: Nuevo

Leon: drift, Rio Sabinas, Sabinas Hidalgo. Tamaulipas: loess,

1.4 miles southeast of Cuidad Mier; drift, Rio San Fernando,

San Fernando ; roadside, 9 miles southwest of Santa Teresa.

This species differs from Polygyra texasiana (Moricand) by

its more depressed, more oval shell, and the smaller central hole

of the umbilicus. The lip is more dished, the ends of the lip

come closer together, and the teeth are more slender. The lower

branch of the parietal tooth is straighter. The umbilical region

resembles that of P. jacksoni (Bland).

For comparison we figure (pi. 5, figs. 2, 2a) Polygyra polita

Pilsbry and Hinckley, 1907, described from Tampico, in river

debris (Nautilus 21: 38, pi. 5, f. 11). This has a wider axial

hole of the umbilicus than P. scintilla and the peristome is more

"dished."

Polygyra texasiana tamauUpasensis Lea (pi. 5, figs. 1, la) as

another related species, of which we figure the holotype, 117885

USNM., by courtes}^ of Dr. Rehder. It has a nearly flat spire

of 4% whorls, with a diameter of 9.6 mm. The surface is

nearly smooth except behind the upper and outer lip where

there are five or six riblets. The umbilicus is contained about

4.8 times in the diameter. Its axial hole is larger than in P.

polita, therefore much wider than in P. scintilla; and it differs

from both in having the tooth of the outer lip on the same level

96 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

as the basal tooth. In poUta and scintilla the outer tooth is

more deeply placed, only partly visible in a direct basal view.

P. t. tamaulipasensis seems to be completely identical with the

form described as P. t. hyperoUa Pilsbrj^ & Ferriss (Proc.

A.N.S. Phila. 1906, p. 128, pi. 5, figs. 13-15) from the high mesa

west of Devils River, Val Verde Co., Texas. Lea's type looks

like a river drift specimen, having their characteristic polish.

Polygyra mooreana (W. G. Binney), PIa-83, PIb-192.

Polygyra tholus (W. G. Binney), BC-2, PIa-69, PIb-217. The

shells of this species sorted from those of P. mooreana without

difficulty.

Polygyra clorf enilliana Lea, PIa-45, PIb-96.

Polygyra clorf euilliana sampsoni Wetherby, PIa-1. For this

specimen to have come from the known range of sampsoni in

northwestern Arkansas or northeastern Oklahoma it would

have had to drift down some Arkansas river into the Mississippi,

thence into and across the Gulf of Mexico, which seems an im-

possible journey. It is more probable that it is an aberrant shell

from somewhere in Texas.

Stenotrema leai aliciae (Pilsbry), BC-15, PIa-147, PIb-359.

PraUcolella griseola (Pfr.), BC-2, PIa-2.

Praticolella herlandieriana (Moricand), BC-9, PIa-1.

PraUcolella pachyloma ('Menke' Pfr.), PIa-1.

FRESH-WATER MOLLUSKS AND STREAM

POLLUTION

By CHARLES B. WURTZ

Consulting Biologists, Philadelphia 2, Pa.

The intense interest throughout the nation today on pollu-

tion, clean-stream programs and conservation, has led to an

intensification of study into the biological effects of pollution.

Pollution is commonly divided into three basic types. These

are physical, such as siltation or high temperatures; chemical,

such as acidity or toxic wastes ; and biological or organic. The

latter consists of ororanic waste material that is not in itself

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 97

toxic, but which may, by its decomposition in nature, exert an

oxygen demand in excess of that found in natural waters. Both

sewage and many industrial wastes contribute to this type of

pollution. Since the effect of both physical and chemical pollu-

tion upon the fauna of a body of water is usually direct, and

usually absolute, these types of pollution are not further con-

sidered here.

Organic pollution passes through various degrees of intensity.

When an organic pollutant first enters a body of water it may

have no immediate effect upon the water. As time passes this

material is broken down by bacterial action. The bacteria

concerned demand oxygen for their life processes, although some

phases of decomposition may be effected by anaerobic bacteria.

If the volume of organic material is slight in comparison to the

volume of water in the receiving body, the pollutant may, in

effect, be nothing but an enrichment of the water. Actually,

this is fertilization of the water. Because of this, a slight or-

ganic pollution may be a desirable feature in a stream or lake.

However, when the volume of organic waste flowing into a body

of water is so large that the bacteria that contribute to the de-

composition of the material exhaust the available oxygen in

the water, septic conditions occur. This is putrefaction and is

gross pollution. All intermediate conditions occur.

In flowing water, which is the usual depository for effluents

disposing of waste materials, a septic condition usually does not

occur until the material has passed some distance downstream.

The actual distance is quite variable and depends on tempera-

ture, rate of flow, volume of organic matter in relation to water

volume, and many other factors.

When large volumes of organic waste are dumped into a

stream, the stream first enters a zone of degradation. As the

pollutant proceeds downstream, and the bacterial content in-

creases, a septic zone develops where there is no oxygen. Be-

low the septic zone, and associated with the completed decom-

position of the organic waste, a recovery zone is found. Below

the recovery zone the stream returns to a clean-stream condition.

If the pollution load is not too great there may not be a septic

zone; the zone of degradation gives way to the recovery zone.

In most streams in the highly industrialized east one waste

98 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

effluent succeeds another in the course of the stream from its

headwaters to its mouth. As a result, the stream may not have

a clean-water zone anywhere throughout its whole course, al-

though septic pollution may not be present.

In the study of stream biology in relation to pollution, it was

early recognized that some species of organisms could with-

stand pollution in varying degrees of intensity, while others

were eliminated from the fauna if only a small amount of pollu-

tion was present. As these latter species disappeared, reducing

the number of species in any particular habitat, the more toler-

ant species increased in number to take advantage of the avail-

able food or fill the available space. If predator species are

eliminated by pollution (and many are) there is no way to hold

the more tolerant species in check, and large populations of these

species occur. A typical example of this is the very tolerant

worms of the family Tubificidae. Some species of this family

are so tolerant that they develop vast populations below sewage

outlets where other animals cannot live. This phenomenon has

resulted in their common name, '* sewage worms."

During the course of my own work in this field, I have culled

the literature on the subject, and gathered together all the avail-

able information on the response of North American fresh-water

mollusks to pollution. This includes only those mollusks identi-

fied to the species level. General statements concerning families

or genera are not helpful when interpreting stream conditions

based on specimens actually collected at a given spot. Some ob-

servations are based on my own field work, while others were

originally made known by other workers.

In presenting the following list of species known to be tolerant

it must be borne in mind that we are woefully lacking in knowl-

edge on this subject. We do not yet know the exact tolerance

limits of any of these species, although, so far as I have been able

to ascertain, no mollusks are able to withstand protracted gross

pollution. We can anticipate that many species will be added

to the list as further work continues. The species listed below

can survive, at least to some degree, in the zones of degradation

and recovery.

Jan., 1956]

THE NAUTILUS

99

Mytilopsis leucophaeatus

(Conr.)

Bangia cuneata Gray

Sphaerium rhomhoideiim

(Say)

Sphaerium corneum (L.) ^

Sphaerium striatinum

(Lam.) 2

Sphaerium sulcatum (Lam.)

Sphaerium (Musculium)

securis Prime

Pelecypoda

Sphaerium (Musculium)

transversum (Say)

Pisidium amnicum (Miill.) ^

Pisidium casertanum (Poll)

Pisidium compressum Prime

^ Pisidium fallax Sterki

Pisidium henslowanum

(Sheppard)

Pisidium suhtruncatum Malm.

Gastropoda

Campeloma integrum (Say) Helisoma anceps (Menke)

Campeloma riifum (Hald.)

Bulimus tentaculatus (L.) ^

Lymnaea caperata Say

Lymnaea humilis Say

Lymnaea ohrussa Saj^

Lymnaea palustris (Miill.)

Lymnaea stagnalis (L.)

Lymnaea auricularia (L.) •''

Pseudosuccinea columella

Helisoma trivolvis (Say)

Gyraulus arcticus (Miill.)

Menetus dilatatus (Gould)

Aplexa hypnorum (L.)

Physa gyrina Say

Physa heterostropha (Say)

Physa integra Hald.

Ferrissia fusca (C. B. Adams)

Ferrissia tarda (Say)

(Say)

Physa heterostropha is the most tolerant species that has been

found. As it is common and widespread it would be expected

to occur repeatedly in collections. It is tolerant to the extent

that some workers have considered it as an ''indicator species"

for pollution. Members of this genus have been known to clog

trickling filters in waste disposal systems, but to date I have

had no opportunity to examine any material of this type so can-

not venture an opinion on the species concerned.

No Unionidae have been found to be tolerant to polluted con-

ditions. We can conclude that this family is more sensitive to

1 Found throughout the Great Lakes region and may represent a European

introduction.

2 This has been recorded from a pollution zone as S. notatum Sterki.

3 Recently introduced into the Great Lakes region.

4 Introduced into the Great Lakes region where it is now very common.

100 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

pollution than the Sphaeriidae. Unionidae are found in the

Pennypaek Creek in Philadelphia, and this stream was just

this year (1955) closed to public bathing: because of ''pollution."

However, this closure was based on public health standards and

is contingent on the coliform bacteria count. It does not imply

a heavy pollutional load, but, rather, reflects water quality.

The coliform bacteria are an indication of pollution from sewage,

and a very little of this goes a long way when it comes to recrea-

tional waters.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE RECENTLY EXTINCT

MOLLUSK FAUNA OF PANAMINT LAKE

By JOSHUA L. BAILY, JE.

The opportunity to examine an interesting collection of semi-

fossil shells from the dry bed of Panamint Lake in Inj^o County,

California, has recently been given this writer b}^ Dr. Carl L.

Hubbs of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at La Jolla,

California. This opportunity was especially welcome because

it makes possible the comparison of the mollusk fauna of this

area with that of the pleistocene Lakes Lahontan and Bonneville,

upon which the present writer has recentl}^ reported (Nautilus,

vol. 63, pp. 73 et seq.).

The physiography of the Panamint area is now the object of

Dr. Hubbs' researches, and he is now preparing a report upon

it. The mollusks taken by Dr. Hubbs are as follows :

Valvata humeralis CALIFORNIA Pilsbry

The type locality of this species is in Mexico, but the variety

is found as far north as Puget Sound. It has a less elevated

spire than the typical form. Specimens from Panamint Lake

are intermediate between the type and the varietj^, just as has

already been found to be the case in Utah Lake and Bear Lake.

Amnicola longinqua Gould

The Amnicola from Panamint Lake is certainly not Amnicola

Integra Say, the species characteristic of Lake Lahontan, nor is

it Amnicola limosa Say, which characterizes Lake Bonneville.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 101

It seems more prudent at present to identify it with Amnicola

longinqua Gould, a well-known species from Lake LeConte in the

Colorado Desert, which has also been reported from Utah. It

resembles Amnicola pilshryana Baily (loc. cit., p. 50, pi. 4, f. 3,

as A. Pilshryi, preoc.) but is about twice the linear dimensions

of that species. Further, the latter is known only from Bear

Lake in Utah and Idaho, and this writer naturally hesitates to

identify as conspecific two populations from two localities so

remote from each other, when no similar form is found in the

intervening territory.

Lymnaea kingii utahensis Call

This form was originally described as a distinct species (Bull.

U.S. Geol. Surv. no. 11, p. 47, 1884) but some modern authorities

believe it to be indistinguishable from the Pliocene Lymnaea

kingii Meek (U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., vol. IX, p. 532, 1876) of

which it is undoubtedly a lineal descendant. F. C. Baker (The

Lymnaeidae of North and Middle America, pi. XVII, f . 1, 2, and

pi. XXIV, f. 22-7, 1945) has illustrated both nominal species.

The columella, which in L. kingii is plaited and oblique, and in

L. k. utahensis simple and vertical, seems to afford a basis for

its recognition as a subspecies, for which reason Call's name is

retained here with that rank. Baker's statement (loc. cit., p.

103) that Call's figures are not good and do not correctly

represent the species is not borne out by his reproduction of

them (loc. cit., pi. XXII, f. 9-11) ; actually they are very good

representations of an extreme form sometimes assumed by this

very variable subspecies.

Parapholyx effusa costata Hemphill.

Baker (The Molluscan Family Planorbidae, p. 164, 1945)

recognized as valid five species of the genus Parapholyx together

with four varieties which he considers entitled to the rank of sub-

species. While it is quite possible that several different species

may be involved, variation in this genus is so great that examina-

tion of a large series of individuals seems to eradicate many of

the supposed differences, just as the present vrriter had already

found the situation in the case of this genus from Pyramid and

Humboldt Lakes (loc. cit., p. 86).

102 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

On the Panamint Lake material the predominating form seems

to be characterized by two sets of costae intersecting each

other at right angles, either one of which may be absent, for

which reason this writer is inclined to identify this material as

P. e. costata Hemphill, but it must be borne in mind that speci-

mens entirely devoid of costae occur in this population, and these

are connected with the costate forms by intergrades, so that

their separation is not practical. In fact, Baker (loc. cit., pi.

116, f. 12-4) figures completely smooth examples under this

name.

Haldane (Science Advances, pp. 85-95; 213-4; 227-32, 1948)

has expressed the belief that a race must not be conceived of as a

separate variant but as a mixed population of several variants

distinguished by the proportions in the population constituted

by each variant. If this definition of race be accepted then it

becomes clear that the Panamint population is not a subspecies

though it may be a race. On the whole, the shell of the Panamint

race tends to be heavier and more costate than that of the

Lahontan race, although it would be easy to select individuals

of any pattern from the two populations that would be quite

indistinguishable from each other.

Carinifex newberryi Lea

Baker (loc. cit., p. 158) lists four species and three additional

subspecies of this genus. Although the Panamint material is

highly variable no one need hesitate to assign all of it to this

species.

In addition to the five species mentioned above there is one

species each of Physa, Anodonta, and Pisidium. Any guess as

to the specific identity of these is hardly justified by the present

state of our knowledge.

The Anodonta is represented by a single fragmentary cast,

the Pisidia are all single valves and too young, and the nomen-

clatorially chaotic state of the genus Physa is such as to make

it extremely hazardous for any one to ' ' stick out his neck " in an

effort to append a name to these specimens that will not meet

with disapproval from some quarter.

There are two peculiar features of the Panamint Lake fauna.

First is the complete absence of the genera Gyraulus and

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 103

Helisoma. These are represented practically everywhere in

North America. Both contain widespread species and species

of limited distribution, sometimes several species of each are

found together in the same body of water, and in number of

individuals they usually surpass those of other species living

with them.

Second is the occurrence so far south of the genera Carinifex

and Parapholyx and the subspecies Lymnaea kingii utahensis.

The first of these has two species of highly localized distribution,

one in Klamath Lake, Oregon, and the other in Jackson's Hole,

Wyoming. These are readily recognizable. The third species,

Carinifex newherryi, is very variable and its habitat extends

from Clear Lake in California to Bear Lake in Utah and Idaho.

The present writer cannot recognize more than one species of

Parapholyx, whose distribution is almost as wdde as that of

Carinifex. Baker (The Ljinnaidae of North and Middle Amer-

ica, p. 460) restricts the habitat of Lymnaea kingii utahensis

to Utah. Panamint Lake is so far outside the limits of the re-

corded ranges of these three species as to be quite a surprise.

Baker (The Molluscan Family Planorbidae, p. 164) lists

Parapholyx leana H. and A. Adams from West Columbia, which

locality he identifies as British Columbia, and doubts that this

practically unknown species could have been taken north of the

United States. The present writer would suggest that West

Columbia in the original description may be a typographical

error for West Colombia, a name formerly applied to what is

now called Ecuador. This country is far outside the range of

Parapholyx, but the next nation to the south, Peru, is the home

of the genus Taphius, which while not closely related anatomi-

cally to Parapholyx bears a striking conchological resemblance

to it. Since the older of the two Adams brothers worked ex-

tensively with South American land snails, it seems reasonable

to suppose that ^'Pompholyx^' leana may have been a Taphius

from Ecuador.

In conclusion the writer wishes to thank Dr. Hubbs for the

privilege of examining this collection.

104 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

STATISTICS ON A COLONY OF

CEPAEA NEMORALIS

By M. ALAN LANDMAN

In his paper, ''The Variation of Banding in Cepaea," Dr.

F. A. Schilder of the University of Halle, Germany, wrote in

the Nautilus (62: 4) : ''. . . statistical studies need further re-

search ; it could be supported by American malacologists publish-

ing similar exact data on the Cepaea observed in restricted lo-

calities. ..." Recently I compiled some data concerning a

colony of Cepaea nemoralis which I hope will further these

studies.

On Thursday, September 23, 1955, I discovered the colony

on a section of a city block in Springfield Gardens, Queens,

New York City. The block is about 145 meters by 60 meters in

area and is bounded by Merrick Blvd., Sunbury Rd., Irwin

Place and Ursina Rd. in Springfield Gardens. About one-

quarter of the block at Irwin PI. and Ursina Rd. has dwellings,

but the lot area takes up about 6300 square meters. At least

four-fifths of the specimens collected were taken in the quadrant

at Irwin PL and Sunbury Rd. and, in fact, very little else on

the block was explored. Thus, I would estimate that the colony

consists of about 5000 individuals on that block.

The surface of the lot has many depressions and much debris

is scattered about, providing good cover for snails. The debris

consists of corrugated board boxes and wooden boards and slats,

with a couple of rejected seat cushions also yielding a good

quantity of snails. The lot is overgrown with the usual com-

mon weeds, such as crabgrass {Digit aria sp.), dandelion (Tarax-

acum officinale) and dock (Riimex). The trees include oak,

maple and wild cherry. Ragweed (Ambrosia), milkweed (As-

clepias) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron) also have a foothold.

Numerous Diptera were present, there being some garbage ma-

terial on Irwin PL One Limax maximus was found and sev-

eral dozen Blattidae were seen scurrying around and under

some of the cardboard pieces lying around. Two DeKay snakes

were also seen under wooden slats.

In four trips to the colony I collected 1297 individuals and

indexed them according to bands. A majority of the snails have

Jan., 1956

THE NAUTILUS

105

a yellow ground color (variety lihelulla), but a few red snails

(var. rubella) were also present. The variations are as fol-

lows :

In practically all specimens the shells were in prime condition,

only a few showing signs of erosion of the nuclear whorls. It

was noticed, though, that the best preserved shells were taken

from the ragweed on Irwin Place and from the clumps of iris

lining the side of the dwellings, the rest of the lot ground being

comparatively open.

While I was collecting, I talked to a number of people nearby.

One man said that he had noticed the snails for more than forty

years. This seems to agree with the large number of specimens

found and seen in such a relatively small area. To a degree

it also coincides chronologically with reports of a Flushing

colony in 1906. The present colony is located not far from

Flushing, and its origin may well be in specimens from the latter

area.

Along with the main colony at Merrick Blvd. and Sunbury

Rd. in which I spent four hours, I also explored some secondary

lots and discovered more nemoralis. About two blocks from

the main lot is a smaller one at the corner of Sunbury Rd. and

120 St. This block, incidentally, is in St. Albans. I spent

two hours there and indexed 92 snails. The totals :

106 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

The results seem to show this group as some sort of offshoot of

the large lot. Among the plants seen were bouncing-bet {Sapo-

naria officinalis), Japanese honey-suckle {Lonicera japonica),

Ambrosia, Quercus, Acer, Primus, Aster, snapdragon {Antir-

rhinum), golden rod {Solidago sp.), milkweed {Asclepias sp.)

and sassafras {Sassafras variifolium) . Limax maximus were

present and I also took a specimen of the beautiful Coptocycla

(or Metriona) hicolor.

On Sunday, September 26 I collected again. It was right

after a rain and the ground was in good snailing condition.

Five blocks down Merrick Blvd, from Sunbury Road past the St.

Albans Naval Hospital is a park at the northwest corner of

Linden and Merrick Blvds. At its outskirts, behind large bill-

boards, is a very nice lot section. Browsing through it, I

turned up five interesting specimens. There were single speci-

mens of (all yellow): 00300; 123(45); (12)3(45); (123)(45)

and 00345. This seems unusual, since the other lots were com-

pletely dominated by 00000 and 12345. There are many spec-

ulations possible with regard to this but only five individuals

were found and there doesn't seem much basis for a definite

statement.

Finally, across the street at Sunbury Rd. on the same side

of Merrick Blvd. is another lot. It is also bounded by Baisley

Blvd. A quick look through it brought out eight snails which

followed the common percentages well. Included were:

I have a number of plans concerning the snails reported on

here and intend to use them for a breeding project. I hope

in a later issue of the Nautilus to report on my experiment and

observations.

I wish to acknowledge the kind advice and assistance of Dr.

William J. Clench of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Dr.

R. Tucker Abbott of the Pilsbry Chair of Malacology at The

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and Mr. Morris

K. Jacobson.

Jan., 1956] the nautilus 107

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED

BiVALViA. By F. Haas. Bronns Klassen und Ordnungen des

Tierreichs, "Band" 3, class 3, part (real vol.) 2, no. 4, pp. 679-

909, i-xii, 2 textfigs. 1955. — After a necessary wait of 14 years,

this issue, to be followed by bibliographic supplement, concludes

the text of the two volumes on pelecypods. In completion of

the general subject of ecology, it discusses environmental rela-

tions (mainly in no. 3), the American oyster, the edible mussel,

and gill function, nourishment, excretion, chemical make-up,

blood, growth and age, reactions, intelligence and diseases of

the class. It also includes references to the autecologic (and

physiologic) authors, supplementary lists for vols. 1 and 2, and

a fine index for vol. 2. Title pages, preface and table of con-

tents are appended. The text is semantically clear and pleasant

to read, since it does not hesitate to use relatively terse (and

international) terms. Dr. Haas must be indeed proud of these

indispensable reference books, which bring up to date the

accumulated knowledge about bivalves, and point the way for

future studies.

One apologizes for any criticism of so much masterly achieve-

ment. The great ability of most mollusks, in the reversible

transfer of Ca-salts between body fluids and shell, is discussed

(pp. 743-5 and 810-2) but the treatment of its ecologic sig-

nificance seems inadequate. For example, is not the solution

from the shell of CaCOg, since it buffers the tendency towards

pH reduction (increase of CO2) in the blood during aestiva-

tion (when shells are closed or sealed), fundamentally im-

portant in the animals' resistance to dryness (pp. 698-701)?

— H. B. B.

Ulpia, nuevo genero de Gastropoda terrestre. Par M. I.

Hylton Scott (Neotropica 1, No. 5, pp. 65-68, figs. 1^). The

genus Ulpia is proposed for a minute, conical, openly umbilicate

land shell having apertural teeth similar to Gastrocopta, as the

author remarks. It was found by Dr. Max Biraben at Lum-

brera, province of Salta, Argentina. It is placed provisionally

in the Odontostominae, but we think that it belongs to the

Pupillidae, subfamily Gastrocoptinae, near the little-known

Gibhulina infundihuliformis (Orbigny) ; but it differs from that

species by the more lateral aperture and the presence of five

teeth. — PiLSBRY.

108 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (3)

American Seashells, third printing. — In the third printing

of American Seashells (D. Van Nostrand Co., N. Y., May 1955),

approximately 200 text changes were made, most of which were

typographical adjustments, although some names were changed,

ranges corrected, and additional bibliographic references added.

The author wishes to thank the many people who kindly pointed

out needed improvements. Some corrections were not included

by the publisher: p. 119, Tegula hotessierana Orbigny should

be considered a young and threaded form of Tegula fasciata

Born; p. 123 (and pi. 3k, m) for Astraea longispina Lamarck,

read A. phoehia Roding; p. 198, Bursa granulans Roding, upon

examination of the radula and anatomy, proves to be a distinct

Indo-Pacific species, so that we must return to the name cuhani-

ana Orbigny for our West Indian species (see also pi. 25-0) ; p.

363, Pecten tereinus Dall is evidently a sjnionym of chazaliei

Dautzenberg (see G. Grau, Nautilus, vol. 68, p. 113). — R. Tucker

Abbott.

Critical review^ of biology and control of oyster drills,

Urosalpinx and Eupleura. By M. R. Carriker. Special Sci-

entific Report, Fisheries no. 148, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

150 pp., 15 tables. 1955. — This is a very careful, complete and

much-needed review of the great amount of research that has

been done on the biology and control of U. cinerea Say and E.

caudata of our Atlantic coast. Many interesting summaries are

given concerning the geographical distribution, morphology, life

history, relation to environmental factors, and control of these

two species. The bibliography contains 177 useful references,

most of which deal directly with these oyster drills. — R. T. A.

Nev^ marine mollusks from Florida. By Thomas L. Mc-

Ginty. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. 107, pp. 75-85, 2 pis.

Nov. 1955. — Twelve new species of deep-water marine mollusks

are described in this article. Included is a remarkable new

genus and species {Aclistothyra atlantica) of a Galeommid bi-

valve resembling the Ephippodonta of the Indo-Pacific. A new

Fasciolariid genus, Fusilatirus, is erected for pauli, new species

and type, and cayohuesonicus Sowerby, on the basis of the very

unusual lateral radular teeth. The shells, however, are ex-

tremely close to those in the genus Dolicholatirus Bellardi 1884,

and the recent species of the latter could bear investigation. —

R. T. A.

THE XAUTILT^S 69 (4)

PLATE 6

1, Gracilincnia filicosfulata Lubomirski. 2, G. aequistriafa Weyrauch,

type. 3, Nenia (Colum'binia) ziscMcai Weyraucli, type. 4, 5, 6, Mucro-

nalia nidorum Pilsbry, shells. 7, 8, nests in sea urchin spines. 9, oper-

culum.

The Nautilus

Vol. 69 APRIL, 1956 No. 4

A GASTROPOD DOMICILIARY IN SEA URCHIN

SPINES

By HENEY A. PILSBRY

Some years ago, in the *' Triton" dredgings off Palm Beach,

Florida, Thomas and Paul McGinty found that the sea urchin

Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck) was occasionally found to have

a very short and swollen spine or two among those of the normal

cylindric shape. On examination, these were seen to be spines

modified to form cup-like ''nests" of small white gastropods.

One of these "nests" is drawn in Plate 6, figs. 7 and 8.

One of the sea urchins was kept alive for several days. The

modified spines could be moved about slowly, like the others.

The enlargement forming the nest begins above the smooth dark

red band around the spine next to the joint, and is oval in shape,

as in the drawings. It is often concealed by the body scales of

the urchin. It is nearly rigid, though not quite as hard as the

normal spines, and of about the same dull red color. The nest

drawn is about 5.5 mm. long, 4.5 mm. in diameter. It had one

large and three smaller inmates. Some other nests contained

single snails.

The snails were retracted and quiet by day, but evidently

active at night. Several were seen abroad early in the morning,

one on a spine more than an inch from the nest, to which it

returned later. However, I never saw one in motion, though

I spent a good deal of time watching them.

The earliest reference I have found to a similar use of sea

urchin spines is as far back as 1860: Hupe, in Magazin de

Zoologie (2 ser.) 12: 118-125. He described a Stylifer orhig-

nyanus from "Nouvelle HoUande." This Australian species

has a very short spire and large last whorl and seems properly

referred to Stylifer, but it apparently lives in much the same

way as our Ploridan species.

109

110 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

So far as I know, this interesting snail has not been noticed

before. A description of the shell follows. The generic ref-

ference is not certain.

MucRONALiA NiDORUM, ncw spccics. Plate 6, figs. 4, 5, 6.

The rather thin white shell is imperforate, lanceolate, smooth

and glossy. The upper part (about a fourth of the length) is

somewhat attenuate and slightly curved. The minute apex is

erect with rounded tip. Several following whorls are only

weakly convex, with superficial suture. The aperture is con-

tained about 2% times in the length; the peristome with regu-

larly semicircular outer and basal margin; the inner margin

concave. Columella thickened.

The operculum is very thin, long ovate, showing some faint

lines indicating former stages of growth; the nucleus is appar-

ently near the base on the columellar margin, but not distinctly

indicated (PI. 6, fig. 9).

No radula could be found.

Length 3.7 mm., diameter 1.7 mm. ; 9% whorls.

The type and figured paratypes are no. 196745 ANSP., from

''Triton" (A. R. Thompson's yacht) station 821, off Palm

Beach, Florida, in 25 fms. Other paratypes in McGinty col-

lection.

The amount of curvature of the upper part of spire apparent

depends of course upon the position of the shell, but there seems

to be a little individual variation in this feature, curvature

being scarcely noticeable in some examples, more distinct in

others.

The author is deeply indebted to the McGinty brothers for

opportunity to examine this interesting mollusk, and to Axel A.

Olsson for excellent photographs (Figs. 4-6) of difficult sub-

jects. Thanks are also offered to Miss Elizabeth Deichmann of

the M. C. Z. for identification of the sea urchin.

TWO NEW SPECIES OF CLAUSILIIDAE FROM

PERU AND BOLIVIA

By Dr. WOLFGANG WEYRAUCH

Professor of Zoology, University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru.

Gracilinenia aequistriata, new species. Plate 6, fig. 2.

Diagnosis: A species of the genus Gracilinenia, characterized

by its considerable length, equally spaced striation and flattened

whorls.

April, 1956] the nautilus 111

Description of type: The shell is entire, very thin, extremely

slenderly fusiform-turrited. Color uniform light, somewhat

reddish brown, whitish frosted by the sculpture of the surface.

The apex globular. Second embryonic whorl decidedly convex,

wider than the first and 3d whorl. Third to seventh whorls

slowly diminishing in convexity; later whorls very slightly con-

vex, nearly flat. From the 3d to the largest, third from last

whorl steadily and slowly increasing in width. The last whorl

with straight lateral outlines, flattened on the upper half of the

back, strongly descending and widely built forward to the aper-

ture. The surface matt, with sculpture of thin lamella-like

raised riblets, mostly whitish, in places light brown, slightly

oblique, continuous and very shortly curved to the right at the

upper end, where they are falling into the furrow of the deeply

impressed suture. The riblets are regularly spaced, on the face

of the last and penult whorl 8 in 1 mm., on the earlier whorls

slightly more spaced, on the face of the seventh whorl 5 to 6 in

1 mm. The aperture is funnel-shaped, slightly longer than wide,

evenly rounded, except for the left side, which is somewhat

straightened. The peristome is broadly expanded, slightly

thickened. The upper margin of the peristome is white, like

the adjacent part of the aperture ; its outer and basal margins

are yellowish brown, like the adjacent interior of the aperture.

The superior lamella is white, high, emerging to the lip edge,

not surpassing the plane of aperture, rather thick, slightly

oblique towards the concave left side; it slowly diminishes

within and is continuous with the spiral lamella. The inferior

lamella is white, very low, but shortly visible in front view of

the aperture; its lower end rapidly converging towards the

superior lamella; its upper half parallel and very close to the

spiral lamella. The subcolumellar lamella is largely visible in

oblique view in the aperture and is widely separated from the

lower end of the lunella. The principal plica is low, white on

the upper rim, light brown on the sides, parallel to the suture,

half a whorl long and surpassing slightly the upper end of the

lunella. The lunella is developed merely as a very low, whitish,

callous ridge, short, slightly and evenly curved. The clausilium

occupies the whole space between lunella and subcolumellaris,

is wide at the middle of the spatula, and its end pointed.

Notes on paratypes: 24 specimens with the same data as the

type. All characters rather constant, except the following: 13

specimens decollate and 11 entire. Color varying from light

reddish to yellowish brown. In the latter specimens the in-

terior of the aperture is very light brown and the peristome

entirely white. The lunella is shortly or widely separated from

the subcolumellaris or continuous with that. Accordingly the

112 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

end of the clausilium is more or less pointed or more or less

broadly rounded. The following measurements are in mm.

Type locality: Peru: Valle de Chanchamayo, on the highway

from Hacienda Naranjal near the village San Ramon to the

mine ''Pichita-Caluga"; elevation not measured, but probably

at about 1300 m. Collected by the author.

Material: Type WW 1531 and 11 paratypes in the author's

collection; 2 paratypes in the Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt

a.M. ; 2 paratypes in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila-

delphia; 2 paratypes in the Museum of Comparative Zoology,

Cambridge, Mass. ; 2 paratypes in the Chicago Natural History

Museum; 3 paratypes in the collection of Dr. F. E. Loosjes,

Wageningen, Netherlands ; 2 paratypes in the collection of Prof.

Dr. W. Blume, Gottingen.

Comparisons : Closely related to Gracilinenia filicostitlata Lu-

bomirski, which is figured for comparison (Plate 6, fig. 1), but

mainly different by equal spaced striation and strikingly flat-

tened whorls. Secondary differences: shell higher, somewhat

wider, several whorls more, color darker, more solid, either de-

collate or entire in completely adult specimens, whereas fili-

costulata is always decollate in adult state.

Ecology : The 25 specimens were collected in 5 minutes on the

bare face of an isolated limestone block, about 2 m. high and 3

m. wide, in a clearing of the tumid and high arboreal vegetation

of the subtropical rainforest. The block was protected against

direct sunlight by some high brushes and young large-leaved trees

of 0 chroma spec. Strewn around the big block were smaller lime-

stones of varying sizes, on which no specimen could be detected.

The black animals were met on a cloudy, though not rainy day,

at 3 p.m. crawling upward on the vertical planes of the rock,

which were covered with a sheet of green, unicellular Chlorella-

like algae. The shells were partly covered with the same algae.

The excrements, deposited by the animals, were of uniform light

April, 1956] the nautilus 113

green color in all specimens. A microscopical study revealed

merely the destroyed remains of algae and no trace of fibers of

higher plants. 16 specimens of Peruinia peruana slosarskii

(Lubomirski) were found crawling around on the same lime-

stone block, not only on its vertical surfaces, but also on top of

the rock, covered with a thick layer of rotting leaves.

Nenia (columbinia) zischkai, new species. Plate 6, figures

3, 3a.

Diagnosis: A species of the subgenus ColuniMnia, character-

ized by its considerable size, almost cylindric shape and sculp-

ture of strong, evenly spaced and strongly slanting riblets.

Description of type : The shell is entire, sinistral, rather solid,

elongate cylindric-fusiform, widest at the two penult whorls.

The color is uniform cinnamon-brown, except for a very thin,

whitish band below the suture. Apparently collected shortly

after death, and therefore with a thin layer of a brownish white,

calcareous overwash, filling partly the interspaces of the rib-

lets and the interior of aperture. The apex obtuse and very

large. First three postembryonal whorls very weakly convex;

later whorls nearly flat; the last whorl much elongated, be-

coming free and produced to the aperture. Suture moderately

impressed, very regularly obtusely denticulate by the riblets,

which are somewhat thickened and projecting at the upper end.

Surface matt, and after 2 embryonic whorls, whose sculpture is

corroded by weathering; it has a rough sculpture of strong,

low, rounded riblets, continuous between the suture, somewhat

narrower than their intervals, strongly oblique, more so on the

last three whorls, where they form an angle of 45 degrees with

the suture. There are 3 riblets in 1 mm. on the two penult

whorls and 42 riblets crossing the periphery of the penult

whorl. On the last whorl, the riblets become lower, more

crowded; behind the peristome they are still narrower, more

wavy and frequently interrupted. The principal plica and

lunella are marked in their whole course on the outside of the

last whorl by a deep and very thin incision, just as though cut

with the point of a sharp knife and interrupting the riblets.

Aperture completely free, evenly rounded, broadly ovate, some-

what pear-shaped. Plane of aperture somewhat oblique, convex

in profile and evenly concave in the direction of the shell axis.

Interior of aperture light rose-brown, fading to a dirty ivory-

white on the upper and right side of the peristome, whose left

and inferior half is colored like the interior of the aperture.

Peristome thickened, strongly expanded throughout and well

reflected. Superior lamella not protruding above the peristome,

thick, highly raised, emerging to the lip edge, earlike, very

114 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

deeply concave on the left side, continuous with the lower spiral

lamella, forming with this a slightly S-shaped curve. The in-

ferior lamella is of light rose-brown color, low, but shortly vis-

ible in front view, not reaching the edge of the peristome, con-

siderably thickened on the upper rim, channel-like arching

over to the junction of superior lamella and the spiralis. Sub-

columellar lamella short, deeply immersed, but shortly visible in

very oblique view in the aperture, terminating widely separated

from the lower end of the lunella. Principal plica white, high,

thin, dorso-lateral, half a whorl long, slightly surpassing the

upper end of lunella and shortly separated from that. The

lunella is dorso-lateral, well developed as a low and wide ridge,

weakly and evenly arched, brownish-rose colored and darker

than the surrounding inside of the shell. The clausilium is

strongly curved lengthwise and transversely, evenly rounded at

the end, close to the subcolumellar lamella, but slightly sepa-

rated from the lunella.

Notes on paratype: One specimen, same locality as the type,

partly bleached, somewhat damaged, has the earlier whorls more

slowly tapering and the whitish band below the suture a little

broader. In all other features, this paratype corresponds per-

fectly with the type.

Measurements are in mm. :

Alt. Lat.

Alt. Diam. apert. apert. Whorls

34,8 6,2 6,9 5,8 SH Type

32,0 5,8 6,6 5,4 SH

Type locality: Eastern Bolivia: Yungas de Palmar, 700 m.,

tropical rain forest. Collected by Mr. Rudolf Zischka, after

whom this new species is named.

Material: Type WW 1368 in the author's collection; 1 para-

type in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Comparisons : C. zischkai can only be compared with the group

of C. hartletti Adams {= ohesa Haas), comprising reyrei Jous-

seaume, huancahamhensis Rolle, juninensis M. Smith and hinkiae

Pilsbry, all described from the subtropical and tropical forest

of Ecuador and eastern Peru, and all at hand except reyrei.

Our novelty is nearest to hinkiae from south eastern Peru, which

has (1) the same evenly spaced, strong, low and rounded rib-

lets, (2) the same regularly and obtusely denticulate suture,

and (3) the same very obtuse apex. But zischkai is twice as

high as hinkiae^ is decidingly less fusiform, has the riblets more

oblique on the last three whorls and its inferior lamella is

April, 1956] the nautilus 115

channel-like arched towards the superior lamella and spiralis,

not plain as in hinkiae. For its height, zischkai is nearest to

juninensis of 30 mm. length, but this is (1) attenuate above,

(2) has the suture irregularly crenulate and (3) its riblets are

finer, more crowded, often interrupted, often changing the

direction and less slanting. Only hartletti (= ohesa) has a

slightly arched inferior lamella; but zischkai differs from that

by greater length, straightened outlines, and the sculpture of

surface, which is in ohesa intermediate between hinkiae and

juninensis.

I consider the above mentioned species of the group of C.

hartletti only subspecifically distinct, in the sense of geographi-

cal races. But I regard zischkai specifically different for the

following characters: (1) shell less ventricose; (2) height of

last whorl in front view, including expansion of peristome, con-

tained 2y2 times in altitude of shell, whereas in hartletti and its

races this proportion is 1:2.

TWO NEW SUBSPECIES OF NEPTUNEA

DECEMCOSTATA

By ARTHUR HADDLETON CLARKE, JR. *

In 1953, an extensive collection of deep water marine mol-

lusks was presented to the Department of Mollusks of the Mu-

seum of Comparative Zoology by Mr. W. C. Schroeder, Associate

Curator of Fishes at that institution. The specimens had been

obtained during a faunal survey of the continental slope area of

northeastern North America conducted by the Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution in 1952 and 1953. Operations were

under the direction of Mr. Schroeder, and the trawler Cap'n

Bill II had been used for the survey. A report on these mol-

lusks has been published (Clarke, 1954).

From the material collected, apparently considerable varia-

tion in shell form existed between lots of Neptunea decemcostata

Say. All the western Atlantic specimens of Neptunea in the

Museum of Comparative Zoology and the United States National

Museum were examined and measured, and many Eastern At-

lantic specimens were studied also. The existence of two mor-

* Curator of Mollusks, Department of Geology, Cornell University.

116 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

phometrically divergent allopatric populations geographically

removed from the main population of decemcostata became ap-

parent. These newly defined assemblages are here described as

subspecies of decemcostata.

Such a treatment is admittedly conservative, and further re-

searches may show that one of these (clenchi) is a distinct

species standing between N. despecta Linne (sensu latu) and N.

decemcostata. The world-wide problem will be studied further.

Neptunea decemcostata clenchi, new subspecies. Plate 7,

fig. 1.

Adult shell about 80 to 128 mm. in length, sturdy, spire

greatly extended, imperforate and possessing numerous reddish-

brown, revolving ribs; ground color brownish-white; whorls

eight to nine and convex, and spire produced at an angle of

about 48° to 58°. Aperture sub-ovate with the siphonal canal

somewhat extended and rather broad; outer lip sharp and

crenated at the upper margin; umbilical and parietal areas

covered by a rather narrow callus; columella produced as a

shallow sigmoid curve; and suture slightly impressed. The

sculpture consists of numerous reddish-brown spiral chords

which are usually somewhat darker than the ground color;

major chords approximately equidistant and varying from 12

to 14 on the body whorl with about 4 showing on the earlier

whorls; peripheral chord largest and defining a wide convex

shoulder with one minor chord between it and the suture;

sutural chord faint or absent; other chords decreasing in thick-

ness and becoming extinct near the base of the siphonal canal.

A series of minor chords between the major ones may also be

present. The lower whorls are also sculptured with fine, re-

volving threads which are restricted to the area between the

chords. Axial lines of growth are numerous, prominent, and

coarse. The operculum is mahogany brown, corneous and un-

guiculate with an apical nucleus and coarse concentric growth

lines ; inner side of operculum with a thickened marginal callus

and concentric ridges in the scar area.

Remarks. The outstanding characteristic of the benthic Nep-

tunea decemcostata clenchi is its long, slender form. This will

immediately distinguish it from the normally sub-littoral N.

decemcostata Say. In addition, clenchi exhibits eight to nine

whorls and twelve to fourteen major spiral chords on the body

whorl, while decemcostata has six to eight whorls and nine to

eleven major spiral chords. Also, the chords on clenchi are only

slightly raised and of moderate prominence, but decemcostata

April, 1956] the nautilus 117

has strongly elevated and very prominent chords. See further

remarks under discussion.

Types. The holotype is number 202152 in the Museum of

Comparative Zoology. It was taken from a depth of 340 to 350

fathoms at 42° 46' N. latitude and 63° 22' W. longitude (ap-

proximately 100 miles E.S.E. of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, Cap^n

Bill II station 88) by members of the staff of the Woods Hole

Oeeanographic Institution during a faunal survey of a portion

of the continental slope. Two paratypes were taken at the same

station (M.C.Z. no. 202153).

Specimens examined were from: Station 86, 42° 23' N. Lat.,

64° 58' W. Long, in 230-245 f ms. ; Station 88 (type locality)

42° 46' N. Lat., 63° 22' W. Long, in 340-350 fms.; Station 95,

42° 45' N. Lat., 63° 47' W. Long, in 330-340 fms.; Station 104,

42° 40' N. Lat., 64° 08' W. Long, in 350-380 fms.; Station 165,

42° 42' N. Lat., 63° 47' W. Long, in 360-370 fms.; Station 173,

42° 40' N. Lat., 64° 10' W. Long, in 240-270 fms.; Station 182,

42° 28' N. Lat., 64° 31' W. Long, in 280-305 fms. ; Station 184,

42° 23' N. Lat., 64° 52' W. Long, in 265-295 fms.

These stations are all on the continental slope and are ap-

proximately 80 miles southeast of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. All

specimens were obtained by the Cap^n Bill II survey, to which

the station numbers refer.

I take pleasure in naming this subspecies in honor of Dr.

William J. Clench, whose helpful guidance and sound judgment

have been a valuable aid on many occasions, and under whose

watchful eye the basic work on this paper was done while the

author was a graduate student at Harvard University.

Neptunea decemcostata turnerae, new subspecies. Plate 7,

%. 2.

Adult shell about 60 to 85 mm. in length, sturdy, spire slightly

extended, sub-imperforate and possessing numerous strong, red-

dish-brown, revolving ribs ; ground color brownish-white ; whorls

six to seven and convex, and spire produced at an angle of about

118 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

68° to 75°. Aperture sub-ovate with the siphonal canal short

and broad ; outer lip sharp and crenated at the margin ; parietal

callus thin and sometimes partially lacking; umbilicus shallow

or lacking and usually covered by the callus ; columella produced

as a shallow sigmoid curve ; and suture well marked. The sculp-

ture consists of numerous heavy, raised spiral chords which may

be the same or somewhat darker than the ground color; chords

approximately equidistant and varying from 9 to 10 on the body

whorl with 2 to 3 showing on the earlier whorls; peripheral

chord largest, set at some distance from the suture and forming

the edge of a wide, excavated shoulder; other chords decrease

in thickness anteriorly and become extinct at the base of the

siphonal canal; and chords barely visible within the aperture

as shallow grooves. The lower whorls are also sculptured with

numerous fine, revolving threads which occur both between and

on the spiral chords. Axial lines of growth are numerous,

prominent, and coarse. The operculum is mahogany brown,

corneous and unguiculate with an apical nucleus and coarse con-

centric growth lines; inner side of operculum with a thickened

marginal callus and concentric ridges in the scar area.

Remarks. The short, obese form and abbreviated spire of the

localized Neptunea decemcostata turnerae are the most obvious

and reliable differential characteristics between it and the widely

distributed N. decemcostata decemcostata Say. In addition,

turnerae has six to seven whorls and nine to ten major spiral

chords on the body whorl, whereas decemcostata has six to eight

whorls and nine to eleven major spiral chords. Also, the chords

of turnerae are usually somewhat more prominent than those of

decemcostata. See discussion for additional comments.

Types. The holotype is number 202151 in the Museum of

Comparative Zoology and was taken by A. E. Verrill at Grand

Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada. Fourteen paratypes

from the same station are in the M.C.Z. collection (No. 72584).

Specimens examined were from. New Brunswick: Grand

Manan Island (type locality) (Museum of Comparative Zoology,

United States National Museum). Maine: Lubec, Washington

Co.; Trenton Point, Hancock Co. (both Museum of Comparative

Zoology).

April, 1956] the nautilus 119

I take pleasure in naming this subspecies in honor of Dr. Ruth

D. Turner, who has cheerfully given many hours of valuable

help in connection with this paper and other related problems

and who is doing a great deal to advance the science of

malacology.

Discussion

Neptunea decemcostata occurs from the Grand Banks and the

Gulf of St. Lawrence southwestward to the latitude of North

Carolina. North of Cape Cod, specimens may be found at sta-

tions ranging from just below low tide line to beyond the outer

edge of the continental shelf, but south of New England the

species is known only from the upper continental slope. As far

as is now known, individual shell form does not vary to any

significant degree throughout this range except in the two small

areas populated by clenchi and turnerae. The type locality of

Fusus 10-costata given by Say: 'Hhe coast near Boston," is

near the center of the range of typical decemcostata, and his

measurements (3.3 inches long and 1.9 inches wide) give a width

to length ratio of 0.576, and show that he had the common form.

His description is also of a typical specimen.

The elongate subspecies N. d. clenchi has been found only

over a small area of the continental slope about 80 miles south-

east of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, in depths ranging from about

245 to 360 fathoms. Specimens from similar depths taken at

points further southwest are typical decemcostata. No collec-

tions have been made at these depths from points immediately

northeast of the known range of clenchi, or in deeper water near

the area worked. Further investigations may therefore extend

the known geographic and bathymetric range of this subspecies.

The short-spired subspecies N. d. turnerae is known only from

the area between Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, and

Trenton Point, Maine (near Mount Desert Island). How far

eastward the subspecies occurs is unknown because of lack of

records, but specimens from Digby and from Halifax, Nova

Scotia, are typical decemcostata. A large number of lots from

stations southwest and south of Trenton Point have been ex-

amined, and they are all normal decemcostata. Specimens from

Eastport, Maine seem to be a mixture of decemcostata and tur-

nerae however, and this is the only area known to the author

where a heterogeneous population occurs. As is well known,

120 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

such mixtures are to be expected at zones of contact between

subspecies.

Application of the 75% rule adds strength to the hypothesis

that clenchi and turnerae are subspecifically distinct from de-

cemcostata. Utilizing the largest lots of specimens available,

and applying the statistical principles for subspecific discrimi-

nation suggested by Mayr (Mayr et al., 1953) the following data

were computed (N = number of specimens; W/L = ratio of

maximum width to length, or index of obesity ; and S.D. =

standard deviation from the mean). Localities of shells tabu-

lated are as follows: N. d. clenchi, all available specimens from

type area. Typical subspecies, population A, from off Flemish

Cap, Grand Banks, 200-250 fms. ; B, from off Cape Ann, Mass.,

25-60 fms. N. d. turnerae, 2 lots from Grand Manan Island.

From the above data, the CD. (Coefficient of Difference) was

calculated for the populations to be compared. A CD. of 1.28

indicates that 75% of the individuals of population I are dif-

ferent from 97% of the individuals of population II, or that

90% of population I is different from 90% of population II

(90% non-overlap). This is the conventional level of subspecific

difference, and higher CD. or non-overlap (N.O.) values are

progressively more significant.

The CD. and non-overlap values derived from the above data

are as follows: clenchi-decemcostata (A), 1.89 CD., 97% N.O. ;

clenchi-decemcostata (B), 1.67 CD., 95% N.O. ; turnerae-decem-

costata (A), 1.78 CD., 96% N.O. ; turnerae-decemcostata (B),

1.46 CD., 94% N.O.

From these figures it may be seen that the degree of difference

in index of obesity between clenchi and decemcostata and be-

tween turnerae and decemcostata is well above the conventional

level necessary for subspecific discrimination. Similar calcula-

tions using other shell characteristics would have given com-

THE NAUTILUS 69 (4)

PLATE 7

1, Neptunea decemcostata clenchi Clarke, type. 2, .Y. d. tunierae Clarke,

type. S, X. d. decemcostata (Saj). All figs, x 1.2.

THE NAUTILUS 69 (4)

PLATE 8

«liiaiiiiili»li»

Panope 'bitruncata

April, 1956] the nautilus 121

parable results. These facts, when considered together with the

allopatric distribution patterns involved, qualify these popula-

tions as distinct subspecies.

Acknowledgments

In addition to Drs. W. J. Clench and R. D. Turner, who have

been cited, I wish to thank Dr. Harald Rehder for his generous

cooperation in loaning for study the entire United States Na-

tional Museum collection of Western Atlantic specimens of the

genus Neptunea.

Bibliography

Clarke, Jr., A. H. 1954. Some Mollusks from the Continental

Slope of Northeastern North America. Breviora, v. 40, pp.

1-10 + map.

Gould, A. A. 1870. Report on the Invertebrata of Massachu-

setts. Edited by W. G. Binney. Boston. Pp. i-v + 1-524,

12 pis.

Mayr, E., E. G. Linsley, and R. L. Usinger. 1953. Methods

and Principles of Systematic Zoology. McGraw-Hill Book

Co., Inc. Pp. i-x + 1-328.

Say, Thomas. 1827. Descriptions of Marine Shells recently

discovered on the Coast of the United States. Journal of the

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, v. 5, pp.

207-221.

A LIVING SPECIMEN OF THE EAST COAST

GEODUCK FROM ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

By MALCOLM C. JOHNSON

Marineland Research Laboratory, Marineland, Florida

On August 14, 1954 an unusual clam was taken from a mud-

bank in the iMatanzas River, St. Augustine, Florida, by Mr.

Verle A. Pope of that city (Pope, 1954).^ The clam was ten-

tatively identified by me as being Panope hitruncata Conrad.

Mr. Percy Morris of the Peabody Museum at Yale, later con-

firmed this identification from a photograph.

The robust shell was evenly rounded anteriorly and trun-

1 A captioned photograph of Pope and his specimen appeared in the

December, 1954 edition of the Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy

of Sciences.

122 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

cated behind; it was offwhite in color with prominent concen-

tric growth rings. The shell was 5.75 inches in length, 4.25

inches in depth and had a thickness of 3.0 inches. The anterior

gape measured %-inch at the widest point and extended from

the forward edge of the hinge to the mid-ventral margin. The

valves of the shell met for a distance of one inch in this area;

the posterior gape then extended to the ligament and measured

two inches at the widest point.

The heavy *'neck" could not be completely withdrawn into

the shell. It was not measured when extended while the animal

was fresh. However, it was 7.50 inches long after the clam had

been preserved in sea-water formalin for several weeks.

Mr. Pope remembers seeing such a clam as a boy. He re-

marked on this in my presence several years ago shortly after

he had noticed what he described as its characteristic '' squirt."

While boating August 14, 1954 his curiosity was further aroused

when he found a shell of Panope on a mudbank. He secured a

shovel, returned and succeeded in uncovering the one specimen

described here. The substrate from which it was taken is al-

luvial mud typical of the salt marshes of the Southeastern Coast.

However, the bank which is alternately inundated and exposed

by the tides is overlain with sand deposited by the fast flowing

waters of the main river channel and will support a man with-

out miring. Pope estimated the body of the clam was four feet

below the surface. To date no others have been found.

The rarity of this clam is attested by the fact that in an area

where a good segment of the population traditionally takes its

living from the sea or its margins, only one or two persons have

claimed any knowledge of its presence in spite of much local

publicity. Their statemenst were typically prefaced thusly:

''Many years ago . "

Smith (1937) reported that individuals living in easily mov-

able material such as sand or fine mud are thinner, longer and

less distorted than those associated with gravel. This could

imply that he had seen living specimens. However, this is

doubtful since he had improperly oriented the shell and de-

scribed it as "obliquely cut off at the anterior end." Morris

(1947) described the shell of P. hitruncata as being quite

smooth; the pronounced sculpturing of the living specimen

would indicate that the ones he had in hand were quite old and

April, 1956] the nautilus 123

eroded. Abbott (1954) stated that he had never seen a living

specimen and that it was probably extinct.

The clam is presently in the collection of the Marineland Re-

search Laboratory.

Literature Cited

Abbott, R. Tucker. 1954. American Seashells. D. van Nos-

trand Company, Inc., New York, 454.

Morris, Percy A. 1947. A Field Guide to the Shells of Our

Atlantic Coast. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 67.

Pope, Verle A. 1954. The Geoduck Clam in Florida. Quart.

J. FaL Acad. Sci., v. 17 (4) : 252.

Smith, Maxwell. 1937. East. Coast Marine Shells. Ed-

wards Brothers, Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich.

VENTRIDENS INTERTEXTUS EUTROPIS

LIVES HERE

By MARGARET C. TESKEY

In 1935 Dr. Henry A. Pilsbry and Mr. Cyril Harvey collected

in Central Tennessee a single specimen of an acutely carinate

*'dead" shell, subsequently described as Ventridens intertextus

eutropis Pilsbry, a new subspecies. Since then the type locality

has been searched by other collectors without yielding another

specimen of this unique moUusk.

In July, 1955 the writer made a chance stop and hurried

search of a small wooded area some sixty miles northwest of the

type locality and collected two living specimens of Ventridens

intertextus eutropis Pilsbry which unfortunately were cleaned

before they were recognized. These specimens, one adult, one

immature, have been deposited in the collection of the U. S.

National Museum.

In September Mr. Leslie Hubricht visited the site and col-

lected seven specimens, three living but immature, four adult

but dead. And on December 17th and 23rd, the writer was

again in the area, devoting a half hour to collecting on each

occasion, and each time was rewarded with two specimens, dead

to be sure but adult and a prize considering that the logs be-

neath which they were found were covered by crusted snow.

Because this site has yielded thirteen specimens of a hereto-

124 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

fore rare subspecies, directions are presented for reaching it, as

a guide to other collectors.

At the extreme northeastern edge of Cheatham County, Ten-

nessee, it is about halfway between Nashville and Clarksville,

on the east side of U. S. highway 41A, exactly 1.7 miles south

of the intersection of Tennessee highway 49 which appears on

some maps as the village of Pleasant View. The heavily wooded

area of perhaps fifty acres covers both slopes of a shallow ravine ;

the predominant growth is oak and hickory and there is little

underbrush save for a bramble which takes a toll of all but the

most rugged of collecting garb.

This woodlot is bordered on the north by a gravel road which

affords a turnout and parking space, necessary since the main

highway is narrow at this point and heavily traveled. Because

of this important fact, collectors should visit the spot as soon as

possible. For U. S. 41 together with its alternates is the most

direct route between Chicago and the gulf coast cities of North-

western Florida. Much of it is already a divided highway,

other portions are undergoing a widening process; hence the

future will certainly see at least part of an especially reward-

ing collecting area disappear beneath a ribbon of asphalt.

Reference

PiLSBRY, Henry A. 1946. Land Mollusca of North America,

Vol. 2, Pt. 1, p. 470.

LAND SNAILS FROM LOUISIANA

By LESLIE HUBRICHT

During July, 1955 the author spent two days in Louisiana

collecting land snails. Although only fifty-two lots, belonging

to 17 species were collected, they are from a region in which

the land snail fauna is poorly understood. For this reason it

seems advisable to publish the records.

Polygyra leporina (Gould). Grant Parish: 1.8 miles south of

Bentley.

Polygyra dorfeuilliana Lea. Claiborne Parish: 11 miles south-

west of Homer.

April, 1956] the nautilus 125

Stenotrema leai aliciae (Pilsbry). Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles

west of Sulphur. Evangeline Parish : Beaver. Allen Parish :

3.3 miles northwest of Oakdale. Vernon Parish: 1.5 miles

west of Simpson. Eapides Parish : 2.5 miles east of flatwoods.

Grant Parish: 1.8 miles south of Bentley; just west of Pol-

lock; 5 miles northeast of Pollock.

Mesodon thyroidus (Say). Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles west of

Sulphur. Grant Parish : just west of Pollock ; 5 miles north-

east of Pollock. Ouachita Parish : 6 miles southwest of West

Monroe.

Mesodon inflectus (Say). Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles west of

Sulphur. Evangeline Parish: Beaver. Vernon Parish: 1.5

miles west of Simpson. Grant Parish: 1.8 miles south of

Bentley; just west of Pollock; 5 miles northeast of Pollock.

LaSalle Parish: 7 miles southwest of Trout.

Triodopsis cragini (Call). Grant Parish: just west of Pollock.

Claiborne Parish : 11 miles southwest of Homer ; 3 miles south-

west of Summerfield.

Triodopsis albolahris (Say). Ouachita Parish: 6 miles south-

west of West Monroe.

Haplotrema concaviim (Say). LaSalle Parish: 7 miles south-

west of Trout.

Retinella indentata (Say). LaSalle Parish: 7 miles southwest

of Trout.

Retinella indentata paucilirata (Morelet). Claiborne Parish:

11 miles southwest of Homer.

Mesomphix vulgatus H. B. Baker. Vernon Parish: 1.5 miles

west of Simpson. LaSalle Parish : 7 miles southwest of Trout.

Ventridens demissus (Binney). Vernon Parish: 1.5 miles west

of Simpson. Grant Parish: just west of Pollock; 5 miles

northeast of Pollock. LaSalle Parish: 7 miles southwest of

Trout.

Ventridens intertextus (Binney). Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles

west of Sulphur. Evangeline Parish: Beaver. LaSalle Par-

ish: 7 miles southwest of Trout. Claiborne Parish: 11 miles

southwest of Homer.

Anguispira crassa Walker. Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles west of

Sulphur. Evangeline Parish: Beaver. Vernon Parish: 1.5

miles west of Simpson. Grant Parish: 1.8 miles south of

Bentley. Ouachita Parish: 6 miles southwest of West Mon-

roe. Claiborne Parish : 11 miles southwest of Homer.

Fliilomyciis carolinianus (Bosc). Calcasieu Parish: 2.5 miles

west of Sulphur. Evangeline Parish : Beaver. Richland Par-

ish: 8.5 miles west-northwest of Alto. Ouachita Parish: 6

miles southwest of West Monroe.

Pallifera marmorea Pilsbry. Vernon Parish: 1.5 miles west of

Simpson. Grant Parish: just west of Pollock. These speci-

mens are paler than those from Missouri and Arkansas and

do not have the reddish margin to the foot.

126 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Megapallifera, new subgenus

Animal large, sometimes reaching 100 mm. in length when

extended in crawling. The margin of the foot is never reddish,

being either grayish or white. The jaw with from 10 to 16 ribs.

There is a pilaster extending from the lower vagina into the

upper atrium.

Type species: Pallifera mutabilis Hubricht. 1951, Naut.

65:57.

This subgenus contains three known species: P. mutahilis

Hubricht, P. ragsdalei (Webb), and P. weatherhyi W. G. Bin-

ney. Because of their large size, these species have been con-

fused with species of Philomycus. Most of the records for

Philomycus flexuolaris Rafinesque from west of the Appalachian

Mountains are based on P. mutaMlis.

Pallifera mutaMlis Hubricht. Grant Parish : 12 miles south of

Colfax.

Helicina orhiculata (Say). Evangeline Parish: Beaver.

HAPLOTREMA KENDEIGHI WEBB

By LESLIE HUBRICHT

A new subspecies of Haplotrema concavum (Say) was de-

scribed by Glenn R. Webb in 1951 (Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 54:

78-82) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and

named H. c. kendeighi. The subspecies was distinguished by

the following shell differences: ^^ Haplotrema concavum ken-

deighi is particularly characterized by the pronounced inflation

of the lower part of the aperture — causing the lower peristome

to join the base at about a 90 degree angle and helping give the

shell a quadroid aperture. The new subspecies differs from

typical H. c. concavum in : ( 1 ) having a markedly asymmetrical

aperture; (2) in lacking sigmoid curvature of the dorsal peri-

stome; (3) in the thinner, more polished, more translucent,

greener-colored shell; (4) in the wider spacing of the growth-

zones; and (5) in the absence or sparsity of revolving striae."

A study of a large series of shells of Haplotrema concavum

collected over most of its range shows that none of the above

characters, either singly or in combination, can be used to divide

April, 1956] the nautilus 127

Eaplotrema of the eastern United States. There is complete

intergradation in all shell characters.

In the vicinity of Blowing Spring, Cliff Ridge, Nantahala

Gorge, Swain Co., North Carolina, there are two distinct sizes

of Eaplotrema occuring together. Measurements of some speci-

mens of the two sizes are as follows:

The above measurements show that there is no difference in

proportions between the two forms. There is no difference in

the development of the spiral sculpture, it being very weak.

There is apparently a difference in breeding season. On June

6, 1953, mature specimens of the large form were common, but

specimens of the small form were all immature. On August 31,

1952, mature specimens of the small form were found, but ma-

ture specimens of the large form were rare.

When they were being collected, one conspicuous difference

was noted in the color of the foot. The foot of the large form

was a dull yellowish-gray, while the foot of the small form was

bright blue. On dissection, the small form was found to have

a cloaca at least twice the size of that of the large form. Eaplo-

trema c. kendeighi from the type locality and from Clingmans

Dome was found to have a blue foot and a large cloaca. The

large form is E. concaviim and the small form E. c. kendeighi,

and, in view of the anatomical difference and since the two occur

together without intergradation, the latter, despite the absence

of shell differences, is undoubtedly a distinct species.

Although the shells of Eaplotrema kendeighi cannot be dis-

tinguished from shells of E. concavum from northern Iowa or

southern Michigan, they can be readily separated from those

found within its range in western North Carolina and eastern

Tennessee where E. concavum reaches its maximum size.

128 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Eaplotrema kendeighi is known from the following localities:

Tennessee : Sevier Co. : slopes of the Chimneys above the camp

area on the west prong of Little Pigeon River near Tenn.-71, in

mixed-hardwoods deciduous forest (Type Locality) ; 6600 ft.,

Clingmans Dome; Mt. LeConte (Clench & Archer). North

Carolina : Swain Co. : near Blowing Spring, Cliff Ridge, Nanta-

hala Gorge.

FAMILY NAMES IN PULMONATA

By H. BUERINGTON BAKER

The original international code for zoological nomenclature

was established (1905) in the hope that uniformity might be

attained. Some such artificial rules were thought necessary

for the names of genera down to subspecies because of their

great numbers. Names above the genera, since they were less

numerous, wisely were left to scientific judgment.

Although, as everyone knows, more useless name-changes have

taken place since 1905 than in any other half century of taxo-

nomic history, the new articles 4 and 5 (Follett, 1955, ''Not

published") apparently intend to extend the priority rule to

groups (taxons) up towards orders. In addition, so far as its

dating is concerned, each ''family-group name" would be re-

garded as equal, regardless of its termination, and independent

of the synonymy or even the homonymy of its 'Hype genus."

After 50 years, this would reverse the old article 5 completely.

The most disturbing feature of the new article 5 is its 3rd

paragraph, which not only predates names but actually deter-

mines a "type species" for each family or subfamily which

contains a prior synonym based on a preoccupied (homonymous)

generic or subgeneric name. For some of the worst changes in-

volved, see Achatinidae (Cecilioides), Brachypodella, Bulimus,

Euconulinae, Psiloicus, Pupillidae (Gastrocoptinae), Scolodens,

Streptaxidae (Zophos), Vitrinidae (Vitreinae & Zonitinae) and

Xestidae.

An alphabetic list of the families of Pulmonata follows, with

included subfamilies arranged chronologically under each. It

April, 1956] the nautilus 129

is presented simply as an argument against these proposed

amendments; none of the changes is accepted. To illustrate

how and what names are employed at present, references cite

Pilsbry's ''Land Mollusca of North America" (OINA-.l means

volume 1, page 1; LMNA2 is vol. 2) and to Thiele's ''Handbuch

der systematischen Weichtierkunde, " part 2 (HSW:461 means

page 461). Names which are, or would become synonyms are

in parentheses.

Of course, no hope is offered that these hasty arrangements

would be final. Probably all the changes involved would not

be discovered before the end of the century, and by that time a

new set of rules will start the cycle all over again.

Acav-inae Pilsbry, 1895; -idae P., 1900, HSW:647. SubF:

Clavatorinae (-idae Th. in K., 1926, HSW:648). Caryodinae

(-idae T. in K., 1926, HSW:649; Hedleyelloidea & Pedino-

gyroidea I., 1942). F. of Helicoidea?

Achatin-ae Swainson, 1840 (SubF); -inae Adams, 1855; -idae

Tryon, 1867, LMNA2:169, HSW:558. SubF: C-inae, Cecili-

oides Fer., 1814 (Caeciliae ^ Morch, 1864, F. ; Caecilianellinae ^

Crosse & Fischer, 1877; -idae Bgt., 1887; Ferussacidae Bgt.,

1883; -iidae HSW:546; -iinae HBB., 1945, LMNA2:184;

Opeatinae^ HSW:552, genus LMNA2:181). Stenogyrinae *

Wenz, 1923 (-idae C. & F., 1877; Subulininae C. & F., 1877,

LMNA2 :170-180 ; -idae Thle., 1926, HSW:549; Obeliscinae &

Rumininae (-idae Wenz, 1923) HSW:554; Cryptelasminae

Jaume & Fuentes, 1943). Coeliaxinae Pilsbry, 1907, HSW:

556 (-idae Wenz, 1923). F. of Achatinoidea.

Achatinellidae : Man. Conch. 21-22, HSW :498 ; see Helicteridae.

Acrore-idae (Acroriidae ^ Wenz, 1923). F. of Limnophila?

Ailly-idae HBB., 1930, genus HSW:666. F. of Heterurethra.

Amastr-inae Pilsbry, 1911; -idae P., 1914, HSW:500. SubF:

Leptachatininae P. & Cooke, 1914, HSW:500 (-ini Ckll., 1913).

F. of Cionelloidea.

Amphibol-idae Gray, 1840, HSW:470 (Ampullaceridae ^ Tro-

schel, 1845). F. of Thalassophila.

Ancyl-idia Raf., 1815 (SubF) ; -idae Dall, 1870, HSW:482 (Ac-

roloxinae HSW :484) . SubF : Neoplanorbinae Hannibal, 1912.

Laevapicinae H., 1912 (-idae 1914; Ferrissiinae * B. Walker,

1917). Rhodacminae W., 1917. Pseudancylinae & Ancy-

lastrinae W., 1923. F. of Ancyloidea.

1 <'Type genus" a clear homonym; i.e., preoccupied.

2 ''Type genus" an objective synonym; i.e., with same type species.

3 ' ' Type genus ' ' a misusage ; i.e., with wrong type species.

4 < < Type genus ' ' a subjective synonym ; i.e., with different type species.

130 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Aper-idae^ MUdff., 1902, HSW:726 (Chlamydeplioridae CkU.,

1935). F. of SuperF. Rhytididae.

Arion-idae Gray in Turton, 1840, LMNA2:660, HSW:600.

SubF: Binneyinae Ckll., 1891, LMNA2:732, HSW:601.

Oopeltinae Ckll., 1891, HSW:604. Ariolimacinae Pils. &

Van., 1898, LMNA2:706, HSW:601. Anadeninae Pils., 1948,

LMNA2 :676. F. of Arionoidea.

Ariophantidae : HSW:611; see Xestidae.

Atlioracophor-idae Fischer, 1883, HSW:495 ( Janellidae ^ Gray,

1853). SubF: Aneiteinae (-adae Gray, I860; Aneitinae Gr.

& Hffm., 1924). F. of Heterurethra or Tracheopulmonata.

Aurieul-ae Ferussac, 1821 ; -adae Gray, 1824 ; -idae Risso, 1826

(EUobiidae^ Adams, 1855, HSW:463). SubF: C-inae (Co-

novulidae^ Clarke, 1850; Melampidae Stimpson, 1851; -inae

Adams, 1855; -odinae C. & F., 1880). Searabinae ^ (Pytbi-

inae Odhner, 1925) & Pedipedinae (HSW:463) C. & F., 1880.

Cassidulinae ^ 0., 1925. F. of Aetophila.

Brachypodella Beck, 1837: -idae ( Cylindrellidae ^ Tryon, 1868;

Urocoptidae Pils. & Van., 1898, LMNA2:103, HSW:668).

SubF: Berendtinae Cr. & Fiseh., 1872 (Euealodinae C. & F.,

1873; -iinae HSW:668; -iidae Str. & Pfeffer, 1879). Micro-

ceraminae Pils., 1904, LMNA2:107, HSW:671. Holospirinae

Pils., 1946, LMNA2:111. F. of SuperF. Orthalicidae.

Bradybaenidae : LMNA:15; see Eulotidae.

Bulimin-ida* Clessin, 1879; -idae Kobelt, 1880 (Enidae Pils. &

Cooke, 1914, HSW:517; Chondrinidae ^ Steenberg, 1925).

SubF: Cerastinae Wenz, 1923 {Cerastua,^ 1928; Pacbnodinae

& -idae S., 1925; Napaeinae Wagn., 1927, HSW:523). Chon-

drulinae * Wenz, 1923 (-idae Wagner, 1927; Jaminiinae

HSW:517). F. of Pupilloidea.

Bulimulidae: Man. Conch. 11-14, LMNA2:1, HSW:651; see

Orthalicidae.

Bulimus^ Scopoli, 1786, Brug., 1789, not Scopoli, 1777: type

Helix oUonga Miiller : -idae Guilding, 1828 ; -ida Beck, 1837 ;

-inae Adams, 1855, etc., for almost a century. See Psiloicus

and Strophocheilidae.

Camaenidae : Man. Conch. 9, LMNA :410 ; see Lucerna.

Carychi-adae Jeffreys, 1829; -inae C. & F., 1880, HSW:464;

-idae Wenz, 1923, LMNA2 :1051. F. of Aetophila.

Caryodidae: HSW:649; see Acavidae.

Cepolidae: see Xanthonycidae.

Cerion-idae= Pilsbry, 1901, LMNA2:158, HSW:667 (Pup-adae^

Fleming or Guilding, 1828; -inae Adams, 1855; -idae Gill,

1871. On Pupa Lamarck, 1801, or Draparnaud, 1801?). F.

of Cerionoidea.

Chilin-idae Adams, 1855, HSW:472. F. of Limnophila.

5 < ' Type genus ' ' now on official list.

April, 1956] the nautilus 131

Cionell-ida Clessin, 1879; -idae Kobelt, 1880, L]MNA2:1045

(Cochlicopidae ^ Pilsbry, 1900, HSW:502; Spelaeoconcliinae

Wagn., 1927). F. of Cionelloidea.

Clausili-eae ^ Morch, 1864(F) ; -idae Stoliczka, 1871; HSW:526

(Baleinae Wagner, 1922; Laminiferinae Wenz, 1923; Mentis-

soideinae & Fusulinae Lindholm, 1924). SubF : Alopiinae

Wagner, 1921 (Garnieriinae Hffm., 1928). Phaedusinae

Wagner, 1922, HSW:527. Neniinae Wenz, 1923, HSW:533

(Neniastrinae - HBB., 1930). Marpessinae Wenz, 1923 (Co-

ehlodininae^ Hffm., 1928, HSW:540). Triptyehiinae & Fil-

holiidae Wenz, 1923. F. of SuperF. Orthalicidae ?

Clavatoridae : HSW:648; see Acavidae.

Cochlicopidae : ^ HSW:502; see Cionellidae & Oleaeinidae.

Corillidae: HSW:585; see Plectopylididae.

Dorcasi-idae Thle., 1926, HSW:646. F. of Cerionoidea.

Ellobiidae:^ HSW:463; see Anriculidae.

Enidae: HSW:517; see Buliminidae.

Endodontidae : Man. Conch. 9, L]\INA2:565, HSW:566; see

Punctidae.

Euconul-inae HBB., 1928, L]\INA2:233; HSW:613, genus

(Conulinae^ Strebel & Pfeffer, 1879; Durgellinidae * &

Hedleyoconchidae * I., 1941). SubF. or Tribe: Microcys-

tinae Thiele, 1931, HSW:618 (-idae I., 1937; Trocbo-

naninidae ^ Germain, 1921; -inae HSW:616; Liardetiae &

Philonesiae HBB., 1938; Fanulidae * & Advenidae* I., 1945).

F. or primary SubF. (which see) : Xestinae (-idae, 1941),

Helicarioninae Godwin-Austen, 1888 (-idae, 1909), and Uro-

cyclidae Simroth, 1889. Incertae sedis: Cystopeltinae CklL,

1891, HSW:625. Sophininae Blanford & G.-A., 1908, HSW:

637. Chroninae HSW:626. F. of Limacoidea.

Eulot-idae^ Wenz, 1923; -inae Ihering, 1929 (Fruticicolidae *

Lindholm, 1927, HSW:688; Buliminopsinae Hffm., 1928;

Bradybaenidae Pils., 1939, LMNA:15; Aegistinae Habe, 1955).

SubF: Helicostylinae Hffm., 1928, HSW:688 (Cochlostyl-

inae* Ihering, 1929). F. of Helicoidea or SubF. of Xan-

thonycidae.

Ferussacidae : Man. Conch. 19, HSW:546; see Achatinidae

(Cecilioides).

Fruticicolidae : * HSW:688; see Eulotidae & Hygromiidae.

Gadini-adae^ Gray, 1840; -idae Ball, 1870, HSW:470. F. of

Limnophila !

Haplotremat-idae HBB., 1925, LMNA2:201, HSW:723, in part

(Circinariidae^ Pilsbry, 1898, in part). F. of SuperF.

Khytididae.

Helicarion-inae Godwin- Austen, 1888, HSW:637; -idae Kobelt,

1909 (Pseudotrochatellinae Wagner, 1905, genus HSW:82;

Ereptinae HSW:614). SubF. or Tribe: Sesarinae Thiele,

132 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

1931, HSW:620 (Kaliellinae HSW:612, type genus; Geo-

trochidae I., 1941; Nitoridae * I., 1944, section HSW:617).

SubF. of F. Euconulinae, or F. of Limacoidea.

Helicellinae ^ Wenz, 1923, HSW:702; -idae LMNA:14; see Hy-

gromiidae. Not Helicellinae ^ Adams, 1855 ; -idae Tryon,

1866; see Vitrinidae (Vitreinae & Zonitinae) and Helicidae.

Helic-inia^ Raf., 1815 (F) ; -idae Gray, 1824, LMNA:1 (Heli-

cellinae ^ Adams, 1855 ; Xerophil-ae ^ Morch, 1864 ; -inae Wag-

ner, 1927 ; Theb-ea ^ Wenz, 1923, -inae Germ., 1929 ; Eupary-

phinae^ Perrot, 1939. Murellinae Hesse, 1920). SubF: A-

inae ( Ariantidae * Morch, 1864 ; Campylaeinae Bttg. & Wenz,

1921 ; Helicigoninae ^ HSW :713 ) . Helicodontinae Hesse,

1918, HSW:711. Leptaxinae Wenz, 1923, HSW:715. See

also Hygromiidae (SubF. of Helicidae, HSW:702) & Xan-

thonycidae. F. of Helicoidea.

Helicter-inae * Pease, 1869 ; -idae Fischer, 1883 (Achatinellinae

Gulick, 1873; -idae Kobelt, 1880, HSW:498). SubF: Tor-

natellinidae (which see) & Auriculellinae ? F. of Pupilloidea.

Helminthoglyptidae : LMNA:24, see Xanthonycidae.

Hygromi-inae Tryon, 1866, LMNA:16, HSW:707; -idae Mlldff.,

1890 (Trochulinae 2 Lindholm, 1927; Fruticicolidae ^ Hffm.,

1928). SubF: L-inae (Xerophilae^ Morch, 1864; Leucochro-

idae^'^ Westerlund, 1886; Helicellinae ^ Wenz, 1923, HSW:

702, not Adams, 1855; -idae LMN'A:14; Geomitrinae Wenz,

1923; Jacostidae Pilsbry, 1948, LMNA2:1091). F. of Helico-

idea.

Jacostidae : LMNA2 :1091 ; see preceding.

Lanc-inae Hannibal, 1914, HSW:477; -idae Pilsbry, 1925. F.

of Ljonnoidea.

Lati-inae Hannibal, 1912; -idae Thle., 1926, HSW:473. F. of

Limnophila.

Limaxia (F) and Limac-idia^ (SubF) Raf., 1815; -idae Gray,

1821, Turton, 1831, LMNA2:521, HSW:605 (Agriolimacinae *

Wagner, 1935). SubF: Parmacellinae HSW:605 (-idae &

Cryptellidae Gray, 1860) . Milacinae CklL, 1935, LMNA2 :563

(-idae Ellis, 1926). F. of Limacoidea.

Lucerna * * ' Humphreys ' ' Swainson, 1840, type L. acutissima =

Helix lucerna acuta Lam., 1816; not preoccupied by ''Lu-

cerna" Willughby, 1686 (Pisces), or ''Humphreys" 1797 (see

opinion 51) or "Fer." (citation of preceding in synonymy) :

L-idae; Lucerninae * Swainson, 1840 (Camaeninae Pilsbry,

1895 ; -idae Mlldff., 1898, LININA :410 ; Amphidrominae Kobelt,

1902; Pleurodontidae Ihering, 1912, HSW:676; Chloritidae,

Hadridae,* Papuinidae, Planispiridae, Rhagadidae * & Xan-

thomelonidae I., 1937-8). SubF: Megomphicinae (see Thy-

sanophoridae) ? Oreohelicinae Pilsbry, 1939, LMNA:412.

F. of Helicoidea.

April, 1956] the nautilus 133

Lymnaea (Lymnoeaf) : Lymn-idia Raf., 1815 (SubF) ; Limn-

acea Blainville, 1824 ; -aeadae Risso, 1826 ; -adae Turton, 1831 ;

-aeoidea Fitz., 1833; Lymneidae Orbigny, 1837; -aeidae,

HSW:475 (Amphipeplidae 2 & Limnophysidae * Dybowski,

1903 ; Acellinae * Hamiibal, 1912) . F. of Lymnoidea.

Macrocycl-idae Thle., 1926, HSW:651. F. of SuperF. Rhy-

tididae ?

Megaspir-idae Pilsbry, 1904, HSW:557. F. of Achatinoidea.

Mesodont-inae Tryon, 1866 (Polygyrinae Pilsbry, 1895; -idae

Ihering, 1912, LMNA: 575, HSW:579 in part). SubF: Tri-

odopsinae Pils., 1940, LMNA:789. F. of SuperF. Meso-

dontinae.

Oleacin-inae,^ -idae Adams, 1855, Gray, 1860, LMNA2:188, in

part, HSW:562, in part (Glandinidae - Strebel, 1878; Co-

chlicopidae ^ Pils., 1900 ; Varicellarum HBB., 1941, genus

LMNA2:200). See also Spiraxidae. F. of Oleacinoidea.

Onchid-ia Raf., 1815 (SubF) ; -iadae Gray, 1824; -iidae Adams,

1855; Oncidiidae HSW:486 (Oncidiellidae,^ Peroniidae ^ &

Scaphidae * Labbe, 1934). F. of Gymnophila.

Orthalic-ea Albers-Martens, 1860; -idae Tryon, 1866, & -inae,

1867, LMNA2:29, HSW:663. SubF: Bulimulinae Tryon,

1867, L]VINA2:3, HSW:651 (-idae C. & F., 1873, LMNA2:1,

HSW:651). Amphibuliminae Crosse & Fischer, 1873, HSW:

665. Odontostominae Pils. & Van., 1898, HSW:660 (-idae

Wenz, 1923; Grangerellidae Russell, 1931). F. of SuperF.

Orthalicidae.

Otin-inae Adams, 1855; -idae Chenu, 1859, HSW:468. F. of

Actophila.

Partul-idae Pilsbry, 1900, genus HSW:658. F. of Cerionoidea

or near Pupilloidea?

Paryphantidae : HSW:724; see Rhytididae.

Philomyc-ina Gray, 1847; -idae Keferstein, 1866, LMNA2:748,

HSW:604 (Tebennophorinae^ Morse, 1864; -idae C. & F.,

1872). F. of Arionoidea.

Phys-oidea^ Fitzins^er, 1833; -ina Gray in Turton, 1840; -idae

Ball, 1870, HSW:474. F. of Ancyloidea.

Planorb-ia Raf., 1815 (SubF) ; -ina Gray in Turton, 1840; -inae

Adams, 1855; -idae Dybowski, 1903, HSW:478. SubF: B-

inae (Bullinea^ Oken, 1815; Camptoceratinae Dall, 1870;

Bulininae Cr. & Fisch., 1880 ; -idae Germain, 1931 ; Isidorinae *

Wenz, 1923 ; Protancylinae B. Walker, 1923) . C-inae (Coretini

Gray, 1847; Pompholicinae^ Dall, 1866, 1870, -idae Hender-

son, 1924 ; Pompholycodeinae ^ Lind., 1927 ; Helisomatinae F.

C. Baker, 1928). Choanomphalinae C. & F., 1880. Planor-

bulinae Pilsbry, 1934. Segmentininae F. C. Baker, 1945.

Biomphalariinae Watson, 1954. F. of Ancyloidea.

Plectopylid-idae Mlldff., 1900 (Corillinae P., 1905; -idae T. in

K., 1926, HSW:585). F. of Cerionoidea.

134 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Pleurodisc-idae Wenz, 1923, LMNA2:1019, HSW:517, in part.

SubF: Pyramidulinae Wenz, 1923 (-eae HSW:503). F. of

Pupilloidea.

Pleurodontidae : HSW:676; see Lucernu.

Polygyridae: Man. Conch. 9, LMNA:575, HSW:579; see Meso-

dontinae.

Psiloicus'' Morretes, 1952, or Corns ^ ''Jouss., 1877" Strand,

1928,^ type Helix ohlonga Miiller ; see Bulimus and Stropho-

eheilidae.

Punct-inae Morse, 1864, LMNA2 :640 ; -idae ''Gill" Pilsbry, 1895

(Laominae Suter, 1913, HSW:567; -idae Iredale, 1937; Patu-

lastridae * Steenberg, 1925, see HSW:517; Paralaomidae * I.,

1941). SubF: Patulinae ^ Tryon, 1866, section LMNA2:616;

-idae Mlldff., 1890 (Charopidae Button, 1884; Endodontidae

Pils., 1895, LMNA2:565, HSW:566; Thysanotinae G.-A., 1907;

Goniodiscinae ^ Wagn., 1927; Discinae HSW:578). Ph-inae

(Phenacohelicidae * Suter, 1892 = section, HSW:577; Oto-

conchinae Ckll., 1893; -idae HBB., 1938; Amphidoxinae

HSW:575; Flammulinidae I., 1937; Gudeconchidae * & Pseu-

docharopidae ^ I., 1944). Helicodiscinae ''Pilsbry" HBB.,

1927, L]\INA2:622, HSW:568. Eotadiscinae HBB., 1927,

HSW:567. Stenopylinae HSW:569? F. of Arionoidea.

Pupill-adae Turton, 1831; -idae Pilsbry, 1905, LMNA2:868;

-inae Pils., 1918, L]\INA2:920, HSW:507 (Lauriinae Steen-

berg, 1925; -eae HSW:509). SubF: Vertigininae P., 1918,

LMNA2:943 (-oidea Fitz., 1833; -idae Stimpson, 1851,

HSW:503; Truncatellininae Steenberg, 1925; -eae HSW:503).

Orculinae P., 1918, HSW:510 (-idae S., 1925). Gastrocop-

tinae P., 1918, LMNA2:871 (Includes Ahida = Pupa^ Drap.,

1801; see Cerion; Chondrinidae ^ S., 1925; -inae HSW:511).

Pagodulininae P., 1924 (genus HSW:510; Pagodininae ^ P.,

1918). Nesopupinae S., 1925, LMNA2:1006 (-eae HSW:505).

F. of Pupilloidea.

Kathouis-idae Sarasin, 1899; iidae Mlldff., 1902, HSW:489. F.

of Gymmophila.

Rhytid-idae Pilsbry, Feb. 2, 1895 ( Paryphantinae G.-A., 1895;

-idae HSW:724). F. of SuperF. Rhytididae.

Sagd-inae Pilsbry, 1895; -idae Wenz, 1923, LMNA :978-983,

HSW:581, in part. SubF: Aquebaninae & Platysuccineinae

HBB., 1940. F. of Oleacinoidea.

Scolodens, new name for Stenopus ^ Guilding, 1828, Zoo. J.

3 :527, type ;S^. cruentatus Guilding : -idae (Stenopidae ^ Adams,

1855, Chenu, 1859; Scolodontidae HBB., 1925; Systrophiidae

Thiele, 1926, HSW:596). F. of Limacoidea?

Scolodontidae: see preceding.

Siphonari-adae Gray, 1840; -idae Adams, 1855, Dall, 1870,

HSW:471. F. of Thalassophila.

April, 1956] the nautilus 135

Spirax-inae HBB., 1939 (genus HSW:562): -idae HBB., 1955.

SubF: -inae Streptostylarum (genus HSW:564) & Euglan-

dinarum (genus LMNA2:188, HSW:565) HBB., 1941. See

also Oleacinidae. F. of Achatinoidea.

Stenacm-idae Pilsbry, 1945. F. of Thalassophila.

Streptax-idae Gray, 1860, HSW:727. SubF: Z-inae; Zophos^

Gude, 1911 ( Selenitidae ^ Fischer, 1883; Austroselenitinae

HBB., 1941)? Enneinae* Mlldff., 1903 (subgenus HSW:

734 ; -idae auct. ; Ptychotrematinae Pilsbry, 1919, genus HSW :

733). F. of Achatinoidea.

Strobilops-inae Pils., 1918; -idae Hanna, 1922, LMNA2:848

(Strobilidae^ Joos, 1911). See also Vallonidae. F. of Pu-

pilloidea.

Strophocheil-idae Thle. 1926 (-chilinae Pils., 1902; -idae HSW:

650). See also Bulimus. F. of Cerionoidea.

Subulinidae: HSW:549; see Achatinidae (Stenogyrinae).

Succin-ida^ Beck, 1837; -inae Adams, 1855; -idae Gill, 1871

(-eae Morch, 1864; -eidae Tryon, 1866, LMNA2:771, HSW:

493; Catinellinae Odhner. 1950). SubF. Hyalimacinae

G.-A., 1882. F. of Succinoidea (Heterurethra).

Systrophiidae : HSW :596 ; see Scolodens.

Testacell-ina Gray in Turton, 1840 ; -idae Adams, 1855, LMNA2 :

230, HSW:565. F. of Testacelloidea, near Limacoidea.

Thyrophorell-idae T. in K., 1926, HSW:586. F. (?) of Lima-

coidea.

Thysanophor-inae Pilsbry, 1926, LMNA:984-994, HSW:582, in

part. SubF: Megomphicinae * HBB., Jan., 1930, LMNA2:

506, HSW:578 (Ammonitellinae* Pils., Dec, 1930, LMNA:

554, HSW:579, genus p. 698; Polygyrellinae HBB., 1955)?

F. of Arionoidea or SuperF. Mesodontinae ?

Tornatellin-idae ^ Pilsbry, 1910, HSW:496 (Pacificellidae Steen.,

1925; Elasmatinidae ^ I., 1944). SubF: Auriculellinae Pils.

& Cooke, 1914, HSW:496 (-idae Odhner, 1922). Helicteridae

or F. of Pupilloidea?

Trigonochlamyd-ina Hesse, 1882 ; -inae Ckll., 1891 ; -idae Mlldff.,

1902, HSW:610. SubF: Parmacellillinae Hesse, 1926, HSW:

610. F. of Limacoidea.

Urocoptidae: Man. Conch. 15-16, LMNA2:103, HSW:668. See

Brachypodella.

Urocycl-idae Simroth, 1889; -inae HSW:643. SubF. or Tribe:

Trochonanininae Connolly, 1912 (-idae Germain, 1921; Tro-

chozonitinae I., 1914, genus HSW:621; Ledoulxiinae * Pils.,

1919). Peltatinae* G.-A., 1912 (Sheldoniinae Connolly,

1925). SubF. of F. Euconulinae or F. of Limacoidea.

Vaginulidae: HSW:489; see Veronicellidae.

Vallon-inae Morse, 1864; -iidae Pilsbry, 1900, LMNA2:1018,

HSW:514; -iinae Watson, 1920 (Circinariidae ^ Pilsbry, 1898;

136 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

Aeanthinulidae Steenb., 1917; -inae Pilsbry, 1918; Spelaeo-

diseiiiae & Aspasitinae "* S., 1925). See also Strobilopsidae.

F. of Pupilloidea.

Veronieell-idae Gray, 1840, 1842, L]\INA2:1062 (Vaginiilidae

Gill, 1871, HSW:489; -inae, Sarasiniilinae,"* Semperulinae * &

Meisenheimeriiuae - Hffm., 1925). SubP: Imeriniinae &

Pseiidoverouicellinae Hffm., 1928. F. of Gymnophila.

Vertigiiiidae : HSW:503; see Pupillidae.

Vitrin-oidea ^ Fitzinger, 1833; -ida Beck, 1837; -inae Adams,

1855, LMNA2 :499 ; -idae Gill, 1871, HSW :598. SubF : Vitre-

inae HBB., 1930, HSW:587, first 2 and last 2 genera

(L]\INA2:39-J^24; Helicellinae ^ Adams, 1855; -idae Tryon,

1866 ) . Zonitinae, L]\INA2 :246-393, HSW :590 ( Helicellinae ^

in part; Zonitidae Morch, 1864, LMNA2:233, HSW:587; Hya-

liniinae- S. & P., 1879; Godwiniinae^ Cooke, 1921, HSW:

595). Gastrodontinae Tryon, 1866, L]\INA:425, HSW:594

(Janiilinae Wenz, 1923, genns HSW: 573; Poeeilozonitinae

Pils., 1924). Trochomorphinae HSW:622, in part (-idae

MUdff., 1890). Plutoniinae CklL, 1893, HSW:600 (-idae

Mlldff., 1902; Yitrip.- Collinge, 1893; Vitrinop.- Thle., 1926).

Daudebardiinae Pilsbry, 1908, HSW:596 (-idae Kobelt,

1906). F. of Limaeoidea.

Xanthonyc-idae Strebel & Pfeffer, 1879 (Lysinoinae Hffm.,

1928). SubF: Cepolinae Hffm., 1928 (-idae Pils., 1934;

-iinae P., 1939, L]\INA:26). Epiphragmophorinae Hffm.,

1928, HSW:697, tjipe subgenus. HelmintlioghT)tinae Pils.,

1939, L]\1NA:31 (-idae, p. 24). Sonorellinae P., 1939,

L]\INA:267. Humboldtianinae P., 1939, L:MNA:395. In-

cludes Eulotidae? F. of Helicoidea.

Xest-inae Gude & Woodward, 1921, HSW:632, type genus only;

-idae I., 1941 (Naninidae ^ ^'Pfeffer" Martens, 1880; -inae

Pfeffer, 1882; Ariophantinae G.-A., 1888, HSW:629; -idae

Germain, 1921, HSW:611; Hemiplectinae G. & W., 1921).

SubF. or Tribe: Macrochlamydinae - G.-A., 1888, HSW:626

(-idae Wenz, 1923; Tanyehlamydinae HBB., 1928). Durgel-

linae G.-A., 1888, HSW:634 (-idae I., 1937; Sitalinae Sykes,

1900; -idae Germain, 1921; Ostracolethidae * Simr., 1901;

Myotestidae Coll., 1902). Parmarioninae Blanf. & G.-A.,

1908, HSW:642. Dvakinae G. & W.. 1921 (-iinae Laidlaw,

1931; Staffordiinae HSW:632; Pseudoplectinae Thiele, 1934).

Girasiinae HSW:640. SubF. of F. Euconulinae or F. of

Limaeoidea.

Zonitidae: Li\INA2 :233, HSW:587; see Yitrinidae.

From the preceding, Aneylidae, Helieidae,^ Limacidae,^ L^th-

nidae (or L\Tnnoeidae?), Onchididae and Planorbidae appar-

6 At least a distinct tribe, including L5^rN'A2: 253-393 and (?) Betinella

April, 1956] the nautilus 137

ently would date from that indefatigable proposer of unidenti-

fiable names, Rafinesque, 1815. Since, according to tbeir nu-

merous emenders, neither Lymnoea nor Onchidium were words

of ''Greek or Latin origin" (new article 4), should these form

Lymnidae (cf. Blainville & Turton) and Onchididae, which ad-

mittedly would be improvements on their modern spellings ? In

the same year, would Bullinea Oken protect Bulininae, 1880,

against Camptoceratinae, 1870?

Auriculidae, regardless of Roding, would date from 1821 or

1824. (Anyway, since 2 or 3 copies of a sales catalog, privately

distributed, do not constitute publication, opinion 96 is invalid.)

Cerionidae, if dated from 1828, would include a special prob-

lem. Most authors cited Pupa"" Drap., 1801 (-idae, 1828?),

which is a synonym of Ahida in Gastrocoptinae, 1918 ; although

Cerion uva, the only species in Pupa Lamarck, 1801, was kept

in the genus until near the end of the century. May Drapar-

naud's homonym be considered a usage of that of Lamarck?

Similarly, if dated from Bulimidae,^ 1828, Strophocheilidae,

1902, would be called by a family name based on Psiloicus, 1952,

or Corns, 1928. Like Pupa Drap., and despite internal evidence,

may the Bulimus of a century of authors be considered a mis-

usage of Scopoli, 1777 ?

Carychiidae would start in 1829, Pupillidae in 1831, and

Physidae,^ Vertigininae and Vitrinidae ^ in 1833. Succinidae ^

(not -eidae) would go back to Beck, 1837.

Achatinidae would come along in 1840, despite Swainson^s

habitually eccentric spelling. But a family based on his Lu-

cerninae * would replace Camaenidae or Pleurodontidae. Gray

would initiate Amphibolidae, Arionidae, Gadiniidae, Siphonari-

idae, Testacellidae and Veronicellidae in the same year; Philo-

mycidae in 1847; and Athoracophoridae ( Janellidae ^) in 1853.

Coretini, 1847, or a name (1866) based on Parapliolyx, 1922,

would be prior to Helisomatinae, 1928.

H. and A. Adams, 1855, would add Chilinidae, Oleacinidae ^

and Otinidae. On the other hand, their Stenopidae ^ apparently

would make Happia {Scolodens *) type of a family name prior

to Scolodontidae, 1925, or Systrophiidae, 1927. But this change,

like that of Zophos * (Streptaxidae) would fix the family-group

names on ''genera" which have been studied more than either

Scolodonta or Austroselenites.

138 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

With Hyalinia {= Oxychilus) and Vitrea in sjmonymy, Heli-

cella^ ''Lam." Adams, 1855, Gen. Moll. 2:118 C'Lam., 1812"

Chenu), type now selected Vitrea diaphana Fitzinger, 1833,

Beitr. Land. Oest. 3 :99, has no provable connection with Heli-

cella Fer., 1821, although both were adoptions of Lamarck's

(1812) empty vernacular helicelle. Helicellinae/ 1855, is also

prior to Zonitidae, 1864. But if the Commission, which is study-

ing the case, would validate Lamarck, 1812, with the first (Herr-

mannsen) type species. Helix ericetorum, Helicellidae, 1855,

would include Hygromiinae, 1866. It is also listed, as a con-

futed misusage,^ under Helix, where Helicella temporarily, let

us hope, has become the name of Euparypha-Xerophila-Theha.

(All roads lead to Pisa?)

In 1860, Gray would add Streptaxidae ; and Alb ers-Mar tens

would initiate Orthalicidae, under which Tryon, 1867, also

subordinated Bulimulinae (-idae, 1873).

Morse's (1864) Punctinae would be the earliest of 4 names

prior to Endodontidae, 1895, but his Valloninae (-iidae, 1900)

would be prior to Circinariidae,^ 1898. In the same year, Morch

would start Clausiliidae and Zonitidae, but his Ariantidae *

might replace modern names. Apparently, his Caeciliae ^ would

initiate a subfamily name based on Cecilioides; either it or

Caecilianellinae ^ C. & F., 1877, would replace Ferussacidae,

1883.

Tryon 's (1866) Mesodontinae would be prior to Polygyrinae,

1895, and his Patulinae- to either Endodontinae or Discinae.

Equally bad, a family name based on Brachypodella (same type

as Cylindrella^) and Pease's forgotten Helicterinae,* 1869, mis-

begotten on helicteres, would replace the well known Urocopti-

dae, 1898, and Achatinellidae, 1873, respectively.

Buliminidae,* 1879, although used in the Conch. Cab., would

be longer and more confusing than Enidae, 1914 ; it is another

of the wide-flung spawn of old bulinus Adanson. Clessin would

also initiate Cionellidae. Stenogyridae,* 1877, would include

Subulininae (-idae, 1928) and replace Obeliscinae, 1931.

Xanthonycidae, 1879, is prior to Cepolinae, 1928, or Euloti-

dae,2 1923. Euconulinae apparently would acquire the same

date, 1879, which would make it prior to Godwin- Austen 's

(1888) Helicarioninae (-idae, 1908), Ariophantinae (-idae,

1921), Durgellinae (-idae, 1937) and Macrochlamydinae ^ (-idae,

April, 1956] the nautilus 139

1923), or Simroth's (1889) Urocyclidae. Similarly, Naninidae ^

Martens, 1880, based on Pfeffer's (1878) vernacular Naniniden,

would make Xestinae prior to Ariophantinae. Sower by 's Nan-

inm, 1842, is obviously an erroneous subsequent spelling, al-

though accepted by me, 1936.

The cited superfamilies would be dated: Helicoidea,^ Lima-

coidea,^ Lymnoidea and Ancyloidea, 1815. Cerionoidea,^ 1828?

Pupilloidea, 1831. Succinoidea,^ 1837. Achatinoidea, Ario-

noidea and Testacelloidea, 1840. Oleacinoidea,^ 1855. Ortha-

licidae, 1860. Mesodontinae, 1866. Cionelloidea, 1879. Rhy-

tididae, 1895.

Thus, as in genera, the rule of priority, if applied also to

families, would favor the careless splitter, and establish names

impetuously applied to aberrant and isolated forms. And why

should homonyms, which are almost inseparable from misusages,

deserve any special consideration?

The original code, although artificial, at least was planned by

systematists for the good of all naturalists. The new rules seem

to have been written by orismologists for the sole benefit of

museums.

NOTES AND NEWS

Comment on a paper by David Nicol. — As the paper by David

Nicol, ''An analysis of the Arctic marine pelecypod fauna,"

Nautilus, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 115-122, July 1955, has attracted

some comment, it seems that certain points should be clarified.

The Arctic collection on which the paper was in large part based

had been made by Prof. G. E. MacGinitie, from dredgings in one

small area near Point Barrow, Alaska. It had been left at the

U. S. National Museum by Mrs. MacGinitie pending her analysis

and publication of results. It was not (as Nicol himself ad-

mitted) a complete sample. I saw additional material that Mrs.

MacGinitie brought to Stanford for study and know that at least

three families, representing six or more genera, were not in-

cluded. These added lots might well make a significant change

in Nicol's comparisons — if we were to grant that he is justified

in comparing an Arctic suite dredged offshore in one small area

with a catalogue list of Floridan material from an area of indefi-

nite size and undefined ecologic boundaries (L, M. Perry,

140 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

** Marine shells of the southwest coast of Florida," Bulls. Amer.

Paleont, no. 95, 260 pp., 39 pis., 1950; revised by J. S.

Schwengel, 1955). Hence, I feel constrained to point out that

the conclusions Nicol reached may be vitiated by inadequate

control of basic data. — A. Myra Keen, Stanford University,

California.

Mesodon normalis (Pils.) — The land snail usually known as

Mesodon andrewsae normalis (Pils.) generally has been con-

sidered to be a low elevation form of the mountain top M.

andrewsae (W. G. Binney) because it differs only in being larger

and in having a heavier shell. However, the two forms have

been found together at three localities without any intergrada-

tion, which would indicate that they are distinct species. These

localities are: below the Blue Ridge Parkway, near milepost

354, near the Pinnacle of the Blue Ridge, Yancey Co., North

Carolina ; Newfound Gap, Great Smoky Mtns. Nat. Park, Swain

Co., N. C. ; and Beach Gap, south of Sunburst, in Transylvania

Co., N. C. — Leslie Hubricht.

Southern record for Pomacea cumingi (King). — Speci-

mens of this species heretofore known only from Panama have

been received from a lumber camp called La Nueva on the Rio

Truando, dept. Choco, in northwestern Colombia (no. 195769

ANSP., from Mr. F. J. Barcroft of the U. S. Embassy, Bogota).

The Truando is a tributary of the Rio Atrato. The specimens

may eventually be thought subspecifically separable, as they dif-

fer from the Panamic forms by having the suture less impressed

and the interior of the aperture very dark, almost black in some

examples. The largest one measures, height 48 mm., diameter

50 mm., spire eroded. — H. A. P.

Lysinoe sebastiana Dall, a correction. — By typographical

error in the fourth line from the bottom of p. 43 of the October

number, the height given as 0.03 mm. should be 30.3 mm.

Additional marine mollusks at Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

— Recent records of marine mollusks collected as the result of

intensive surveys at Cape Ann, Massachusetts, have been pub-

lished by Dexter (Nautilus 56: 57-61; 57: 67-68; 58: 18-24;

71: 135-142; 59: 69-70. 1942-45) and Clarke (Nautilus 67: 112-

120. 1954). Two species have come to hand which are not re-

ported in the above references. On September 12, 1952, a

single specimen of the chiton, Lepidochiton ruber, was collected

April, 1956] the nautilus 141

by the writer among sea-weeds washed ashore at Good Harbor

Beach.

In the summer of 1947, Mr. Harold Geary brought to the

writer six specimens of an octopus taken in otter trawls made in

Ipswich Bay by the dragger lAicretia under command of Capt.

Sam Nicastro. On August 26, the writer accompanied the crew

on a trawling trip in Ipswich Bay to collect bottom organisms

and to look especially for additional specimens of the octopus.

While 105 specimens of squid were collected, no octopus was

found that day. The six specimens of Octopoda captured earlier

were identified by Dr. Grace E. Pickford of the Bingham

Oceanographic Laboratory, Yale University, as Bathypolypus

arcticus (Prosch). Four specimens were males and two were

females. One of the females had a spermatophore attached to

the first right arm. The specimens have been given to Dr.

Pickford for further study.

Doubtless, the specimens of Xylophaga sp. reported from the

Annisquam River (tidal inlet) at Cape Ann by Dexter (Nautilus

56: 61. 1942) should be referred to X. atlantica Richards 1942

(see Johnsonia 3(34): 152-154. 1955).— Ralph W. Dexter,

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

The Kimball Valentine Collection. — The Academy of

Natural Sciences of Philadelphia has recently received as a gift

the extensive marine collection of Beatrice and Kimball Valen-

tine of Washington, D. C. The approximately 2000 lots are

mainly dredged shells from Florida and consist of many un-

usually perfect and rare collectors' items which were assembled

over a period of ten years. — R. T. A.

First Helix aspersa in Hawaii. — On February 7, 1952, Q. C.

Chock of the Territory of Hawaii Board of Agriculture and

Forestry received from Masao Miyamoto, photographer for the

University of Hawaii, a mature, live specimen of Helix aspersa

Muller which the latter had found in his own yard in Kaimuki,

Honolulu. The snail was released in my care and kept in

quarantine in the insectary of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters

Association Experiment station until its death about October 2,

1952. There was no reproduction.

This is the first record of the European brown snail in the

Hawaiian Islands. Its mode of importation to the islands from

its source is unknown. Two speculative methods of introduction

142 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

may be mentioned. (1) Hawaii imports great quantities of

vegetables and fruits from California where the European

brown snail is a common pest. An occasional juvenile specimen

of the species could easily arrive here, undetected and alive,

hidden among the leaves of vegetables. (2) Immigrant wives of

Hawaiian servicemen returning from Europe could bring speci-

mens back for food. The snail is reported to be easily raised

and propagated at home. — Yoshio Kondo.

Henry Edward Crampton, 1875-1956. — Dr. Crampton died

in the Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, February 26th.

Among malacologists, he was known especially for his very

thorough studies on the distribution and speciation of Partuli-

dae, from islands of the Pacific, to which he made several ex-

peditions. He will be missed by all who knew him. — H. B. B.

Defense of a predator. — In your issue of the Nautilus, Vol.

69, No. 2, October, 1955, pages 37^0, appears an article by

Albert R. Mead entitled ''The Proposed Introduction of Preda-

tory Snails into California." This article was brought to the

attention of the Invertebrate Consultants Committee for the

Pacific, Pacific Science Board, at their annual meeting held in

Honolulu on February 8, 1956. The Committee took strong ex-

ception to some of the statements and inferences appearing in

the paper and have directed the undersigned, as Chairman of

the Committee, to express to you their conclusions with respect

to this article.

The tone of the paper suggests an effort on the part of the

author to discredit one of the most important projects under-

taken by the Committee; a project of great potential economic

significance to the peoples of the Pacific where the African snail

Achatina fulica is a serious threat to food crops essential to

their general welfare. This project has been underway for

nine years, has been heavily financed by the Department of the

Navy through the Ofiice of Naval Research, supported in every

possible manner by the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

and carefully planned and directed by highly competent and

mature scientists thoroughly trained and experienced in the

subject of biological control. In fact, some of the members of

the Committee have gained both national and international

prominence because of many achievements of importance in this

general field of science. All are broadly versed in animal ecol-

ogy, evolution and biology. In view of their long and success-

April, 1956] the nautilus 143

ful participation in biological control work, they would not be

prone to encourage or engage in hastily planned or ill advised

projects. Some of Dr. Mead's statements to which we take

issue follow.

Dr. Mead begins his paper with reference to our distribution

of the predatory snail Gonaxis kihweziensis as an invasion rather

than a planned distribution. The very use of the word "in-

vade" suggests the spread of something undesirable, such as a

recognized pest. This Gonaxis has been known a long time, is

not a pest and has never even been considered one. It has been

carefully studied and is known to be carnivorous on other snails,

which habit it has undoubtedly adhered to for countless gen-

erations.

Dr. Mead directly states that the only persons who want to

spread Gonaxis are those in charge of this project. This is, of

course, absurd. As soon as it became known to various insti-

tutions and a great many people in the Pacific, and elsewhere,

that Gonaxis was at least one natural enemy of Achatina fulica,

our Committee has been besieged from many sources requesting

colonies of Gonaxis.

With reference to our introduction of Gonaxis into the Pacific,

Dr. Mead asks ''Is it actually justified." In consideration of

the serious development of Achatina in the Pacific and our proof

that Gonaxis feeds heavily upon the young Achatina, and that

Gonaxis is not otherwise harmful, excepting for its attack on

other non-arboreal snails, we are confident that this introduction

is amply justified. With the march of civilization and com-

merce and the expansion of human populations within the Pa-

cific, we consider the welfare of the human populations more

important than that of the harmless native snails, which will

inevitably suffer with the changes in vegetation coincident with

the advance of man over the areas they now occupy. It is not

unreasonable to assume that masses of uncontrolled Achatina,

may of themselves supplant or suppress certain native snails,

through sheer numbers, and do so as effectively as the Gonaxis.

We consider even a moderate control of Achatina by Gonaxis

justified. Recent investigations on the island of Agiguan still

further strengthen our feeling that Gonaxis is an important

enemy of the African snail. Heavy predation was noted wher-

ever Achatina egg-clusters occurred, with a coincident scarcity

of young snails in such areas.

144 THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 69 (4)

In opposition to our project Dr. Mead states that '^Gonaxis

has not been scientifically proven to be capable of controlling

Achatina fulica." If carefully studied by competent workers

and then considered safe for introduction to new areas, how can

proof of any degree of control be established without liberation?

In the extensive introductions of beneficial parasitic and preda-

tory organisms from one country to another during the past fifty

years or more, if proof of results would be required prior to in-

troduction, there would be no introductions, since proof would

be impossible to determine in advance. This is a philosophy of

defeatism. Had such a philosophy prevailed over modern man,

we could not point with pride to the vast benefits that have ac-

crued through the intelligent biological control work on intro-

duced pests. As examples, this would have precluded the de-

velopment of the present thriving citrus and sugar industries

in California and Hawaii respectively.

Dr. Mead refers to the possible danger of Gonaxis assuming

** strikingly different feeding habits" after passing through a

number of generations in the ''strange environment of Agig-

uan." With his probable training in animal behavior, animal

ecology and evolution as a professor of zoology, it is impossible

to understand how he could believe that such could be possible.

If there is any change in the feeding habits of Gonaxis, after a

few years residence on the island of Agiguan, only one is so far

suggested. There seems to be evidence that Gonaxis is feeding

and developing on Achatina more voraciously on this island than

in its original habitat in Africa.

Though the title of the article relates only to the proposed

introduction of Gonaxis into California, the body of his text

covers our problem in the Pacific as well and in his last para-

graph he refers directly to what he calls the ' ' questionable wis-

dom" of introducing the snail into the Pacific. Finally, his

remark or quotation from an old saying that ''The remedy is

worse than the disease" injects an inference that the whole

project is dangerous and should not have been carried out. We

cannot endorse such an inference since there is no evidence in

this case that the remedy is worse than the disease. In fact, all

evidence indicates the reverse. — C. E. Pemberton, Chairman,

Invertebrate Consultants Committee for the Pacific, Pacific Sci-

ence Board.

Vol.69 JULY, 1955 No. 1 ^

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CONTENTS . "^OODS HOLE. MASS.

Some notes on Pseudochama. By N. H. Odhner 1

The identity and validity of Hyridella australis (Lam.)

By Donald F. McMichael 9

New Conns from Costa Rica. By Jeanne 8. Schwengel . . 13

Additional localities for land Mollusca in Oklahoma. Bj^

Dee Saunders Dundee 16

Shells collected at Loughborough Lake, Ontario. By Dr.

and Mrs. W. A. Swanker 18

How clam drills capture razor clams. By H. J. Turner,

Jr 20

On the Nudibranch Alderia modest a (Loven) on the central

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berg 22

Ecological aspects of the Naiad fauna of Lake Springfield,

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Notes and News 34

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Wanted : Preserved or living viviparid snails, in exchange for local Mollusea.

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For Exchange: Fifteen varieties, Florida tree snails (Liguus) including

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THE NAUTILUS Ul

The Pyramidellid Mollusks of the Pliocene Deposits of

North St. Petersburg, Florida. By Paul Bartsch. Smith-

sonian Miscellaneous Collections, vol. 125, no. 2, 102 pp., 18 pis.

1955. — This is the Pyramidellid supplement to the ''Pliocene

Mollusca of Southern Florida with Special Reference to those

from North Saint Petersburg, ' ' by Olsson, Harbison, Fargo and

Pilsbry. The taxonomic treatment of the Pyramidellids by

Dr. Bartsch is quite unlike that of the main report. Of the 113

species of Pyramidellids found at North St. Petersburg, all but

one are described as new, and in most cases are based upon one

or two specimens. While Olsson et al. report that about 32

per cent of the Pliocene species are represented in the Recent

fauna. Dr. Bartsch has made no attempt to compare his many

new species with those of other strata. No degree of morpho-

logical variation is accorded most of the species, and while most

students would be inclined to recognize one or two species in the

St. Petersburg Chrysallida, Bartsch creates 21 new species.

However, he does recognize considerable variation in one species,

having given careful study and innumerable illustrations of

Striopyrgus hyhridus, a species which is as variable as some

Chrysallida or Pyrgiscus. Of the latter, Dall and Bartsch

once stated (1909), "to describe these [varieties] would not aid

science or the collector. ..." It appears that the author be-

lieves the great variation in hyhridus is due to hybridization,

not just between two species, but of two genera, Striotur'bonilla

and Pyrgiscus. He, therefore, erects what he calls the "pseudo-

genus" Striopyrgus. It is interesting that no Strioturhonilla

species have been found in this particular fauna, and it is likely

that the strong, incised spiral grooves of S. hyhridus have arisen

independently as chance mutations without the influence of

generic hybridization. In any event, Striopyrgus is nomen-

clatorially a new genus and not a so-called " pseudogenus " or

' ' form genus ' ' of botanists and horticulturalists. As the author

states, a card catalog of names is helpful when working in so

confused a group, and we draw to his attention two of his

primary homonyms: Odostomia cooperi Bartsch 1955, non Dall

and Bartsch 1907, and 0. stearnsi Bartsch 1955, non Dall and

Bartsch 1903. — R. Tucker Abbott.

iv THE NAUTILUS

INDEX TO THE NAUTILUS

Volumes 35-60

Compiled by Aueele La Rocque

The index to The Nautilus for volumes 35 through 60 is now available

for distribution. Copies may be procured from the University of

Michigan Press, 311 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The book

is made up in the same format as the First Index, is cloth bound and

divided into two sections, an author index and an index to genera and

species.

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