To oe : ’ s a : ’ CONCHOLOGIST VOLUME X, No. 1 | ) AUGUST, 1973 NOTES & NEWS TRADING SESSION FOR AUGUST HAVE YOU ANY SHELLS TO TRADE? BRING THEM TO THE AUGUST 22 MEETING AT THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE AT 8 P.M. IN THE DOWNSTAIRS CLASS ROOMS, TINA PETWAY, PROGRAM CHAIRMAN, SAYS THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE RARE SHELLS, JUST GOOD SPECIMENS WITH DATA, PERHAPS YOU WERE ABLE TO DO SOME SHELLING THIS SUMMER AND HAVE SPARES YOU WISH TO TRADE FOR SPARES FROM ELSEWHERE. THERE WILL BE MEMBERS AVAILABLE WHO TRADE FREQUENTLY WITH OTHERS IN FOREIGN COUN- TRIES AS WELL AS IN THE UNITED STATES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE TRADING GAME. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO ENLARGE AND ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SHELLS AND ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION WITH LITTLE DINT TO YOUR POCKETBOOK. TINA HOPES THAT THIS WILL PROVIDE A FUN EVENING FOR THE BEGINNING YEAR. MEM-— BERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TRADE CAN COME AND SEE SHELLS AND LEARN ABOUT THEM, THERE WILL BE TABLES SET UP FOR PEOPLE TO LAY OUT THEIR WARES, FALL FIELD TRIPS FANNIE MIRON, FIELD TRIP CHAIRMAN, ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING EXCURSIONS FOR THE FALL MONTHS; SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 9 A.M. AT SAN'LUIS PASS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 9 A.M. AT BOLIVAR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 9 A.M. AT GALVESTON SOUTH JETTIES PAY YOUR DUES, DON'T MISS OUT ON CLUB ACTIVITIES. IF YOU HAVE NOT SENT YOUR DUES TO WILSON WARD, TREASURER, P. O. Box 26341, HouSTON, TEXAS 77032, PLEASE DO SO AT ONCE IN ORDER NOT TO MISS OUR MONTHLY ISSUES THIS VOLUME X OF TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST. WITH THIS ISSUE, WE RETURN TO PUBLISHING AUGUST THROUGH MAY, NINE ISSUES OF APPROXIMATELY 100 PAGES, IN- STEAD OF QUARTERLY, REFER TO MASTHEAD RATES AND DUES IN THIS ISSUE, PUZZLE WINNER FRED WILSON HAS SENT IN A "MOST INGENIOUS ANSWER" TO THE PUZZLE PUBLISHED IN 4 os DECEMBER, 1972, IN TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, BY AUTHOR HELMER ODE. DR. ODE WILL AWARD THE PRIZE OF A FLOWER GARDEN SPONDYLUS AMERICANUS TO FRED AND WILL DISCUSS THE SOLUTION IN A LATER ISSUE WHEN HE RETURNS FROM HOLLAND AND NORWAY. PAGE 1 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with NovembereDecember combined) at Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ 00 Vol. |X issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. SAN MARCOS SHELL SHOW THE SAN MARCOS SHELL CLUB WILL PRESENT ITS FIRST SHELL SHOW ON OCTOBER 12- 14, 1973, AT THE AUSTIN SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION BUILDING IN SAN MARCOS, TEXAS. THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS SEPTEMBER 12, 1973, SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CONTACT THE CHAIRMAN, Mrs. R. THACHER GARY, RT. 1, Box 327C, SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 78666, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR COMPLETE DISCUSSION OF DIVISIONS, RULES AND ENTRY BLANKS. MATAGORDA HISTORICAL EVENT MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO DISPLAY TEXAS BEACH SHELLS AT THE 135TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN TEXAS AND COMMEMORATION OF TEXAS' THIRD OLDEST TOWN AT MATAGORDA ON OCTOBER 27, 1973. OUR MEMBER, MRs. R. R. SERRILL, JR., P. O. Box 207, MATAGORDA, 77457, (PHONE 863-7606), IS IN CHARGE OF THE SHELL DISPLAYS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TABLES WILL BE PROVIDED, BUT CASES MUST BE PROVIDED BY EXHIBITORS, PLEASE CONTACT MRS. SERRILL IF YOU ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE EXHIBITS, PAGE 2 MOLLUSCANA BY W. W. SuTtow, M. D. WHILE BROWSING THROUGH THE APRIL 20, 1973 ISSUE OF SCIENCE, I CASUALLY NOTED A BLOCK OF SMALL PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. THESE PICTURES SEEMED TO SHOW, AT FIRST GLANCE, A SMALL DOG=—LIKE CREATURE WITH PERKED=-UP « EARS AND UPTURNED SNOUT GOING THROUGH A TRAINING SESSION. THE TRAINING STICK WAS EVEN VISIBLE. I WOULD HAVE GONE ON HAD I NOT GLIMPSED THE WORD "MOLLUSK" IN THE FINE PRINT. AND INDEED, THE CREATURE SHOWN WAS A MOLLUSK,. TO TOP IT OFF, MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS NOT WRONG EITHER — THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SEQUENCE DEPICTED A MOLLUSK BEING TRAINED, THE ARTICLE ENTITLED "LEARNING: CLASSICAL AND AVOIDANCE CONDITIONING IN THE MOLLUSK PLEUROBRANCHEA" BY G, J. MPITSOS AND W. J. DAvis (SCIENCE 180: 317-320, 1973) DESCRIBED THE TRAINING OF A CARNIVOROUS MARINE GASTROPOD, THE ANIMAL WAS IDENTIFIED AS PLEUROBRANCHEA CALIFORNICA, ALTHOUGH THE SIZE WAS NOT DEFINITELY STATED, THE MOLLUSK APPARENTLY GROWS AT LEAST 12 CM. LONG, THE TECHNIQUE WAS AGE OLD: REWARD FOR PROPER RESPONSE. THE STIMULUS CON- SISTED OF A PROBE SMEARED WITH SQUID EXTRACT. EVENTUALLY THE ANIMAL LEARNED TO RECOGNIZE THE TOUCH (NO WITHDRAWAL) , SHOWED ORIENTATION AND FOLLOWING MOVEMENTS, THEN EXTENDED ITS PROBOSCIS AND WENT THROUGH A BITE-STRIKE FEED— ING MOTION. THE AUTHORS OBSERVED THAT "THE LEARNED RESPONSE PERSISTED UP TO 2 WEEKS WITHOUT REINFORCEMENT BEFORE EXTINCTION.” Set UN RUIER’ “3. sates Vaan bck UNDER THE INTRIGUING TITLE: "FORDILLA TROYENSIS BARRANDE: THE OLDEST KNOWN PELECYPOD", J. POJETA, JR., B. RUNNEGAR AND I. KRIZ IN SCIENCE, 180:866- 868 (MAy 25) 1973, PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS, THIS FOSSIL, FORDILLA TROYENSIS , APPARENTLY MEASURES ONLY 3.5 TO 4 MM IN LENGTH AND IS FOUND IN THE LOWER CAMBRIAN ROCKS IN NEW YORK STATE. ON THE BASIS OF THEIR STUDIES, THESE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT THIS SPECIES REPRESENTS A PELECYPOD MOLLUSK AND NOT A CRUSTACEAN. THE AUTHORS FURTHER BELIEVE THAT THIS FINDING EXTENDS THE RANGE OF PELECYPODS "BACKWARD IN TIME FROM THE EARLY ORDOVONIAN (ABOUT 495 MILLION YEARS AGO) TO THE EARLY CAMBRIAN (ABouUT 540 To 570 MILLION YEARS AGO)." THE DIFFICULTIES OF INTERPRETING FOSSIL DATA BECOME OBVIOUS AS THE AUTHORS DISCUSS THE OBSERVATIONS THAT LED THEM TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS FOSSIL REPRE- SENTED A BIVALVE. MUSCLE INSERTION MARKINGS AND PALLIAL LINE BECOME IMPOR- TANT CLUES. THE FULL HINGE OF FORDILLA IS UNKNOWN, IT IS STATED THAT NO ARTICULATED SPECIMENS HAVE BEEN FOUND, * K KK K KK K K THE COVER PICTURES FOR THE JULY 6, 1973 ISSUE OF SCIENCE IS VERY FAMILIAR TO ME. THIS IS WHERE I GREW UP AND THE SANDY BEACH SHOWN IS WHERE I DUG UP THE PISMO CLAM (TIVELA STULTORUM) AND WHERE I USED TO FISH SO OFTEN. OFF IN THE HAZE, ONE CAN IMAGINE THE CLIFF ON WHICH, YEARS AGO, OUR HOUSE STOOD. THE SCENE IS A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE OCEANO-PISMO BEACH AREA OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA. THE PICTURE ILLUSTRATES A FEATURE ARTICLE ENTITLED "THE COASTAL CHALLENGE" BY D. L. INMAN AND B, M. BRuCH (181:20-32). IT IS THE PAGE 3 STORY OF THE COAST LINE, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE NATURAL HISTORY OF AND THE IMPACT OF CIVILIZATION ON THE FRAGILE RIBBONS THAT CONSTITUTE OUR COASTAL WATERS, OK: Sie up OR Aap He oe ake VITRICYTHARA METRIA DALL, 1903 By H. Ove DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF TURRIDS LIVES IN OFFSHORE TEXAS WATERS, A SMALL NUMBER OF THESE HAVE NOW ALSO BEEN COLLECTED FROM BEACHDRIFT , AMONG THEM VITRICYTHARA METRIA DALL. THIS SMALL MANGELIID 1S RATHER COMMON IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO AND IS OFTEN DRED- GED OFF THE TEXAS COAST, THE BEACH SPECIMENS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, VOL. III, No. 9, CONTINUED SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING OF BEACHDRIFT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD WILL SHOW THAT THIS SPECIES IS NOT UNCOMMON AS THE RECORDS INDICATE. A FIGURE OF A SOMEWHAT WORN BEACHSPECIMEN IS SHOWN IN THE FIGURE, FOR FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS SPECIES WE MAY CITE: 1903 CYTHARA METRIA DALL, TR. WAGNER FR, INST. SCI., VOL. 6, PT. 6, PL,» 60. Fic 413; 1930 ACMATURRIS METRIA (DALL), MANSFIELD, BULL. 3, FL. ST. GEOL. Sonv. P44 vee. 3, FIG. 5. 1953 VITRICYTHARA METRIA DALL, FARGO, MONOGR. 8, ACAD. NAT. SClI., PHILA., P. 395, PL. 21, FIGS. 1,1A. 1961 VITRICYTHARA METRIA DALL. ABBOTT AND WARMKE, CARIB. SEASHELLS, Ps PSO, Pl. 254 4F GW. 1965 VITRICYTHARA METRIA DALL. RICE AND KORNICKER, PUBL. INST. MAR, Sa Vole One, 1275) Pee 7 BIG. 10. Vitricythara metria Dall. From beachdrift from Galveston West Beach 21 Jan. 1967. Coll. Ode. Photo by Clyde Dexter. PAGE 4 THE COMPOSITION OF THE MOLLUSC FAUNA IN THE MUDLUMPS OF THE (CONTINUED) MISSISSIPPI DELTA, SPHENIOPSIS SP. CYRTOPLEURA COSTATA DIPLOTHYRA SMYTHI PANDORA BUSHIANA PANDORA INFLATA THRACIA CONRADI POROMYA GRANULATA VERTICORDI A ORNATA VERTICORDIA SP, VERTICORDIA FISHERIANA CUSPIDARIA GRANULATA CUSPIDARIA JEFFREYSI CARDIOMYA ORNATISSIMA DENTALIUM SP, DENTALIUM SP, DENTALIUM SP, DENTALIUM SP, CADULUS SP. CADULUS SP, CADULUS SP, CADULUS SP, ISCHNOCHITON SP. DIODORA CAYENENSIS CALLIOSTOMA PULCHRUM CALLIOSTOMA YUCATE- CANUM SOLARIELLA ? SP, COMMON FRAGMS. COMMON 2 VALVES 1 VALVE COMMON FRAGMENT COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON SEVERAL VALVES COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON ABUNDANT RARE COMMON UNCOMMON SEVERAL PIECES SEVERAL FRAGMS. ABUNDANT SEVERAL SPEC. 2 SPEC. PAGE 5- BY H. Ove COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE ‘* 22-75 FMS. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA — 0-10 FMS. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA — 0-22 FMS, UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 11-40 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-57 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 11-60 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 20-110 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 13-60 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 50-85 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 37-110 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 15-110 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 40-110 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 7-50 FMS. ALL FOUR SPECIES OF DENTALIUM HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN NW GULF OF MEXICO IN RANGE 12-75 FMS. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF. DESCRIBED AS NEW BY CORGAN. ALL FOUR CADULUS SP. RANGE 12-500 FMS. IN NW GULF. PROBABLY DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-32 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 11-25 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-37 FMS. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 32-167 FMS. PARVITURBO COMPACTUS ARENE SP. ARENE SP. NERITINA RECLIVATA RISSOA SP. RISSOINA DECUSSATA RISSOINA SP, RISSOINA CANCELLATA ONOBA SP. ALVANIA AUBERIANA ALVANIA SP. CAECUM PULCHELLUM CAECUM COOPERI CYCLOSTREMISCUS PENTA- GONUS CYCLOSTREMISCUS JEAN= NAE SOLARIOBIS SP, TEINOSTOMA SP, TEINOSTOMA SP, TEINOSTOMA BISCAYNENSE PARVITURBOIDES INTER- RUPTUS A OROTREMA SP, EPISCYNIA INORNATA COMMON COMMON 1 FRAGM. SEVERAL SPECS. COMMON 1 FRAGM. UNCOMMON ABUNDANT SEVERAL SPEC, ABUNDANT 1 SPEC. COMMON SEVERAL SPECS. COMMON 1 SPEC. SEVERAL SPECS, SEVERAL SPECS. SEVERAL SPECS, ONE SPEC. ABUNDANT COMMON SEVERAL SPECS, PAGE 6 COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-40 FMS, RARE IN NW GULF. DESCRIBED AS NEW SPECIES BY CORGAN. RARE IN NW GULF IN RANGE O-12 FMS, DERIVED FROM RECENT FAUNA, O-12 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 30-167 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 10-50 FMS. THIS SPECIES IS IDENTIFIED AS BROWNIANA BY CORGAN, IS RARE IN NW GULF. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS BROWNIANA. RANGE 20-37 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 28-60 FMS. , WHERE TWO CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES OCCUR. WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF IN RANGE 15-170 FMS. SEVERAL SPECIES IN GULF. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 7-67 FMS. NoT SEEN IN NW GuULF, RARE IN NW GULF IN RANGE O=-5 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-50 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 5-70 FMS. THESE THREE SPECIES ARE VERY SIMILA AND BELONG TO THE GROUP OF INFLATED TEINOSTOMA'S FOR WHICH CORGAN COINED A NEW GENERIC NAME , WHICH PROBABLY WILL BE USEFUL. ALL THREE SPECIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THE NW GULF. RANGE 0-140 FMS, ONE SPECIES OF THE THREE WAS COLLECTED BY CORGAN. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA. O-4 FMS, HARDLY EVER IN OFF- SHORE DREDGINGS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-43 FMS. WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF IN RANGE 9-30 FMS. DESCRIBED AS NEW BY CORGAN. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-70 FMS. VITRINELLA HELICOIDEA CIRCULUS ? SP. LITTORIDINA SPHINCTO= STOMA LITTORIDINOPS SP, ASSIMINEA SP, ALABINA CERITHIDIOIDES LITIOPA MELANOSTOMA MoDULUS MODULUS CERITHIOPIS GREENI ? CERITHIOPIS SP. CERITHIOPIS SP, CERITHIOPIS SP, SEILA ADAMSI TRIPHORA SP, TRIPHORA SP. TURRITELLA SP. _ TURRITELLA SP, ARCHITECTONICA NOBILIS TORINIA BISULCATA OPALIA SP. CYLINDRISCALA SP, AMAEA MITCHELLI EPITONIUM NOVANGLIAE EPITONIUM SP, EPITONIUM SP. EPITONIUM SP, CHEILA EQUESTRIS SEVERAL SPECS. SEVERAL SPECS, 1 SPEC. 1 SPEC. 1 SPEC, ABUNDA NT SEVERAL FRAGMS., SEVERAL SPEC, SEVERAL SPEC, COMMON 2 SPECS. SEVERAL SPECS. SEVERAL SPECS, COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON FEW FRAGMS. SEVERAL SPECS. ONE SPEC. SEVERAL SPECS, SEVERAL FRAGMS. SEVERAL SPECS. COMMON FRAGMS., FRAGMS. FEW FRAGMS. PAGE 7 WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-170 FMS. DESCRIBED AS NEW-BY CORGAN , WHO STATES THAT IT HAS AN HETEROSTROPHIC NUCLEUS. RARE IN NW GULF THIS SMALL, PUNCTATE SPECIES COULD BE .SOLARIOBIS. DERIVED FROM PRESENT BRACKISH WATER FAUNA WITH RANGE O-11 FMS. , BUT ONLY LIVING IN BAYS, DERIVED FROM PRESENT BRACKISH WATER FAUNA IN RANGE O—2 FMS, DERIVED FROM PRESENT BRACKISH WATER FAUNA IN RANGE O=-2 FMS. ALL THREE ABOVE SPECIES ARE UN- DOUBTEDLY WASHED IN BY THE RIVER, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 7-50 FMS, PELAGIC ONLY COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-25 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 0-37 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF REVISION OF THIS DIFFICULT GROUP WILL SHOW THAT SEVERAL GENERA ARE PRESENT IN NW GULF MATERIAL, MANY SPECIES LIVE IN THE NW GULF. . COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 0-43 FMS. UNCOMMON ON NW GULF RARE IN NW GULF RARE IN NW GULF Not IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE O-50 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 10-50 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 24-60 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 9-50 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 6-70 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF UNIDENTIFIABLE FRAGMENTS OF TWO SPECIES PROBABLY FOLIACEICOSTA AND ANOTHER SMOOTH SPECIES, BOTH FROM DEEP WATER. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 10-40 FMs, CRUCIBULUM STRIATUM CALYPTRAEA CENTRALIS CREPIDULA CONVEXA CREPIDULA PLANA UNCOMMON ABUNDANT SEVERAL SPECS, 1 SPEC. XENOPHORA CONCHYL.IOPHORA FEW FRAGMS. ERATO MAUGERIAE TRIVIA SP, ATLANTA PERONI ? POLINICES SP. NATICA CANRENA TECTONATICA PUSILLA SCONSIA STRIATA DISTORSIO SP. MUREX SP. MUREX BELLEGLADEENSIS MUREXIELLA SP, MUREXIELLA SP, MUREXIELLA SP, ? THAIS HAEMOSTOMA NASSARIUS SP, NASSARIUS SP, NASSARIUS ACUTUS NASSARINE GLYPTA FEW SPECS. MANY FRAGMS. 2 SPECS, ABUNDANT COMMON ONE LIVE, SEVERAL SPECS. 2 JUV. FRAGMS, COMMON SEVERAL FRAGMS. COMMON SOME FRAGMS, FRAGMS., 2 JUV. ABUNDANT COMMON FRAGMS, ABUNDANT COSMIOCONCHA CALLYGLYPTA COMMON ANACHIS C.F. IONTHA ANACHIS OBESA ANACHIS OSTREICOLA MITRELLA SP, BUSYCON C.F. PERVERSUM FASCIOLARIA HUNTERIA ABUNDANT 1 LIVE, SEVERAL SPECS, SEVERAL, 1 LIVE COMMON 1 SPEC, JUV. AND FRAGMS, PAGE 8 Not iN NW GULF, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 6-40 FMS, DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, AS THE SPECIES DOES NOT LIVE IN DEEP- ER WATER, WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF IN RANGE O-50 FMS. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 22-40 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-32 FMS. IF THIS IS SUFFUSA IT IS COMMON IN THE NW GULF IN RANGE 10-30 FMS, PELAGIC THIS 1S NOT DUPLICATUS, BUT A SMALL DEEPER WATER SPECIES, COM MON IN THE NW GULF, DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 15-70 FMS. UNIDENTIFIABLE BUT CERTAINLY DEEP WATER. Not IN NW GULF FAIRLY COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 10-25 FMS. PROBABLY DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA. COMMON IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-70 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-70 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 0-26 FMS. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, COMMON IN NW GULF, THIS IS THE SMALL SLENDER FORM, DIFFERENT FROM BAY SPECIMENS, WHICH OCCURS IN DEEPER WATER (8-32 FMS.). PROBABLY FROM DEEPER WATER. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 0-25 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GuLrF, NAMED F, LILIUM BY HOLLISTER. LATIRUS SP. FUSINUS SP. (3 SPS.) OLIVA C.F. SAYANA OLIVELLA SP. MARGINELLA AUREOCINCTA HYALINA SP. BULLATA OVULIFORMIS MITRA SP, CANCELLARIA SMYTHI TEREBRA SP, CONUS CLARKI CONUS SP, TEREBRA LIMATULA TEREBRA DISLOCATA MORE THAN 30 SPECIES OF TURRIDS WERE TAKEN FROM THE SAMPLES. UNCERTAIN ABOUT THEIR IDENTIFICATION I WILL NOT LIST THEM. 1 SPEC. SEVERAL JUV. JUV. SHELLS COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON COMMON FEW FRAGMS. COMMON SEVERAL JUV. ONE FRAG. 3 SPECIMENS 1 FRAG. TOO BADLY PRESERVED FOR IDENTI-— FICATION -— DEEP WATER, IN THIS JUV. MATERIAL SEVERAL SPECIES ARE REPRESENTED. ALL LIVE IN DEEP WATER AND AT LEAST ONE OCCURS IN NW GULF. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, COMMON IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-70 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF, ONE LEFT HANDED SPECIMEN WAS TAKEN, COMMON !IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-167 FMS. RARE IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-50 FMS. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-75 FMS. RARE IN NW GULF UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 50-75 FMS. PROBABLY DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA. SINCE I AM TOO THE GENERA: POoLy=- STIRA, ANCYSTROSYRINX , DRILLIA, CRASSISPIRA, NANNODIELLA, VITRYCYTHARA, KURTZIELLA , PyRGOCYTHARA, ITHYCYTHARA, RUBELLATOMA, BRRACHYCYTHARA , CRY- OTURRIS, AND DAPHNELLA ARE PRESENT IN THE MATERIAL. AMONG THEM ONLY A SINGLE SPECIMEN OF KURTZIELLA CERINELLA WAS DERIVED FROM THE PRESENT FAUNA. BULLA sP, ACTEON SP, ACTEON SP, (COARSE NUCLEUS) ACTEON SP. (SMALL NUCLEUS) RETUSA SP, PYRUNCULUS CAELATUS VOLOULELLA PERSIMILIS VOLOULELLA RECTA VOLOULELLA TEXASIANA ATYS SP, UNCOMMON 2 SPECS. COMMON COMMON COMM ON SEVERAL SPECS, 3 SPECS, SEVERAL SPECS. PAGE 9 RARE IN NW GULF UNCOMMON IN NW GULF. Most ACTEON HAVE WITHOUT JUSTI- FICATION BEEN CALLED PUNCTOSTRIA= TUS. FoR THE NW GULF SEVERAL CLOSELY ALLIED SPECIES LIVE. AT LEAST TWO OF THEM OCCUR IN OUR MATERIAL, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF. THIS SMALL DEEP WATER SPECIES MAY BE UNDES— CRIBED. ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 7-75 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-167 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 40-70 FMS. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-60 FMS. UNCOMMON IN NW GULF ATYS MACANDREWI RINGICULA SEMISTRIATA SCAPHANDER WATSONI PHILINE SAGRA BALCIS JAMAICENSIS BALCIS CONOIDEA MELANELLA ARCUATA STROMBIFORMIS AURICINC= : TA N1Iso INTERRUPTA Nitso SP, CYCLOSTREMELLA HUMILIS GRAPHIS UNDERWOODAE SCHWENGELIA SP, LONGCHAEUS CRENULATUS MENESTHO SEMINUDA MIRALDA DUX? MIRALDA SP. MIRALDA SP. FARGOA SP. BESLA SP, ODOSTOMIA C.F. GIBBOSA EVALEA SP, EULIMASTOMA WEBERI EULISTOMA C.F. BARTSCHI 1 SPEC. COMMON SEVERAL FRAGS, SEVERAL SPECS, COMMON COMMON SEVERAL SPECS, COMMON SEVERAL FRGMS. ONE FRAG, 2 VERY FRESH SPECS. 1 SPEC. COMMON ONE SPEC, Two SPECS. 1 SPEC. SEVERAL SPECS. SEVERAL SPECS, SEVERAL SPECS, SEVERAL SPECS, 2 SPECS, SEVERAL SPECS. SEVERAL, SOME FRESH SPECS, COMMON PAGE 10 UNCOMMON IN NW GuLF, (THIS USED TO BE KNOWN AS A, LINEATA) COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 12-123 FMS. COMMON IN NW GuLF IN RANGE 20-167 FMS, COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 17-67 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 4-37 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 8-32 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 9-28 FMS, RARE IN NW GULF IN RANGE 25-50 FMS. COMMON IN NW GULF IN RANGE 9-50 FMS. Not iN NW GULF DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, RARE IN NW GULF. THIS SPECIES WAS PLACED BY BARTSCH IN THE ACLIDIDAE , A FAMILY CONTAINING MUCH HETEROGENEOUS MATERIAL. IT MAY BE RISSOID IN AFFINITIES, RARE IN NW GULF. THIS IS ANOTHER SO-CALLED ACLIDID. ON THE BASIS OF THE PROTOCONCH, I EXPECT RE- LATIONSHIP WITH TURRITELLIDAE. COULD BE DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA. LIVES IN RANGE 4-27 FMS, ABUNDANT IN NW GULF IN RANGE 5-40 FMS. DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA? LIVES IN BAYS ONLY. THIS AS YET UNDESCRIBED SPECIES WAS DESCRIBED BY CORGAN, BUT NOT YET VALIDATED (PH.D. THESIS). WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF. DESCRIBED BY CORGAN , BUT NOT YET VALIDATED (PH.D. THESIS); WIDE- SPREAD IN NW GULF. NOT CERTAINLY DEEP WATER. PROBABLY NOT DEEP WATER; IN NW GULF DERIVED FROM PRESENT FAUNA, CORGAN CREATED A NEW TAXON FOR THESE. LIVES IN THE BAYS ONLY. DESCRIBED AS NEW BY CORGAN, RANGE 0-25 FMS, RARE ( \ | t | { i EULIMASTOMA ?SP, SEVERAL SPECS. WIDESPREAD IN NW GULF. MAy NoT BE AN EULIMASTOMA. WAS ALSO NOTED BY CORGAN. (EULIMASTOMA sp. A) PTYCHENLIMELLA? SP. OF EACH A THESE SHELLS ARE USUALLY LABELLED PTYCHENLIMELLA SP, FEW SYRNOLA, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS PTYCHEN LIMELLA SP, SPECIMENS TO BE A VALID TAXON. SOME OF THEM PTYCHENLIMELLA SP, ARE CLOSE TO SAYELLA, IN WHICH CASE THEY WOULD REPRESENT THE FIRST SAYELLA'S FROM DEEP WATER. MOST, HOWEVER, ARE TYPICAL UNADORNED TURBONILLA=LIKE SHELLS WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED ALONG WITH OTHER TURBONILLID GENERA AND NOT BE ALIGNED. WITH TRUE PYRAMI— DELLIDS. ALSO IN NW GULF OF MEXICO IN DEEP WATER. CORGAN HAS GIVEN DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES, A LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS OF TURBONILLA WERE ALSO TAKEN FROM THE TWO SAMPLES, WE WILL NOT TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE HERE, WITH THE SPECIES DESCRIBED BY CORGAN. WE BELIEVE THAT MOST HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED BEFORE. IN OUR SAMPLE ALMOST ALL OF CORGAN'S FORMS OCCURRED AND IN ADDITION SEVERAL SPECIES TYPICALLY DREDGED IN DEEP WATER IN THE NW GULF WERE TAKEN (E.G. PyRGISCUS PILSBRY1) ° oo0000co SEARCH AND SEIZURE By CONSTANCE BOONE DR. HAROLD D. MURRAY OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY WAS INSTALLED AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL UNION AT THE 39TH ANNUAL MEETING HELD JUNE 25-28, 1973, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE AND THE DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURAL History. (You WILL REMEMBER THAT HE WAS OUR GUEST SPEAKER IN MAy), ‘NEw TEXAS MEMBERS TO THE BOARD WILL INCLUDE DR. HAROLD W. HARRY (HE'S BEEN OUR GUEST SPEAKER, TOO) OF BELLAIRE RESIDENCY AND PROFESSOR AT TEXAS A, &M. AND LLOYD W. PRATT OF THE FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY. CHOSEN PRESIDENT-ELECT WAS DR. DON MOORE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI INSTI- TUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE, ALSO KNOWN TO MANY OF THE MEMBERS, NEXT YEAR'S MEETING HAS ALREADY BEEN SET FOR SPRINGFIELD, MASS, THE DATE HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED. PLANS WERE PRESENTED FOR A POSSIBLE JOINT MEETING IN 1975 ON THE WEST COAST WITH THE WESTERN DIVISION OF AMU, THERE WERE FOURTEEN TEXANS AT THIS MEETING IN DELAWARE, THERE WERE FOUR FULL DAYS OF MEETINGS WITH PAPERS AND IDEAS BEING PRESENTED ON SUBJECTS THAT RANGED FROM A SYMPOSIUM ON WHAT A SPECIES IS AND WHAT CONSTITUTES A SUBSPECIES TO CONCERNS AND EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF AQUATIC SNAILS, THERE WERE TAXONOMIC PROBLEMS DISCUSSED ON TRICOLIA IN THE INDO-PA- CIFIC, A PAPER ON REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PTEROPOD SPIRATELLA HIN PAGE 11 FLATA, SEVERAL PAPERS ON MOLLUSKS FROM CERTAIN AREAS, SUCH AS ASCENSION ISLAND, DR. TUCKER ABBOTT ACTED AS OUR TOUR GUIDE AT THE DELAWARE MUSEUM AT GREEN- VILLE. I HAD LOOKED FORWARD TO VISITING THIS NEW MUSEUM, ESPECIALLY TO SEEING SOME OF THE UNIQUE DISPLAYS OF SHELLS, ALTHOUGH I WELL KNEW ABOUT THE CORML GARDEN DISPLAY EMBEDDED IN THE FLOOR WITH PLATE GLASS OVER IT TO BE WALKED ON, IT STILL STARTLED ME A BIT, AND I NOTICED EVERYONE HESITATED BEFORE WALKING ACROSS THE DISPLAY. IT WAS INDEED VERY REAL, I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE PLASTIC DOME DISPLAY OF CYPRAEA, WHICH I LIKE, AND THE INTERESTING WALL OF PECTENS, | JUST WISH THE WHOLE MUSEUM COULD BE FILLED WITH DISPLAYS OF SHELLS] WE WERE TAKEN THROUGH THE OFFICES AND RESEARCH FACILITIES, AND THE HUGE ROOM OF CABINETS LEAVES LITTLE DOUBT THAT THIS MUSEUM HAS SPACE FOR GROWTH IN AC— QUIRING AND HOUS{NG MOLLUSKS COLLECTIONS. I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE STAFF AND MONEY AVAILABLE TO MAKE THIS A GREAT RESEARCH FACILITY. DR. DEE DUNDEE, THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENT, DELIVERED WHAT SHE CALLED HER STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE AT THE BANQUET. PART OF WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY STRUCK ME AS WELL WORTH THINKING ABOUT BY MEMBER SHELL CLUBS, SUCH AS OURS IS. I WON'T REALLY COMMENT ON MOST OF HER DISCUSSION OF NEEDED CHANGES IN AMU BECAUSE I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL, | HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED IT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND TRY TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE EACH YEAR, BuT DR, DUNDEE DID COMMENT ABOUT THE NEED OF INSPIRING NEW STUDENTS TO STUDY MOL= LUSKS, THE NEED TO BRING THEM INTO AMU, SHE PROPOSED THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO BRING A FEW STUDENTS TO THE MEETINGS EACH YEAR BY HELPING TO PAY EXPENSES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR CLUB AND OTHERS THINK ABOUT ADDING TO SUCH A FUND IF THE AMU BOARD APPROVES SUCH AN IDEA, MOST OF US REALIZE THAT THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDENTS TURNING TO MALACOLOGY, INDUSTRY AND OTHER RELATED DIS— CIPLINES DRAIN AWAY THE TALENT. THERE WAS ALSO MUCH EMPHASIS AT THIS MEETING ON THE PROBLEMS IN OUR CIVILIZA- TION ON PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF MOLLUSKS, THE ASSEMBLY DID APPROVE SOME NEW BIDS TO MAKE SHELLERS CONSERVATION MINDED WHICH WILL BE PASSED ON TO SHELL CLUBS, SOON I HOPE. THIS NOTE HERE WILL PUT SHELL SHOW CHAIRMEN ON NOTICE TO WRITE MRS. ESSE MERRILL, CONSERVATION CHAIRMAN OF AMU, Box 633, RT. 5, EASTON, Mb. 21601, FoR NEWS OF THE TWO $50.00 CASH AWARDS TO BE GIVEN THIS YEAR BY AMU FOR THE BEST EXHIBITS ON CONSERVATION OF MOLLUSKS OR FOR THE BEST SHELL CLUB SCRAPBOOK ON A SPECIAL CONSERVATION PROJECT. DR, RUTH TURNER AND DR. DON MOORE HAVE WORKED OUT SOME RULES ON THESE TWO NATIONAL AWARDS AVAILABLE. o0000000 PAGE 12 *CONCHOLOGIST VOLUME X, NO, 2 ee ' SEPTEMBER, 1973 | NOTES & NEWS PROGRAM ON FIJI IN SEPTEMBER MR. AND MRs. C. CAMDEN (CHUCK) ERNEST WILL GIVE A PROGRAM ON THEIR LATEST SHELLING TRIP TO SUVA IN THE FIJIS. THESE TWO LONG-TIME SHELLERS WILL BRING SPECIMENS FROM THIS TRIP AND ALWAYS GIVE A MOST INTERESTING AND FUN PROGRAM, THE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, AT 8 P.M. AT THE Hous- TON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE. FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR FRIENDS, THE ERNESTS HAVE MADE MANY TRIPS TO THE PACIFIC AND ARE FOUNTAINS OF KNOWLEDGE ON PLACES TO GO. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EXCURSION TO A BEAUTIFUL AREA WHICH HAS BEEN ONLY SPARSELY SHELLED. WHO KNOWS? MAYBE YOU'LL GET THERE ONE DAY SOONI CLUB NEWS PRESIDENT FRITZ LANG STARTED HIS YEAR BY APPOINTING NEW CHAIRMEN. THE MIRONS WILL CONTINUE WITH CIRCULATION BUT HAVE AGREED TO ACT AS MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMEN AS WELL. MARGARET ROGERS HAS BEEN ASKED TO ACT AS HOSPITALITY CHAIRMAN. SHE WILL BE IN CHARGE OF GETTING DOOR PRIZES WHEN PROGRAM SPEAKERS DO NOT PROVIDE THEM, | JOHN EDSTROM VOLUNTEERED TO BE PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN, RUBY RAY WAS PERSUADED TO BE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. CLUB MEMBERS WERE URGED TO ASSIST THE NEW CHAIRMEN IF THEY ARE ASKED FOR HELP, NEW LIBRARY BOOKS WERE PRESENTED. MEMBERS ARE REMINDED AGAIN THAT OUR FINE LIBRARY IS HOUSED AT THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE, IN THE INFORMA- TION OFFICE ON THE FIRST FLOOR NEAR THE SALES DESK. BOOKS MAY BE CHECKED OUT FOR TWO WEEKS, WITH RENEWAL POSSIBLE FOR TWO MORE WEEKS, ALLOWED BY TELE- PHONING ANNE SPEERS AT THE MUSEUM INFORMATION OFFICE. BOOKS MAY BE CHECKED OUT ONLY DURING MRS. SPEERS' WORKING HOURS. BOOKS MAY BE RESERVED FOR DIS— TRIBUTION AT THE MEETING IF SUCH ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE AHEAD OF THE DATE. BAY CITY SHELL SHOW THERE WILL BE A SHELL SHOW AT BAY CITY THE FIRST PART OF NOVEMBER, OPEN TO MEMBERS, CONTACT LAURA MONTGOMERY, SARGENT STAR RT., Box 71-A-5, BAY City, TEXAS 77414, FOR RULES AND DATES. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 .eccee PAGE 13 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) at Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. |X issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Ri¢e Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. a SOME REMARKS INSPIRED BY: SEA SHELLS OF TROPICAL . BYH. ODE WeEsT AMERICA BY A. MYRA KEEN IT 1S NOW TWO YEARS SINCE THIS PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED BOOK (iT WAS A 2ND EDITION) APPEARED AND THUS, AFTER IT HAS BEEN IN USE FOR SOME TIME, IT IS PERHAPS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS ABOUT IT WHICH CARRY MORE WEIGHT THAN THOSE INSPIRED BY A FIRST CURSORY READING, IT MUST BE STATED FIRST THAT NOTHING COMPARABLE TO IT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE TROPICAL SHELLS OF THE CARIBBEAN FAUNAL PROVINCE , WHICH PUTS WORKERS IN THAT FAUNA AT A DEFINITE DISADVANTAGE. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT SOMEONE WILL BE BOLD ENOUGH TO UNDERTAKE A SIMILAR TOUR DE FORCE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS VALUABLE COMPILATION, APART FROM THE PRESENTATION OF PHOTO- GRAPHIC FIGURES OF HITHERTO UNFIGURED TYPES, IS THAT WITHIN A SINGLE BOOK AN ALMOST UP-TO-DATE OVERVIEW OF THE FAUNAL COMPONENTS OF A SINGLE TROPICAL PROVINCE IS PRESENTED. AT MANY PLACES THE HELP FROM COLLEAGUES IN THE ARRAN- GEMENT IS GENEROUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED AND FOR SOME SECTIONS COLLEAGUES ARE TOTAL~ LY RESPONSIBLE, IT IS INDEED DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW AN EXPERT COULD PREPARE NOW- ADAYS SUCH AN OVERVIEW SINGLEHANDEDLY. PERHAPS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS CO AUTHORSHIP A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF IMBALANCE IN EMPHASIS IN THE BOOK IS NOTICEABLE. FOR SOME GROUPS THE BOOK PROVIDES QUITE: UP-TO-DATE AND MUCH ORIGINAL INFOR- MATION, WHEREAS FOR OTHER SUPERFAMILIES THE READER PERHAPS WOULD HAVE PRE- FERRED A LESS CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. FOR INSTANCE GREAT STRESS IS LAID ON MINUTE MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES IN THE TREATMENT OF THE TURRIDAE, WHICH ARE SPLIT HERE I'N A LARGE NUMBER OF SUBFAMILIES, WHICH MAY BE SOMEWHAT CONTROVER~ PAGE 14 SIAL —, AND, AS I BELIEVE CORRECTLY, PROPER EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE DETAILS OF THE PROTOCONCH. COMPARING THIS PAINSTAKING TREATMENT WITH THE EMPHASIS PLACED ON THE NUCLEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME OF THE SMALLER CERITHS, THE READER WILL FIND THAT NOT EVEN THE OVERALL CHARACTERS OF THE NUCLEUS ARE MENTIONED AND HE WILL FIND THE GENUS ALABA CLASSIFIED IN A DIFFERENT SUBFAMILY AS LITIOPA, WHEREAS BOTH HAVE A HIGHLY CHARACTERISTIC AND ALMOST IDENTICAL NUCLEUS, QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF MOST OTHER MENTIONED SPECIES. THERE ARE MORE INSTANCES WHERE I WOULD TEND TO DISAGREE WITH THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE NATERIAL, BUT SUCH DISAGREEMENT IS BOUND TO DIMINISH AS MORE FACTS ABOUT THE ANIMALS ARE DISCOVERED AND AS CONTINUED RESEARCH WILL CLEAR UP AS YET UNSOLVED PROBLEMS, THE IMBALANCE OF TREATMENT 1S MOST NOTICEABLE IN THE TREATMENT OF THE RISSOACEA AND PYRAMIDELLACEA AND FOR THAT MATTER ALL GROUPS OF MICROSCOPIC GASTROPODS. FOR THESE CATEGORIES LITTLE MORE THAN THE MEREST ENUMERATION OF SPECIES, IN THE SAME MANNER AS DID JOHN- SON'S LIST FOR THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S.A, (1932), IS PROVIDED. FOR THESE EXTENSIVE GROUPS I DID NOT FIND THE BOOK PARTICULARLY HELPFUL. IN FAIRNESS TO THE AUTHOR IT MUST BE STATED HERE THAT THE OMISSION OF A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF THE SMALLER GASTROPODS IS QUITE EMPHATICALLY NOTED IN THE TEXT, BUT I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A REFLECTION OF THIS OMISSION IN THE TITLE OF THE BOOK. WHAT I PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT THE TREATMENT IS THAT FOR MANY SPECIES OF THE FAUNA THE SIMILAR OR VERY CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES OF THE ATLANTIC FAUNA ARE MENTIONED, THIS WILL FACILITATE A COMPARISON BETWEEN BOTH FAUNAS, UNFOR- TUNATELY IN BOTH OF THE VERY SPECIES"RICH FAMILIES MENTIONED ABOVE, NO SUCH COMMENTS ARE GIVEN. PERHAPS THE BOOK HAS BEEN WRITTEN TOO MUCH WITH THE EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGE- ABLE COLLECTOR IN MIND. I PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE LIKED MORE INFORMAT ION ABOUT VARIOUS TAXONOMIC OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR, BUT I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE A GREAT NUMBER OF CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY ASPECTS OTHER THAN SCIENTIFIC ONES WHICH WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE THIS INFORMATION IN A BOOK OF EVEN THIS GENEROUS SIZE. FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS THE QUESTION WHETHER COLOR PLATES CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS SPECIES. IN THIS BOOK THE COLOR PLATES ARE AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EVER PUBLISHED IN A BOOK OF THIS KIND. FOR THE FIGURED NUDIBRANCHS SUCH PHOTOGRAPHS ARE EXTREMELY USEFUL, BUT , APART FROM THEIR AESTHETIC APPEAL, THEIR HELPFULNESS FOR LARGE SIZE GASTROPODS AND BIVALVES REMAINS DEBATABLE, PERSONALLY I PREFER ALWAYS SHARPLY FOCUSED BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS TO COLORED FIGURES, BECAUSE THEY BETTER FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF THE BEHOLDER ON STRUCTURAL DETAIL. UNDOUBTEDLY OTHER USERS OF THE BOOK WILL DIFFER WITH ME IN THIS OPINION, DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES CHARACTERS ARE RATHER COMPARATIVE, WHICH IN VIEW OF THEIR BRIEFNESS IS THE WISEST COURSE OF ACTION. AS CONSEQUENCE OF THIS TERSE- NESS THE USER OF THE BOOK MUST RELY HEAVILY ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS, WHICH ARE PROVIDED FOR ALMOST ALL SPECIES EXCEPT THE MINUTE GASTROPODS AND SOME SPECIES DERIVED FROM VERY DEEP WATER. ON THE GENERIC AND SUBGENERIC LEVEL KEYS ARE OFTEN PROVIDED, WHICH IN MOST CASES WILL WORK SATISFACTORILY, PRO- VIDED ONE CONFINES, AS WARNED BY THE AUTHOR, THEIR USE TO MATERIAL OF THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE. I NOTED IN SEVERAL OF THESE KEYS A FEATURE, WHICH I BELIEVE ORIGINATED WITH BARTSCH, AND THAT I INTENSELY DISLIKE. THE READER IS OFFERED A CHOICE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE SHELL: SHELL LARGER THAN 1 CM, OR SHELL SMALLER THAN 1 CM. THIS WOULD, WHEN TAKEN LITERALLY, MEAN THAT JUVEN- ILE SHELLS BELONG TO A DIFFERENT GENUS OR SUBGENUS THAN THE MATURE ONES. IF PAGE 15 AT LEAST THE STATEMENT WERE AMENDED TO: LENGTH OF THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR WHORLS SMALLER THAN ETC...., SUCH A CHOICE COULD MEAN SOMETHING, ALTHOUGH | BELIEVE THAT IF TWO CATEGORIES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED DIFFERENT, THERE SHOULD BE SOME DIFFERENCES IN STRUCTURE RATHER THAN IN SIZE, BEING QUITE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FAUNA OF THE PACIFIC COAST OF THE AMERICAS I CAN HARDLY BE EXPECTED TO EXPRESS A VALID OPINION CONCERNING THE CHOICES OF THE WORKERS IN THAT FAUNA ABOUT WHAT AND WHAT NOT CONSTITUTES A VALID SPECIES, TO MY PERHAPS SLIGHTLY PREJUDICED ATLANTIC EYE IT APPEARS THAT EVEN WITH THE IN GENERAL QUITE CLEARLY PRINTED FIGURES THE USER WILL HAVE IN CERTAIN FAMILIES CONSIDERABLE TROUBLE IN IDENTIFYING HIS MATERIAL, SOME SUITES OF CLOSELY RE- LATED SPECIES APPEAR SO SIMILAR TO ME THAT I MIGHT HAVE CONSIDERED THEM CON- SPECIFIC AND THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE MERELY LOCAL RACES OF THE SAME SPECIES, FOR A NUMBER OF SUCH SPECIES THE AUTHOR CAUTIONS THE READER THAT FURTHER RESEARCH MAY REVEAL THEIR TRUE IDENTITY. THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES OF THE SAME SUBGENUS ACCORDING TO ALPHABETICAL ORDERING OF THE TRIVIAL NAME DOES &§ SEVERAL INSTANCES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO AN EASY USE OF THE BOOK, BECAUSE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT SOME VERY SIMILAR SHELLS ARE FIGURED ON DIFFERENT PLATES OF THE BOOK. THE LARGE NUMBER OF EPITONIUMS IS ESPECIALLY STRIKING, THE SAME CONFUSED SITUATION IS ENCOUNTERED #N THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO, WHERE THE MANY BEACH SPECIMENS AND THE MATERIAL DREDGED OFFSHORE PRESENTS SUCH A CONFUSED PATTERN OF VARIABILITY THAT I AM HESITANT TO CONSIDER ALMOST ANY PARTICULAR SHAPE AS SPECIFICALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SEPARATION INTO SPECIES CAN BE DONE WITH MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE. AN INSTANCE OF TWO FIGURED SPECIES — THEY WERE SYNONYMIZED BY OLSSON — LOOK- ING QUITE DISSIMILAR ARE THE TWO SPECIES OF _ABRA., WHEN ONE COLLECTS ALONG THE TEXAS COAST, TWO FORMS OF ABRA, EACH ASTONISHINGLY SIMILAR TO ONE OF THE FORMS FIGURED BY KEEN, ARE EASILY OBTAINED FROM BEACHDRIFT AND OFFSHORE DREDGINGS. IN MY OPINION THESE TEXAS FORMS REPRESENT TWO ECOLOGICAL (7?) FORMS OF THE SAME SPECIES (ABRA AEQUALIS) ; ONE SOMEWHAT THINNER AND MORE OBLIQUE AND THE OTHER ROUNDER AND THICKER SHELLED. AABRA LIOICA IN THE NORTH- WEST GULF OF MEXICO IS A FAIRLY DEEP WATER SPECIES SEPARATED BY AN ABRA-LESS DEPTHRANGE FROM THE SHALLOW WATER_ABRA AEQUALIS, WHICH LIVES IN THE LITTORAL ZONE. THE FACT THAT PANAMANIC MATERIAL DISPLAYS A VARIABILITY IN SHAPE PRAC- TICALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT DISPLAYED BY THE ATLANTIC ABRA AEQUALIS POINTS TOA VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE SPECIES, THE COMPARISON BETWEEN ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC FAUNAS WILL BE IMMENSELY FACILI- TATED BY THIS BOOK AND FOR ME ITS VALUE CONSISTS IN THE CAREFUL AND UP-TO-DATE LISTING OF THE ENTIRE PRESENTLY KNOWN FAUNA OF THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE. DIF- FERENCES IN OPINION OVER WHAT MAY CONSTITUTE A SPECIES OR NOT ARE FAIRLY UN- IMPORTANT. THE IMPORTANT FACT IS THAT THIS BOOK PROVIDES AN INTERNALLY CON- SISTENT ACCOUNT OF ALMOST ALL KNOWN DATA TOGETHER WITH A COMPLETE BIBLIO— GRAPHY, I MAY TAKE HERE A PAGE OR SO TO EXPLAIN WHY I BELIEVE THAT THIS CONSTITUTES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY. TWO EVENTS OF MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE TO THE UNDERSTAN- DING OF THE GULF OF MEXICO HAPPENED DURING THE TERTIARY: 1) THE FORMATION OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA AND 2) THE EMERGENCE OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. INA LITTLE SKETCH I HAVE INDICATED A POSSIBLE PATTERN OF OCEAN CURRENT FLOW AT PAGE 16 SOME TIME IN THE PAST, THROUGH THE ISTHMUS INTO THE WESTERN GULF AND OUT, OVER WHAT IS AT PRESENT FLORIDA, INTO THE ATLANTIC. THIS CURRENT DISPERSED ESSENTIALLY PACIFIC ELEMENTS INTO THE ATLANTIC. WHETHER THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE NORMAL PATTERN, OR THAT INSTEAD DURING EARLY TERTIARY PERIODS, WHEN THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN, THE SOUTH AMERICAN AND AFRICAN CONTINENTS WERE CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR PRESENT POSITIONS, ATLANTIC FAUNAL ELEMENTS DISPERSED INTO THE PACIFIC, I CANNOT TELL AND ONLY STUDY OF FOSSIL FAUNAS CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THE STUDENT OF THE FAUNA OF THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO NOTICES THE PRESENCE OF RELATIVELY COLD WATER NORTHERN ATLANTIC FAUNAL ELEMENTS (PHILINE), CARIB BEAN ELEMENTS (SMARAGDIA) AND ECUADORIAN ELEMENTS (DACRYDIUM) IN THE SAME AREA, TO EXPLAIN THIS 4T MUST BE NOTED ESPECIALLY THAT THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO IS THE MOST WESTERLY LOCATED PART OF THE ATLANTIC SYSTEM AND IS A COMPLETELY DEAD END PART OF IT. IN CONSEQUENCE THIS BASIN HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO RAPID FAUNAL CHANGES, THIS IS THE REASON THAT, WHEN AFTER EMERGENCE OF THE PANA— MANIC ISTHMUS, CARIBBEAN ELEMENTS STARTED TO INVADE THE AREA FORMERLY SWEPT BY THE PACIFIC CURRENT, THE WESTERN GULF REMAINED RELATIVELY UNDISTURBED AND IS AT PRESENT PROBABLY THE RESERVOIR REMAINING RICHEST IN PACIFIC ELEMENTS IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC, UNFORTUNATELY OF ALL ATLANTIC BASINS ADJACENT TO THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT IT IS THE LEAST STUDIED AND POOREST KNOWN AS FAR AS MOLLUSKS ARE CONCERNED, DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF MANY CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES LIVING IN THE PACIFIC AND IN THE ATLANTIC MAY BE CONVENIENTLY EXPLAINED BY THE ABOVE HYPOTHESIS, BUT MANY DISTRIBUTIONS REMAIN HARD TO EXPLAIN. THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP OF THE GALAPAGOS HALIOTIS AND THE GULF OF MEXICO HALIOTIS CAN BE CONVENIENTLY EXPLAINED BY IT, BUT HOW CAN ONE ACCOUNT FOR THE HALIOTIS FOUND OFF THE BRAZILIAN COAST? LIKEWISE PUZZLING IS THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF A NUMBER OF MYTILIDS ON THE EAST AND NORTH COASTSOF SOUTH AMERICA AND IN THE PACIFIC, WHOSE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN WAS ILLUSTRATED BY SOOT RYEN, A NUMBER OF GENERA NOW FOUND IN THE WESTERN GULF HAS NO CLOSE RELATIVES IN THE PACIFIC (BUSYCON, GEMMA). BUSYCON APPARENTLY AROSE IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND REMAINED CONFINED TO IT, BUT OF THE OTHER GENERA A NUMBER SEEM TO HAVE CLOSELY ALLIED SPECIES IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC (SMARAGDIA), SOME SPECIES ARE PRESENT IN ALL THREE AREAS, IN ORDER TO WORK ON THESE EXTREMELY INTERESTING PROBLEMS IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE COMPILATION OF TWO PUBLICATIONS SIMILAR TO THE ONE BEFORE ME, OUGHT TO BE UNDERTAKEN, ONE DEVOTED TO THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC FAUNA AND THE OTHER TO THE FAUNA OF THE WESTERN AFRICA. AT THIS DAY AND AGE, WHEN AT UNIVERSITIES AND AT INSTITUTIONS THE PRODUCTION, AT REGULAR INTERVALS, OF SHORTER PAPERS HAS BECOME THE WAY OF LIFE (NOT ONLY IN ZOOLOGY) SCIENCE MAY HAVE SUFFERED SOMEWHAT BY THE EMPHASIS GIVEN TO SPECIALISTIC DETAILS OF LIMITED SIGNIFICANCE, IT 1S SOBERING TO NOTE THAT IN MANY RESPECTS THE MONUMENTAL COMPILATIONS OF DALL STILL FORM THE BASIS OF MUCH INTERPRETATION: THE BLAKE REPORT WAS RECENTLY REPRINTED, INSTEAD OF BEING UPDATED, ESPECIALLY IN DESCRIPTIVE ZOO- LOGY THE NEED FOR REGULAR UPDATES OF FAUNAL PROVINCES IS GREAT. THE REASONS WHY OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS SUCH REGULAR FAUNAL COMPILATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AS OFTEN AS THEY SHOULD, LIE, UNFORTUNATELY TO SOME EXTENT OUTSIDE THE COMPETENCE OF THE SCIENTISTS INVOLVED AND NEED NOT BE DISCUSSED HERE, IT PAGE 17 SHOULD HOWEVER BE NOTED THAT THIS BOOK IS AN UPDATE AFTER THIRTEEN YEARS OF THE FIRST EDITION, WHICH IS WELL WITHIN THE TIMESPAN ACCEPTABLE FOR SUCH UP= DATES. I MAY HERE EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT IN A FUTURE UPDATE OF THE BOOK ALSO THOSE GROUPS, WHICH HAVE BEEN MERELY ENUMERATED HERE, WILL BE TREATED WITH THE SAME CARE AND COMPETENCE AS THE OTHERS AND WILL NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AS BEING NOT OF SUFFICIENT INTEREST. A MATHEMATICAL FRIEND OF MINE THE OTHER DAY ASKED ME WHAT REALLY THE PURPOSE WAS OF ALL THE TAXONOMY AND CATALOGUING WORK. I HAD TO CONFESS THAT IN ITSELF SUCH WORK IS DEVOID OF INTEREST, BUT THAT IT ONLY ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANCE WHEN IT WILL ENABLE US TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN OTHER FIELDS OF ZOOLOGY, SUCH AS THE UNDERSTANDING OF RATES OF SPECIATION AND DISPERSAL OF SPECIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THIS THEN !S WHAT THIS BOOK ULTIMATELY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCIENCE OF ZOOLOGY, | COULD NOT RESIST TO VERIFY IN A SOMEWHAT CURSORY MANNER WHICH FAMILIES OF MOLLUSKS HAVE CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA, OR TO STATE IT MORE ACCURATELY I NOTED WHICH SPECIES LIVING IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO CORRESPONDED TO CLOSELY RELATED IF NOT IDENTICAL SPECIES IN PANAMANIC PROVINCE. THE NUMBER IS ASTOUNDING AND WHAT STRUCK ME MOST WAS THE FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE SIMILAR SPECIES HAD THEIR HABITAT ON THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND THE ECUADORIAN AND COLUMBIAN COASTS. ONE OF THESE SPECIES, DACRYDIUM ELEGANTULUM SOOT RYEN DESCRIBED FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, HAS BEEN DREDGED OFF THE LOUISIANA COAST, AND IS ONE OF THE FEW SPECIES REPORTED FROM THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE J CANNOT FIND LISTED IN KEEN'S BOOK, THAT THE PATTERN OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN BOTH FAUNAS IS NOT SIMPLE IS SHOWN BY THE DREDGING OF NISO LOMANA BARTSCH OFF LOUISIANA, THIS SPECIES BELONGS IN THE GROUP OF SPECIES RELATED TO N, INTERRUPTA SOWERBY AND N, AEGLEES BUSH, TWO SPECIES OFTEN SYNONYMIZED BY WORKERS OF THE ATLANTIC FAUNAS. N, AEGLEES LIVES IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND IS WIDESPREAD IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. N. LOMANA WAS FIRST DESCRIBED AS A PLEISTOCENE FOSSIL FROM CALIFORNIA AND IS KNOWN ALIVE FROM THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA, FURTHER EXTREMELY CURIOUS ANALOGIES ARE FURNISHED BY A NUMBER OF LEPTONIDS, A GROUP OF SMALL LITTLE-STUDIED BIVALVES, AND A NUMBER OF TURRIDS., THE CLOSE SIMILARITY OF MANY PANAMANIC AND CARIBBEAN SPECIES, OFTEN NOTED IN THE PAST, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, NEVER STUDIED SYSTEMATICALLY, BRINGS UP THE PROBLEM OF NOMENCLATURE AND HOPEFULLY WILL PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR DE~ TAILED STUDY. THE PROBLEM FOR NOMENCLATURISTS IS A RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT ONE: SHOULD SOME NAMES FOR EITHER THE PACIFIC OR THE ATLANTIC ANALOGUE! BE CHANGED OR SHOULD ONE PERSIST IN THE CUSTOM TO NAME THEM DIFFERENTLY. THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION DEPENDS LARGELY ON ONE'S OUTLOOK AND THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE LABELS ARE INTENDED, IN A BOOK WHICH LISTS AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE THE ELEMENTS OF A SINGLE FAUNAL PROVINCE THE USE OF TAXA MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE USUAL PRACTICES OF TAXONOMISTS. THUS, WHETHER ONE DE~ NOTES THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC ANALOGUES BY DIFFERENT TAXA REALLY MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE AS LONG AS THE LABEL MAKES IT CLEAR WHAT ANIMAL IS BEING DISCUSSED. IT IS HOWEVER A DIFFERENT MATTER IF ONE WANTS TO COMPARE THE EVOLUTION, RELA~ TIONSHIP AND INTERACTION OF VARIOUS FAUNAL PROVINCES, IN THAT CASE ONE MUST CORRELATE THE SIMILAR SPECIES IN BOTH PROVINCES, ONLY THEN ONE WILL BE ABLE PAGE 18 TO ANSWER QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RATE OF SPECIATION OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF ANIMALS AND STUDY THE DISPERSAL OF THESE GROUPS OVER THE GLOBE. THE FAUNAS IN THE TROPICAL REGION OF THE AMERICAS ARE USUALLY DENOTED AS CARIBBEAN PROVINCE FOR THE ATLANTIC AND AS PANAMANIC PROVINCE FOR THE PACIFIC. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THESE TWO PROVINCES ARE SO SIMILAR IN ESSEN- TIAL COMPOSITION, THAT ONE MIGHT CONSIDER THEM IDENTICAL. NOT ONLY ISA NUMBER OF SPECIES IDENTICAL, BUT A LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISTHMUS IS SO SIMILAR THAT ONLY AN EXPERT WITH LONG TRAINING IS ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE AND ANATOMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF MINUTE DETAILS MUST BE USED TO MAKE SPECIFIC DISTINCTIONS. BUT THIS IS NOT THE MOST TELLING CRITERION. IF ONE WOULD LIST THE SUBGENERIC CONTENT OF ALL KNOWN SUBGENERA IN BOTH PROVINCES | EXPECT THAT ONE WOULD FIND A REMARKABLE CORRELATION IN NUMBERS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, ONE WOULD ALSO FIND THAT CLASSES HAVE ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF FAMILIES, FAMILIES ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF GENERA AND GENERA THE SAME NUM-— BER OF’ SUBGENERA, .IT ARE THEN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CARIBBEAN AND PANAMANIC FAUNAS WHICH MAY OFFER A CLUE TO THE RATES OF SPECIATION AND DIS— PERSAL OF SPECIES IN THE PRESENT DAY FAUNAS, AT FEW AREAS IN THE WORLD NATURE HAS OFFERED SUCH A FASCINATING CHANCE FOR INVESTIGATION TO SYSTEMA— TICISTS. THERE IS A SINGLE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE IN CONNECTION WITH THE OVERALL VIEW PRESENTED BY THE BOOK. IN HER INTRODUCTION KEEN MORE OR LESS IMPLIES THAT THE FAUNA OF THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE IS NOW FAIRLY WELL KNOWN. THIS IS POSSIBLE , BUT BY NO MEANS CERTAIN. NO DATA ARE PRESENTED ABOUT THE DENSITY OF SAMPLING POINTS OR HOW MUCH MATERIAL WAS STUDIED. OF COURSE IN A COMPIL= ATION LIKE THIS BOOK SUCH DATA ARE PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RECORD, BUT NEVERTHELESS ONE MIGHT PAUSE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ABOUT THE VOLUME OF MATER- _— IAL TO GET A FAIRLY ACCURATE PICTURE, SAY 90% COMPLETE, OF THE MOLLUSK FAUNA OF THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE, COMPRISING SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES OF COASTLINE AND AN IMMENSE OFFSHORE AREA, SYSTEMATIC DREDGING, WHICH HAS YIELDED So MUCH NEW MATERIAL IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTINUE TO LENGTHEN THE SPECIES LISTS. ASA CASE IN POINT I MAY CITE MY EXPERIENCE IN COLLECTING IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO, THE RATHER RANDOM AND UNSYSTEMATIC SAM— PLING WHICH WAS USED TO COLLECT THE COLLECTION OF MOLLUSKS FOR THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE HAS TURNED UP SO MUCH NEW MATERIAL THAT SO FAR ALL THE TIME OF A NUMBER OF ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEERS HAS BEEN TAKEN UP IN CATALOGUING IT. THERE ARE ABOUT 22,000 LOTS TAKEN IN THE RELATIVELY SMALL REGION BETWEEN THE MISSISSIPPI AND THE RIO GRANDE RIVERS AND THIS NUMBER IS UNFORTUNATELY TOO SMALL TO OBTAIN A RELIABLE IMPRESSION OF THE FAUNA IN THAT REGION, HOW MANY LOTS WOULD THEN BE REQUIRED FOR AN ADEQUATE SAMPLING OF THE ENTIRE PANAMANIC PROVINCE? ‘3 FORTUNATELY SCIENCE PROVIDES US WITH A NEVER ENDING TASK AND THE BEST SATIS— FACTION A SCIENTIST CAN OBTAIN FROM HIS ENDEAVORS IS HAVING PROVIDED A SMALL STEPPING STONE TO THE NEXT GENERATION TO SEE MORE CLEARLY, THE AUTHOR AND HER COWORKERS WILL THEREFORE DERIVE MUCH SATISFACTION FROM THEIR WORK, I! MAY CONCLUDE WITH THE OBSERVATION THAT THE CALIFORNIANS HAVE DONE THE TEXANS ONE BETTER IN THE MATTER OF BRAGGING, THE BOOK PUTS ON RECORD WHAT MUST BE THE LARGEST GASTROPOD IN THE WORLD, THE PANAMANIC PROVINCE BOASTS A TERE- BRA OF 300 METERS IN LENGTH (No. 1549), THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW MISPRINTS I COULD FIND IN THIS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO SYS- TEMATIC MALACOLOGY. PAGE 19 S}U9WI}a DjI9eg Ul JSaydI! Cay *p yuaind ueluljoiIeg °*Z SNWU}S| JO BINSO|D Ja}je JUBIIND UeaqqieD “¢ }UAIIND DIIOBY jedIJeUJodAY *T : JYNDIS YOS GN39374 PAGE 20 COLLECTING SEASHELLS ON STAMPS BY W. W. SuTow, M. D. THE NUMBER OF STAMPS DEPICTING SEASHELLS HAS NOW INCREASED TO A POINT THAT A VERY IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION CAN BE AMASSED,. AN EXHIBIT OF SEASHELLS ON STAMPS RAN AWAY WITH THE MAJOR AWARD AT THE PRESTIGIOUS HAWAIIAN MALACOLOGICAL SociETY SHELL SHOW IN THE FALL OF 1972, AS MORE AND MORE COUNTRIES ISSUE MORE AND MORE PHILATELIC GOODIES, THE COLLECTOR CAN EXERCISE MORE AND MORE IMAGINATION AND INGENUITY IN ARRANGING THE COLLECTION. FOR EXAMPLES, THE ANOMALIES AND THE FREAKS HAVE BEEN THE TARGETS OF MANY CONCHOLOGISTS. THEY ARE FAVORITES AMONG STAMP COLLECTORS TOO. WHO HAS NOT HEARD OF THE UPSIDE DOWN CURTIS BIPLANE ON THE 24¢ USA AIRMAIL STAMP (Scott No. C-3)? IT COSTS A FORTUNE TO NEGOTIATE A TRANSACTION WHEN ONE OF THESE IS OFFERED FOR SALE. MORE RECENTLY THERE WAS THE DAG HAMMERSJKOLD US COMMEMORATIVE (Scott No. 1204) IN WHICH THE YELLOW COLOR WAS INADVERTENT— LY INVERTED ON SOME SHEETS. THE US POSTAL DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF RUNNING OFF MILLIONS OF A SPECIAL PRINTING IN WHICH THE YELLOW WAS PURPOSELY INVERTED SO THAT THE STAMP SPECULATOR COULD NOT CAPITALIZE ON THE REAL FREAK, IN MALACOLOGY, THE SO-CALLED VARIATIONS ALWAYS CREATE A STIR OF INTEREST. THE LEFT-HANDED SPECIMENS, THE COLOR VARIANTS, THE DEFORMED AND THE GIANTS ARE COMMON EXAMPLES. THE LEFT HANDED XANCUS (CHANK SHELL) IS THE SACRED SHELL OF THE VISHNU. THE GIANTS OF ANY SPECIES USUALLY OCCUPY A LOCUS OF EMPHASIS IN MUSEUMS AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. THE ALBINOS, THE MELANISTIC VARIETIES AND OTHER COLOR VARIATIES ARE SOUGHT BY MANY. How ABOUT SUCH "FREAKS" IN PHILATELIC CONCHOLOGY? THEY CERTAINLY DO EXIST. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE STATISTICALLY, IN NATURE, FOR ANY RIGHT-HANDED MOLLUSK TO PRODUCE AT SOME TIME A RARE OFFSPRING THAT HAS A LEFT~HANDED SHELL, THE PRINTING PRESSES HAVE DONE THIS BY THE MILLIONS. THE SACRED CHANK SHELL WAS PURPOSELY DEPICTED TO BE LEFT—HANDED IN THE EARLY ISSUES OF TRAVENCORE AND COACHIN (INDIA). THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPLES OF THE PRINTER'S MISTAKE: SHOWN LEFT HANDED ARE MUREX TRIBULUS (MALAGASY), VOLUTA DELESSERTIANA (MALAGASY), CONUS LITTERATUS (MALDIVE ISLANDS) AND A TONNA AND A MITRA SPECIES, BOTH FROM MALDIVE IKSLANDS, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ALLEGED ERRORS IN IDENTIFICATION, TOO. THE MOST PUBLI- CIZED INCIDENT INVOLVED THE SET OF STAMPS ISSUED BY THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) IN 1971, SHOWN ON ONE OF THE STAMPS WAS CONUS STUPA KURODA. SOME SCIENTIFIC FEELINGS WERE IRRITATED WHEN EXPERTS STATED THAT THE IDENTIFICATION WAS NOT CORRECT. FURTHERMORE, NATIONAL PRIDE WAS RUFFLED WHEN CLAIMS WERE MADE THAT THE SHELL WAS NOT A TRUE TAIWAN MOLLUSK. TO TOP IT OFF, THE CONE 1S SHOWN BACKWARDS, THAT IS, LEFT-HANDED. ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICS HAVE BEEN COMPILED, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE MOLLUSCAN SPECIES THAT HAVE APPEARED ON MOST STAMPS (DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS AND ISSUES) WOULD INCLUDE STROMBUS GIGAS, PECTEN JACOBEUS, AND XANCUX PYRUM. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT CEPHALOPODS (OCTOPUS, SQUID AND CUTTLEFISH) COMPRISE A SURPRISING SEGMENT OF THE PHILATELIC MOLLUSCAN POPULATION, PAGE 21 MORE MOLLUSKS~ON~-STAMPS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BELOW TO SUPPLEMENT THE LISTS ALREADY PUBLISHED IN THESE PAGES, MOLLU SK COUNTRY YEAR VALUE ScoTT No. 201, MARGINELLA DESJARDENI IvORY COAST 1971 15 FR 301 202, CONUS GENUANUS IvoRY COAST 1971 4O FR 302 203. APPORHAIS PES GALLINUS IvOoRY COAST 1971 1 FR 300A 204, CHLAMYS FLABELLUM IvORY COAST 1971 40 FR 305A 205. CONUS LITHOGLYPHUS Comoro Is, 1971 5 FR 99 206. CONUS LITTERATUS Comoro Is, 1971 10 FR 100 207. CoNUS AULICUS Comoro Is. 1971 20 FR. 101 208. NERITA POLITA Comoro Is. 1971 35 FR 102 209. CYPRAEA CAPUTSERPENTIS Comoro Is. 1971 60 FR 103 210, PHARAONELLA PERNA KENYA 1971 5¢ 36 211. MITRA EPISCOPALIS KENYA 1971 10¢ 37 212, CLANCULUS PUNICEUS KENYA 1971 15¢ 38 | 213. MAURITIA MAURITIANA KENYA 1971 20¢ 39 214. SANHALIOTIS VARIA KENYA 1971 30¢ 40 | 215. TROCHUS FLAMMULATUS KENYA 1971 40¢ 41 | 216. JANTHINA GLOBOSA KENYA 1971 50¢ 42 | 217, CASSIS RUFA KENYA 1971 60¢ 43 | 218. NAUTILUS POMPILIUS KENYA 1971 70¢ 44 | 219. CHICOREUS RAMOSUS KENYA 1971 1 SH 45 | 220. CHARONIA TRITONIS KENYA 1971 1.50 SH 46 | 221. FASCIOLARIA TRAPEZIUM KENYA 1971 2.50 SH 47 | 222. TuRBO FLUCTUOSUS KENYA 1971 5/SH 48 ) 223. CONUS TEXTILE KENYA 1971 10/SH 49 | 224. PTEROCERO SCORPIO KENYA 1971 20/sH 50 | 225. CLANCULUS PHARAONIUM AFAR & ISSAS 1972 4 FR 358 226. CYPRAEA PANTHERINA AFAR & ISSAS 1972 9 FR 359 227. CYPRAECASSIS RUFA AFAR & ISSAS 1972 20 FR 360 228. MELO AETHIOPICUS AFAR & ISSAS 1972 5OFR 361 229, LAMBIS SCORPIUS NEw CALEDONIA 1972 1 FR 395 230. LAMBIS LAMBIS NEw CALEDONIA 1972 3 FR 396 231. LAMBIS CROCATA NEw CALEDONIA 1972 25 FR C89 232. LAMBIS CHIRAGRA NEw CALEDONIA 1972 50 FR c90 233. CONUS PROMETHEUS IvORY COAST 1972 25 FR 303A 234. CYPRAEA STERCORARIA IvoRY COAST 1972 65 FR 306A 235. XENOPHORA DIGITATA IvORY COAST 1972 20 FR i 236. NATICA FANEL IvoRY COAST 1972 15 FR 302A si 237. STROMBUS BUBONIUS IvoRY COAST 1972 45 FR 305B 238, RETICULATED COWRY HELMET ANTIGUA 1972 3¢ 288 i 239. MEASLED cowry ANTIGUA 1972 5c 289 i 240. WEST INDIAN FIGHTINGCONCH ANTIGUA 1972 35¢ 290 { 241. HAWK WING CONCH ANTIGUA 1972 50¢ 291 242, TURBO MARMORATUS New HEBRIDES 1972 5 FR 185 243. CRIBRARIA FISCHERI NEw HEBRIDES 1972 25°C 178 244. STROMBUS PLICATUS New HEBRIDES 1972 65-¢ 181 245. OLIVA RUBROLABIATA New HEBRIDES 1972 30c 179 246. SPIRIFER (FOSSIL) MAURITANIA 1972 25 FR 297 247. GRYPHAEA (FOSSIL) MAURITANIA 1972 75 FR 298 248. STROMBUS TAURUS WESTERN SAMOA 1972 1s 369 249, TRITON W ESTERN SAMOA 1972: 10'S 375 250. Octopus NIvE 1972 36 147 PAGE 22 SEARCH AND SEIZURE By CONSTANCE BOONE THE MAy ISSUE OF HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS HAD AN ARTICLE BY RUTH FAIR ON THE THIRTEEN NAMES USED FOR MUREX BREVIFRONS LAMARCK, 1822, THROUGH THE YEARS, A PAGE OF FIGURES WITH THE FEATURE INTERESTED ME BECAUSE OF THE COINCIDENCES OF ACQUISITIONS OF MUREX BREVIFRONS AND ONE SMALL SPECIMEN I THOUGHT A JUVENILE OF THIS SPECIES, | RECEIVED A TRADE PARCEL FROM CURACAO, NETHERLAND ANTILLES, WITH SOME TWENTY MUREX BREVIFRONS WHICH EXHIBITED CLEARLY WHY EARLY WORKERS GAVE DIFFERENT NAMES TO FORMS OF THIS SPECIES. IN A SEPARATE CONTAINER, WITH DIFFERENT DATA, WAS A SMALL MuRExX (32 MM.) THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN THIS SPRING AND- WAS SENT WITH A QUESTION MARK, I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A JUVENILE, BUT IT DIDN'T QUITE LOOK LIKE M. BREVIFRONS. I SENT IT ON TO DR. EMILY VOKES, NOTED MUREX AUTHORITY, AT TULANE UNIVERSITY. THIS VERY CHARMING AND ENTHUSIASTIC LADY TOOK TIME TO LOOK OVER THE PARCEL OF QUESTION=MARK MUREX I HAD SENT AND RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. ON THE BACK OF MY LABEL ON THIS SMALL MUREX WAS HER NOTE SAYING THAT IT SEEMED TO BE M, PUDORICOLOR REEVE, 1845, A SPECIES SHE HAD ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT. IT IS NOT M, BREVIFRONS , SHE SAID, AS THIS ONE HAD SPIRALS THAT ARE BROWN, AND THE SPIRALS OF _M. BREVIFRONS ARE WHITE. THERE 1S A FIGURE OF M, PUDORICOLOR IN THE FAIR ARTICLE IN HSN.~ THIS REEVE NAME USUALLY HAS BEEN PUT IN SYNONYMY WITH M. BREVIFRONS BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A JUVENILE OF THAT SPECIES. DR. VOKES LEFT THE SPECIES IN HER CATALOGUE OF THE GENUS MUREX (VoL. 61, No. 268, BULLETINS OF AMERICAN PALEONTOLOGY, 1971) WITH NO QUESTION MARKS, AS I READ IT. THIS CHICOREUS FROM THE WESTERN ATLANTIC APPARENTLY IS FOR REAL, THE FAIR ARTICLE REMINDS ME ALSO OF THE NAME FLITTING IN AND OUT OF MY MUREX COLLECTION. I CLAIM ABSOLUTELY NO ABILITY TO WORK OUT MUREX NAMES CORRECTLY, BUT I DO QUESTION EVERYTHING [I ACQUIRE. I ACKNOWLEDGE WITH GREAT THANKS THE KIND HELP FROM DR. VOKES WHO HAPPENS TO LIKE TO SEE MUREX SPECIMENS WITH GOOD NUCLEAR WHORLS AND GOOD DATA, MEMBERS OF THIS CLUB WILL REMEMBER THE BRIGHT ORANGE THREE AND ONE~HALF INCH MUREX I RECEIVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO FROM AN AUSTRALIAN TRADER, SENT - LABELLED MUREX TORREFACTUS,. IT JUST DIDN'T FIT WHAT PICTURES I HAD OF M., TORREFACTUS OR SPECIMENS HERE I COULD SEE. BUT MY TRADER REPLIED TO MY QUERY THAT AUSTRALIANS CALLED THIS M, TORREFACTUS. ABOUT THIS TIME ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT IN GUAM SENT ME TWO BRIGHT ORANGE MUREX LABELLED MUREX PALMIFERUS, THEY WERE SO BEAUTIFUL I ASKED FOR MORE. THIS TRADER, HOWEVER, MOVED ON TO OKINAWA AND "HANDED" ME TO A NEW GUAM TRADER WHO THEN PROCEEDED TO SEND ME TWO OF. THE LITTLE BRIGHT ORANGE MUREX, THIS TIME LABELLED MUREX BRUNNEUS, RARE ORANGE PHASE, HE SAID, WELL, THIS WAS TOTAL CONFUSION FOR ME, IT SO HAPPENED THAT WINTER I WENT TO SAN DIEGO AND THERE AT ANOTHER COLLECTOR'S HOME WERE BOTH THE BIG WEST AUSTRALIAN ORANGE MUREX AND THE SMALL ORANGE ONE FROM GUAM. THE NAMES, SUPPOSEDLY AUTHENTICATED THERE BY PROFESSIONALS, WERE LABELLED MUREX PALMIFERUS (WEST AUSTRALIAN) AND MUREX BRUNNEUS (ORANGE PHASE FROM GUAM). WITH GREAT JOY I RETURNED HOME AND THOUGHT I HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEMS ON THESE TWO MUREX SPECIES. A WEST COAST DEALER HAD THE WEST AUSTRALIAN MUREX FOR SALE AS PALMIFERUS AND I TOLD MY FRIENDS THIS WAS THE ONE THEY HAD ADMIRED IN MY CABINET! WELL, IT WAS THE SPECIMEN AL— RIGHT , BUT THE NAME WAS WRONG! PAGE 23 THE WEST AUSTRALIAN SHELL IS NOW IDENTIFIED AS MUREX RUBIGINOSUS REEVE, 1845. EVERYBODY SEEMS NOW TO AGREE. IN WILSON AND GILLETT'S AUSTRALIAN SHELLS THIS SPECIES IS DISCUSSED AND SEVERAL COLORS ARE SHOWN IN SPECIMENS PICTURED, LUCKILY, THE LITTLE MUREX FROM GUAM HAS STAYED MUREX BRUNNEUS, RARE ORANGE PHASE, SO FAR. A SEQUEL TO THE PALMIFERUS PROBLEM IS THAT THIS NAME WAS SENT TO ME BY THE OKINAWAN TRADER ON ANOTHER ORANGE MUREX HE ACQUIRED FOR ME. THIS ONE, AC- CORDING TO DR. VOKES, HAS TURNED OUT TO BE "A REAL GENUINE UNADULTERATED M. PENCHINATI!" Now, THAT ISA PRIZE, BUT I STILL HAVEN'T SETTLED FOR SURE IF THERE REALLY EVER WILL BE A PALMIFERUS. DR. VOKES LISTS THIS G. B. SOWER- BY II NAME oF 1841 IN CAPS IN HER CATALOGUE , WHICH MEANS IT IS NOMENCLATU- RALLY VALID. AFTER THE NAME AND SOURCE SHE FOLLOWS (? = DENUDATA PERRY] , ACCORDING TO THE CONVENTIONS EMPLOYED BY DR, VOKES IN THIS CATALOGUE, THE SPECIES IS A SUBJECTIVE SYNONYM BEARING A QUERY, EVEN THOUGH THE WRITER MAY HAVE NO REAL QUESTION IN HER MIND, 000000000 DUES REMINDER THIS WILL BE THE LAST ISSUE OF TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST YOU WILL RECEIVE OF VOLUME X IF YOU HAVE NOT PAID YOUR DUES. THE PUBLICATION WILL BE MONTHLY FOR SEVEN MORE ISSUES. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THE EDITOR'S ARTICLES ON TEXAS SHELLS, YOU WILL WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIELD TRIPS AND LEARN ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE PLANNED, PAY WILSON WARD NOW-— ADDRESS HIM AT P. O. Box 26341, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77032. SEE THE MASTHEAD FOR CORRECT FEES YOU NEED TO PAY. O000O00000 *« « «+ «CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 FIELD TRIP OCTOBER 14 FANNIE MIRON HOPES ALL OF YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN THIS FIRST FIELD TRIP OF THIS CLUB YEAR, WE WILL MEET AT 9 A.M. AT SAN LUIS PASS, GALVESTON ISLAND SIDE, AT THE U-TURN ROAD UNDER THE BRIDGE APPROACH. BRING TROWELS, SIEVES, BUCKET AND VIALS, WEAR OLD CLOTHES YOU CAN WADE IN. WADERS AND JACKETS WILL BE ° NECESSARY IF WE HAVE A "NORTHER," PACK A LUNCH AND PLAN TO EAT TOGETHER AT LUNCHTIME WHEN "FINDS" WILL BE DISCUSSEG AND IDENTIFIED. PAGE 24 CONC oe VOLUME , NO, 3 ; Ty, 1d OCTOBER, 1973 i Pe UNDERWATER FILMS FOR OCTOBER PRCGRAM LARRY EVANS,WHO 1S AN UNDERWATER DIVER AND EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHER, WILL PRESENT A 45 MINUTE FILM, WITH SOUND, OF SOME FANTASTIC SCENES FROM THE OCEAN'S DEPTHS WHICH HE HAS COMPILED FROM HIS OWN PHOTOS. THE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 24 AT 8 P.M. AT THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE. PLEASE PEEL FREE TO BRING GUESTS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A FILM OF DIVES TO THREE LOCATIONS IN OUR GULF , SHOWING SCENES OF THE FLOWER GARDENS, THREE ROCKPILE AREAS AND ONE OTHER LOCATION. THESE SHOW LIVE MOLLUSKS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS. SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES MERLE KLEB'S WINNING SHELL SHOW ENTRIES WERE EXHIBITED TO HELP EXPLAIN POINTS IN PREPARING ENTRIES FOR SHELL SHOWS. Mrs. KLEB, MARY MYERS, AND DR. HELMER ODEé FORMED A PANEL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT PREPARING EXHIBITS. Mrs. KLEB HAS WON SEVERAL PRIZES IN RECENT SHOWS, MISS MYERS WON A BLUE RIBBON FOR RARE SHELLS IN HER FIRST JUDGED SHOW SHE RECENTLY ATTENDED IN FLORIDA, AND DR. CDE HAS ACTED AS JUDGE . IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE COASTAL BEND GEM AND MINERAL FOURTH ANNUAL SHOW WILL BE HELD IN BAY CITY AT THE SERVICE CENTER, CORNER OF 7TH AND AVENUE M ON NOVEMBER 3 AND 4, 1973. THERE WILL BE A DIVISION FOR SHELL ENTRIES. CONTACT Mrs. PAT RATLIFF, P.C. DRAWER 1232, BAY CiITy. TEXAS, 77414. TINA PETWAY, PROGRAM CHAIRMAN, HAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO HAVE FRANK ABBOTT— SMITH , AUSTRALIAN VOLUTE SPECIALIST , FOR A PROGRAM IN APRIL. THE PROGRAM WILL BE FOUR HOURS IN LENGTH AND MAY CAUSE A MEETING DATE CHANGE. i_toyD MEISTER, OUTGOING PRESIDENT , WAS PRESENTED AN ENGRAVED CUP. A SPECIAL FUND OF $350.00 HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR FUTURE PUBLICATION OF Ov€-SPEERS NOTES ON TEXAS SHELLS. THE SOCIETY VOTED TO GIVE $300.00 To THE DEVELOPMENT FUND OF THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE. . «eee CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 PAGE 25 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) at Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES | Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. IX issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF | EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow © 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 _ Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. A PROBABILITY, BEACHDRIFT AND TURBONILLAS BY H. ODE DURING THE SHELLSHOW IN THE SHARPSTOWN MALL A SHELLCOLLECTOR ASKED ME WHETHER I STILL DID A LOT OF BEACHCOLLECTING, UPON MY COMMENT “THAT DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE DEPENDENCE ON GLASSES MY TRIPS TO THE BEACH HAD BECOME MUCH LESS FREQUENT HE REMARKED SOMEWHAT ENVIOUSLY: "YOU MUST HAVE FOUND ABOUT EVERY SPECIES THAT CAN BE COLLECTED ALONG THE TEXAS BEACH, I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU DID IT!" a IT 1S THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE TO SHOW THAT NO UNUSUAL ACUITY OF VISION NOR ANY OTHER REMARKABLE ABILITY OR PROWESS EXCEPT PATIENCE AND A FEELING FOR RANDOM SAMPLING IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A FAIRLY COMPLETE INSIGHT IN COASTAL FAUNAS FROM BEACHDRIFT COLLECTING, THE PATIENCE IS NECESSARY TO WASH AND PREPARE THE SAMPLES AND PICK THEM IN THEIR ENTIRETY UNDER A BINOCULAR MICRO- SCOPE. THE RANDOM SAMPLING IS NECESSARY IN ORDER NOT TO OMIT SPECIES LIVING IN PARTICULAR HABITATS AND WHICH IN CONSEQUENCE WASH ASHORE ONLY AT RESTRIC— TED SPOTS ALONG THE COAST. THE TEXAS COAST IS FAIRLY UNIFORM IN HABITAT AND MOST SPECIES CAN BE FOUND IN DRIFT PICKED UP CLOSE TO THE PASSES, BEFORE WE GO INTO SOME TECHNICAL DETAIL AND ANALYSE THE FACT WHY PATIENCE AND CORRECT SAMPLING METHODS SHOULD YIELD AN ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF COASTAL FAUNAS WE NEED TO REVIEW SOME GENERAL ASPECTS ABOUT SHELLCOLLECTING ALONG THE BEACH. FIRST WE MAKE THE POINT THAT WE ARE HERE CONCERNED LARGELY WITH AN INQUIRY INTO FAUNAL COMPOSITION RATHER THAN A METHOD TO ACQUIRE SOME PRETTY — SHELLS FOR A COLLECTION, IN THE SECOND PLACE IT SHOULD BE STATED THAT AS EX- PERIENCE GROWS, IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE PROBABLE THAT ONE FINDS RARETIES PAGE 26 AND UNUSUAL SHELLS IN DRIFT. THE EYES BECOME TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE SHAPES AND DIFFERENCES, SEE COLOR PATTERNS AND STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES. ONLY WHEN THIS SOCALLED "PERSONAL EQUATION" HAS BEEN MORE OR LESS ELIMINATED IT BECOMES POSSIBLE TO COLLECT IN A RANDOM FASHION ALONG THE BEACH AND UNDER THE MICRO- SCOPE. EXPERIENCED COLLECTORS KNOW THAT SEVERAL YEARS OF COLLECTING EXPER- IENCE WERE NEEDED TO ACQUIRE THE ABILITY TO SAMPLE IN AN UNBIASED MANNER, IF THAT IS NOT DONE CERTAIN SPECIES WILL BE ONLY COLLECTED RARELY AND UNDER UN- USUAL CIRCUMSTANCES; FOR INSTANCE WHEN BY FORTUITOUS ACCIDENT THEY WASHED ASHORE OR WERE TRANSPORTED BY HIGHLY UNUSUAL MEANS TO AN UNLIKELY SPOT. ONE OF THE VERY FEW SPECIMENS OF GEUKENSIA DEMISSA I EVER FOUND ON THE OUTER BEACH WAS TRANSPORTED THERE BY A GULL WHICH I DISTURBED DURING ITS MEAL OF IT. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF NOT SAMPLING RANDOMLY IS THE SIZE FACTOR, BECAUSE MOST COLLECTORS ONLY TAKE SHELLS ABOVE CERTAIN SIZE. FOR A FAUNISTIC ANALYSIS SUCH HIGHLY BIASED SAMPLES ARE OF LITTLE SIGNIFICANCE. EVEN IF ONE IS PERFECTLY AWARE OF THIS CAUSE OF BIAS IN THE SAMPLES IT REMAINS’ DIFFICULT TO EXCLUDE IT, BECAUSE WIND AND CURRENT HAVE A TENDENCY TO SORT BEACHDRIFT ACCORDING TO SIZE. THE BEST WAY IS TO SAMPLE AT MANY SPOTS: HIGH IN THE TIDELINE, CLOSE TO LOW WATER MARK ETC. , AND SYSTEMATICALLY INSPECT THE SAMPLES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, BUT EVEN WITH SERIOUS PRECAUTIONS TO SAMPLE RANDOMLY OUR EFFORTS ARE DOOMED TO PRODUCE ONLY POOR RESULTS, BECAUSE NATURE HERSELF CONSPIRES AGAINST THE SHELL COLLECTOR. WIND AND WAVES PRODUCE, AS MENTIONED, SORTING EFFECTS. ESPECIALLY THE WIND IS ON THE TEXAS BEACH THE CAUSE THAT MANY OF THE MINUTE SPECIES ARE BLOWN AWAY. AFTER THE DRIFT DRIES IN THE SUN, THE WIND STARTS BLOWING THE MINUTE COMPONENTS OF THE DRIFT LANDWARD, SOMETIMES ONE CAN OBSERVE THIS PHENOMENON AT SAN LUIS PASS, WHERE USUALLY THE DRIFT IS COMPLETELY WINNOW— ED IN A FEW DAYS. SOME COMPONENTS OF THE FAUNA DO NOT OCCUR IN DRIFT: NUDI- BRANCHS FOR INSTANCE CAN ONLY BE COLLECTED ALIVE IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT AND FROM DRIFT NO INFORMATION ABOUT THIS GROUP OF MOLLUSKS CAN BE OBTAINED, THE FIRST THING A NOVICE COLLECTOR WHO WILL MAKE THE EFFORT TO COLLECT RAN- DOMLY, WILL DISCOVER IS THAT HE MAY SAFELY OMIT ALMOST ALL (BUT NOT COMPLETE- LY) OF THE LARGER COMMON BEACH SPECIES FROM CONSIDERATION. IN SAMPLES COM-— POSED ENTIRELY OF SHELLMATERIAL OF SMALL SIZE (4 INCH OR SMALLER) SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF JUVENILE SPECIMENS OF THE LARGER SPECIES ARE PRESENT TO WARRANT VALID CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE FAUNA, THE FEW FULLGROWN SPECIMENS OF THESE SPECIES IN GENERAL FORM SUCH A MINUTE FRACTION OF THE TOTALITY OF SPECIMENS OF THESE SPECIES THAT THEY MAY BE SAFELY OMITTED FROM THE TOTAL COUNT. HOWEVER UNDER UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES MASSMORTALITY CAN OCCUR SO THAT ONE HAS TO EXERCISE SOME CAUTION. So I HAVE NOTICED THAT AT GALVESTON TELLINA IRIS OCCASIONALLY WASHES ASHORE IN GREAT QUANTITIES, BUT ONLY IN FULLGROWN SPECIMENS. SIM!LARLY THE COMMON MACOMA TAGELIFORMIS IS ALONG THE TEXAS BEACH FOUND ONLY AS FULLY GROWN, OLD WORN SPECIMENS AND JUVENILES STILL HAVE TO BE COLLECTED ON THE BEACH. LARGER SPECIMENS OF GASTROPOD SHELLS ARE BROUGHT TO THE BEACHES BY HERMITCRABS WHO WALK THEM ASHORE. MY FIRST SPECIMEN OF AMAEA MITCHELLI CAME FROM THE BAYSIDE OF GALVESTON ISLAND AND CLEARLY WAS A HERMITSHELL,. IN ORDER TO DISCUSS NOW SOME SIMPLE PROBLEMS INVOLVING PROBABILITIES AND BEACHDRIFT IT IS NECESSARY TO QUALIFY THE PROBLEMS FOR WHICH WE WANT AN ANSWER, IN PRECISE TERMS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT DISCUSSION IT 1S SUFFICIENT THAT OUR ASSUMPTIONS ARE OF THE SIMPLEST TYPE. AS WE SHALL TALK QUITE A BIT ABOUT PROBABILITY WE NEED A SIMPLE DEFINITION OF IT, AND WE PAGE 27 SHALL DEFINE IT AS THE RATIO OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES AN EVENT OCCURS TO THE NUMBER OF ALL POSSIBLE OUTCOMES, FOR INSTANCE ON A BEACH ON WHICH ONLY TWO MOLLUSKS SPECIES, A AND B, ARE WASHED UP, SPECIES A BEING TWICE AS COMMON AS SPECIES B, THE PROBABILITY OF PICKING UP IN A RANDOM TRY, SPECIES A, IS 2/3 AND THAT OF PICKING UP SPECIES B 1S 1/3. IN WHAT FOLLOWS WE WILL FURTHER ASSUME THAT ONCE A SAMPLE IS DRAWN, THE PROBABILITY OF FINDING SPECIES IS NOT ALTERED, THAT IS TO SAY IF ONE REMOVES A SPECIMEN OF A GIVEN SPECIES FROM THE BEACH, THE CHANCE OF FINDING THE SAME SPECIES DURING THE NEXT TRY IS NOT RE- DUCED BY THE FACT THAT ALREADY ONE SPECIMEN WAS REMOVED BY THE EARLIER SAM— PLE. IN GENERAL THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHELLS ON A GIVEN STRETCH OF BEACH IS SO LARGE THAT THIS ASSUMPTION IS QUITE VALID, AMONG THE FIRST QUESTIONS TO BE DEALT WITH IS A VERY PRACTICAL ONE: HOW MANY SAMPLES DOES ONE HAVE TO COLLECT BEFORE ONE HAS, SAY 95% CERTAINTY THAT ALL SPECIES HAVE BEEN SAMPLED? OF COURSE WE MUST SAMPLE RANDOMLY BOTH WITH RESPECT TO LOCATION, TIME, WEATHER CONDITIONS, ETC. THESE FACTORS MAKE THE PROBLEM MORE DIFFICULT AND THEREFORE WE WILL FOR THE TIME BEING ASSUME THAT THESE AND OTHER FACTORS DO NOT PLAY A ROLE IN OUR PROBLEM. LATER WE MAY IN- VESTIGATE IN HOW FAR OUR RESULTS SHOULD BE MODIFIED, FIRST WE MUST REALIZE THAT THE QUESTION, IN THE FORM WE POSED IT, IS UNANS- WERABLE, BECAUSE WE DID NOT STATE WHAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTCOMES WAS, THAT IS NEITHER THE NUMBER OF SPECIES THAT COUL.D BE FOUND NOR THEIR RELATIVE ABUNDANCES WERE SPECIFIED. FOR US IT WILL BE INSTRUCTIVE TO COMPUTE SOME PROBABILITIES ASSUMING THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE DRIFT AND THEIR RELATIVE ABUNDANCES ARE KNOWN. TO BEGIN WITH IT WILL BE ASSUMED THAT WE DRAW SAMPLES FROM A TOTAL COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS WHICH IS EQUALLY RICH IN ALL SPECIES IN ANY LOCALITY OF THE SAMPLING AREA. THIS OF COURSE IS USUALLY NOT TRUE AT ALL, BUT IT WILL SIMPLIFY OUR DISCUSSION AND MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDER~- STAND. LATER ON WE MAY TRY TO MODIFY OUR CONCLUSIONS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE ARE GREAT DIFFERENCES IN RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF THE SPECIES. LET US THEN ASSUME THAT THERE ARE 400 DIFFERENT SPECIES ON OUR BEACH, ALL WASHING ASHORE IN EQUAL NUMBERS AND ASK OURSELVES THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS: HOW MANY SHELLS HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT, SELECTED IN A RANDOM FASHION BEFORE ONE HAS 95% CERTAINTY THAT: 1) ONE HAS SAMPLED A GIVEN SPECIFIED SPECIES; 2) ONE HAS SEEN ALL 4OO SPECIES; 3) ONE HAS MISSED NOT MORE THAN 10% OF THE FAUNA? | CHOOSE THE NUMBER 400 BECAUSE ON THE TEXAS BEACH THIS IS APPROXIMATELY THE NUMBER OF SPECIES THAT COULD BE FOUND IN ANY GIVEN AREA . BAYS AND OUTER BEACHES INCLUDED. TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THE SUM OF THE PROBABILITIES OF ALL POSSIBLE EVENTS ALWAYS IS UNITY. THUS THE FIRST QUESTION CAN BE REPHRASED AS: HOW MANY SHELLS HAVE TO BE SAMPLED BEFORE THE PROBA- BILITY OF NOT SAMPLING THE GIVEN SPECIES IS BELOW 5%? For 400 SPECIES THE PROBABILITY OF NOT DRAWING THE GIVEN SPECIES IS 399/400 IN THE FIRST DRAW. IN THE SECOND DRAW IT IS AGAIN 399/400, BUT IN THE TWO DRAWS TOGETHER IT IS 399.399/400.400. THE REQUIRED ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM IS THEREFORE FOUND BY MULTIPLYING 399/400 SO MANY TIMES BY ITSELF AS TO BRING THE PRODUCT BELOW PAGE 28 Bore .05. IN TABLE I THE ANSWER TO OUR FIRST QUESTION IS TABULATED IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN FOR A VARIABLE NUMBER OF SPECIES PRESENT. OF COURSE ONE CAN RELAX THE ARBITRARILY CHOSEN LIMIT OF 95% CERTAINTY, OR TIGHTEN IT. IN THE FIRST CASE OUR NUMBERS WILL BE LOWERED, IN THE SECOND CASE THEY WILL BE HIGHER. THIS 1S SHOWN IN THE FIRST AND SECOND COLUMN OF THE TABLE , WHICH PERTAIN TO A PROBABILITY OF 75% AND 99% RESPECTIVELY. TABLE I, WHICH LISTS THE NUMBER OF SAMPLES REQUIRED TO HAVE 75% oR 95% OR 99% CERTAINTY THAT A GIVEN SPECIES OUT OF A TOTAL NUMBER OF 3 OR 4 0R 5, ETC. SPECIES OF EQUAL RELATIVE ABUNDANCE HAS BEEN DRAWN. 75% 95% 99% 3 4 8 12 4 5 11 17 5 7 14 21 6 8 17 26 7 10 20 30 8 11 23 35 9 12 26 40 10 14 29 44 20 28 59 89 50 69 149 229 100 139 299 459 200 277 597 918 400 533 1193 1835 THE ANSWER TO THE SECOND QUESTION IS NOT SO EASILY COMPUTED, AND WE SHALL HERE NOT ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE METHOD HOW TO COMPUTE THIS PROBABILITY. IT SUFFICES TO REMARK HERE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITY OF DRAWING IN K DRAWS PRECISELY M SPECIES OUT OF A TOTAL POPULATION OF N SPECIES. IN TABLE II AND TABLE III BELOW WE SHOW THE RESULTS OF TWO SUCH COMPUTATIONS , ONE FOR A POPULATION OF 4, AND ANOTHER FOR A POPULATION.OF 8 SPECIES. FORA LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE POPULATION THIS COMPUTATION BECOMES INVOLVED. FOR THIS REASON WE LIMITED OURSELVES TO ABOVE TWO SIMPLE CASES. THE TABLES ARE ARRANGED AS FOLLOWS: IN THE FIRST COLUMN THE NUMBER OF DRAWS IS LISTED; IN THE SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH COLUMNS THE PROBABILITY , EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES, OF DRAWING PRECISELY 1, 2, 3 OR 4 SPECIES RESPEC— TIVELY; IN THE LAST COLUMN WE LISTED THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE. THIS WE WILL DISCUSS LATER. THE THIRD TABLE OF COURSE PERTAINS TO THE CASE THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES IS 8. (To BE CONTINUED) PAGE 29 SEARCH AND SEIZURE By CONSTANCE BOONE DELIA FLITTED AROUND OUR COASTLINE . AND SOME OF US WAITED IMPATIENTLY FOR HER TO GO INLAND AND LEAVE THE BEACHES OPEN FOR SOME GOOD SHELLING. TELE- PHONING BETWEEN MEMBERS IN HOUSTON AND THOSE ON THE ISLAND AT GALVESTON OR AT FREEPORT BEGAN. THE TIDES WERE EXTREMELY SLOW TO SUBSIDE. ONE OF THE DANGERS WAS WHETHER ACCESS ROADS TO THE BEACHES WERE OPEN. SOMETIMES THEY ARE JUST WASHED AWAY. CTHER TIMES THE MAIN COASTAL ROADS ARE CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS AND ARE CLOSED UNTIL CLEANED. IT SEEMS THAT SEVERAL DAYS AFTER A HURRICANE BOILS UP COASTAL WATERS IS BEST. BEFORE THAT TIDES ARE TOO HIGH AND SHELLS THROWN UP ARE UP IN THE DUNES AND ON ROADWAYS. IN THOSE AREAS THERE IS A SNAKE ALERT IN THE TIMES OF FLOODED GRASSES. IT IS BEST TO WAIT FOR THE DEBRIS AND SHELLS TORN OUT BY A HURRICANE TO BE BROUGHT IN ON LOWER TIDES. SEVERAL HOUSTON MEMBERS COMBED THE GALVESTON~FREEPORT AREAS SEPTEMBER 7TH AND 8TH. THE FREEPORT ST. LUIS AREA BROUGHT IN VERY LITTLE, ACCORDING TO HAZEL MCKEE. THE GALVESTON ST. LUIS AREA WAS SO WASHED OUT AND SO MUCH REED DEBRIS WAS PRESENT THAT NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHELLS SEEMED PRESENT. THE BEST AREA SEEMED TO BE FROM STEWART BEACH. GALVESTON, TO THE JETTIES. SEVERAL SHELL DEPOSITS ARE WORTHY OF NOTE. AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED LIVE AND FRESH PAIRS OF TRACHYCARDIUM MURICATUM WERE COLLECTED BY FOUR MEMBERS, PROBABLY A LOT MORE BY OTHERS. THIS HAS BEEN THE AREA FOR SOME OF THESE AFTER STORMS. BUT THIS TIME THE WHOLE OFFSHORE BED OF THIS SPECIES WAS DISTURBED BY DELIA. A FRESH PAIR OF CALLOCARDIA TEXASIANA AND A LIVE PAIR OF SEMELE PURPURASCENS WERE COLLECTED. A GOODLY NUMBER OF LIVE AND FRESH-—DEAD PAIRS OF LARGE SIZED MACOMA TENTA WAS RECOVERED. LIVE PAIRS OF DIPLODONTA SOROR WERE FOUND. A WHOLE, BUT BROKEN. AMAEA MITCHELLI WAS A PRIZE FIND. THERE WERE MANY OTHER LIVE SHELLS ON THE BEACH, BUT IT WAS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THIS SEPTEMBER STORM, AS WELL AS AFTER BUELAH IN SEPTEMBER SOME YEARS AGO, BROUGHT IN A SLIGHTLY-DIFFERENT ELEMENT OF SHELLS THAN DO THE WINTER STORMS. THE WAVE ACTION MUST AFFECT WHAT SHELLS ARE TOSSED UP, AS WELL AS WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SAND BAR AREAS. DELIA HAS BROUGHT A NUMBER OF MUREX FULVESCENS IN SUCCEEDING WEEKS TO THE JETTY AREA. MANY ARE HEAVILY SAND—-MATRIX ENCRUSTED AS ARE THE OFFSHORE MURExX. 0000000 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25.....¢.. NOVEMBER FIELD TRIP (PLEASE NoTtrF CHANGE OF TIME!) THERE WILL BE A FIELD TRIP ON SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 10, 1973, AT BOLIVAR, FANNIE MIRON HAS ANNOUNCED. MEET AT 8:30 A.M. ON THE BOLIVAR SIDE OF THE FERRY LANDING. BRING SPADES TO DIG ANGEL WINGS AND OTHER BIVALVES. PACK A LUNCH, BRING WADERS AND JACKETS IF A NORTHER BLOWS IN. PAGE 30 a RISSOINA MULTICOSTATA C. B. ADAMS By H. ODE IN OUR SERIES OF ILLUSTRATIONS WE WILL THIS TIME SHOW A FIGURE OF A SPECIMEN OF RISSOINA MULTICOSTATA C.B. ADAMS, 1850. THIS SPECIES IS SO FAR KNOWN ONLY FROM A SINGLE SPECIMEN OF OUR BEACH (SABINE,. Mc FADDIN BEACH. COLL. H. Opb£), BUT LIVES IN MANY LOCALITIES ON THE OFFSHORE GALVESTON SHELF IN DEPTHS BETWEEN 8 AND 28 FMS. THE FIGURED SPECIMEN IS THE Mc FADDIN BEACH SPECIMEN, AND IS iN SURPRISINGLY GOOD CONDITION, INDICATING PERHAPS THAT IT ORIGINATED CLOSE TO THE SHORE. THE LARGEST CONCENTRATIONS OF THE SPECIES ARE FOUND ON THE PLEISTOCENE SABINE AND HEALD BANKS, WHICH HARBOUR A FAUNA SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE FAUNA OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS. RISSOINA MULTICOSTATA C.B. ADAMS IS UNDOUBTEDLY CLOSELY RELATED TO SEVERAL SPECIES DESCRIBED IN THE SUBGENUS ZEBINELLA FROM THE PLIOCENE OF FLORIDA BY OLSSON AND HARBISON, 1953. ACCORDING TO THESE AUTHORS THERE SEEMS TO EXIST SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THIS SPECIES. THUS IT IS POSSIBLE THAT | AM MISTAKEN IN MY IDENTIFICATION. EASILY ACCESSIBLE FIGURES OF THE SPECIES CAN BE FOUND IN: 1950 CLENCH AND TURNER. Occ. PAP. MoLL., Voc. 1 (5). P. 312, PL. 33. FIG. 4 1961 ABBOTT AND WARMKE, CARIB. SEASHELLS, P. 56, PL. 10, FIG. H. THE SPECIES HAS BEEN TWICE REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE FOR THE N.W. GULF OF MEeExIco. Rissoina multicostata C. B. Adams 1850. Collected at McFaddin Beach by H. Odé. Photo by Frank van Morkhoven PAGE 31 MOLLUSCANA By W. W. Sutow, M.D. WE COVERED A FAIR SPAN OF THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC IN AUGUST. THIS YEAR. ON SAIPAN AND PALAU WE PUT IN TIME SHELLING. I AM JOTTING DOWN SOME THOUGHTS AS THEY RELATE PRIMARILY TO ASPECTS OF SHELL-COLLECTING. AS SUCH, THEY MAY BE OF PERTINENT INTEREST TO THOSE WHO CONTEMPLATE SHELLING EXCURSIONS INTO THIS SAME PART OF THE WORLD. 1. RESERVATIONS. BE SURE RESERVATIONS ARE MADE EARLY AND CONFIRMED SEVERAL TIMES. THERE ARE NO TELETYPE, TELEPHONE, OR COMPUTER FACILITIES AT THE FAR END OF THE TRIP. NOTHING IS AS FRUSTRATING OR APPALLING AS THE LACK OF ANY PRIOR RECORD OF YOUR RESERVATION AT THE HOTEL DESK OR THE AIRLINE COUNTER. WHEN THERE IS ONLY ONE "DECENT" HOTEL IN TOWN. THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. (THE FLIGHTS WERE FULL WITH STANDBYS IN LINE, AND THE HOTELS WERE BOOKED SOLID.) 2. PREPARATION. ALMOST INVARIABLY. IN THE REMOTE ISLANDS, THE SHELLING GROUNDS WERE MILES AWAY — EITHER BY GROUND TRANSPORTATION OR BY BOAT. FACILITIES ARE PRIMITIVE — AND THE SHELLER MUST BE PREPARED, PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY , TO ENDURE THE HARDSHIPS. GUIDES ARE NECESSARY AND DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE FOR SHELLING TRIPS. IN SOME CASES, PERMISSION MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE VILLAGE CHIEF OR THE LAND OWNER. PREPARATION (FoopD, CLOTHING AND SHELTER) MUST BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BEFOREHAND SINCE WEIGHT AND SIZE OF THE GEAR BECOME IMPORTANT FACTORS. 3. GEAR. SHELLING GEAR MUST BE PRACTICAL. GLOVES AND TONGS ARE ESSENTIAL. SOCKS AND CANVAS SHOES ARE NEEDED. INSECT REPELLANTS ARE HELPFUL. 4. PRECAUTIONS. DURING THE SHELLING ACTIVITIES, CONSTANT ORIENTATION MUST BE MAINTAINED (ESPECIALLY BY THE REEF—SHELLERS) IN RESPECT TO SHORE LINE. TIDE , AND REEF TOPOGRAPHY. IT WAS FRIGHTENING TO SEE HOW RAPIDLY THE IN- COMING TIDE CUT OFF PATHS THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY OUT OF WATER ONLY MOM= ENTS BEFORE. 5. ANTICIPATION. SOME CONCEPT OF WHAT ONE IS LIKELY TO FIND MAY BE USEFUL. CN PALAU, I COLLECTED, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN A REAL, WILD MANGROVE SWAMP. (IN FACT , WE WERE CAUTIONED ABOUT POSSIBLE CROCODILES IN THE AREA.) I WAS GATHERING LITTORINAS AT THE TIME, PICKING THEM OFF BRANCHES AND LEAVES. I WAS TOTALLY UNPREPARED TO RECOGNIZE A FLAT TRIANGULAR ATTACHMENT ON A TREE LIMB AS A MOLLUSK. I PASSED IT BY. SUBCONSCIOUSLY , MY MIND MUST HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONING BECAUSE SUDDENLY I REALIZED | HAD PASSED UP A TREE OYSTER. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DASHED BACK FRANTICALLY AND COLLECTED SOME OYSTERS, MANY OF WHICH WERE ATTACHED TO THE TIPS OF THE AIR ROOTS. 6. CLEANING. PRIOR THOUGHT MUST BE GIVEN TO METHODS OF CLEANING AND TRANS-— PORTING THE MOLLUSKS. ALL PLASTIC BAGS AND PAPER CONTAINERS MUST BE CARRIED IN AS PART OF YOUR LUGGAGE. ONE SMALL HOT PLATE AND A SMALL PAN WITH HANDLE PROVED TO BE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD. WE USED THEM EXTEN~ SIVELY TO BOIL THOSE SHELLS THAT COULD BE BOILED. IF FREEZING FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE , THE SPECIMENS CAN BE FROZEN SOLID AND CARRIED THAT WAY UNTIL YOU REACH YOUR TEMPORARY HOME BASE. PAGE 32 — CONCHOLOGIST Lh Lwivi 3 VWF Quill NVwi-e ~~ VOLUME X, NO, 4 | i ¥ NOVEMBER, 1973 NOTES & NEWS cee sly Sareea a i 1 Pare ne a NOVEMBER PROGRAM BY SCRIPPS RESEARCH BIOLOGIST JAMES R. LANCE, STAFF RESEARCH BIOLOGIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY AT LA JOLLA, WILL PRESENT A PROGRAM ON NUDIBRANCHS AT THE NOVEMBER 28TH MEETING AT 8 P.M. AT THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE. HIS LECTURE AND SLIDE PRESENTATION ENTITLED "PORTRAITS OF EASTERN PACIFIC COLORFUL SEA SLUGS ,"" CONCERNS THE ANIMALS OF THE ORDER NUDIBRANCHIA , SNAILS IN WHICH ALL VESTIGES OF SHELLS ARE LOST IN THE ADULT STAGE. THEY ARE OFTEN HIGHLY COLORED AND ADORNED WITH APPENDAGES OR CERATA. Mr. LANCE 1S ACKNOWLEDGED IN MyYRA KEEN'S BEAUTIFUL NEW BOOK, SEA SHELLS OF TROPICAL WEST AMERICA, AS THE MAN WHO UNDERTOOK THE TASK OF ORGANIZING THE SYSTEMATIC LIST OF NUDIBRANCHS FROM AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS AND FOR SUPPLYING DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL THE SPECIES, WITH NOTES ON THEIR HABITATS AND GEOGRAPHIC +DISTRIBUTION. HE ALSO FURNISHED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS OF MANY OF THEM THAT ADD SO MUCH TO THE BEAUTY OF THIS BOOK. HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNIQUES FOR THE MASS= REARING OF A NUMBER OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES UNDER ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS AS PART OF MARINE GENETICS. HE HAS HAD A LABORATORY GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND WAS A GUEST RESEARCHER FOR ONE AND A HALF YEARS AT THE INTER= NATIONAL L:AABORATORY OF GENETICS AND BIOPHYSICS IN NAPLES, ITALY. HE IS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE LEADING AUTHORITIES ON SHELL=LESS MOLLUSKS AND HAS TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY ALONG THE COASTS OF EUROPE, AFRICA, AND THE NEAR EAST COLLECTING SPECIMENS AND LECTURING. HE HAS DISCOVERED AND DESCRIBED SEVERAL NEW SPECIES OF MOLLUSKS FROM THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC. THIS WILL BE HIS FIRST VISIT TO TEXAS. HE HAS EARNED ACCLAIM FOR HIS HYPER~CLOSE~UP PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTO=MICRO- GRAPHY WHICH HE HAS USED TO ILLUSTRATE HIS LECTURES AND SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. HIS ENTHUSIASM FOR HIS STUDIES OF THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SEA SLUGS HAS RESULTED IN THIS PROGRAM TO ENTERTAIN GROUPS SUCH AS THE HOUSTON CONCHOLOGY SOCIETY. WE HOPE YOU'LL ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO COME AND JOIN US FOR A BONUS EVENING, REMINDER THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN DECEMBER, AND THERE WILL BE NO ISSUE OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST IN DECEMBER. THIS IS THE USUAL CALENDAR. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44.....-. PAGE 33 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) at Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. IX issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3704 Ri¢e Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, doubleespaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. 4 PROBABILITY, BEACHDRIFT AND TURBONILLAS (CONTINUATION) BY H, ODE TABLE II — PROBABILITIES IN PERCENT OF DRAWING PRECISELY 1, 2, 3, OR 4 SPECIES IN VARIOUS NUMBERS OF DRAWS FROM A POPULATION OF FOUR EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED SPECIES. 1 SPEC. 2 SPEC. 3 SPEC. 4 SPEC. WRONG INFERENCE PAGE 34 IN THIS TABLE ALL PROBABILITIES HAVE BEEN ROUNDED OFF TO ONLY TWO DECIMALS. WHERE WE HAVE LISTED 0.09 % THIS MEANS THAT ALTHOUGH THE PROBABILITY 1S NOT ZERO, IT IS SO SMALL AS TO BE COMPLETELY NEGLIGIBLE. FROM THE TABLE WE INFER THE FOLLOWING ALMOST SELFEVIDENT FACTS: 1) WITH INCREASING NUMBER OF DRAWS THE PROBABILITY OF DRAWING ALL SPECIES INCREASES RAPIDLY, AND THE PROBABILITY OF GETTING ONLY A PARTIAL SAMPLE OF THE FAUNA DECREASES. 2) THE PROBABILITY OF PARTIAL SAMPLING (SAY FOR 3 SPECIES IN ABOVE TABLE) FIRST INCREASES WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF DRAWS, BUT LATER DECREASES AND FINALLY GOES TO ZERO. 3) FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF DRAWS THE PROBABILITY OF SAMPLING THE ENTIRE FAUNA BECOMES A CERTAINTY, I.E. THE NUMBER IN THE FOURTH COLUMN GOES TO 100%. FROM THIS TABLE WE SEE THAT FOR A TOTAL POPULATION OF 4 SPECIES THE ANSWER TO OUR SECOND QUESTION IS 16 DRAWS. IN OTHER WORDS WE MUST SAMPLE 4 TIMES THE NUMBER OF SPECIES TO HAVE 95% CERTAINTY TO HAVE SAMPLED THEM ALL. FOR A FAUNA COMPOSED OF 8 SPECIES A SIMILAR TABLE CAN STILL BE DERIVED BY HAND COMPUTATION. IT IS GIVEN BELOW. FOR FAUNAS COMPOSED OUT OF MORE SPECIES THAN THAT HAND COMPUTATION BECOMES IMPRACTICAL. THE THIRD QUESTION CAN NOW ALSO BE ANSWERED EASILY WITH THE HELP OF OUR TABLES. IT WAS: WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF DRAWS §0 THAT WE ARE 95% CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE MISSED NOT MORE THAN 10% OF THE TOTAL FAUNA. IN OUR TWO PARTICULAR CASES WE REPLACE 10% BY ONE SPECIES. THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS OBTAINED BY MERELY SUMMING THE NUMBERS IN THE COLUMNS FOR 3 AND 4 SPECIES OR FOR 7 AND 8 SPECIES AND SEE FOR WHICH NUMBER OF DRAWS THIS NUMBER EXCEEDS 95%. FOR A*°FAUNA OF 4 SPECIES THE TABLE SHOWS THAT IN 7 DRAWS WE HAVE 95.27% CERTAINTY THAT WE MISS NOT MORE THAN I! SPECIES. TABLE II]. SAME AS TABLE II, BUT FOR A FAUNA OF 8 SPECIES. 1 sp. 2 SP. 3 SP. 4 sP. 5 spe. 6 sP. 7 SP. 8 sp. W.INF. PAGE 35 WE HAVE STOPPED OUR LISTING AFTER 16 DRAWS. TO FIND THE NUMBER 95 IN THE COLUMN FOR 8 SPECIES WE HAVE TO GO AS FAR AS 38 DRAWS, WHICH IS FOUR AND A HALF TIMES THE TOTAL FAUNA. FROM THIS FACT ONE MIGHT SUSPECT THAT FOR FAUNAS RICHER AND RICHER IN SPECIES ONE MUST DRAW LARGER AND LARGER SAMPLES TO SAMPLE THEM COMPLETELY. THIS IS INDEED BORNE OUT BY THE NUMBERS OF TABLE IV IN WHICH WE HAVE LISTED FOR FAUNAS WITH A VARIABLE NUMBER OF SPECIES THE NUM— BERS OF DRAWS REQUIRED TO HAVE 95% CERTAINTY NOT TO MISS A SINGLE SPECIES. TABLE IV. NUMBER OF DRAWS REQUIRED TO SAMPLE A FAUNA OF N SPECIES COMPLETE- LY WITH 95% CERTAINTY. # SPECIES # DRAWS 2 6 3 11 4 16 2) a | 6 27 7 33 8 38 9 44 10 51 15 83 20 Li7 30 189 For A NUMBER OF SPECIES EQUAL TO 30 ONE NEEDS 189 DRAWS, WHICH !S ALREADY MORE THAN SIX TIMES THE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE FAUNA. FOR A FAUNA WHICH IS COM= POSED OUT OF 400 EQUALLY ABUNDANT SPECIES, A NUMBER THAT APPLIES TO THE TEXAS COAST ONE NEEDS A SAMPLE OF THE ORDER OF 14,000 SPECIMENS, THAT IS ABOUT 35 TIMES THE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE FAUNA. IT 1S INSTRUCTIVE TO COMPARE SOME OF THE NUMBERS OF THE FIRST TABLE WITH THOSE OF TABLE II. TABLE I STATES THAT WE NEED 11 DRAWS TO HAVE 95% CHANCE TO DRAW AN A PRIORI SELECTED SPECIES OUT OF A FAUNA OF 4 SPECIES. ON THE OTHER HAND TABLE II STATES THAT IN 11 DRAWS WE HAVE ONLY 83 1/2% To GET ALL SPECIES. WHY ARE THESE NUMBERS DIFFERENT? THE REASON IS THAT AMONG THE REMAINING 16 1/2% THERE ARE SAMPLES THAT CONTAIN OUR A PRIORI SELECTED SPECIES. THE TABLES COMPUTED SO FAR HAVE LITTLE MEANING , BECAUSE THE ASSUMPTION THAT ALL SPECIES ARE EQUALLY ABUNDANT, IS UNTRUE. IN CASE OF OUR FIRST QUESTION IT IS FAIRLY EASY TO ARRIVE AT A CORRECT RESULT , PROVIDED THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF THE VARIOUS SPECIES ARE KNOWN. AS EXAMPLES TWO CASES WILL BE PRESENTED HERE. THE FIRST IS THAT OF 4 SPECIES, FOR CONVENIENCE DENOTED AS RARE . COMMON OR ABUNDANI , WHOSE ABUNDANCES ARE IN THE RATIO 1:100:100:10.000. A DIFFERENCE WITH OUR PREVIOUS COMPUTATION IS THAT IT NOW MATTERS WHICH SPECIES IS A PRIORI SELECTED. WE NEED NOT Go INTO DETAILS OF THE COMPUTATION WHICH IS SIMPLE ENOUGH. THE RESULTS ARE GIVEN IN TABLE V FOR FAUNAS OF 4, 8 AND 20 SPECIES. IN ALL THREE CASES IT HAS BEEN ASSUMED THAT AMONG THE SPECIES THERE IS A SINGLE VERY RARE, A SINGLE QUITE ABUNDANT SPECIES AND THAT THE REMAINING SPECIES ARE EQUALLY COMMON. THE LISTED NUMBERS REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF DRAWS REQUIRED TO HAVE 75, 95 oR 99% CERTAINTY TO HAVE DRAWN THE APRIORI SELECTED LISTED SPECIES. PAGE 36 TABLE V. SINGLE RARE SPECIES 75% 95% 99% COMMON SPECIES SINGLE ABUNDANT SPECIES 75% 4 14.000 30.200 46 .000 1 1 2 8 15.000 32 .00050.000 1 2 2 20 16.300 35.00055.000 1 2 3 ONE SEES IMMEDIATELY THAT HUGE SAMPLE SIZES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE EVEN SLIGHT ASSURANCE THAT THE RARE SPECIES HAS BEEN SAMPLED. ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF RARE MICROMOLLUSKS ONE NEEDS TO SAMPLE OFTEN AND IN LARGE SAMPLES IN ORDER TO FIND THEM. THE SAME COMPUTATION CAN BE MADE IF ONE QUARTER OF ALL SPECIES IS RARE, A QUARTER IS ABUNDANT AND THE REMAINDER EQUALLY ABUNDANT. WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR ABUNDANCE RATIOS OF 1:10:10:100 AND FAUNAS COMPOSED OUT OF 8, 20, AND 100 SPECIES. THE RESULTS ARE SHOWN IN TABLE VI, ‘ BoTH TABLES INDICATE SUFFICIENTLY CLEARLY THAT IN GENERAL HUGE SAMPLE SIZES ARE REQUIRED TO FIND THE RAREST SPECIES OF A FAUNA. THERE IS A SIZE FACTOR INVOLVED IN THE FINDING OF RARETIES. THE EYE CAN SCAN FAIRLY QUICKLY OVER LARGE NUMBERS OF SHELLS IN THE TIDELINE SO THAT AT A GLANCE ONE SAMPLES HUNDREDS OF SPECIMENS. SMALL DRIFT CANNOT BE SCANNED THAT EASILY AND THEREFORE MUST BE TABLE VI. 1/4 OF SPEC. ABUNDANT 75% 95% 99% 1/2 OF SPEC. COMMON 75% 95% 99% RARE 997% 1/4 oF SPEC. 75% 95% 8} 335 723 1100 33 FB 110 3 6 2 20} 837 1800 2750 85 195 PA 2 19 29 00} 4000 8700 13500 419 904 1390 42 90 137 PICKED UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. _LET US NOW CONSIDER THE REAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE GALVESTON BEACH. HERE WE HAVE PROBABLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 400 SPECIES ON THE BEACHES AND IN THE BAYS, AT LEAST 50 OF WHICH MUST BE CONSIDERED QUITE RARE, A HUNDRED OR SO UNUSUAL, HALF OF THEM COMMON, AND THE REMAINDER ABUNDANT. WITHOUT KNOWING REALLY ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR RELATIVE ABUNDANCES WE WILL ASSUME THAT THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES CAN BE GIVEN BY NUMBERS BETWEEN 1! AND 100.000. IT IS FURTHERMORE ASSUMED THAT A SINGLE BEACH SAMPLE CONTAINS ABOUT 500.000 SMALL. SHELLS AND FRAGMENTS. SUCH A SAMPLE WILL TAKE AN EXPERIENCED MICROSCOPIST AN ENTIRE EVENING TO PICK. THEN WE MAY ASK HOW MANY SAMPLES OF THE SAME SIZE DOES ONE HAVE TO PICK IN ORDER TO SAMPLE ANY GIVEN SPECIES, IN PARTICULAR THE RARE ONES, UNDER THE FURTHER ASSUMPTION THAT AT ALL. TIMES AND AT ALL LOCATIONS THE BEACH= DRIFT IS UNIFORM IN COMPOSITION. WE HAVE MADE THE COMPUTATION FOR THE FOLLOWING FAUNAL COMPOSITION: 5 SPECIES WITH RELATIVE ABUNDANCE 1 45" n " n 10 50 % ds " " 100 150 te e " " 1000 100 a * 10000 50 uy " " " 100000 THIS COMPUTATION YIELDS THE INTERESTING RESULT THAT IN ORDER TO DRAW A GIVEN RAREST SPECIES ONE MUST DRAW A SAMPLE OF THE ENORMOUS SIZE OF 18 1/2 MILLION SHELLS. THIS WOULD MEAN ABOUT 37 EVENINGS OF HARD WORK AT THE MICROSCOPE. IF ONE TAKES CARE TO COLLECT THESE SAMPLES DURING DIFFERENT SEASONS AND AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THE BIAS INTRODUCED BY NATURAL CAUSES CAN TO A CERTAIN EXTENT BE SUPPRESSED. COLLECTING EXPERIENCE WILL HELP THE COLLECTOR. SEASON= AL INFLUENCES, WEATHER CONDITIONS, ETC. ARE KNOWN TO FAVOR THE OCCURRENCE IN BEACHDRIFT OF CERTAIN ORGANISMS AND ONE COLLECTS ACCORDINGLY. WE SHALL HERE BUT BRIEFLY TOUCH UPON THE ANSWER TO OUR SECOND QUESTION FOR THE CASE THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES ARE UNEQUAL. IN TABLES VII, VIII AND IX, WHICH ARE IN THE SAME FORMAT AS TABLE II, THE PROBABILITIES FOR A FAUNA OF FOUR SPECIES ARE TABULATED. THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES ARE AS FOLLOWS: TABLE VII POsietst TABLE VIII 1220210210 TABLE IX 1:10:10:100 TABLE VII. PROBABILITIES IN PERCENT OF DRAWING PRECISELY 1, 2, 3, OR 4 SPECIES IN VARIOUS NUMBERS OF DRAWS FROM A POPULATION OF 4 SPECIES WITH RELATIVE ABUNDANCES 10:1:1:1 1SPEC. 2 SPEC. 3 SPEC. 4 SPEC. 1 100 2 ‘: 60.94 39.06 3 s 45.65 45.88 8.47 4 ¥ 35.02 48.88 15.25 . 84 2 4 26.93 49.35 21.62 2.10 TABLE VIII. PROBABILITIES IN PERCENT OF DRAWING PRECISELY 1, 2. 3, OR 4 SPECIES IN VARIOUS NUMBERS OF DRAWS FROM A POPULATION OF 4 SPECIES WITH RELATIVE ABUNDANCES 1:10:10:10 1 SPEC. 2 SPEC. 3 SPEC. 4 SPEC. TABLE IX. PROBABILITIES IN PERCENT OF DRAWING PRECISELY 1.2 3, OR 4 SPECIES IN VARIOUS NUMBERS OF DRAWS FROM A POPULATION OF 4 SPECIES WITH RELATIVE ABUNDANCES 1:10:10:100 1 SPEC. 2 SPEC. 3 SPEC. 4 SPEC. IT 1S TOO LABORIOUS TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITIES FOR A NUMBER OF DRAWS LARGER THAN 5. THE TABLES ARE HOWEVER SUFFICIENT IN EXTENT TO ALLOW US TO DRAW SOME PAGE 38 CONCLUSIONS WHEN WE MAKE A COMPARISON WITH TABLE II. IN THE FIRST PLACE WE SEE THAT THE THREE CASES IN WHICH THE ABUNDANCES ARE NOT EQUAL WILL REQUIRE MORE DRAWS TO BRING THE PROBABILITY OF GETTING ALL SPECIES ABOVE 95%, SO THAT WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT UNEQUAL ABUNDANCES MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SAMPLE A FAUNA COMPLETELY. IN THE SECOND PLACE WE SEE THAT A SINGLE RARE SPECIES IS NOT AS DISADVANTAGIOUS TO SAMPLING AS A SINGLE ABUNDANT SPECIES. UNFORTUNATELY MOST FAUNAS CONTAIN A NUMBER OF QUITE ABUNDANT SPECIES, IN TEXAS BEACHDRIFT FOR INSTANCE MULINIA LATERALIS—, WHICH FORCES ONE TO SAMPLE THOUSANDS OF THESE SHELLS BEFORE A RARE SPECIES IS ENCOUNTERED. IN MANY FAUNAS THE ABUNDANCE RATIOS ARE VARYING BETWEEN WIDE LIMITS AND THEN THE SITUATION IS MOST UNFAVOR= ABLE TO COMPLETE SAMPLING. THIS NATURAL PERVERSITY OF THINGS 1S WHAT MAKES BEACHCOMBING SO INTERESTING TO THE SHELLCOLLECTOR. BEFORE WE PROCEED TO ANOTHER PROBLEM IN PROBABILITY WITH WHICH THE SHELL— COLLECTOR HAS TO CONCERN HIMSELF WE MAY SUMMARIZE TWO ASPECTS OF THE DIS— CUSSED PROBLEMS. IN THE FIRST PLACE I BELIEVE IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT ON MOST TROPICAL AND SEMITROPICAL BEACHES IN THE IMMEDIATE PROXIMITY OF WHICH LIVE LARGE AND VARIED FAUNAS MANY YEARS OF INTENSIVE SAMPLING ARE REQUIRED BEFORE EVEN AN APPROXIMATE IDEA OF THE FAUNA IS OBTAINED. IN THE SECOND PLACE I BELIEVE THAT LONG AND SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING IS NECESSARY BEFORE ONE REALLY CAN HAVE AN APPROXIMATE IDEA ABOUT THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF SPECIES IN A GIVEN REGION. My OWN EXPERIENCE DURING THE SIXTIES WHEN I SAMPLED FAIRLY SYSTEMATICALLY NEAR THE PASSES ALONG THE TEXAS COAST, BUT MOSTLY ON GALVESTON ISLAND, 1S THAT MANY OF SO CALLED "RARE" MICROMOLLUSKS ARE NOT RARE AT ALL, BUT MUST LIVE IN ENORMOUS NUMBERS IN THE COASTAL WATERS. A GOOD EXAMPLE 1S CYCLOSTREMELLA HUMILIS BUSH, WHICH !S PERHAPS THE MOST COMMON GALVESTON MARINE GASTROPOD. LET US NOW TURN TO ANOTHER INTERESTING PROBLEM IN PROBABILITY. ANY COLLECTOR OF MICROMOLLUSKS ALONG THE TEXAS BEACH WILL SOONER OR LATER BE CONFRONTED WITH THE PROBLEM TO SEPARATE SERIES OF VERY SIMILARLY LOOKING TURBONILLAS INTO SEPARATE SPECIES. IF ONE HAS ONLY A FEW SPECIMENS OF THESE °SHELLS THE SEPARA- TION APPEARS FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT WHEN THE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS INCREASES. THIS FACT BY ITSELF POINTS TO A PROBABIL- ISTIC ASPECT OF SAMPLING. IT HAS TO DO WITH MAKING VALID TAXONOMIC INFERENCES FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF SAMPLES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ASPECT OF PROBABILITY THEORY HAS NOT RECEIVED THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES FROM TAXONOMISTS. FORTU- NATELY TO DAY NEW SPECIES ARE NOT ALWAYS ENTIRELY BASED ON MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF THE SHELL ALONE. IN THE PAST THIS WAS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY SO AND AS A CONSEQUENCE WE HAVE IN SOME GROUPS OF MOLLUSKS A HERITAGE OF POORLY DE- SCRIBED AND POORLY FIGURED SPECIES. THE PROBLEM THAT ARISES IN THESE GROUPS CAN BE STATED IN SIMPLE TERMS BY AN EXAMPLE. TO BE CONTINUED..... PAGE 39 ANTICLIMAX PILSBRY! McGINTY 1945 By HELMER Ovfé ALONG THE TEXAS COAST ONE OF THE LESS COMMON VITRINELLIDS IS ANTICLIMAX PILSBRY! McGinty. 1945. IT WASHES ASHORE OCCASIONALLY AT GALVESTON AND FREEPORT BUT 1S SOMEWHAT MORE COMMON SOUTH OF PORT ARANSAS. IN THE PHOTO- GRAPH TWO RATHER FRESH SPECIMENS (SIZE ABOUT 2 MM.) FROM BEACHDRIFT TAKEN AT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND ARE SHOWN COLLECTED BY MYSELF. THE SPECIES 1S CHARACTER= IZED BY A FLAT SLIGHTLY WAVY UNDERSIDE AND A LARGE NUMBER OF SPIRALS. EACH OF THESE SPIRALS SHOWS A SERIES OF VERY FINE SOMEWHAT UNDULATING CRENULATIONS. THERE IS A WIDE UMBILICUS. THE HISTORY OF ITS GENERIC NAME IS A CLUE TO ITS DERIVATION, ORIGINALLY NAMED CLIMACIA (DALL 1903) THE NAME WAS CHANGED BY AGUAYO AND BorRo IN 1946 To CLIMACINA WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT CLIMACIA WAS PREOCCUPIED (CLIMACIA, M'LACHLAN, NEUROPTERA). UNFORTUNATELY CLIMACINA ALSO PROVED TO BE PRE- OCCUPIED SO THAT AS A LAST RESORT AND TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE THE NAME ANTI-— CLIMAX WAS PROPOSED. ALONG THE TEXAS COAST A. PILSBRYI 1S SO FAR THE ONLY SPECIES OF THIS INTER~ ESTING GENUS THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED. TWO SPECIMENS OF ANTICLIMAX PILSBRYI FROM THE BEACH AT SOUTH PADRE ISLAND. PHOTOGRAPH: CLYDE DEXTER. PAGE 40 MOLLUSCANA BY W. W. Sutow. M.D. DURING OUR AUGUST SAFARI. THE FIRST STOP WAS HONOLULU. I HAD CAREFULLY PRE- PLANNED A SHELL-VIEWING TOUR FOR THE KISTERS, MY SON BUZZY AND Mrs. MAgJor. WE STARTED WITH THE WAIKIKI AQUARIUM. WE FOUND IT CLOSED (TUESDAY). WE THEN HEADED FOR THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM IN THE ALA MOANA PARK. I HAD ADMIRED MANY TIMES THE FINE CONES (KARL GREENE COLLECTION) AND THE OTHER FINE SHELL SPEC— IMENS ON DISPLAY THERE. THE PLACE WAS ALSO CLOSED AND THE CARETAKER CASUALLY INFORMED US THAT THE SHELL DISPLAY WAS NO MORE. IT HAD BEEN DISMANTLED "YEARS AGO". OUR LAST STOP WAS THE BISHOP MUSEUM. THE FEW SHELL ORIENTED PUBLIC DISPLAYS THAT | REMEMBERED WERE NO LONGER THERE. ON OUR RETURN LEG, MARY MAJOR AND I RETRACED OUR WAY TO THE AQUARIUM. THIS TIME WE FOUND IT OPEN — AND WHAT A TREAT! THE SHELL CABINETS THAT HAD LINED THE DIM HALLWAY OF THE AQUARIUM HAD BEEN MOVED AND CONCENTRATED IN A BRIGHTLY LIT ROOM. THE SMALL RECESS THAT HAD HOUSED SOME HAWAIIAN SHELLS HAD BEEN REVAMPED. THERE WERE NICE DISPLAYS OF CORALS AND CRUSTACEANS. THERE WERE SEVERAL WELL-FILLED CABINETS CONCENTRATING ON HAWAIIAN SEASHELLS. ALL IN ALL, THIS WAS A SATISFYING CHANGE. ONE COULD HAVE SPENT HOURS THERE — BETWEEN THE FISH AND THE SHELLS. IT IS A MUST STOP FOR ALL SHELL COLLECTORS VISITING HONOLULU FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF THE HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS IS PERTINENT AND WELCOME INFORMATION REGARDING THESE DISPLAYS. THE KARL GREENE COLLECTION, WE LEARN, 1S NOW ON EXHIBIT AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAWAIIAN CENTER ON DIAMOND HEAD ROAD. THE SHELLS IN THE AQUARIUM DISPLAYS, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE HAWAIIAN MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEMBERS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS , ARE BEING "RE-IDENTIFIED, REARRANGED, AND IN SOME INSTANCES REPLACED BY BETTER SPECI-— MENS". * * * K K KOK OK OX EVER SINCE I SAW THE FRAMED DISPLAY OF ASAPHIS BiIVALVES IN TUCKER ABBOTT'S OFFICE , | HAD WANTED TO DUPLICATE IT. THE FRAME WAS INTENDED TO SHOW OFF THE BEAUTIFUL COLOR VARIATIONS ON THE INNER SIDE OF THESE SHELLS. ALSO I WANTED TO COLLECT THE MOLLUSKS ALIVE. WELL, I DID IT — ON MICRO BEACH ON SAIPAN. IT TOOK ME TWO DAYS. THE FIRST DAY I LEARNED THAT BY PAINSTAKINGLY TURNING OVER CORAL SLABS ON THE SANDBAR AND SCRATCHING INTO THE EXPOSED SAND RUBBLE , AN OCCASIONAL SPECIMEN WOULD BE DUG UP. I FOUND THREE SPECIMENS. THE NEXT DAY I WAS SMARTER. I LOOKED FOR SIPHON HOLES AND FOUND SOME IN THE SANDIER PART OF THE SAND BAR. SOME SIX TO EIGHT INCHES DOWN, THE MOLLUSKS WERE THERE. I COLLECTED A HALF DOZEN GOOD SPECIMENS. TOM KISTER WAS EVEN SMARTER. THE LOCAL CITIZENS EAT THESE DELICIOUS BIVALVES RIGHT THERE ON THE BEACH. TOM JUST SCOUTED ALONG THE SHORE , PROBING REMNANTS OF CAMPFIRES. HE CAME UP WITH A COLLECTION OF ASAPHIS ALREADY OPENED AND DE— MEATED. * * K KK KK OK OX PAGE 41 SEARCH AND SEIZURE By CONSTANCE BOONE THE OUTLINE OF THE FIRST LECTURE BY DR. T.E. PULLEY ON CONCHOLOGY , PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE SEMINARS HELD RECENTLY AT THE HOUSFON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE , GAVE A DEFINITION OF A MOLLUSK FROM THE INVERTEBRATA BY BORRADAILE , EASTHAM , PoTTS, AND SAUNDERS. IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A REAL MOUTHFUL TO LEARN, AND IT IS THOUGHT MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY MIGHT ALSO ENJOY READING IT. IT FOLLOWS: "DEFINITION OF A MOLLUSK--UNSEGMENTED COELOMATE ANIMALS WITH A HEAD (USUALLY WELL DEVELOPED) , A VENTRAL MUSCULAR FOOT AND A DORSAL VISCERAL HUMP WITH SOFT SKIN, THAT PART COVERING THE VISGERAL HUMP (THE MANTLE) OFTEN SECRETING A SHELL WHICH IS LARGELY CALCAREOUS, AND PRODUCED INTO A FREE FLAP OR FLAPS TO ENCLOSE PARTIALLY A MANTLE CAVITY INTO WHICH OPENS THE ANUS AND THE KIDNEYS (USUALLY A SINGLE PAIR); A PAIR OF CTENIDIA (ORGANS COMPOSED OF AN AXIS WITH A ROW OF LEAF- LIKE BRANCHES ON EACH SIDE , CONTAINED IN THE MANTLE CAVITY, ORIGINALLY USED FOR BREATHING); HAVING AN ALIMENTARY CANAL USUALLY WITH A BUCCAL MASS, RADULA AND SALIVARY GLANDS, AND ALWAYS A STOMACH INTO WHICH OPENS A DIGESTIVE GLAND OR HEPATOPANCREAS; WITH A BLOOD SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A HEART, A MEDIAN VENTRICLE AND TWO LATERAL AURICLES, ARTERIAL SYSTEM AND VENOUS SYSTEM OFTEN EXPANDING INTO A MORE OR LESS EXTENSIVE HAEMOCOELE , WITH HAEMOCYANIN AS A RESPIRATORY PIGMENT; A NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTING OF A CIRCUMOESOPHAGEAL RING , OFTEN CONCENTRATED INTO CEREBRAL AND PLEURAL GANGLIA, PEDAL CORDS OR GANGLIA, AND VISCERAL LOOPS; COELOM VARYING IN DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALWAYS REPRESENTED BY THE PERICADIUM, THE CAVITY OF THE KIDNEYS (WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE PERICAR= DIUM) , AND THE CAVITY OF THE GONADS; OFTEN WITH A LARVA OF THE TROCHOPHORE TYPE. THE CLASS MEMBERS WERE REFERRED TO THE DRAWING OF THE "HYPOTHETICAL ANCES— TRAL MOLLUSK" ON PAGE 7 OF ABBOTT'S SEASHELLS OF NORTH AMERICA. THE DRAW- ING IS SIMPLIFIED WITH RESPECT TO THE PERICARDIUM, KIDNEY, AND GONAD, BUT IT DOES SHOW ALL THE FEATURES LISTED IN THE DEFINITION ABOVE. DR. PULLEY'S EIGHT“WEEK COURSE WAS VERY THOROUGH AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN .BY MORE HOUSTON CONCHOLOGY SOCIETY MEMBERS. IF IT IS OFFERED AGAIN, DO ENROLL. THE LECTURES ARE ON TAPE AT THE MUSEUM AND ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE MADE WITH CARL AIKEN THERE FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO THEM AND EVEN RECORD THEM ON YOUR OWN MACHINE FOR HOME REFERENCE. IN ADDITION TO THE LECTURES, FOUR FIELD TRIPS ON WEEK ENDS WERE HELD. ON THE FIRST ONE AT GALVESTON SOUTH JETTIES. A GREAT DEAL OF SEAWEED WAS WASHING IN. THIS GAVE PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOME OF THE INHABITANTS OF THIS FLOATING SARGASSUM WEED, ONE OF WHICH IS THE ONLY COMMONLY-SEEN NUDIBRANCH ON OUR COASTLINE. THE SARGASSUM NUDIBRANCH , SCYLLAEA PELAGICA LINNE, 1758, 1S COLORED MUCH LIKE THE SARGASSUM, BUT THIS TIME UNDER MAGNIFICATION I SAW ON EACH SIDE OF THE ANIMAL AN ELECTRIC BLUE STRIPE , A COLOR NOT REPORTED FOR THIS SPECIES, TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE LIVING ANIMAL IN SEA WATER IS SO BEAUTIFUL. NONE OF THE DRAWINGS IN POPULAR BOOKS DO IT JUSTICE. IT NEEDS TO BE PHOTO— GRAPHED, AS DO ALL NUDIBRANCHS. TO COLLECT THIS NUDIBRANCH FROM THE SAR~ GASSUM , YOU SHOULD WADE ouT AND PICK UP A CLUMP OF FRESH WEED BEFORE IT SLAMS PAGE 42 WITH WAVES ON SHORE. TAKE IT TO A STRETCH OF CLEAN PACKED SAND AND SHAKE VIGOROUSLY. THE JELLY-LIKE BLOBS THAT FALL OUT ARE OFTEN THIS NUDIBRANCH. OBSERVE IT IN SEA WATER AND PUT A FEW IN ALCOHOL FOR YOUR COLLECTION. THE COLORS WILL FADE; THE "WET" SPECIMEN WILL SHRINK AND NO LONGER RESEMBLE THE COLORFUL ANIMAL YOU SAW IN THE WEED. OTHER CREATURES INHABIT THIS WEED. THERE'S A CRAB THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE SAR- GASSUM; BRYZOA COVERS THE LEAVES; THERE ARE DELIGHTFUL SHRIMP THAT DWELL THERE , AND THERE’S A SARGASSUM FISH THAT IS THE FAVORITE OF MARINE AQUARISTS (iF THEY HAVE THE TIME TO KEEP HUNTING UP LIVE SMALL FISH FOR THIS VORACIOUS FEEDER!). THIS TIME | ALSO FOUND FLATWORMS THAT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE LEAVES. IN SEAWATER THEY SWAM AND CAVORTED FOR ME TO ENJOY A DAY OR SO. IT 1S COMMON TO COLLECT LIVE LITIOPA MELANOSTOMA RANG, 1829, FROM SARGASSUM. THEY, TOO ARE BROWN AND GOLD=-TONED WITH SOME DOTTING AND WILL FALL FROM THE WEED THAT 1S SHAKEN THOROUGHLY. THEY CAN SUSPEND FROM THE WEED BY MUCOUS THREADS. FOR THE FIRST TIME I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE OPERCULUM FOR THIS SPECIES. THIS SPECIES iS IN A SUBFAMILY OF CERITHIIDAE AND THE EXTREMELY THIN, PAUCISPIRAL AND HORNY , COMPLETELY CLEAR OPERCULUM RESEMBLES THE TYPICAL CERITHIUM OPERCULUM. [IT SEEMS LARGE ENOUGH TO COVER THE APERTURE , BUT THIS SHELL USUALLY WITHDRAWS INTO THE BODY WHORL SO THOROUGHLY THAT IT IS HARD TO SEE THE OPERCULUM. IN ORDER TO SEE IT (I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE TO OBSERVE !T), | LET THE SPECIMENS FALL INTO SAND AND THEN SIMPLY DRIED THE LIVE ANIMALS WITH THE SHELL GRAINS ATTACHED. THE MUCOUS CEMENTED THE FOOT TO THE SAND AND LEFT THE OPERCULUM EXPOSED. UNDER A MICROSCOPE , I GENTLY PICKED AWAY WITH A VERY THIN NEEDLE AT THE SAND GRAINS TO SEE THE OPERCULUM. IT WOULD BE MISSED OTHERWISE. OFTEN THERE ARE JUVENILE SHELLS WHICH HITCH RIDES ON THE SARGASSUM; FOR IN— STANCE , THE ODD—LOOKING JUVENILE THAIS HAEMASTOMA SHOW UP HERE. IT IS UNDER- STANDABLE SINCE THEY HATCH INTO SWIMMING VELIGERS AND CAN FIND THEIR WAY TO THE SARGASSUM FOR TEMPORARY HOME AND MORE GROWTH BEFORE SETTLING DOWN TO BE THE Rock SHELL WE KNOW FROM THE BASE OF THE JETTY ROCKS. NEXT TIME SEA WEED COMES IN, WHY NOT SEE HOW MANY ANIMALS YOU CAN RECORD FROM IT. ALSO, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE SOME EGG CASES ENTWINED IN SAR= GASSUM. 0000000 MINUS TIDES FOR DECEMBER — THESE TIDES ARE FOR GALVESTON CHANNEL —- CHECK YOUR LOCAL PAPER ( FISHING SECTION) FOR THE TIME OF THE LOW TIDE AT THE PLACE YOU PLAN TO BE. SAT. Dec. 8 - 8:23 A.M. -0.6 SAT. Dec. 22- 8:41 A.M. -0.5 Mmewwee, 9 = 9:10 A.M. =0.7 SUN. DEC, 23= 951.8 A.M. =0.5 Mon. Dec. 10- 10:02 A.M. -0.8 Mon. Dec. 24— 9:55 A.M. -0.5 Tues.Lec. 11- 10:51 A.M. <-0.8 Tues.Dec. 25-10:30A.M. -0.5 Web. Dec. 12-11:40 A.M. -0.7 Web. Dec. 26- 10:59 A.M. -0.4 THuR.Dec. 13- 12:45 P.M. -0.5 THur. Dec.27-11:31 A.M. -0.4 Pete Dec, 14=- 12:26 P.M. -0.2 0000000 PAGE 43 LIBRARY NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE THE BOOKS LISTED BELOW HAVE BEEN OBTAINED OR ARE ON ORDER. FROM THE GEORGE MAJOR MEMORIAL FUND RoBERT Broom —- HAWAIIAN SEASHELLS W. O. CERNOHORSKY —- MARINE SHELLS OF THE PACIFIC. VoL. | AND VoL. Il. BRIAN KENSLEY — SEASHELLS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA ANDREAS FEININGER & WILLIAM K. EMERSON — SHELLS R. C[. PurRcHON - THE BIOLOGY OF MULLUSCA FROM THE REGULAR LIBRARY FUND E. Marcus - AMERICAN OPISTOBRANCH MOLLUSCS H. D. RUSSELL - INDEX NUDIBRANCHIA B. C. CoTToN - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MOLLUSCA. VOL. 1, II, AND i, P. Kaas - POLYPHACOPHORA OF THE CARIBBEAN REGIONS C. N. CATE - SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF THE RECENT CYPRAEID FAMILY OVULIDAE Cc. J. MAURY - RECENT MOLLUSCS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND PLEISTOCENE SPECIES FROM THE GULF STATES 0000000 FIELD TRIP — SUNDAY DECEMBER 9, 1973 9: A.M. — GALVESTON SOUTH JETTIES (END oF EAST BEACH) WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHES FOR THE WEATHER — REMEMBER IT IS A LITTLE COLDER ON THE BEACH. BRING A SACK LUNCH, TROWELS, PAILS SIEVES, VIALS AND IF THE WEATHER IS COLD WEAR BOOTS OR STOCKING~FOOT WADERS IF YOU PLAN TO WADE. DISCUSSION OF FINDS WILL FOLLOW LUNCH. 0000000 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 CORRECTION THE MONTH AND YEAR WERE CORRECT FOR OCTOBER, 1973, TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST , BUT THE VOLUME SHOULD BE X. PLEASE CORRECT YOUR COPY TO AVOID FUTURE CONFUSION. PAGE 44 VOLUME X, NO. 5 ee 3 JANUARY, 1974 | SCENES FROM THE UNDERWATER GULF AND CARIBBEAN FOR JANUARY PROGRAM LARRY EVANS, AN EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHER AND UNDERWATER DIVER, WILL PRESENT TWO FILMS, WITH SOUND, COMPILED FROM HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE UNDERWATER WORLD IN VARIOUS CARIBBEAN SITES AND FROM THREE EXPLORATORY DIVES IN THE GULF OF MEX- 1co. THE MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CONCHOLOGY SOCIETY WILL BE HELD JANUARY 23 AT 8 PM AT THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE. NOVEMBER MEETING DECISIONS MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY VOTED TO SUSPEND THE 1974 SHELL SHOW AT SHARPSTOWN MALL. IT WAS DECIDED TO HOLD THE NEXT SHOW IN 1975, PRESIDENT FRITZ LANG HAS REPEATEDLY REQUESTED A VOLUNTEER CHAIRMAN FOR THE 1974 SHOW AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. LAST YEAR'S WORKERS REPORT THAT THE STOCK OF BEACH SHELLS FOR THE STORE SALE PACKS IS EXTREMELY LOW. THEREFORE, THE SOCIETY FEELS THAT EFFORTS SHOULD BE BENT TOWARD RESTOCKING THE BULK OF SHELLS NEEDED TO MAKE THE PACKS ATTRACTIVE, THESE SHELLS, AS YOU KNOW, DEPEND ON GIFTS OF BEACH SHELLS FROM TRIPS MEMBERS TAKE DURING THE YEAR, SPECIMEN SHELLS ARE ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE THE STORE WORTHWHILE. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS STORE GO INTO THE LIBRARY AND PUBLICATIONS FUND. THIS WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE YEARS, SO MEMBERS ARE URGED TO COLLECT WITH THE 1975 SHOW IN MIND, IT WAS VOTED TO ADD $200.00 FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE CURRENT LIBRARY FUND. A NUMBER OF BOOKS HAS ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED FOR THE LIBRARY, AND MORE WILL BE ORDERED THIS CLUB YEAR, PRINTING OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRINTED IN THE PRINTING FACILITIES OF Mr. K. WEAVER. EXPANSION OF THE PRESENT FACILITIES AND PLACEMENT OF NEW EQUIPMENT WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE THAT FUTURE ISSUES CAN BE HANDLED AT THE SAME LOCATION. THE EDITOR AND THE STAFF OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST THANK MR, WEAVER FOR THE SMOOTH AND PLEASANT COOPERATION WHICH OVER THE YEARS HAS MADE THE PUBLICATION OF OUR PAPER AN EASY TASK, AND FOR THE MANY SER- VICES RENDERED TO OUR SOCIETY. OuR JANUARY ISSUE HAS BEEN PRINTEDWELL INADVANCE IN ORDER TO GIVE THE EDITOR- IAL STAFF TIME IN ITS EFFORTS TO LOCATE A PRINTER SO THAT HOPEFULLY THE NEXT ISSUE CAN BE PUBLISHED IN TIME. AT THIS MOMENT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE OUR READERS THAT THIS WILL BE THE CASE, SO PLEASE BE PATIENT. PAGE 45 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, ‘Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with NovembereDecember combined) at Houston, Texas. ‘The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. |X issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3704 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. AN EDITORIAL SELDOM HAS THE EDITOR OF THIS PUBLICATION TAKEN UP HIS PEN TO WRITE AN EDITOR- IAL ARTICLE. TOO OFTEN HAS HE FILLED THESE PAGES WITH OTHER PROSE BECAUSE OF A DUTCH TENDENCY TO TEACH AND TO INSTRUCT EVERYONE WITHIN EARSHOT. HOWEVER, NOW THE TENTH EDITION OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST IS HALFWAY COMPLETED I FEEL JUSTIFIED THIS TIME TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF OUR PAPER, ADVISEDLY I USE HERE THE TERM "OUR PAPER", NOT AS PLURALIS MAJESTATIS, BUT IN THE SENSE THAT EVERY CLUBMEMBER SHOULD FEEL PART OF IT. IT STARTED TEN YEARS AGO WHEN A BRAND NEW MEMBER, JUST ARRIVED IN HOUSTON FROM FLORIDA, CONVINCED EVERYONE BY HER ENTHUSIASM THAT A CLUB PUBLICATION WOULD IMMENSELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SOCIETY. MRS. EUBANKS OF COURSE SERVED THE FIRST YEAR AS OUR EDITOR, BUT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE HER STUDIES, HAD TO LEAVE US SOON, IN THE ALMOST NINE YEARS DURING WHICH IWAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION I HAVE TRIED TO GIVE THE MEMBERS AS VARIED A MENU AS WAS POSSIBLE, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT EVERY EDI-~ TOR SINGS WITH THE VOICE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN HIM, IF MINE WAS NOT ALWAYS SONOROUS AT LEAST | HOPE TO HAVE PRODUCED SOME ORIGINAL NOTES. DURING THESE YEARS THE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN ON OUR OWN LOCAL MARINE FAUNA BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED TO BE THE SUBJECT IN WHICH I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED. IN FACT | OFTEN HAD TO WRITE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF OTHER COPY, AND THUS I PROBABLY LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT THAN | OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE DONE. IT IS IN RETROSPECT SOMEWHAT AMUSING TO ME TO REALIZE WITH HOW MUCH PAGE 46 ENTHUSIASM AND LACK OF REAL KNOWLEDGE I STARTED WITH ANNE SPEERS ON THE BEACHNOTES,. [| HOPE SHE WILL FORGIVE ME FOR THIS STATEMENT AS I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DURING ALL THAT TIME SHE ALSO ACQUIRED SOME CLEARER INSIGHTS. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO THE PERHAPS SOME- WHAT EXCESSIVE INTEREST IN THE TEXAS MARINE FAUNA WAS THAT ABOUT THE TIME I STARTED MY EDITORIAL DUTIES THE MOLLUSCAN SURVEY OF THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO WAS INITIATED BY HAROLD GEIS, MYSELF AND A NUMBER .OF CLUBMEMBERS WHO HELPED US PICKING SAMPLES, CATALOGUEING THE LOTS AND WITH OTHER CHORES. WITHOUT EXAGGERATION IT CAN BE STATED HERE THAT THIS ENTERPRISE CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE TO MY INTEREST IN THE TEXAS MARINE FAUNA, BECAUSE SO MUCH NEW AND UNEXPECTED SPECIES OF MOLLUSKS WERE BROUGHT TO LIGHT. THE WHOLE PATTERN OF THE BAY AND BEACH FAUNAS BECAME A COHERENT ENTITY AND AL— THOUGH BY NO MEANS EVERYTHING IS KNOWN IN DETAIL | BELIEVE THAT AT PRESENT THE TEXAS LITTORAL FAUNA IS ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN ALONG THE SHORES OF THE ATLANTIC, BUT THIS INCREASED KNOWLEDGE IS NOT ENTIRELY TO BE WRITTEN ON THE CREDIT SIDE OF THE SURVEY BALANCE SHEET. DURING THE ALMOST TEN YEARS OF EX- ISTENCE OF OUR PUBLICATION THE CONCHOLOGICAL EXPERTISE OF THE GENERAL MEM-— BERSHIP HAS INCREASED BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, AND MANY ARE NOW FAIRLY GOOD JUDGES OF THE RARITY AND QUALITY OF SHELLS FROM MANY OF THE WORLDS FAUNAL PROVINCES, OTHERS HAVE DEVELOPED INTO FINE FIELDBIOLOGISTS WITH A SURE IN- STINCT FOR HUNTING DOWN UNUSUAL SMALL SPECIES AND, WHAT IS QUITE IMPORTANT, THEY FOLLOW UP THEIR DISCOVERIES BY SENDING OFF MATERIAL TO PROFESSIONALS, SOME RESULTS OF THESE ENDEAVOURS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN OUR PUBLICATION. WITHOUT ANY DOUBT THE PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST BY OUR SOCIETY HAS HELPED OUR MEMBERS TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS. FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DO THAT IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME, THE LIBRARY OF OUR SOCIETY IS ALWAYS A READY SOURCE OF INFORMATION. ITS MANY POPULAR AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS REFLECT THE WIDE RANGE OF INTEREST OF OUR CLUBMEMBERS, THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO MAKE A CHOICE: EITHER TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO RECAST THE BEACHNOTES INTO A COHERENT ACCOUNT AND TO START WORK ON THE ABOUT 22,000 LOTS OF MOLLUSKS IN THE COLLECTION HOUSED IN THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE OR TO CONTINUE THE EDITORSHIP AND DEVOTE ONLY THAT TIME I CAN SPARE TO THE FIRST NAMED ACTIVITIES. I HOPE NOBODY WILL BE UPSET BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT HERE THAT I PLAN AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE TENTH VOLUME TO RESIGN THE EDITORSHIP. I DO THIS BECAUSE iN MY OPINION IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE BEACH NOTES ARE REWRITTEN AND UPDATED AND THE MUSEUM COLLECTION GETS PROPERLY ORGANIZED, IF THE MEMBERSHIP, AS [| AM SURE, WANTS TO CONTINUE. THEIR PUBLICATION A SUCCESSOR MUST BE FOUND. IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT THE CHARACTER OF THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST REMAIN EXACTLY THE SAME, IN FACT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE IF THE SUBJECT MATTER BECAME SOMEWHAT MORE VARIED AND THE SCOPE OF OUR PAPER IS MADE BROADER, PERSONALLY, I CAN SEE NO REASON WHY THE SOCIETY COULD NOT HAVE A MORE SUCCESSFUL AND A MORE INTERESTING PUBLICATION DURING ITS SECOND DECADE THAN IT HAD DURING THE FIRST. THE CONDITIO SINE QUA NON FOR THIS IS THE CONTINUED INTEREST AND COLLABORATION OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY. WHOEVER WILL UNDERTAKE THE TASK OF CONTIN- UING THE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST CAN DO THIS ONLY IN THE CERTAINTY THAT A KNOWL- EDGEABLE MEMBERSHIP SUPPORTS HIM AND CAN BE RELIED ON TO PRODUCE INTEREST— ING AND SIGNIFICANT COPY, PAGE 47 PROBABILITY, BEACHDRIFT AND TURBONILLAS (CONTINUATION)) BY Hi, Ove SUPPOSE THAT IN A CERTAIN AREA A SPECIES OF MOLLUSK IS RATHER VARIABLE IN SHAPE SO THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER WE ARE DEALING WITH A SINGLE SPECIES OR A COM= PLEX OF CLOSELY RELATED SPECIES. FURTHER LET IT BE ASSUMED THAT WE CAN AR= RANGE THE FORMS THAT LIVE IN OUR AREA IN A SEQUENCE ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF CHARACTERS SUCH AS FOR INSTANCE RIBBING ON THE WHORLS AND DEPTH OF SUTURE, WHICH ARE CORRELATED IN THE SENSE THAT DEEP SUTURE GOES TOGETHER WITH FEW COSTAE AND SHALLOW SUTURE WITH MANY COSTAE. IF WE HAD A LARGE COLLECTION OF SPECIMENS AT OUR DISPOSAL WE COULD ARRANGE ALL SPECIMENS IN GROUPS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF COSTAE PER BODY WHORL. FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT WE MAY CONSIDER HERE THREE CATEGORIES: A,B,C. A SPECIMEN BELONGING TO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES IS CONSIDERED TO BE A SEPARATE SPECIES AS LONG AS WE DO NOT KNOW OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE OTHER TWO. LET FORMA BE FINELY AND DENSELY RIBBED AND HAVE A SHALLOW SUTURE AND LET FORM C BE COARSELY COSTATE WITH A DEEP SUTURE. FORM B IS INTERMEDIATE. COMPARISON OF THE FINELY COSTATE FORM A WITH THE COARSELY COSTATE FORM C LEADS, IN CASE ONE IS UNAWARE OF THE EXIST— ENCE OF MODIFICATION B , TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A AND C ARE SPECIFICALLY DIFFER- ENT FORMS. HOWEVER IF WE HAD AT OUR DISPOSAL ONLY PAIRS OF THE FORMS A AND B OR PAIRS OF THE FORMS B AND C WE WOULD CONCLUDE THAT BOTH FORMS ARE THE SAME SPECIES, WHICH WE ARE WILLING TO CALL "VARIABLE". SUPPOSE WE SAMPLE FROM A POPULATION IN WHICH ALL FORMS ARE EQUALLY ABUNDANT. AFTER TAKING TWO SPECIMENS WE MIGHT ASK WHAT THE PROBABILITY IS THAT WE EITHER DREW A PAIR A, C IN WHICH CASE WE BELIEVE WE SAMPLED TWO DIFFERENT SPECIES OR DREW EITHER A PAIRA, B ORA PAIR B, C. IN BOTH OF WHICH CASES WE WOULD BELIEVE THAT WE SAMPLED THE SAME SPECIES. IF THE SEQUENCE OF MODIFICATIONS A, B, C MERELY REPRESENTS A SINGLE VARIABLE SPECIES WHICH IS SUBJECT TO ECOLOGICAL VARIATION (FOR INSTANCE THAIS HAEMOSTOMA) WE RUN THE DANGER THAT INSUFFICIENT SAMPLING LEADS TO THE CREATION OF SPURIOUS SPECIES. TOBE MORE SPECIFIC THE FOLLOWING QUESTION HAS TO BE ANSWERED: WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY THAT AFTER TAKING SAMPLES STILL ONE OR MORE MODIFICATIONS IN A CHAIN OF MODIFICATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN SAMPLED? THE QUESTION CAN BE ANSWERED SIMPLY FOR OUR CASE OF THREE MODIFICATIONS. THE TOTAL SET OF OUTCOMES IS GIVEN BY 9 PAIRS. AMONG THESE PAIRS ARE TWO WHICH WILL LEAD TO AN ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION. HENCE, THE PROBA- BILITY OF DRAWING THE WRONG INFERENCE FROM THE INCOMPLETE SAMPLING IS 22.22%. ONE MIGHT EXPECT THAT BY DRAWING 3 SHELLS FROM THE POPULATION THIS PROBABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, BUT CURIOUSLY ENOUGH THIS IS NOT THE CASE AND IT REMAINS THE SAME. HOWEVER DRAWING 4 SPECIMENS FROM THE POPULATION REDUCES THE PROBABIL— ITY TO 17.3% AND FOR LARGER NUMBERS OF DRAWS THE PROBABILITY STEADILY GOES DOWN. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE GENERALIZED TO LINEAR CHAINS OF MORE THAN THREE LINKS. BUT THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY GENERALIZATIONS. SOME POSSIBLE ONES ARE ENUMERATED BELOW: t) THERE ARE N LINKS IN EACH CHAIN , 2) SINGLE OR MULTIPLE GAPS ARE REQUIRED IN THE CHAIN TO REACH AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE , 3) CHAIN PATTERNS ARE MORE COMPLICATED THAN MERE LINEAR CHAINS, 4) EACH MEMBER OF THE CHAIN PATTERN IS VARIABLE IN RELATIVE ABUNDANCE. IT IS ESPECIALLY THE LAST CASE WHICH 1S OF INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH GENETIC POSSIBILITIES. PAGE 48 AS AN EXAMPLE OF A DIFFERENT COHERENT PATTERN WE MAY OFFER HERE: $ BHC E rk H 1 FOR SUCH A COHERENT PATTERN THE ROLE OF ALL INTERCONNECTING LINKS IS NOT THE SAME: IF D IS MISSING WE BELIEVE IN 2 SPECIES; IF B IS MISSING WE BELIEVE IN 3 SPECIES; IF F 1S MISSING WE BELIEVE IN 4 SPECIES. IN ALL THESE PUZZLES THE QUESTION IS: WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY OF COLLECTING SAMPLES IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AFTER A NUMBER OF DRAWS THE CHAINS APPEAR TO BE UNCONNECTED OR IN OTHER WORDS WHAT 1S THE CHANCE THAT AFTER A GIVEN NUMBERS OF SAMPLES WE HAVE MISSED ONE OR MORE CHAINLINKS IN THE PATTERN SO THAT THIS APPEARS TO CONSIST OUT OF UNCONNECTED PARTS. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM SEEMS TO ME APPROPRIATE TO THE CASE OF MANY SPECIES IN THE GENUS, OR RATHER COMPLEX OF GENERA,, TURBONILLA. AS I HAVE REMARKED BEFORE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS GENUS IS ONE OF INTENSE FRUSTRATION. IF ONE HAS AT ONE'S DISPOSAL ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPECIMENS, SAY ABOUT 500-1000 FROM A FEW ADJACENT AREAS ONE GETS THE FALSE IMPRESSION THAT SEPARATION INTO SPECIES IS EASY. WHEN THE MATERIAL BECOMES MORE AND MORE EXTENSIVE ONE'S CERTAINTY OF INTERPRETATION BECOMES LESS AND LESS. IN CASE ONE DEALS WITH A SIMPLE LINEAR CHAIN IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE. FOR THIS PURPOSE TABLES 2 AND 3 CAN BE USED, TABLE 2 FOR COMPUTING THE ERRONEOUS INFERENCE FOR A CHAIN OF 4 LINKS AND TABLE 3 FOR THE COMPUTATION OF A CHAIN OF 8 LINKS. THE PRECISE DETAILS OF THE COMPUTATION WE CAN SPARE THE READER. THE RESULTS ARE LISTED IN.- TABLES 2 AND 3. THEY SHOW TWO IMPORTANT FACTS: 1) THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE INCREASES WITH THE LENGTH OF THE CHAIN (PROVIDED A SINGLE GAP LEADS TO AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE); 2) WITH VERY INCOMPLETE SAMPLING: THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING AN ERRONEOUS INFERENCE INCREASES WHEN MORE SAMPLES ARE TAKEN. IT 1S ESPECIALLY THIS LATTER FACT THAT MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS OF MANY SO CALLED CLOSELY RELATED, SELDOM COLLECTED SPECIES. ONE MAY HAVE HERE A CASE OF ‘A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING. THE SIMPLE MODEL OF A LINEAR CHAIN 1S UNDOUBTEDLY NOT SUITABLE TO DESCRIBE REALITY. IN GENERAL ONE DEALS WITH A WHOLE INTERCONNECTED BODY OF CHARACTERS, BUT THE DISCUSSION OF A MORE SUITABLY FORMULATED PROBLEM I MUST LEAVE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER QUALIFIED THAN I AM, TO DEAL WITH THOSE MATTERS. THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE IS SIMPLY THIS: IN THE PAST TAXONOMISTS OFTEN HAVE NAMED SPECIES ON THE BASIS OF VERY SLIGHT MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES, BASING THEIR OPINIONS ON SCANT MATERIAL. SIMPLE CONSIDERATIONS ON SAMPLING SHOW THAT IF ONE MAY ASSUME THAT A SPECIES CAN BE REPRESENTED BY A NETWORK OF INTER CONNECTED LINKS, THE CREATION OF A NEW SPECIES NEEDS TO BE JUSTIFIED BY MORE THAN THE MERE ENUMERATION OF SLIGHT POINTS OF DIFFERENCE. 0000000 PAGE 49 LUCAPINELLA LIMATULA REEVE, 1850 BY H. ObvE IN THE BAYS ALONG THE COAST SOUTH OF PORT ARANSAS THIS SPECIES CAN OCCASION— ALLY BE COLLECTED ALIVE ON CLUMPS OF OYSTERS. FROM SABINE TO MATAGORDA THE COASTAL BAYS APPARENTLY ARE TOO BRACKISH FOR DIODORA AND LUCAPINELLA AND, EXCEPT FOR A FEW FRAGMENTAL SHELLS OF OLD APPEARANCE FROM CHRISTMAS BAY IN THE GALVESTON BAY SYSTEM, NO TRACES OF THESE FISSURELLIDS ARE KNOWN FROM THE BAYS ALONG THE EASTERN TEXAS COAST. LUCAPINELLA iS A MUCH LESS ELEVATED SHELL THAN DIODORA AND ITS "KEYHOLE" [IS LARGER, LIVE SPECIMENS ARE ATTACHED IN DEPRESSIONS AND CRACKS IN OYSTER CLUMPS OR OTHER SOLID OBJECTS AND ARE MOSTLY COVERED BY A GROWTH OF ALGAE, IN CONTRAST TO DIODORA CAYENENSIS, WHICH IS COMMON IN OFFSHORE TEXAS WATERS AND HENCE IS OFTEN COLLECTED ON THE BEACH, LUCAPINELLA LIMATULA IS NOT KNOWN FROM BEACHDRIFT ALONG THE OUTER BEACHES AND IS ALSO MISSING IN DREDGED MATER- IAL ON THE OUTER SHELF. A FEW SPECIMENS HOWEVER HAVE BEBN TAKEN FROM THE OFFSHORE CORAL REEFS SOUTH OF GALVESTON. THE LATTER SPECIMENS HAVE A LIGHTER COLOR THAN BAY SPECIMENS AND APPEAR SMOOTHER, THE FIGURE SHOWS A SPECIMEN COLLECTED ALIVE ON OYSTERS IN THE LAGUNA MADRE NEAR SOUTH PADRE ISLAND (ODE) AND IS ABOUT 1 CM, IN LENGTH, PAGE 50 MOLLUSCANA BY W. W. Sutow, M. D. | HAVE A GREAT LIKING FOR PRINTED MATTER (JOURNAL, MONOGRAPH OR BOOK) WHEN IT RELATES TO CONCHOLOGY. WHILE BROWSING THROUGH CERNOHORSKY'S SECOND VOLUME ON PACIFIC MARINE SHELLS, THEREFORE, I NATURALLY TURNED TO THE BIB-— LIOGRAPHY. I WAS AWARDED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF SELECTED REFERENCES, THE THOUGHT OCCURRED TO ME THEN: WHAT CONSTITUTES A CORE LIST OF CONCHOLOGICAL REFERENCES FOR ANYONE'S LIBRARY? FROM TIME TO TIME THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN PONDERED, BOTH IN THIS COLUMN AND IN THESE PAGES (FOR EXAMPLE SEE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST 3:7, 1966). ; NEEDLESS TO SAY, NEW PUBLICATIONS ARE APPEARING REGULARLY AND SELECTED ONES OF THEM MUST BE ADDED CONSTANTLY TO UPDATE ANY LIBRARY, THE CHOICES FORA CORE LIBRARY MUST ALSO CONSIDER THE TYPE OF INFORMATION LIKELY TO BE SOUGHT -— GENERAL, SPECIALIZED, HISTORICAL, ETC. THE WAY IN WHICH A PRIVATE LIBRARY WILL BE USED DEPENDS ON THE OWNER'S TIME, INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE. TO ANTICIPATE THE NEEDS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL SHELL COLLECTOR REQUIRES A LOT OF GUESSWORK. A COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY WOULD BE ONE ANSWER — BUT SUCH IS NOT USUALLY POSSIBLE. I THEN PICKED UP ABBOTT'S KINGDOM OF THE SEASHELL, HERE, TOO, IS AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY, FOR THE MOST PART, THESE REFERENCES ARE BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS, A FEW JOURNAL CITATIONS ARE GIVEN — BUT NOT MANY, THE IDENTIFICATION OF CUR- RENT PUBLICATIONS IN JOURNALS IS MOST DIFFICULT —- EXCEPT FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIST. MOLLUSCAN DIGEST UNDERTOOK THE MONUMENTAL TASK OF MAKING AVAIL— ABLE TO THE CONCHOLOGISTS A CHECK=LIST (BY AUTHOR) OF RECENT ARTICLES. How- EVER, UNTIL CROSS-INDEXING BY SUBJECT MATTER IS ACCOMPLISHED (ALREADY IN PROGRESS) THE SEARCH FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION IN THE PAGES OF THIS PUBLICATION IS VERY TIME CONSUMING, ANOTHER JOURNAL, MALACOLOGICAL REVIEW$ SERVES A SELECTED PURPOSE, THE CONTENTS PAGES OF THE SIGNIFICANT MALACOLOGICAL JOURNALS WORLD-WIDE ARE REPRODUCED, THE READER IS IMMEDIATELY AWARE OF THE ARTICLES APPEARING IN A GIVEN ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL. HE MUST THEN USE HIS OWN SYSTEM OF STORING THAT INFORMATION AND RETRIEVING IT LATER, FOR THIS TIME, THERE ARE LISTED BELOW ELEVEN GENERAL REFERENCES WHICH I THINK WILL FORM THE NUCLEUS OF A SOUND LIBRARY PARTICULARLY FOR THE SERIOUS SHELL-COLLECTOR (NON-PROFESSIONAL). ALL LISTS ARE SUBJECT TO PERSONAL BIAS, SOME INKLING, HOWEVER, AS TO THE CONCENSUS CAN BE GAINED BY SCANNING THE BIBLIOGRAPHIES IN THE VARIOUS BOOKS. IN SUBSEQUENT PARAGRAPHS (TO BE PREPARED FOR LATER PUBLICATION) REFERENCES DEALING WITH MORE SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS, SPECIFIC GROUPS OF SHELLS OR DEFINED GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS WILL BE EXAMINED, _ ABpBoTT, R.T.: KINGDOM OF THE SEASHELL ABBOTT, R. T.: SEASHELLS OF THE WORLD AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL UNION: How To COLLECT SHELLS DANCE, PF. So: RARE SHELLS DANCE, FP. S.: SHELL COLLECTING HYMAN, L.H.: THE INVERTEBRATES. MOLLUSCA, JOHNSTONE, K. Y.: COLLECTING SEASHELLS PURCHON, R. D.: THE BIOLOGY OF THE MOLLUSCA SHIKAMA, T. & HORIKOSHI, M.: SELECTED SHELLS OF THE WORLD (2 VOLS) THIELE, J.: HANDBUCH DER SYSTEMATISCHEN WEICHTIERKUNDE (2 voEs) — QO PAGE 51 ae WILBUR, K. M. & YONGE, C. M.: PHYSIOLOGY OF MOLLUSCA (2 voLs) WHAT DO THE BOOKS ON THE ABOVE LIST REPRESENT? THIELE'S TWO-VOLUME WORK THOUGH PUBLISHED IN 1931 STILL. CONSTITUTES A BASIC AND CLASSIC AUTHORITY ON TAXONOMY. THE ONLY DRAWBACK IS THE TEXT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN GERMAN, THE OTHER REFERENCE ON THIS SUBJECT WIDELY USED AND QUOTED IS WENZz'S HANDBUCH DER PALAOZOOLOGIE: GASTROPODA. AS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED AS WENZ'S WORK MUST BE, | HAVE NOT SEEN IT ADVERTISED FOR SALE. IT IS POSSIBLE, AND EVEN PROBABLE, THAT MOST AMATEUR WORKERS WILL NEVER USE THIS TYPE OF BOOK. THERE MAY BE NO NEED. OTHER BOOKS AND PARTICULARLY SPECIALIZED MONOGRAPHS (WRITTEN IN ENGLISH) PROVIDE ALL THE HELP THE COLLECTOR NEEDS. THE $40 OR SO THAT MUST BE USED TO PURCHASE A SET OF THIELE COULD BE EXPENDED TO BUY SEVERAL OTHER BOOKS. BASIC INFORMATION DEALING WITH THE BIOLOGY, ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE MOLLUSCAN ORGANISM CAN BE OBTAINED FROM WILBUR AND YONGE (SEE REVIEW IN TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST 3:52, 1966), PURCHON (SEE REVIEW IN TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST 6:90, 1970) AND HYMAN, THE BOOKS CONSTITUTE ESSENTIAL REFERENCES FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AND SERVE ADEQUATELY TO ANSWER IN THE FIELDS COVERED ALMOST ALL QUESTIONS OF THE NON-PROFESSIONAL, THE BOOKS CONTAIN DATA ON HOW THE MOLLUSCAN SOFT PARTS ARE PUT TOGETHER AND ON HOW THE MOLLUSK "DOES ITS THING". How DOES THE MOLLUSK EAT AND DIGEST AND CARRY OUT ITS BODY FUNCTIONS? How DOES IT GET ABOUT? HOW DOES IT SECRETE ITS SHELL? HOW DOES IT REPRODUCE ? THESE BOOKS ARE WRITTEN IN SCIENTIFIC TEXTBOOK STYLE. THEY ARE TEDIOUS READ- ING BUT THE FACTS ARE THERE — BOTH ILLUMINATING AND FASCINATING, THE TWO BOOKS BY DANCE (SEE TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST 6:32, 1969) ARE MOST UNUSUAL, DEFINITELY HISTORICAL IN APPROACH, THE BOOKS PAINT A RICH PICTURE OF EVENTS AND SHELLS THAT TEMPORALLY FORM THE BACKGROUND FOR PRESENT-DAY SHELL COL— LECTING. THEY PROVIDE DEPTH AND PERSPECTIVE NOT ATTAINABLE FROM OTHER BOOKS, JOHNSTONE HAS WRITTEN A DELIGHTFUL CURRENT DISCUSSION OF SHELL COLLECTING. IT TAKES NO EFFORT TO RECOGNIZE IN THESE PAGES OUR OWN ATTITUDES AND ACTIVITIES IN OUR FASCINATING HOBBY FIELD. BOTH BOOKS BY ABBOTT ARE WELL KNOWN. THE BOOKS PROVIDE AN AUTHORITATIVE AND MORE THAN SATISFYING ORIENTATION TO WHAT MALACOLOGY AND SHELL COLLECT— ING ARE ALL ABOUT. THE TWO BOOKS BY SHIKAMA AND HORIKOSHI ARE REPRESENTA- TIVE OF THE POPULAR BOOKS THAT ROLL OFF THE PRESSES OF JAPAN, [EACH OF THESE PARTICULAR BOOKS CONSTITUTES A BEAUTIFULLY PUT TOGETHER COMPENDIUM OF COLOR PHOTOS OF SELECTED SHELL.S FROM AROUND THE WORLD, THE EQUALLY INTERESTING TEXT, UNFORTUNATELY, IS WRITTEN IN JAPANESE AND A TRANSLATION (A HIGHLY DESIR- ABLE THING) IS LACKING. THE THIN AMU BOOKLET IS INCLUDED BECAUSE IT CONTAINS © VALUABLE AND PRACTICAL HINTS AND DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO APPROACH MANY ASPECTS OF SHELL COLLECTING, THE SECTIONS ARE WRITTEN BY THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THESE THINGS WELL! INFORMATIVE SECTIONS COVERING GENERAL ASPECTS OF SHELL-COLLECTING APPEAR AS VITAL PARAGRAPHS AND CHAPTERS IN BOOKS OF SPECIALIZED INTENT. FOR EXAMPLE, ABBOTT'S AMERICAN SEASHELLS HAS A SECTION ENTITLED "THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SEASHELLS" WHICH INCLUDES VERY WELL-WRITTEN DISCUSSIONS ON MAN AND MOL= LUSKS, LIFE OF THE SNAILS, LIFE OF THE CLAMS, LIVES OF OTHER MOLLUSKS, ETC. THE BOOK WILL BE LISTED LATER WITH THOSE DEALING WITH SHELLS FROM SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS. (TO BE CONTINUED) PAGE 52 SEARCH AND SEIZURE BY CONSTANCE BOONE ONE OF THE FIELD TRIPS IN THE RECENT 8-WEEK-COURSE TAUGHT BY DR, T. E. PuL= LEY, PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE SEMINARS SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WAS AN EARLY NOVEMBER VISIT TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND ACROSS FROM PorRT ISABEL, TEXAS. SOME OBSERVATIONS OF WHAT WAS AVAILABLE THIS YEAR MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN HOPING TO GO TO THIS SOUTHERN— MOST BEACH OF TEXAS AND TO OTHER MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN GOING THERE EVERY YEAR AND KNOW THAT “HURRICANES AND RAINS HAVE CHANGED THE CONDITIONS FROM TIME TO TIME FOR SHELLERS. THE TIDE BOOK SCHEDULE SHOWED THAT THERE WOULD BE MINUS TIDES, BUT SHELLERS LEARN THAT THE WEATHER REPORT FROM THE DAILY PAPER MAY BE A BETTER GUIDE FOR SHELLING, ESPECIALLY FROM THE FISHING TIDE REPORT. AT SOUTH PADRE A NORTHER CHANGES THE PICTURE OF CLEAR WATER AND CALM SEAS TO ONE OF MURKY WATER AND TURBULENT WAVES ON THE GULF. ON ARRIVAL ON NOVEMBER 9 WE FOUND LOW TIDES, SUNNY WEATHER, SOFT SOUTHERN BREEZES, AND SOME OF US WERE ABLE TO WALK OUT THE FULL LENGTH OF THE LONG CHANNEL JETTY TO GET LONG-SPINED SEA URCHINS AND TO EXAMINE WHAT MIGHT BE IN THE TIDE POOLS AND ALGAL COVERED ROCKS, NOTHING EXCITING WAS FOUND, ALTHOUGH WE DID COLLECT THE SMALLER AND RED HUED THAIS HAEMASTOMA , CANTHARUS TINCTUS , ALSO THE REDDISH FORMS INSTEAD OF THE PUR- PLISH ONES OF THE FLORIDA KEYS, AND SOME ANACHIS, SIPHONARIAS, LITTORINAS. THAT NIGHT WHILE WALKING OUT ON THE LAGUNA MADRE FLATS WITH LANTERNS, THE NORTHER BLEW IN WITH LIGHTNING AND RAIN, SO WE SCURRIED IN FOR SAFETY. THE NEXT MORNING WE HEADED FOR THE COAST GUARD STATION AREA ON THE BRAZOS— SANTIAGO PASS WHICH IS THE BROWNSVILLE SHIP CHANNEL AT THE TIP END OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, THE TIDE WAS LOW BUT NOT MINUS AS SCHEDULED BECAUSE THE NORTH WIND WAS STILL BLOWING STRONGLY. HOWEVER, MEMBERS OF THE CLASS FANNED OUT TO EXAMINE TRAILS AND TO WALK IN THE GRASSY AREAS IN LOW WATER. SOME FEW BIG LIVE BUSYCON PERVERSUM (=CONTRARIUM) WERE FOUND. THERE WERE MANY HERMIT CRAB SPECIMENS, WELL WORTH CHECKING OUT AS NICE CYMATIUMS WERE THUS COL- LECTED. THE LOW JETTY. ROCKS ALONG HERE HOUSED LITTORINA NEBULOSA, LITTORINA ANGULIFERA AND A FEW NERITA FULGURANS, SIEVING SHOVELS OF BOTTOM FROM JUST _ OFFSHORE EXPOSED A NUMBER OF LIVE MACTRA FRAGILIS, A FEW BULLAS, ANDA NUMBER OF HOLUTHURIANS AND OTHER ANIMALS DESTINED FOR AQUARIUMS SOME OF THE FIELD TRIP MEMBERS HAD IN CLASSROOMS IN HOUSTON, NASSARIUS, A FEW SMALL NERITINA VIRGINEA , MERCENARIA, CREPIDULA, ODOSTOMIA, CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA, CHIONE CANCELLATA SURFACED. AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE LIVING SIMNIAS WAS AFFORDED BECAUSE A STAND OF GORGONIA IS ESTABLISHED IN THE COAST GUARD BOAT BASIN, Not FAIR GAME FOR SHELLERS. WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO SEE THESE !) THE ROCKS UNDER THE COAST GUARD ARE ONCE AGAIN THE HOME FOR A NUMBER OF MOLLUSKS, FORA LONG TIME AFTER HURRICANE BEULAH MOST OF THE MOLLUSKS WERE FOUND DEAD HERE, Now, CANTHARUS TINCTUS IS VERY ABUNDANT HERE, LIVE FASCIOLARIA HUNTERIA , PLEUROPLOCA GIGANTEA, ARCA IMBRICATA, BARBATIA DOMINGENSiIS, LITHOPHAGA BISULCATA , ISOGNOMON ALATUS, ISOGNOMON BICOLOR, APLYSIAS AND ONE NUDIBRANCH, AND A GOODLY NUMBER OF [SCHNOCHITON PAPILLOSUS PAGE 53 WERE COLLECTED. TWO LIVE DIODORA CAYENENSIS WERE TAKEN. GRASSES NEARBY ALSO HELD A NICE COLONY OF AEQUIPECTEN AMPLICOSTATUS AND SOME ATRINAS, THESE HAVE BEEN SCARCE IN RECENT YEARS, TIDES WERE VERY HIGH NEAR THE MANGROVE STAND ON THE CHANNEL BAY ALONG THE ROAD TO PORT ISABEL, MELAMPUS BIDENTATUS WERE EASILY TAKEN. ROUGH SEAS ON THE GULF BROUGHT IN PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR, RENILLAS, BUT FEW JANTHINAS AND FEW OTHER SHELLS, SOME SIXTY MOLLUSKS WERE COUNTED, MORE IF YOU PICKED UP DEAD SHELLS SUCH AS ANADARA CHEMNITZI, NOT AVAILABLE UP ON OUR BEACHES, DR. PULLEY DESIGNATES THIS AREA AS THE TEXAS TRANSITIONAL PROVINCE , FROM MATAGORDA ISLAND TO CABO ROJO ON THE MEXICAN COAST. IT CONTAINS MANY CARIBBEAN SPECIES AS WELL AS CAROLINIAN PROVINCE ONES, ©000000 BOOK REVIEW BY W..W. Sutow,-M. 0; A. GORDON MELVIN: SEASHELL PARADE, FASCINATING FACTS, PICTURES AND STORIES, CHARLES E. TUTTLE COMPANY. 1973. 369 PAGES. $11.50. THIS NOT So BIG (5 1/4 x 7 3/4 INCHES) BOOK IS WRITTEN BY THE SAME AUTHOR WHO PUBLISHED GEMS OF WORLD OCEANS (1964) AND SEA SHELLS OF THE WORLD WITH VALUES (1966). THE 76 CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO 6 SECTIONS DEALING WITH: SHELLS WITH A STORY, SPECIAL GROUPS OF SHELLS, CUR- IOUS AND INTERESTING, ON THE TRAIL — INDOORS AND OUTDOORS, PRACTICAL SUGGES-— TIONS AND CONCHOLOGY'S HALL OF FAME. THERE IS ONE FULL-PAGE BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATION FOR EACH CHAPTER WHICH MOSTLY RUN ABOUT 3 PRINTED PAGES, THIS BOOK IS A COLLECTION OF SHORT ANECDOTES AND ESSAYS, MANY OF WHICH AP= PEARED PREVIOUSLY IN THE HOBBIES MAGAZINE. EFFORT IS MADE TO MAKE EACH CHAPTER INTERESTING, NO PROFOUND SCIENTIFIC DATA ARE PROVIDED, THE BOOK CANNOT BE USED TO IDENTIFY SHELLS OR OBTAIN SCIENTIFIC CESCRIPTIONS OF SHELLS, A WIDE VARIETY OF THEM CONCERNED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WITH CONCHOLOGY. THIS IS FROTHY, ENTERTAINING READING, 0000000 PAGE 54 Review: A FIELD GUIDE TO SHELLS OF THE ATLANTIC BY H. Ove AND GULF COASTS AND THE WEST INDIES, BY PERCY A. MorRRIS, 3D EDITION, 1973. THE THIRD EDITION OF THIS WELL KNOWN POPULAR FIELD GUIDE IS ALMOST AN ENTIRELY NEW BOOK. IN 330 PAGES 1035 SPECIES ARE FIGURED IN 76 PLATES, WHEREAS THE PREVIOUS EDITION CONTAINED 45 PLATES AND ONLY 236 PAGES, BUT NOT ONLY THE QUANTITY OF MATERIAL PRESENTED TO THE BUYER FOR $4.95 (MORE FOR THE HARDCOVER BOOK) HAS INCREASED, ALSO THE QUALITY HAS GAIN- ED CONSIDERABLY. ACCORDING TO AN INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT BY TORY PETER~ SON, PERCY MORRIS DIED SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETING THE MANUS FiPT AND DR, W. CLENCH UNDERTOOK EDITORIAL DUTIES. THE RESULT OF THEIR EFFORTS IS A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED BOOK IN WHICH MANY OBVIOUS MISTAKES OF THE PREVIOUS EDITION HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AND MANY SCIENTIFIC NAMES ARE MODERNIZED. MODERNIZATION HAS BROUGHT WITH IT A CERTAIN LOSS CF FLAVOR. SOME OF THE PERSONAL CHARM OF PERCY MORRIS' ORIGINAL DESCRIPTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS IS IRRETRIEVABLY LOST AND HAS MADE PLACE FOR A MORE STERNLY ABSTRACT AND MORE SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION, THE USER WILLING TO BE INSTRUCTED CAN LEARN MUCH MORE BUT THE CLIMATE IS COLDER, IT REMAINS SOMEWHAT OF A PUZZLE TO ME WHY POPULAR BOOKS DEALING WITH SHELL IDENTIFICATION ARE SUPPOSED TO SELL ONLY WHEN SOCALLED POPULAR NAMES ARE PRFNTED IN BOLD FACE, IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT A COLLECTOR WHO HAS ADVANCED TO THE LEVEL OF SPECIFIC DISTINCTION PRESENTED IN THIS GUIDE 1S GOING TO USE SUCH NAMES AS "TWO FURROWED DATE MUSSEL", "ARCTIC BARREL BUBBLE" OR "UMBILICATED PHEASANT SHELL", THE LATTER NAME CER- TAINLY IS A BIOLOGICAL CURIOSITY. THE QUALITY OF THE PLATES WHICH ARE ENTIRELY REARRANGED AND FAR MORE SYSTEMATIC THAN BEFORE, CAN BE CONSIDERED IN A BOOK OF THIS PRICE, FAIRLY GOOD, BUT SOME FIGURES OF SMALLER SPECIES AND A FEW OF THE LARGER ONES , APPEAR SOMEWHAT WASHED OUT. ANY REVIEWER CAN, DEPENDING ON HIS OWN PROVINCIAL POINT OF VIEW RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHOICE OF MATERIAL. - TO ME IT APPEARS THAT BOTH THE BEACHCOLLECTOR AND THE COLLECTOR WHO OBTAINS DREDGED MATERIAL HAD TO BE PLEASED, BUT THE RESULT 1S THAT NEITHER OF THEM GETS A FULLY SATISFACTORY CHOICE. I NOTE THAT STILL MANY QUITE COMMON TEXAS BEACH SHELLS (F.1. MACOMA TAGELIFORMIS) AND SOME RARER BUT WELL KNOWN SPECIES (F.1. AMAEA MITCHELL!) ARE MISSING, IT 1S IN VIEW OF THEIR CONFUSED STATUS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING TO FIND THAT SOME CATEGORIES ARE VERY INCOMPLETELY TREATED: VITRINELLIDAE, CAECIDAE, PYRAMIDELLIDAE, BUT THE CHOICE TO FIGURE INSTEAD SOME MUCH LESS COMMON MICROMOLLUSKS HAS SURPRISED ME. IN SPITE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF CORRECTIONS STILL SOME MISTAKES HAVE SLIP- PED BY AND A FEW WERE INTRODUCED, FOR INSTANCE THE GENDER OF SEVERAL TRI- VIAL NAMES IN THE GENUS PSEUDOAMUSSIUM IS INCORRECT AFTER TRANSFERRAL FROM THE GENUS PECTEN. UNSATISFACTORY IS ALSO THE CITED RANGE INFORMATION, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNFAIR TO TAKE THE AUTHOR AND THE EDITOR TO TASK FOR THIS SHORTCOMING, WHEN THE REAL CAUSE IS THE INSUFFICIENT FUNDING OF SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS AND MUSEA, REPORTS UNSUBSTANTIATED BY DEPOSITED MUSEUM MATERIAL CARRY LITTLE WEIGHT, IN SOME INSTANCES TEXAS IS SPECIFICALLY PAGE 55 MENTIONED, IN OTHERS THE GULF OF MEXICO IS CITED, BUT IN TOO MANY CASES | THE WESTERN GULF 1S ENTIRELY OMITTED FROM THE CITED RANGE, LIKE SOME MYTHS THE MYTH THAT PITAR DIONE HAS BEEN FOUND ALONG THE TEXAS COAST REFUSES TO DIE. THIS PIECE OF CONCHOLOGICAL FOLKLORE IS UNFORTUNATELY REPEATED AGAIN IN THIS NEW EDITION, WHATEVER ONE THINKS OF THESE SHORT COMINGS THIS NEW FIELD GUIDE HAS BEEN IMPROVED IN SO MANY RESPECTS THAT IN MY OPINION IT WILL BE QUITE USEFUL TO MANY USERS, I CONSIDER IT A WORTH- WHILE ADDITION TO ANY LIBRARY, OCOO0000 LIBRARY COMMITTEE NOTES MORE BOOKS ALREADY OBTAINED OR ON ORDER INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Morris, P. A.: A FIELD GUIDE TO SHELLS OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS AND THE WEST INDIES (3RD EDITION) MELVIN, A. G.: SEASHELL PARADE RUHOFF, F. A.: BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ZOOLOGICAL TAXA OF PAUL BARTSCH HINTON, A.: SHELLS OF NEW GUINEA AND THE CENTRAL INDO—PACIFIC AMERICAN MALACOLOGISTS 1973-74 OC000000 PAGE 56 CONCHOLOGIST IDO: 6 VOLUME’ X, NO. 6 ee ERRUARY 5 1974 lARAr J ‘ c = ™/ RIicnre- f ; -~ | an | ' ‘ | Aig mw WCE Y op WIL i - - BY | | k » i * a Fe a PROGRAM ON FLORIDA SHELLING | , 4a IO AT As A discussion of shelling in the summer at various“tocatities in Florida will be the topic of the program to be presented in February by our mem- ber, Mrs. Eugene Courtade. The meeting will be held at 8 P.M. on the 27th at the Museum of Natural Science. Mrs. Courtade will illustrate with a map of the areas she shelled and plans to have a display of shells. Remember, we welcome visitors. This program will give newer members ideas on how to shell in Florida and will afford long-time members who have shelled in Florida the chance to check out availability of shells now in areas they have been. A FEW MINUS TIDES FOR MARCH Monday March 4---------- 7:48 -0.5 Tuesday March 5---------- 8:48 -0.5 Wednesday March 6---------- 9:42 -0.4 Thursday March 7---------- 10:34 -0.2 FIELD TRIPS FOR MARCH AND APRIL By Fannie Miron March 10, Sunday --- 9:A.M. at Surfside Beach at the Jetties April 21, Sunday --- 9:A.M. at South Jetties, East Beach Galveston We hope to find a few things in March although there isn't a minus tide - if weather is right we may be able to dig for angel wings. April's field trip we hope to find Purple Janthina on the beach if the wind is right. Dress properly, remember the wind is stronger on the beach and a little colder. Bring lunch, garden trowels, buckets, pill bottles for small things and a garden shovel for the March field trip in case we have an opportunity to look for angel wings. Sorry the field trip on Saturday, January 26, had to be called off due to the weather. We did have a very successful field trip in December although the attendance was not as good as usual. About 18 different species were found including Murex, Lighting Whelks and Pear Whelks. NOTE: Because of uncertainties of weather and gasoline availability, con- firm each field trip with Fannie, Telephone 723-3628, the day before. Page 57 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) at Houstan Tayeac The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed. postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6 00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. |X issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals. subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to the editorial staff. CONSCIENCE VS, CURIOSITY FOR A BEGINNER By Ruby Ray Into a one gallon, flat bottom glass fish bowl went two Thais floridana, one Thais haemastoma, one Busycon spiratum, three Noetia ponderosa, one large hermit crab (quite content in a Busycon contrarium shell) and one Oliva sayana with enough water to half fill the container. All were alive (having been collected that morning from Galveston West Beach) and soon presented signs of activity. Now the main objective of this proj- ect was to begin - - observation! The Tnais promptly climbed to the very top edge of the container and caused great concern to one of my house guests Not being compelled by the same interests I held, she wondered if she might find one or all three of them in her bed that evening or if she might step on one en- route to the bathroom during the dark of night. Calling her attention to the hermit crab's personality seemed to temporarily erase the concern created by the Thais. The hermit crab's observational ability was greater than ours. If we moved so much as a finger he would instantaneously withdraw into his home revealing only his claw to us. By-and-by, when the coast appeared clear, he would come out again and captivate us with the constant motion of his tenacles We sat there wondering about his visual span since his cyes were projected above his body on what seemed to be heavy duty stems. So we sneaked around behind him for a test. (Just imagine, two grown vomen sneaking up on a defenseless hermit crab trapped in a glass fish bowl. It must have been a funny sight!) You know what? He saw us: The laughs were still on us. Page 58 Enough time had lapsed so that now the Noetia ponderosa were open and their beautiful red-orange bodies were exposed, The color contrast was fantastic -- red-orange, black and white. They secreted mucus type strands that swayed in the water. Were they capturing micro-organizms our eyes could not see? We wondered. Oliva sayana was traveling about in the container as best he could since the conditions were extremely crowded. He bumped into the hermit crab and over turned himself. The hermit made moves to attack Oliva sayana, and that being my favorite Texas mollusk, I picked Oliva sayana up and moved him to the other end of the container. I began to wonder about the safety of all in the container. The Busycon spiratum was to be given to a friend with a large aquarium so I made prep- arations to remove him. While water and another container were rounded up for Busycon spiratum something traumatic had happened in the container: Thais floridana had come down from his perch and attacked Oliva sayana. There he was -=- on his back with all but a very small portion of his aperture covered by Thais floridana. I could see part of his body through the uncovered portion. It seemed to be struggling, trying ever so hard to turn over and crawl away to safety. There was little use in his efforts. Thais floridana had complete control. And so, the demise of Oliva sayana. Questions flooded my mind. Would a layer of sand in the container have saved Oliva sayana? Should I have observed them in separate containers? Should I have learned about the feeding habits before putting a variety of mollusks in one container? Should I have asked myself first what my reaction to this was going to be before starting? I was responsible for a loss of life that day. What a strange feeling it is. Immediately I told myself, "This would have happened out there in the water. It's a normal occurrence.'' But I can't dispute the fact that this occurred under abnormal conditions for each of the mollusks in the container. I learned several interesting facts that day. You can't be a specimen shell collector with hangups about life and death in experimentation, don't put your favorite mollusk in a container with other mollusks and Thais floridana will eat Oliva sayana. J J J => Je J. J J J J. a J 7 ray 7" Ww n an 7 . . 7 Page 59 MOLLUSCANA By W. W. Sutow, M.D, Let us consider, this time, books concerned with seashells of the North American coasts. The compilation of any list for a core library is a difficult task. . In the main, the choices are highly subjective and reflects to a great ex- tent the writer's personal interests (and his limitations). It is with considerable trepidation, therefore, that we move along this month to select those books that constitute, at least in one shell collector's opinion, a good working library on shells of the North American seashores. To give some orientation, the selections have been limited, for the most part, to books of fairly recent printing, generally available from dealers handling shell books. The coverage was restricted to marine mollusks, primarily gastropods and bivalves. The books on the list, furthermore, all contained photographs or drawings of the species so that the shell collector would be able to use the books for general identification purposes. And, as in the preceding month, the choices were restricted to ll publications, a manageable size. This meant that specialized books dealing with a very limited subject, such as, for example, the pectens or the mytilids or the murex have not been included. Not included also were checklists without helpful illustrations and some classic references that were old (and therefore not readily available). Here is the list of 1l references, arranged alphabetically by author: De ROLE. Re. American Seashells (1954) Peteee PDDOEL 5. Bsc Ds Seashells of North America. A Guide to Field Identification (1968) a... kudrews', 7d. Sea Shells of the Texas Coast (1971) 4. ,Bousfield,,£. LL. Canadian Atlantic Sea Shells (1960) 5. Johnsonia Monographs of the Marine Mollusks of the Western Atlantic (continuing series) 6, Keen, A.M Sea Shells of the Tropical West America (1971) J.¢ Moettase. Powhs A Field Guide to Shells of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the West Indies (1973) 8. Perry, L. M. and Schwengel, I coe Marine Shells of the Western Coast of Florida, (1955) 9. Rice T. Marine Shells of the Pacific North- west (1972) LO. Mickstte,. E.F. and Calvin J. (Revised by J. W. Hedgpeth) Between Pacific Tides (1968) ll. Warmke, G. L. and Abbott Ry Ti. Caribbean Seashells (1961) Almost all of these books are well known and require little comment. Fit- tingly the list begins with what is probably the most widely used book amoag the American shell collectors for the past two decades: Abbott's American Seashells. Both US coasts are covered. Caribbean and Panamanian species are generally undescribed. The shells are discussed in classic Page 60 textbook style. Certainly the book is not all-inclusive and many small species and others have been omitted. But for anyone interested in Amer- ican seashells, this book is the one with which he (or she) starts, Abbott's Seashells of North America was published as a field guide. It is a most practical book (pocket-size) describing some 850 species. All the illustrations are shown in color and the descriptive text is most concise and informative. In many respects that is a modernized and abbre- viated version of the previously mentioned book. All classes of mollusks are described. The reasonable price for this publication is a definite asset. Seashells of the Texas Coast by Andrews is a locally useful book for Guif Coast shell collectors. Although the illustrations are in black and white, they are clear and suitable for identification purposes. A number of minute species are described. Johnsonia is a highly professional series of monographs issued periodi- cally by the Department of Mollusks, Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. Each monograph is a comprehensive and academic des- cription usually of a given genus in the Western Atlantic. These publi- cations by well-known malacologists become classic and authoritative ref- erences on the subject. It is assumed that publication of this series will continue. The little booklet, Canadian Atlantic Sea Shells by Bousfield, is included because it lists among other north Atlantic (Western) species some of the circumboreal species. The revised enlarged edition of Keen's Sea Shells of the Tropical West America is a classic masterpiece that systematically describe the molluscan species along the Pacific coast southward from southern California to Panama. It is the definitive book for seashells from this area. The revised Field Guide by Morris (edited by Clench) covers a wide geogra- phic area. Its handy size and scope of its contents make it a useful guide to pack along on field trips in this part of the world (see review in Texas Conchologist 10:55, January, 1974). The book by Perry and Schwengel should be useful to those who collect along the west coast of Florida. While there is undoubtedly overlap with description in other books, the careful descriptions by these authors have long been favorite reading by many collectors. Tom Rice has published an impressive and useful booklet at surprisingly low cost covering marine shells of the Pacific Northwest. All the photo- graphs are in color. More common, large species of the coasts of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California included. Between Pacific Tides is delightful reading and provides the real flavor of the California seacoast. Although revised extensively by Hedgpeth the personality of Ricketts is retained. The book describes the seashore habitats and the creatures, including mollusks, that live there. For any- one to go collecting (if permitted by law) in California without reading this book is to go uninformed. Warmke and Abbott in Caribbean Seashells have compiled one of the few publications that deal in detail with seashells to be collected from this part of the world. (Continued Page 67) Page 61 SEARCH AND SEIZURE By Constance Boone From time to time we have urged members to relate some of their shelling experiences in writing for the Texas Conchologist. Few have done so. In the hopes of encouraging even the telling of funny experiences from shell- ing trips, this time I am recounting some of my favorite memories from my shelling log. We are in constant need of "fillers" or short notes for our pages. Help us with the coming issues. In February, 1967, I went to South Padre Island at Port Isabel, Texas, for my first shelling there and to attend the shell fair In those days I wasn't very interested in a shell I didn't collect myself. I had my heart set on finding my first live Architectonica nobilis. As days went by, I saw tourists with a few live-taken specimens. [I did find nice fresh dead specimens, but it began to look as if the live one T wanted would elude me. I began to hear that shellers were out on the beach before dawn to beat other tourists and the hungry gulls who seemed to also love these shells. So one night I set the alarm clock for 3 A.M. and struggled out of bed, bundled up to ward off the cold winds, and set out for the beach near the jetties with a strong beam light in hand. Since I was supposed to meet Leola Glass at 6 A.M. to go shelling in the bays, I put my alarm clock (set for 6 A.M.) in my jacket front pocket. I headed up the beach shining the light along the surf and wet sand area. I discovered I was not the first person on the beach: Lights were flickering ahead of me on the beach. But I walked along, picking up a couple of nice fresh dead Architectonicas. Time went by and I began to think I would not be lucky even at this hour. Suddenly I swept the beam light up higher on the beach, saw a movement from an Architectonica I had exposed, and dashed to retrieve it, hoping there would not be a hermit crab inside. Happiness is finding a shell not col- lected live before, Yes, it was a live Architectonica nobilis. NOTE: A Surfside sheller has a live one now in her aquarium, found at Surfside this winter. This species is relatively rare live on our local beaches, and not even that common at Padre since Beulah (the Hurricane of September, 1967). I like also to tell the story of digging my first Barnea truncata. One winter I discovered a bed of angel wings (Cyrtopleura costata), all small, in the sticky, clay mud of the north side of the Texas City dike. Now this mud has to be experienced for you to envision my predicament. The weather was some 32 degrees, bright and sunny but with a biting north wind. In those days I didn't know about stocking foot waders and had on plenty of layers of clothing and knee top rubber boots. I had on gloves, but I quickly lost them in the mud. I tried to use a shovel, but it stuck in the mud and I couldn't pull it out. I slipped and slid in the muddy banks, using a hunting knife finally to try and dig down to get the angel wings and also the false angel wings I began to find (Petricola pholadiformis). There were so many holes but half of the time I broke the shells trying to get them out. Finally, I decided to try and layer off chunks of the mud bank to retrieve the shells. This worked fairly well since the shells were small and the burrows not too deep (about 12 inches). I knew that if | were to get bigger shells I should look for bigger surface holes but I ould then have to dig deeper. So I began to slip around in the squishy , now becoming much worse because the tide was lapping in on the bank. ost one boot as I sank in some two feet. Then I lost the other one. (Continued Page 67) Page 62 MOLLUSK ASSEMBLAGES OF THE TEXAS COASTAL BAYS By Helmer Ode’ In this article I shall consider the mollusk fauna of some of the Texas bays and report quantitatively on the composition of a number of samples taken in West Galveston Bay and Red Fish Bay. In the past, some semi- quantitive studies were reported by me, dealing largely with the composi- tion of beachdrift at San Luis Pass and the composition of a number of samples of East Matagorda Bay (see H. Ode, Texas Conchologist Volume 8 (6),(pages 68 - 70). Some of the results of these investigations have been incorporated in the series of beach notes which Mrs. A. Speers and myself have published so far, but no systematic discussion has been pre- pared. Now preparatory to updating the beach notes, I will discuss (with the help of shell counts performed on dredged samples) some of the very characteristic differences between mollusk faunas found in the Texas bays. In the last twenty-five years considerable progress has been made through the efforts of numerous biologists and geologists and in a large number of papers the results of these investigations in the coastal bays and the im- mediate offshore areas of the Texas coast have been published. A scheme of classification of environments were proposed in the works of Parker who studied the mollusk faunas of the Mississippi Delta and the South Texas Bay environment (Rockport and Laguna Madre). My own analysis of the bay and coastal faunas is somewhat different from that of Parker, Shepard and others who followed him, and for that reason alone I believe that a brief report on the coastal faunas will be of interest. The samples on which this report is based were all obtained by the Texas Game and Fish Commis- sion, whose kindness in providing me with these samples I gratefully ack- nowledge. All samples were carefully picked and sorted in their entirety under the microscope, a work that proved extremely time consuming and for which I am indebted to many helpers. Most of the material in the samples, in good enough condition to justify storage, is now in the mollusk col- lection for the Northwest Gulf of Mexico in the Houston Museum of Natural science. In an article describing the composition of a number of samples dredged in East Matagorda Bay, I noticed for the first time the unusual composi- tion of the samples. In it Mulinia lateralis together with a number of small bivalves formed the majority of the bivalve population. The bulk of the gastropod species was unexpectedly largely of opisthobranch affil- iation: Acteon, Retusa and many Pyramidellids, and the absence of Cras- sostrea and other common beachdrift components was remarkable. [In the past, no such samples had to my knowledge been reported from Texas, but from the plentiful distribution of these species near the inlets along the East Texas Coast, I feld that the inference could be drawn that in all probability large areas of the East Texas bays would be populated by a similar assemblage. This view will, as we shall see below, prove to be correct. For the benefit of the reader an abbreviated list of the most common mollusks found in East Matagorda Bay is listed below: Page 63 Table I Nuculana acuta Acteon punctostriatus Anomia simplex Retusa candei Aligena texasiana Menestho impressa Mysella planulata Fargoa dianthophila Mulina lateralis Eulimastoma weberi Rangia cuneata Eulimastoma canaliculata Littoridina sphinctostoma Besla elegans Hydrobia booneae Chemnitzia aequalis Caecum pulchellum Pyrgiscus interruptus Vitrinella floridana Pyrgiscus speira Teinostoma biscaynense Pyrgiscus reticulatus Pyrgocythara plicosa Pyrgiscus obeliscus This list is not ordered according to quantitative criteria. Mulinia lateralis and Eulimastoma weberi were the most common bivalve and gastro- pod respectively. Although many of the above listed species occur also in the listing of Table II, comparison shows that both listings are not quite similar. Table I shows brackish water species to be abundant where- as these species make quite a minor contribution to the fauna of Bastrop, Christmas and Drum Bays. At this point, we may recall some of the history of molluscan investiga- tions along the Texas coast. To do this is useful for the simple reason that a historical perspective of current opinions concerning faunal com- position shows that the current views often came about because of factors which at some time in the past were not recognized as significant. In this respect I believe that insufficient care in picking and sorting sam- ples has played a major role in the delay of recognition of the assemblage of species which I shall describe and which I believe is extremely wide- spread in many bays along the Texas coast. These many reports of the past are strongly biased toward the relatively larger species. Otherwise, I cannot understand the almost complete absence of Vitrinellids and most of the Pyramidellids in many of the published faunal lists. These small species disappeared through the wide meshes of the sieves and only a few remained by lucky accident in the remaining coarse mass of shell debris. Admittedly, the treatment of even a small sample in its entirety requires far more time than a quick sorting of coarse fragments; but not only is the additional time and effort well spent, it is the only proper way to make this type of investigation. As I have maintained before in most in- stances, coarse material above one-half inch can from a statistical point of view be discarded and the fauna must be described from its small, often fragmental, components. There are many samples below from Bastrop and Christmas Bays in which Mercenaria campechiensis, one of the heaviest and most massive clam shells along the entire western Atlantic Coast, is pres- ent in considerable numbers, often alive. If I had restricted the count to specimens and fragments above one-quarter inch in size often there would have been a zero count, because all specimens were small juveniles. The dredge did not bite sufficiently deep to get the adults and apparently often skimmed through the superficial mud layers. In most instances a suf- ficient number of juveniles will be present to provide a trustworthy re- cord, There are however, some questions which cannot be answered here. For in- stance, the possibility that certain species missing in the lists below, are missing because of highly seasonal spawning. This is possible, al- though the total absence of any dead juveniles remains surprising; (exam- ple Busycon). It is well known that large Busycon perversum alive in West Galveston Bay. They can be collected alive at extremely low tides on the | Page 64 | more sandy madflats on the bayside of Galveston Island. Small beachdrift collected at the same time usually contains many dead juveniles, just emerged from the egg capsule. I suspect that these Busycons live prefer- ably on the sandy bottoms in which they burrow during day time, rather than in the muddy areas from which the present samples were taken. The same bias toward sizable species is apparent in the long delay of recog- nizing Cyclostremella humilis Bush as an important faunal component a- long the Galveston outer beach. This species, now proven to be Pyramidel- lids, is just too small to be picked up casually and some effort is re- quired to spot it under the microscope. It does not occur in the samples and probably does not live in the more remote parts of the bay system, The reports of the Texas fauna start with a listing of material sent by Romer to Philippi in Germany (1848). This list, from which it is clear that almost all this material was collected along the beach or bay margins, was reported by Romer in his book about his experiences during his travels in Texas. After that, for a long time, nothing was done about the Texas fauna until Dall got interested in the overall composition of the Atlantic fauna. By the time Dall catalogued the entire fauna known to him for the first time in 1881, the technique of obtaining very deep water samples was perfected so that somewhat understandably, the investigation of shallow water coastal faunas retreated somewhat to the background. Dall corre- sponded with many naturalists who sent him material from their areas. One of these was Mitchell in whose honor Dall named two interesting Gulf Coast species. Both Mitchell and Singley reported lists of the Texas coastal marine fauna. These lists, although still lacking in many of the micro mollusks, now considered to be widespread in the coastal Texas waters, are the first in which a start was made in relating the several species to the environment in which they were collected, mainly from the bays. It was only after the second world war that the investigations of the Texas fauna got a systematic start after Pulley summarized the state of knowledge twenty-five years ago. The emphasis was no longer strictly in the cataloguing of species but ecological and biological aspects of the species distribution throughout the bays and over the coastal shelf be- came a point of great interest to the scientists involved in this work. Two economic motivations played a role here. The fisheries were interest- ed in the biology of the coastal bays in order to understand spawning and reproduction of commercially important organisms such as the shrimp and the oyster. The oil industry's interest was to understand the recent con- ditions in the bay system in order to recognize similar assemblages of fossil creatures encountered in drill cuttings. The latter interest has produced the works of Parker who wrote a number of papers on the faunal composition along the Louisiana and Texas coasts. By him, a scheme of classification of mollusk assemblages was developed for the bays and off- shore shallow waters based on his studies in the Mississippi Delta and the coastal bays of South Texas. This classification is mainly based on water depth and I have found it difficult to apply to any situation I am familiar with. It appears that most other writers with geological rather than biological interests have adopted it. On the other hand, Hedgpeth appears to have lumped most bay environments under the single lable of "oyster bottom''. Before discussing in some detail the composition of a number of bay sam- ples the methods of counting should be made clear. Wherever possible it was noted whether specimens were collected alive. It is quite probable that the number of live specimens is considerable in excess of the noted number, but because this could not be ascertained from the inspection of the dried up material "fresh" looking specimens were not classified as Page 65 alive; only when fleshy remains were left or opercula were retained this was done. Counting remains a quite difficult thing. Counted were only either complete valves or specimens or fairly complete but somewhat frag- mented shells. Articulated specimens of bivalves when dead were counted as two valves; the live ones as a single specimen. Too few articulated pairs were found to upset statistical conclusions by counting two valves. Particular attention was given to retain all extremely minute juvenile specimens in the count; on the other hand, some much larger fragments were discarded. The significance of the count is thus somewhat unclear, and may not signify more than a convenient initial measurement of relative abundances. For bivalves, the number listed indicates the number of sin- gle valves, that for gastropods the nunber of specimens. For chitons the number of individual pieces is listed. The samples came from two areas, one set from the extreme western end of the Galveston Bay system and the second set from Red Fish Bay (a part of Corpus Christi Bay near Port Aransas). The first set collected in Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay and Drum Bay shows a fauna which I believe is charac- teristic for the entire Texas coast, the second set a fauna, characteristic for the hypersaline bays of the South Texas coast and which is, although I cannot prove this, more local in nature. The most obvious fact one notes when glancing through Tables II and III, which list the contents of the samples of Galveston Bay and Red Fish Bay, respectively, is that Ostrea and Crassostrea are largely missing. This was already noted in a number of samples from East Matagorda Bay and confirms my suspicions that away from the oyster reef, that is over large areas of the muddy bay bot- toms, the oyster forms a negligible fraction of the fauna. At the same time one is struck by the complete difference between the faunas of Gal- veston West Bay and Red Fish Bay. [It is perhaps unfortunate that Parker did not sample any of the East Texas Bays in great detail because now the danger exists that all Texas Bays are assumed toharbour identical faunas. In fact, there exist major differences between the faunas of the East Texas Bays, from Sabine to Matagorda and the South Texas Bays, from Matagorda to South Padre Island. In hcr recent book on Texas shells Andrews implies more or less that most bay faunas are quite similar. This is definitely not so and the omission of a large number of quite common and widespread micro mollusks from her book shows that she was not aware of this difference. The most characteristic type of bay fauna to be found along the Texas coast from Sabine to Matagorda Bay can be recognized by the minor role which the genera Crassostrea and Ostrea play in it and to which I would like to attach the label "Mulinia bottom" after its most common component. This is the fauna of Bastrop, Christmas and Drum Bays of the Galveston Bay system. A map is shown in Figure I, indicating twenty-one localities from which samples were taken. These parts of the bays in which oysters, in particular Crassostrea virginica become quite common lend form either localized small clumps or large reef structures one may call “oyster bot- toms'’ as proposed by Hedgpeth. Ali other named communities of the bays are in my opinion merely slight variants of either the "oyster bottoms” or the ''Mulinia bottom". One is encountered in the more brackish upper parts of the bays, which harbours a fauna characterized by Rangia, Macoma mitchelli and Hydrobiids, another along certain bay margins which offer a shelter to species of mollusks preferring a mode of life between root masses (Tagelus, Geukensia) or on the plants themselves (Littorina, Mel- ampus), but all these are merely slight variants of the "Mulinia bottom". Towards the inlets, where the sorting of sediments has caused a relative increase of sand with respect to clay, the fauna changes in composition Page 66 and more truly marine type of organisms appears in quantity. The so cal- led inlet fauna is considerably different from that of the bays proper is probably richest in species of all bay faunas. Here one finds such genera as Olivella, Terebra, Sinum, Busycon, Spisula, Tebling iris, ecte.., which are missing in the bays. (To be continued) MOLLUSCANA (continued) Many books come to mind that others may prefer for the core list. For the west coast the older publications that were considered included West Coast Shells by Keep (revised by Baily in 1935) and The Marine Shells of the West Coast by Oldroyd (1924 - 1927). (to be continued) SEARCH AND SEIZURE (continued) I soon lost both socks. I was muddy, barefooted, barehanded, from top to bottom. I was literally wallowing in the mud, clawing out the mud in search of specimens, On the road on top of the dike a car came by. Two women looked down on me and began to talk to each other about the sight below. They went on by, then backed slowly to my area. They got out, walked to the edge of the _embankment and called down: '"Dearie, have you lost something?'' I don't at all doubt what they thought I had really lost, but they had decided I had been fishing and lost a ring -- or something valuable. It really wasn't any use at all to tell them what I was really doing. I couldn't go up and show them what I was getting. The effort would have been im- possible, Besides, if I had, they would probably have called the sheriff to bring restraining devices. I simply said I was digging clams. The end of the story is another in the "happiness is" category, however, for I did go on to dig a better-than-two-inch Barnea truncata. I broke several, and I almost didn't get back out of that mud hole, but it was worth it. SEIZURE NOTES: Another "happiness is". On February 2 near Galveston south jetties, in the surf debris, I found a fairly fresh Trivia suffusa. This is known from offshore and has been reported from the Freeport jet- ties taken by a diver. Page 67 Vee ju im n te : 3 b 2 - > i as? _— : ?, uh —- an - ae ae j = - ; P “ . he es 7 a i} Pw "a (= 7 ° > a ¥ -_ SS in a o da, 7 ve a al i a < n” = one - 7% Pd ; ms. hs ee - —S a eer > A ” Dee el. ah ee = . ss > eT ee Ta 2)... "hele, ee ae oe is al go Al oa eo 7 Cee a ine A ae Fr _ a teen ets ana) be RE aed eal ae, , | ae perv se 2 per yt Fs ht red pee at> a) ay mei by: i 2 -ficarhaes kabul pew : Mat AE bY Haat eee @ 7 = To" of 10: To VOLUME X, NOS. 7 & 8 | acing ire sass k MARCH, 1974 ‘NOTES'& NEWs _ { cee we -& | This double issue is being published to alert members to the early date of the April meeting and to publish as much as we can of Dr. Ode’'s re- port on mollusk assemblages of some Texas bays. MARCH MEETING YOUR NIGHT TO BRAG: We all enjoy seeing shells. Since no one could have every shell, we can see things we don't have by joining in the fun and bringing some of our special shells to the March meeting to show and discuss. You can bring anything in the molluscan line you want, but limit the number of shells to a small hand case or small container. It will be wise to have your special shells boxed and covered with glass or plastic. You may bring anything you want to --- common or rare, self-collected or purchased. Table space will be limited, so we urge that you select this time just a few shells you want to tell other members about or just show with pride of possession. The meeting will be March 27, 1974, at the Museum of Natural Science at 8 p.m. Mrs. Frank Petway, program chairman, says EVERYONE who does bring shells to show will receive a door prize. SPECIAL APRIL BONUS MEETING Mark April 12, 1974, on your calendar now so that you will be sure to join us for the very special program, to be held at the Museum of Natural Science in the large meeting room on the main floor. This four hour program on Volutes, to be presented by Frank Abbottsmith of Australia, will begin at the early time of 6:30 p.m. There will be a break and refreshment time after the first two-hour session. This reported fantastic four hour slide show of Australian Volutidae was put together by a most knowledgeable person on his country's Volutes. He has written a book on the normal and all variations of Australian Volutes, one copy of which he has donated to our library. Mr. Abbottsmith is a retired civil employee whose love of shells prompted him to begin photog- raphing shells in their natural habitat and to also research them. In corresponding with him, says Tina Petway, it is obvious this man is a most interesting person with a tremendous sense of humor. She says that he will also bring other slides of Harpidae, Olividae and a few Cypraea, Page 68 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) ot Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership Single membership Student membership Subscriber Single issues Vol. IX issues Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 7740] Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone - 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to. the editorial staff. some corals and some pictures of Australia. This promises to be a one of a kind opportunity to see a program of great beauty and interest. If you wish to be of assistance with cookies and cake for the refreshment period, please call Mrs. Merle Kleb at 862-4409. TINA PETWAY NEEDS YOUR HELP IN "INTEREST LIST" Tina Petway is compiling a list of members and their interests in shells and their desires to trade shells with other members. Anyone who was not at the February meeting is asked to mail this information to her. This list will also be helpful to anyone as a reference of who to contact on help in identification of shells. Also include specifically whether you are interested in trading with others. You may indicate you are not in- terested also, but we ask that you still send in your interest field. Please send this information as soon as possible to Mrs. Frank Petway, 2431 Brookmere, Houston, Texas, 77008. Her telephone number is 864-6683, if you have questions. SHELL AUCTION SET FOR SEPTEMBER, 1974 There will be an auction of shells for members only in September, 1974, at the regular meeting date. Mrs. Merle Kleb has accepted chairmanship Page 69 of this event. She will be assisted by Mrs. Constance Boone and Mrs. Barbara Hudson. In order for this event to be a very good one, we hope that members will begin gathering shells now from their collections to give to the club. Keep this auction in mind if you go on any collecting trips this summer. We hope that anyone of our readers who wishes to help in this project will respond with donations of specimen shells. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE AUCTION WILL GO TO AUGMENT OUR PUBLICATIONS FUNDS. Donations of specimens, accompanied by complete data slips and donors names, may be made from now to August. Contact Mrs. Kleb, Mrs. Boone, or Mrs. Hudson. Remember that some of your common shells may be needed by other members. However, we do hope to gather some very fine shells from other areas of the world to help make this a special event you'll want to attend. APRIL FIELD TRIP Fannie Miron reminds members that a field trip is set for Sunday, April 21, at 9 a.m. at South Jetties, East Beach, Galveston. Because of the uncertainties of weather and gasoline, please confirm this trip with Fannie, telephone 723-3628, or with John Kosut, telephone 695-7512. OOO0O0OO0QO00000 BOOK REVIEW By H. Ode’ Stenzel, H. B.: OSTRAECEA, TREATISE OF INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, ¥ol. 8, (3). The extensive treatment of this, for geologists, quite important group of bivalves is more than a summary of the presently most widely accepted opinions and practically constitutes a complete revision. Contrary to the avowed policy of the Treatise, a small number of new taxa is introduced. Workers in the recent fauna of the Gulf of Mexico will find the wide- spread coral reef oyster, Ostrea thomasi McLean, now placed in the new genus Hyotissa Stenzel as part of the family Gryphaeidae. Phylogeny, history and taxonomy are treated extensively. This lucid and beautiful treatment concludes the discussion of the bivalves in the Treatise. o000000000000 Page 70 SEARCH AND SEIZURE By Constance Boone At the February meeting, John Kosut brought some Anachis for us to iden- tify. It is perhaps worthy of bringing to the attention of our members interested in collecting all Texas faunal shells and therefore not ad- verse to collecting some of the smaller ones to point out that we evi- dently have both Anachis obesa (C. B. Adams 1945) and Anachis ostreicola (Sowerby 1882). Dr. Helmer Ode’ identified those brought by John as A. ostreicola. Although Dr. Odé has certainly listed both on his faunal lists, there perhaps is some confusion on these two species. The information given by Dr. George Radwin in his PHD Thesis on the Family Collumbellidae, 1968, George Washington University, gives some summary of the differences of the two species, both of which he had examined from Texas. From my experience, it seems to me that Anachis obesa is usually found on the beach front, often around the base of jetties in the sand at very low tide, sometimes in the algal material on jetty rocks, often washed in on Sargassum, and very often in the beach drift. Farther south where there is a chance of bundles of Gorgonia to roll in on the beaches, this shell frequently falls out when one shakes this living coral or even the dead strands. I expect that specimens of this species will be a little larger than the similar Anachis ostreicola, have a more flaring lip, be somewhat fatter whorled and less sharply spired with less impressed sutures. It usually is light tan-red with blotches of darker red-brown but sometimes can be uniform in the darker red tone. It can sometimes seem very purple-red. I was told long ago by Anne Speers that the bay form I was getting on algal growths on old shells in Rockport, Texas, area, (Aransas Bay) was Anachis ostreicola. These were usually only 4 to 6 mm. and smaller and very dark and more coarsely reticulated, with more convex spire and not as flared at the lip. The color frequently is almost black and generally uniform. Dr. Radwin wrote in his Thesis that there was generally a flat baldish spot on the body whorl which I have seen. We do find this species in our bays and inlets, especially if you pick up old shells and algal growths on shells. I think, however, that some of the species I get in the bays are also Anachis obesa. They look very much like the beach front species. Also, I will not rule out that Anachis ostreicola also occurs sometimes in beach drift and on algal growths. If these are truly two different Anachis, you will certainly be able to add them to your collection from the Galveston area. John also brought some nice live-taken specimens of Anachis semiplicata Stearns 1893, usually seen as a subspecies of A. avara. Dr. Radwin would list it as a separate species. I do not know what the final decision will be. We have several other Anachis in Texas, so it is wise to ex- amine your lots under a lens and to keep each collection, even from the Same general area such as South Padre Island separate. Page 71 Hazel McKee called me on Monday, March 11, to let the club know that several of our members did have a field trip at Freeport and San Luis Pass on Sunday, March 10. As most of you know, it was called off in Houston because the weatherman painted a dismal picture. Some members didn't call Fannie Miron and went anyway and met up with Hazel and Dorothy Torrence at the Freeport jetties. Hazel reported that they had a good time shaking the mounds of seaweed and that they went to San Luis Pass where they found a few live shells. Most exciting find was the recovery of some specimens of Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814) by David Pitchmann in the seaweed. This species is never commonly found on Texas shores. It sometimes washes in on seaweed, Gor- gonia, or sometimes on cork and styrofoam pieces. On Sunday, March 17th, I found eight specimens of Pinctada radiata in the worm debris washed up at Bryan Beach, below Freeport on the Gulf. These were three-fourths inch in size but beautifully colored and fring- ed specimens. Also collected that day at Bryan were some hundred or so specimens of live Epitoniums in the thready worm material. This mucous, thready material composed of sand grains and covers of worms usually houses some live Epitoniums, attached by mucous threads to the mass. Pick up each little freshly-washed-up thready mass and look underneath or in the sand immediately below. 0000000000000 You might enjoy hearing about the goof of the South Padre Island Sea- shore ranger. On Friday, March 8, the Corpus Christi Caller had a nice boxed story on the front page about the purple snails that were washing in on the National Seashore area below Corpus Christi, reported by the park ranger. It discussed the species and its usual arrival on our Texas shores in the spring months when the southeast winds push in Portuguese Men of War and seaweed. The article mentioned that the snails were prizes sought by shell collectors. On Saturday, March 9, the paper had a boxed story on the front page in the same position of the page announcing that the purple snails had not arrived on the National Seashore beaches. The park ranger's prediction had been as wrong as some of our weathermen's announcements --- for that week end at least. It seems that shell collectors from several counties swarmed to the beach to collect the snails that were supposed to be there. But maybe the snails were somewhere else on the beach. Any reports? 0000000000000 Page 72 MOLLUSCANA By W. W. Sudow, M. D. We continue with our nominations for the core library for shell collectors, This month we are looking at some literature concerning shells from the vast marine domain that stretches westward and southward from Hawaii to Japan to the South Pacific and China Sea and to Australia and New Zealand and across the Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa. As usual, eleven references have been selected as our choices for the core library. They are listed below, by author, in alphabetical order: P. *ADDCE, “RYT? *(edrtor)= Indo-Pacific Mollusca (continuing series of monographs) Zs, Boom. hs Hawaiian Seashells (1972) 3. Cernohorsky, W. O.: Marine Shells of the Pacific Vol. Ek. & £50907, L972) a. “Cettoms “8. 6, * South Australian Mollusca. 3 parts (1940-1961) 5. 1 .mane. -T- Shells of the Western Pacific in Color. Vol. Il’ (1964) Os... Habe, 1. rte, Es: Shells of the World in Color, Vol. I, The Northern Pacific (1965) 7. Babe, fT. & Kosuge, S.: Shells of the World in Color, Vol. II, The Tropical Pacific (1966) So; “Htnton, A. Shells of New Guina and the Central Indo-Pacific (1972) 9.” Kirn. rss Shells of the Western Pacific ift.Color; -Vot. “F “(1965) 10. MacPherson, J. H. & Marine Mollusca of Victoria (1962) Gabriel. C. Js: ll, Wilson, 08. R. 76 Gilkett, K.: Australian Shells (1971) Our list appropriately begins with the continuing series of monographs entitled Indo-Pacific Mollusca (R. T. Abbott, editor). Each monograph is prepared by a well-known authority in the field and generally covers one family of mollusks. While the emphasis is placed on the Indo-Pacific distribution of the families, in many instances the entire world is cover- ed. The monographs are detailed and scientifically complete and have been appearing regularly. The last two issues have dealt with the familes Patellidae and Harpidae. This is basic literature. This is where one starts when he considers a serious study of the Indo-Pacific species. The rest of the selections may be more expeditiously reviewed by partition- ing the vast marine area with which we are concerned into several parts: Hawaii, Northern Pacific, Japan, South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Indian Ocean and East Africa. For the mollusks of the Hawaiian waters, the small book by Boom, Hawaiian Sea Shells has been listed. This compact publication packs a wealth of material with good color photographs of the species found in the Hawaiian waters. Other books, still available, include S. W. Tinker's Pacific Sea Shells (1958) and C. H. Edmonson's Reef and Shore Fauna of Hawaii (1946). The Japanese publication Shells of the World in Color. Vol. I. The Northern Pacific (by Habe and Ito) deals with shells of the colder, northern por- tions of the Pacific Ocean. Geographically, the contents of the book cover Page 73 a shells from the shores of Alaska and the Aleutians, The Bering Sea, the northeast coast of Asia down to northern and central Japan. The Okhotsk Sea and Japan Sea are included. Seashells of the Japanese waters have received considerable attention be- cause of the well-known publications by Habe, Habe and Kosuge, and, Kira. Since the Japanese waters extend southward as far as Taiwan, many tropical species are included in the book. As a result, these books have been used for many years to identify shells from various parts of the Indo-Pacific. The authors have taken special pains to minimize the necessary overlap among the books and have endeavored to make the volumes complementary in coverage from one to another. Two other references on Japanses mollusks could be mentioned. One is still another book by Habe and Kosuge entitled Common Shells of Japan in Color (1970). Though smaller, this publication compares very favorably indeed with the others and contains beautiful color photos of each of the species. The second is the monumental publi- cation The Seashells of Sagami Bay by T. Kuroda, T. Habe and K. Oyama (1971). The latter book describes the shells collected by the Emperor of Japan in and about Sagami Bay (near Tokyo). These species, however, range widely along and off the coast of Japan. Habe and Kosuge have compiled a publication for the tropical Pacific. This complements the well-known older books by Kira and by Habe. For other books concerned with shells of the South Pacific, the selections include two volumes by Cernohorsky and one by Hinton. All three books are well- written and deal with many families of mollusks. Hinton's volume contains a particularly comprehensive coverage of cones. However, all three vol- umes deal little or none at all with the bivalves. In this respect, the Japanese books are more helpful. No single volume can describe the wealth of molluscan fauna that ring the Australian continent. But the book Australian Shells by Wilson and Gillett provides a rich sampling of what lies "down under" (see review in Texas Conchologist 8:81, 1972). The museum publications by Cotton and by MacPherson and Gabriel are authoritative monographs that deal with specific sections of Australia. Other well-known books on Australian shells in- clude J. Allan's Australian Shells (1959) and O. H. Rippingale and D. F. McMichael's Queensland and Great Barrier Reef Shells (1961). The New Zealand shells seem to be less widely known than the Australian species. Books that can be used in working with shells from this area are J. R. Renniket and G. J. H. Moon: New Zealand Seashells in Colour (1970) and A. W. B. Powell: Shells of New Zealand (1962). Readily available books giving a comprehensive coverage of the molluscan fauna of the Indian Ocean and the eastern coast of Africa do not seem to exist as yet. D. H. Kennelly's Marine Shells of Southern Africa contains information on some of the species that are found around the southern tip of Africa. Some years ago there appeared a series of thin booklets, some six in num- ber, entitled Indo-Pacific Sea Shells by S. D. Kaicher (1956-1957). Al- though the illustrations were drawn in black ink and the text was very scanty, representative species (gastropods only) were depicted. (to be continued) 0000000000000 Page 74 MOLLUSK ASSEMBLAGES | (Continued f MAP OF WESTERN } I Bastrop Bay II Christmas Bay III Drum Bay N Scale |) 5/8 inch « 1Ol00G, te. Locations are indicated by X. Page 75 IN BAY SYSTEM nbers indicate dead specimens or valves. DRUM _ BAY 2 2 1 ¥ 3 1 1 29 (2) 3 117 107 46 92 KilG 420) (12) C7)" ] GZ) = @23) «= G73) 200) 2 17 44 52 39 18 7 134 176 745 : £SL1 Total # of loca- tions 8 Be £9 Zt 20 Trachycardium muricatum Laevicardium mortoni Dinocardium robustum Mercenaria campechiensis Chione cancellata Anomalocardia cuneimeris Cyclinella tenuis Callocardia texasiana Dosinia discus Petricola pholadiformis Tellina alternata Tellina veriscolor Tellina texana Macoma constricta Macoma tenta Macoma mitchelli Semele proficua Abra aequalis Cumingia tellinoides Donax roemeri Tagelus plebeius Tagelus divisus ‘Ensis minor Rangia cuneata 25 BASTROP BAY 4 1 4 (1) l 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 oie A oe 1 1 1 5 (2) 1 1 2 (1) DRUM BAY Zh, Total 89 32 19 (2) (1) 3 281 2062 51 ll 14 1 25 il 1 6 10 (2) (4) 3 1 5 641 # of loca- tions # of loca- tions where livin LOC, Cerithium variabile Bittium varium Cerithiopsis greeni Seila adamsi Cerithidea pliculosa Triphora nigrocincta Vermicularia fargoi Epitonium humphreysi Epitonium rupicola Epitonium multistriatum Crepidula plana Crepidula convexa Balcis hemphilli Polinices duplicatus Tectonatica pusilla Busycon perversum Thais haemastoma Nassarius acutus Nassarius vibex Anachis semiplicata Anachis floridana Anachis ostreicola Anachis obesa Mitrella lunata (2) BASTROP BAY (1) (1) (2) (3) (1) 4 (1) (7) (3) LZ (4) (32) (1) TABLE it | | (ne 11 \ i | 38 \3 i Ey } (1 1 | i") Nt ty it | 1 | GQ) | ! 1! 2 | (1) | i 3454 2 ‘| | (2) i lL jh DRUM BAY Total 6 1 LT? 9 398 (1) 3 60 7 101 29 4 565 2 12 248 2 pi 1 14 364 39 Ey 167 7 6 203 7 124 32 1 26 1 1 120 166 90 80 177 x3 1 982 (10) (10) (70) (2) 5 3 1 1 2 14 I 5 5 28 (4) aa 28 8 1 156 # of loca tions 11 12 i2 ll # of loca- tions where livin TABLE II | BASTROP BAY Besla | elegans Ischnochiton j papillosus Dentalium 8 texasianum ee eee | —-CO OE SC | { | TOTAL NUMBER be ae SS SE. es a ee 370, 4 SPECIES = = a == as = aaa So — a — =| { TOTAL SPECIES (6) @).00) 3) @® @o® | @ GCG) Gia LIVE = SS eee | | | | ! | i! Ins:t tinued) ) {MAS BAY DRUM_BAY 3 14 19 20 | p 47-10 1) om @ a — # of loca- 21 Total tions 1 1 1 1 37 7 8 (2) TABLE II - LOC, BASTROP BAY CHI 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pyrgocythara 1 1 1 4 2 3 1 3 15 plicosa | Acteon 3 1 1 5 I 4 28 | punctostriatus Bulla 1 striata Retusa 1 3 12 | 13 1 1 3 7 10 15 50 candei (2) (1) (1) | Menestho 1 2 3 7 3 2 122 impressa I Miralda dux Fargoa 1 2 1 14 dianthophila (5), Odostomia 1 1 1 3 gibbosa (2) (1) Evalea | emeryi . Sayella 76 | sp. Eulimastoma 1 2 1 6 1 2 3 2 | teres (1) (1) Eulimastoma 5 2 weberi (13) (5) Eulimastoma harbisonae Eulimastoma 1 1 3 23 | canaliculata (1) Chemnitzia 2 1 9 , 9 aequalis Chemnitzia 1 1 1 2 24 sp. . Chemnitzia abrupta Strioturbonilla 3 7 2 4 Sp. (10) Pyrgiscus speira i Pyrgiscus 1 9 9 20 1 l 12 4 7 ll 90°) interruptus (2) Cy Pyrgiscus 2 4 = A Fe ee A cedrosus Pyrgiscus 1 1 5 2% conradi Pyrgiscus 3 4 4 1 124 reticulatus (1) i BAY -.. 14 3 1 34 5) if 2 1) (2) - 49 1 2 8 5 4 1 operc. 26 a 2319 3) = 21 Ma 34 (1) 129 fie 43 29 (5) 8 39 (5) DRUM BAY 19 20 Zn Total 4 1076 372 309 # of loca tions Z 12 10 17 15 # of loca- tions where living LOC, Rangia flexuosa Mactra fragilis Mulinia lateralis Corbula swiftiana Corbula barattiana Cyrtopleura costata Diplothyra smithii Lyonsia hyalina Pandora trilineata Periploma orbiculare Diodora cayenensis Littorina irrorata Littoridina sphinctostoma Vioscalla louisianae Hydrobia booneae Assiminae succinea Henrya sp. Vitrinella floridana Teinostoma biscaynense Solariorbis blakei Cyclostremiscus pentagonus Cyclostremiscus suppressus Caecum glabrum Caecum pulchellum BASTROP BAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 ao) 2). 28 a7 154 2 (25) (12) (4) (1) 4 1. 3 3 2 (1) l 1 2 Vf 1 iL l (1) \ i TABLE I - (6) | aL | a ee 9 1 (6) : 1 l 1 wf y 2 2 § (1) oO 1 | 1 1 | 1 a 1 1 l ie i i L }.2 2 | if 5 2 i) |) Nie i ‘iD yontinued) STMAS BAY 14 15 1 26 16 Fe 166 (1) M65, 154 (1) (1) - 12 1 1 6 7 (1) 1 3 l 4 11 4 12 me 33 15 (1) 8 2 17 10 e642 5 (2) 14 2 16 17 5 Zt 16 3 3 6 2 E 2 4 12 21 8 8 48 4 ll 13 23 54 DRUM _ BAY 19 20 12 ao 10 20 21 Total 69 322 18 18 # of loca- tions 10 9 1 18 10 # of loca- tions where living Nuculana concentrica Nuculana unca Anadara ovalis Anadara transversa Noetia ponderosa Brachidontes exustus Brachidontes recurvus Amygdalum papyria Atrina seminuda Aequipecten irradians Anomia simplex Crassostrea virginica Ostrea equestris Crassinella lunulata Mytilopsis leucopheata Diplodonta semiaspera Diplodonta soror Phacoides pectinatus Parvilucina amianta Mysella planulata Mysella spec. Aligena texasiana Ensitellops spec. ae See. 3 1 1 15 7 (1) ae 2) SPO 14 14 1 a. a 3 l 2 ( ) Indicate live specimen. BASTROP BAY ee 1 (2) ize ae (2) 4 16 ioe, ce 6 10 23. 28 12, 2s 1 2. ae (1) (2) areas 39 18 17 51 (1) | i TABLE II - Gh Not bracket | 10 Lt 'f i 5 i l 1 I 1 12° (4) 1 2 | hl | (1) | i. -%6 | | | Z 5 2 | | | : (1) | | | 1 | 17 h (2) i 4) 5 4 1 ‘| 1 Bi JE TEXAS COASTAL BAYS By Helmer Ode~ 7ebruary issue) OF GALVESTON BAY. | : Page 76 TABLE III - RED FISH BAY (Corpus Bay System) ( ) indicates live specimens. Not bracketed numbers indicate dead specimens or valves. #1 #2 #4 #6 #9 #0. 418 Nuculana unca - - 2 - - - 7 Anadara transversa 2 - - s 1 - - Brachidontes exustus 2 - 7 - 4 9 3 (1) Amygdalum papyria - - - 2 - - (1) (2) Aequipecten irradians 2 - - - - 2 ~ Anomia simplex - - 1 - 1 - - Crassostrea virginica - - 4 - 2 1 L Cardita floridana - 4 217 96 105 1 20 Pseudocyrena floridana l 27 156 39 120 - 227 Phacoides pectinatus 3 - I - 26 5 6 (1) CL)a? OE) (18) Megaxinus floridanus - 2 14 3 15 3 4 Mysella planulata l - - - 2 1 2 Ensitellops sp. - - - 1 - . i - (1) Trachycardium muricatum - ~ 2 - - - - Anomalocardia cuneimeris 25 58 284 190 201 A | Chione cancellata 2 - 16 6 18 14 8 (1) Gemma gemma iL - i - 1 7 : Laevicardium mortoni 8 8 52 15 18 Vy 28 | (2) (1) (2) (1) Tellina tampaensis 9 - 13 1 8 8 16 (3) Tellina texana - - 2 - 2 2 Macoma tenta - - 1 - ‘ - - Cumingia tellinoides 1 - 8 - 3 9 4 Tagelus plebeius - - - = 5 iL - Mulina lateralis 5 - 1 2 4 6 1 Lyonsia hyalina - = i - - - - (1) (1) Diodora cayenensis - - - - - - Tegula fasciata - - 2 - 1 - - Neritina virginea - - = - - - ho ! Lo ' i] i} Tricolia affinities, cruenta ~ Littoridina sphinctostoma 1 Hydrobia sp. 1 - - - 9 Truncatella pulchella 2 - - - - - Henrya sp. 8 13 34 25 55 50 (1) Rissoina catesbyana - - 1 - - - - Vitrinella sp. - - 4 - - - Solariorbis blakei - - - 1 - - - Cyclostremiscus sp. 1 ~ - - - < Caecum pulchellum 4 1 ee | 7 14 10 (1) Caecum sp. - - - - I = « Meioceras nitidum - 2 l - 1 - - TABLE III - (Continued) #1 #2 #4 #6 #9 #10 #11 Cerithium variabile L5 34 360 800 274 126 155 (=) (98) Bittium varium 25 id 61 29 52 74 28 (1) (1) Cerithiopsis greeni - - 1 £ z; z, = Triphora nigrocincta - - 1 4 = Cerithidea pliculosa - 7 4 21 1 (2) (1) Modulus modulus - 5 295 198 144 4 16 Vermicularia fargoi 2 - 113 141 49 1 4 Crepidula convexa 10 19 175 We! 146 43 145 (1) (6) Anachis semiplicata - 1 - - - 1 - Mitrella lunata - - 1 - L - Nassarius vibex ~ - - - 1 i Fasciolaria hunteria > - vw - iz - - Prunum apicium - - E - = - 2 Pyrgocythara plicosa - - - 1 - - Acteon punctostriatus i 6 - 3 2 3 Bulla striata 2 - - - 2 2 - Haminoea succinea - ~ - = = 2 a Retusa candei Z 2 21 6 6 2 2 Longchaeus crenulatus - - 15 3 4 = = Menestho impressa 18 9 204 146 115 151 31 (1) Eulimastoma canaliculata iL - - ft 1 ~ 2 (2) Eulimastoma harbisonae 49 12 231 114 256 294 230 Pyrgiscus interruptus - - 2 - - - 1 Chemnitzia aequalis - - - - - - 1 Sayella sp. 4 5 4 r5 29 15 Lt Acanthopleura granulata - ~ 2 - 1 z « The most characteristic components of the "Mulinia bottom" are the bivalves Mulinia lateralis, Mysella planulata, the most characteristic gastropods, Retusa candei and Pyrgiscus interruptus. A list of the most widespread species (more than half of the locations), ordered firstly by the number of locations (within brackets the number of locations where live specimens were taken) and ‘secondly by the total number of specimens retrieved is as follows, see Table IV. 0000000000000 Page 78 TABLE IV - ''MULINA BOTTOM" COMPONENTS Valves & Locations Specimens Mulinia lateralis 21 (13) 2,062 Mysella planulata 21 (12) LR Retusa candei 20 ( 4) L oa Aligena texasiana 20 ¢. 2) i ge Pyrgiscus interruptus 19 € 6) 982 Ostrea equestris 19 [24 496 Mercenaria campechiensis 18 ( 4) 467 Anadara transversa 18 C 7) 450 Abra aequalis 18 ey 339 Crepidula plana 17 rand ne Anachis ostreicola 17 € 5) 309 Pyrgocythara plicosa a7 ( -) 177 Polinices duplicatus 16 ( 4) 49 Tagelus divisus 16 ( 2) 213 Crassostrea virginica i C=) 198 Mitrella lunata 15 ‘eer 173 Nassarius acutus 15 ( 5) 116 Menestho impressa 14 ¢ i) 565 Acteon punctostriatus 14 ae 398 Anomia simplex 14 c=) 192 Aequipecten irradians 14 { =') 148 Eulimastoma teres 14 t2) 39 Bittium varium 13 (3) 1,076 Brachidontes recurvus LS C3) 184 Eulimastoma weberi 13 C2) 167 Anachis semiplicata La Cutt) 143 Corbula barattiana Lo ( 2) 51 Nuculana unca 12 ag 745 Vitrinella floridana i G2) 391 Eulimastoma canaliculata LZ i 3 203 Odostomia gibbosa 12 RS 99 Nassarius vibex i2 Ce Ly 96 Anadara ovalis 12 f.2) 30 Corbula swiftiana Li r?) 281 Fargoa dianthophila amt ¢ 2 248 Chemnitzia aequalis (7) 11 ( -) 124 Tellina versicolor i! ( -) 73 We may remark here that again the number of locations where these species were dredged alive is for most species larger than indicated. In par- ticular Pyrgocythara plicosa undoubtedly lives at many locations, but even when alive the shells look old and worn because they are easily cor- roded. An exception must probably be made for Crassostrea virginica and Anomia simplex, which only were collected as old and worn fragmental pieces and may be washed in. Both species probably derive from adjacent or old "oyster bottom'' communities. It is seen that oysters numerically play only a minor role and that the small, non-commercial Ostrea equestris is by far the most common of the two species. Many of the most common gastropods are of Opisthobranch affiliation and it should be noted from Page 79 Table II that Pyramidellids abound. Pyrgiscus, Menestho, Sayella, Fargoa, Eulimastoma and Odostomia are the most common genera. Although it is not borne out by these samples, some of the small species of Eulimastoma (E, weberi and E. teres) can become quite abundant in the brackish water por- tions of the bay, for instance, near the entrance of Chocolate Bayou, which is somewhat to the Northeast of the shown sampling area. The genera Pyrgiscus and Eulimastoma especially appear to have reached a diversified development in the muddy bays of East Texas. But the most surprising conclusion is that gastropods of Opisthobranch affiliation account for about 25% both of species and specimens in the fauna. Extend- ing Table IV to 50 species accounting for 16,915 specimens, we find that 13 of them are Opisthobranchs with a total number of 4,474 specimens. This may surprise those who are familiar with the reported results of previous investigators but our results are based on actual shell counts of dredged samples. However, one should perhaps not attach too much importance to this result because from a somewhat different point of view this large percentage of Opisthobranch species becomes negligible. The total mol- luscan biomass of a single living oyster reef is likely to exceed by sev- eral orders of magnitude, the entire molluscan biomass of the entire "Mulinia bottom'' community of the bay. It is important to note which species are missing in this extensive "Mulinia bottom'' environment of the brackish water bays. One finds hard- ly any Thais, Tellins, Semele, Donax, Olivella, Terebrea, etc. Thais is bound to the oyster reef, man made rock accumulations and other solid substrata. The other species, except Donax, which is an outer beach species, are typical for the sandy mud flats near the inlets, in which they are exposed to fresh seawater. The forms that do live in the East Texas bays are almost all true mud lovers (Nuculana, Abra) or are at- taching forms like Mysella and Brachidontes. Little is known about the life cycle and habits of many of the gastropods but it may be surmised that many of the species listed in Table II and IV live either on or with worms (Vitrinellids) or parasitize other mollusks (Pyrgiscus, Menestho). What their hosts may be is at present unknown. It seems unlikely to me, although I can offer no proof for this, that such species as Eulimastoma weberi or Fargoa dianthophila, both of which at places can be dredged in considerable numbers parasitize some host. They could be bottom feeders. Mulinia lateralis has never been cited as a host for any of the small Pyramidellids but could function as one. Further missing species at Galveston are most Lucinids and most Venerids. The presence of a few quite corroded shells of Chione cancellata and Anomalocardia cumeimeris proves that on occasion the East Texas bays attain a hypersaline charac- ECE, A few further remarks about Table II can be made here. Some species are likely to be washed in during storms: Dinocardium, Dosinia, Atrina, Tellina alternata; some derive from almost fresh-water: Mytilopsis. Epitonium rupicola is the only Epitoniid which invades the bays and lives there; such relatively unknown species like Henrya, probably Truncatellid in affinity, are far more common than the record indicates. The rarest species encountered is Periploma orbiculare, which was collected previ- ously by Dr. H. Harry in Galveston West Bay. Only one live specimen was present in our samples. Unfortunately one valve was crushed during the dredging. All listed species except the latter have over the years been collected in beachdrift near San Luis Pass, but not always in the numbers one would expect. For instance, Cyclinella tenuis and Cumingia tellin- Qides are fairly uncommon in beachdrift, so that on the basis of beach- drift distribution one would be inclined to assume these species to be Page 80 rarer in the bays than our list indicates. On the other hand, Cyclos- tremiscus pentagonus is more common in drift than the samples lead one to believe. In strong contrast with the composition of the fauna of Bastrop, Christ- mas and Drum Bay is that of Red Fish Bay, which is listed from 7 samples in Table III. The difference between these faunas is particularly clear- ly brought out when we list its most common componants (see Table V). TABLE V - MOST COMMON COMPONENTS OF RED FISH BAY Valves & Locations Specimens Cerithium variabile ry ("2) 1,863 Eulimastoma harbisonae 7 if 6) 1,186 Anomalocardia cuneimeris f° ae) 976 Crepidula convexa Y he ood 816 Menestho impressa jt el 735 Bittium varium F ( ie) 298 Henrya sp. a Os) 195 Laevicardium mortoni 7 ( 4) 161 Sayella sp. ie ee 5 123 Phacoides pectinatus 7 ( 4) 71 Caecum pulchellum 7 (3 67 Retusa candei 7 (--) 48 Modulus modulus @, (20) 732 Pseudocyrena floridana 6 ( -) 550 Cardita floridana 6 ( -) 443 Vermicularia fargoi BD tli) 310 Chione cancellata 6 Cry 65 Cerithidea pliculosa 6 (2) 54 Tellina tampaenis 6 ( av) 51 Megaxinus floridanus 6 ( -) 43 Mulinia lateralis 6 ( -) 19 Brachidontes exustus 5 ( 1) 26 Cumingia tellinoides 5 ( -) 25 Acteon punctostriatus 5 ( -) ss Gemma gemma 5 ( -) Li Crassostrea virginica 4 ( -) 8 Eulimastoma canaliculata 4 CL) 7 Mysella planulata 4 ( -) 5 The four most common species are hardly ever found in Galveston Bay. Only a few have been obtained from drift near the passes. The most seri- ous problems with this list is that a number of quite common species has to my knowledge never been collected alive; Modulus modulus, Cardita floridana and Vermicularia fargoi must if they still live in the bay, what I doubt, be extremely rare, and can hardly be considered significant components of this fauna. Eulimastoma harbisonae, Anomalocardia and Page 81 Pseudocyrena are known to live in the bays, but perhaps not in that profusion as indicated by Table V. In my opinion, the samples from Red Fish Bay represent an impoverished fauna specially adapted to cope with high salinity and high temperatures. It is quite obvious from the beachdrift that at numerous localities along the bay shores of the South Texas bays can be collected that the mol- lusk fauna of the South Texas bays must be much closer to that of Galves- ton Bay because species such as Nuculana, Abra, Pyrgiscus and Chemnitzia are quite common in this beachdrift. We have not seen any actual sam- ples from this area in which these species were present and thus cannot state whether such a fauna actually lives in the area. The impoverished Cerithium - Anomalocardia fauna must be quite widespread because even the composition of the beachdrift on the outer beaches reflects it to such an extent that a superficial glance at a handful of shell debris al- lows one to tell whether it comes from the Galveston or the Port Aransas beaches. Pulley has named the South Texas Coast below Matagorda the Texas transitional province which extends into Mexico till Cabo Rojo. I am not convinced that one is justified to call this a different "faunal province". Rather it seems to me that one deals here with an important change in ecological factors. The fauna along the Western Gulf Coast is influenced by two main factors: j Fresh water from the Mississippi and Colorado Rivers, heavily loaded with sediments discharges through bay systems into the Gulf, creating an environment for typical mud-living bivalves and gastropods. [In front of the Coast stretches a wide shallow muddy shelf. In- let areas provide sand-bottoms with a fauna quite dif- ferent from that living in the bays. Z From Mexico northward to about Matagorda stretches a coastline into which few streams bring relatively lit- tle fresh water except occasionally during hurricanes during which there is rapid run off. This section of the coast is characterized by presumable localized faunas (Cerithium-Anomalocardia). The shelf area in front of the Coast is less wide. At both ends of this fauna grades more or less abruptly into a fauna characteristic for calcareous environment, Florida in the Northeast and Yucatan in the South, both of which are in many respects quite similar. The similarity of the now calcareous Northwestern littoral fauna with that of the Carolinas is easily inferred from the fact that many so-called Carolinian species live along the Texas Coast. The high incidences of these Carolinian species in the Texas fauna reflects merely a fact that the Carolina Coast offers a non-calcareous environment of mud and sand, like that of Texas and Louisiana, to its fauna. In my opinion, the "Carolinian" province is merely the cooler fringe of the tropical Atlan- tic or Caribbean faunal province, which in the Carolinas and along the Texas - Louisiana coasts entirely is based on a clastic environment. It would be interesting to compare the clastics based fauna of Texas and Louisiana with that of other similar environments in the Caribbean, say along the coast of Surinam where a similar muddy shelf extends in front of the coast. It is known that a number of species is common to both areas, but no detailed studies have been made. Another reason why I am hesitant to denote the South Texas area of the Page 82 Coast as a separate province is derived from the study of the inlet fauna. The bay faunas in South Texas are clearly different from those at Galveston but I have not been able to see much difference between the faunas that populate the sandy mudflats of the inlets. In summary we are confronted with these facts: Both at San Luis Pass and at Aransas Pass or South Padre Island one finds significant differences between bay faunas on one hand and inlet faunas on the other. However, while the bay faunas can be quite dif- ferent (compare Tables III and IV), the inlet faunas are quite similar. It should be noted here that I have made no counts to support this statement quantitatively and it is largely made on the basis of an im- pression I have formed during many years of shell collecting in these areas. Already mentioned is the fact that from beachdrift along the South Texas bay shores one can collect most species listed for Bastrop, Christmas and Drum Bays. This indicates that at many locations in the South Texas bay system a fauna must live close to that of the Galveston Bay system. Further sampling must be done to confirm this and the rea- sons for the differences between the East Texas variable salinity bays and the South Texas hypersaline bays should be more critically studied than I can do now. It suffices here to enumerate several possible as- pects with respect to which there exist differences. They are: 1 Average yearly water temperatures and different maximum and minimum water temperatures. 2 Salinity regime of the water. 3 Current patterns and total flux of water masses. 4 Sediment loads of bay waters and differences in nutrient content. O000000000000 Page 83 eo THOLOGIST 107g ts . a ; ASAT Ni Ur n> 18 | ACADE: VOLUME X, NO, 9 aa LB 4 14050 | MAY, 1974 | NOTES: & NEWS| ‘ SS IDENTIFICATION SESSION, ELECTION RESULTS FOR MAY The last meeting of this current society year will be held on Wednesday, May 22, at 8 p.m. at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. For the benefit of newer members, we remind you that there will be no meetings in June and July. We begin a new year in August. This last session includes a roundup of business items to be discussed, and new officers will be announced from the count of ballots mailed members. L. N. Dexter, chairman of the nominating committee, presented the following slate to be voted on by mailed ballot you have in your hands now: Fritz Lang, president Carol Courtade, program vice-president Fannie Miron, field trip vice-president William Keeler, recording secretary me Wilson Ward, treasurer Charlie Doh, Sam Miron, Helmer Ode, and W. W. Studow, directors Tina Petway, program chairman, says the program this month will be of interest to all of us. The evening will be devoted to identifying some of "those Little devils we all have stuffed away in a shoe box with no names on them'’, The idea is to try and help each other clear up identi- fications. Members are asked to bring a few favorite books from areas that they are most familiar with in assisting in identification. Share your knowledge night is the theme. Please limit the number of specimen shells you bring to five or six shells, and please do have some collec- tion or locality data for the shells. Without the latter it would not be worthwhile and positive identification would be difficult. DUES FOR THE COMING YEAR ARE DUE NOW. PLEASE PAY WILSON WARD ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE ON INSIDE PAGE, NOTE OF THANKS The delicious cookies and cakes we enjoyed at intermission during the Program on Australian Volutes presented by Mr. Frank Abbottsmith were baked and donated by the following people and to whom I wish to express my true appreciation. Mrs. Porter, mother of Geneva Porter of Galveston, Wilson Ward, Lloyd Meister, Fannie Miron, Barbara Hudson, Rosemary Harber- rage o+ The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published monthly August through May (nine issues with November-December combined) at Houston, Texas. The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST is mailed, postpaid, to regular and subscribing members of the Society, with the exception that only one copy is mailed to a family. RATES AND DUES Family membership $6.00 Single membership $5.00 Student membership $2.00 Subscriber $4.00 Single issues $ .50 Vol. IX issues $1.00 Extra sets mailed members at subscription rate of $4.00 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR STAFF MEMBER Helmer Odé - 664-9942 W. W. Sutow - 748-7233 4811 Braeburn Drive 4371 North MacGregor Way Bellaire, Texas 77401 Houston, Texas 77004 ASSOCIATE EDITOR CIRCULATION Mrs. Hollis Q. Boone = 668-8252 Mr. & Mrs. Sam Miron 3706 Rice Boulevard 5238 Sanford Street Houston, Texas 77005 Houston, Texas 77035 The TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the editorial board. Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced and should be submitted to. the editorial staff. macher and Carole Courtade. I want to thank John Hernandez, an employee of the Museum of Natural Science, for his help in making the two big urns of coffee, setting up the tables for serving the refreshments and cleaning the urns and kitchen after the intermission. John was not a committee member but we certainly owe him a vote of thanks for all his assistance Sincerely, (Merle Kleb), Chairman of Refershment Committee AUCTION REMINDER Please don't forget to gather up your spare shells to donate for the auction set for the September meeting. If you travel to areas where you are able to collect and perhaps even buy a few for this auction, please remember the funds derived from this event go into the publications' fund. The annual dues do not cover the cost of our publications. It has been suggested that each member think of providing at least five specimen shells for the auction, but Merle Kleb, chairman, says that more will be appreci- ated. The club is able to provide a letter of donation of shells to a non-profit organization as this is such a society. However, it has also been discussed at the last meeting that this will be reserved for large amounts of shells or a larger monetary gift of shells. We expect each member to give some shells. It has been noted that locally collected specimen shells will be welcome, too, as they may help others learn to know shells and where to find them and also complete collections. Minute shells, properly identified, will be welcome. The auction will probably be both verbal and silent, with perhaps a table of shells priced for sim- ple sale if auction time is limited. This event is for members only. Page 85 TOO SHORT A VISIT by Merle Kleb The Houston Conchology Society members, guests and friends were privi- leged, indeed, to have seen and heard an outstanding program presented by Mr. Frank Abbottsmith of Perth, Western Australia, on Friday evening, April 12, 1974, at The Museum of Natural Science. The primary subject was Australian Volutes shown in color slides by the use of two projectors and two screens simultaneously. One screen revealed a group of Volute species in various colors and forms while the second screen showed close- ups of the individual forms. There was a group of color slides showing living Volute species, some taken in their natural habitat. Also in- cluded were color slides of Harps, Cypraea, and Olives. Interspersed, for a change of thought, were color slides of interesting Australian scenery, flowers and animals, such as the koala and kangaroo. Narration was done by Mr. Abbottsmith in his fascinating Australian. accent and augmented by his personally humorous remarks. It was apparent that he had spent many years studying the Australian Volutes and many other fam- ilies of shells. Due to a tragic automobile accident several years ago, which left him partially disabled, Mr. Abbottsmith can no longer do his own shell col- lecting either by diving or beachcombing. His collecting is now limited to trading or buying. He has an advantage over most of us where trading is concerned because of his previous years of collecting rare and prime specimens from such a prolific Volute producing area as Australia. Often he is rewarded with the gift of a fine specimen in return for his help with identification. He admits that he buys a shell occasionally when he is tempted by a rare specimen that he does not have. His personal opinion to the collector hobbyist is that buying shells offers the better opportunity to be selective whereas trading usually offers a limited choice or no choice at all. Of course, if you can swim, dive and travel, this is by far the most interesting and fascinating. But how many of us can do all of these? Perth, a city of approximately 400,000 population, is in the State of Western Australia which consists of about one third of the continent of Australia. Mr. Abbottsmith now resides in Perth. Very lovely shells come from Western Australia but must be obtained almost entirely by dredging because of the quick drop off of the continental shelf in that area. Before moving to Perth, a number of years ago, Frank lived in Sydney in the State of New South Wales which lies on the southeastern side of the Australian Continent. Sydney is a city of about 4,000,000 popu- lation. A lovely city but a big city with big city living costs. Frank ‘likes living in Perth, the smaller city with smaller living costs par- ticularly since his retirement. He continues to study shells and their animal inhabitants more scientifically, though he says he never claimed to be a scientist. For the average collector, Australia's Great Barrier Reef is still the favorite area. But the Great Barrier Reef is not a place you can reach easily or without some expense. You must charter a boat to take you out at a cost of $150 per day. Frank Abbottsmith suggests that if you get to Australia and want to go to the Reef, get in touch with one of the local shell clubs there and try to arrange a trip with a group of collectors. Thirty people can then charter the boat at a cost of $5.00 per person. July and August are the best months for shells there. Page 86 When I first met Frank Abbottsmith I was impressed with his friendliness and sincerity. He is very proud of his country. He enjoys talking about it and brags, as he well should, if he is sure you won't be offended and perhaps think he is being critical of the United States in a subtle way. Patriotism, I call it, a quality I find refreshing in this day and time. Mr. Abbottsmith likes the United States and Americans and is enjoying his travels here and the opportunity to make so many new friends. He is fas- cinated by all the places he has been and looks forward to the remaining seven months he will be in America. He is collecting color slides as he goes and will be showing them to his Australian friends when he returns home. Mr. Abbottsmith's journey began in Perth, Australia last January. On his way to the United States he stopped in Hawaii to present his program to the Hawaiian Shell Club. From Hawaii he flew to Los Angeles, California, moved up the west coast from California to Oregon and Washington present- ing his program here and there as he went. From Washington he came through Utah and Arizona to Texas. Before arriving in Houston he had presented his program in San Antonio, San Marcos and Corpus Christi. At this time it must be said that this gentleman is doing all of this at his own expense. He neither ask nor expects any renumeration for his pro- grams. He even donates two lovely shells as door prizes at each program. It is just his way of bringing something of interest from Australia to American shell collectors and at the same time enjoying a visit to Ameri- ca. A lifetime dream he has saved for. He has appreciated the invitations he has received and accepted to be a guest in the homes of some shell club members during his traveling. He is grateful for these offers for two reasons. First, he says it is the best way to learn about a country, by knowing it's people. Secondly, the Australian government allows him to take only $4,000 out of the country for this trip. The COMPLETE trip will last three weeks short of a year. So you can understand that his allowance is a relatively small one for such an extended trip. Most of his traveling in the United States is by bus, which is more economical, but also allows him a closer look at America. During his week in Houston, Frank was the house guest of our club program chairman, Tina, and her hus- band, Frank Petway. Mr. Abbotsmith left Houston by bus to visit New Orleans just for sight- seeing. From New Orleans he was going to St. Louis, Chicago and on. He will be in Boston at the time of the A.M.U. meeting. From Boston he will travel down the east coast, completing his trip in the United States in Miami, Florida. He will depart from Miami for Europe for various stops and visits before returning to Perth about mid-December of this year. It was my pleasure to have Frank Abbottsmith as a dinner guest on Easter Sunday along with the rest of our large family, thirty in all. Frank fas- cinated our family with his accent, humor and some surprising hidden talents. He sat down at my piano and played a number of selections from a book of semi-classical music, "The Blue Danube", for example. He told us some interesting things about Australia and was asked many questions which he gladly answered with patience and wit. He seemed pleased that we were in- terested in his personal life and his country. During the questions and answers we discovered that, at one time, Frank had been a tournament bowl- er, table tennis player and golfer. Some of these activities had to be abandoned after the automobile accident injuries. However, he can still shoot a mean game of pool now and then. Recently he had a try at bowling (Continued Page 91) Page 87 SO SEARCH AND SEIZURE by Constance Boone An Rx for summer could well include traveling to one of the meetings of malacologists and conchologists. Another Rx could be issued to those members who have wanted to learn more about shells but who are bound at home. The Western Society of Malacologists will be held June 19-22 at the Kel- logg West Center for Continuing Education on the campus of California State Polytechnic College at Pomona, California. Dr. James H. McLean of the Los Angeles County Museum is president. This will be the 7th annual meeting. The 40th annual meeting of the American Malacological Union will be held with the Connecticut Valley Shell Club and the Springfield Museum of Science as hosts at Springfield, Mass., August 4-7. Dr. Harold D. Murray of Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, is president. The Houston Society is a member of AMU, and literature is available on this meeting at Springfield. Please call C. Boone, 668-8252, if you are in- terested in having details. The two societies plan a joint meeting in California in 1975. The 1974 convention of Conchologists of America will be held in Seattle, Washington, June 13-16. There will be an optional collecting trip through Washington and British Columbia on June 17-19. Tom Rice, editor Of Sea and Shore magazine, will be host. But, if you are stuck at home and need a prescription for learning more about shells, the order here is for you to investigate our library more thoroughly than you have been doing. The Rx would be to take Dr. Sutow's current book list and check these out by areas from the library. Even though you may not be interested in all the areas, it helps to read about the shells in other parts of the world. Sometimes shells have been given different names but are so similar to shells in our areas. When we first got our big start on library books, several of us checked out the books over and over to see shapes of shells, to read descriptions, to familiarize ourselves with families of shells. An Rx could include calling Ann Speers at the Museum and asking her to choose a few books for you to start on and requesting that they be left at the front desk if you aren't able to go by the Museum the days Anne is there. Try checking out the earliest volumes of Texas Conchologist, too, and check out volumes of old shell club publications. There are so many hints on collecting and notes on shells to be studied. Use this Rx! OOOCOOVOQ00000000 Page 88 MOLLUSCANA by W. W. Sutow, M.D, These are the final 1l selections for what might be considered to be a reasonable nucleus of a core library for the amateur conchologists. The present selections consist of publications on various subjects which could not be included conveniently in the broad categories discussed previously. 1. Abbott, R. T.: American Malacologists (1973-1974) 2. Arnold, W. H.: A Glossary of a Thousand-and-one Terms Used in Conchology (1965) 5. purpess, GC. M.: The Living Cowries (1970) 4. Marsh, J. A. & Rippingale os ees Cone Shells of the World (1964) 5. McMillan, N. F.: British Shells (1968) oS, MICea, oS Mollusques Testaces Marins de la Cote Occidentale d'Afrique (1950) 7. Nordsieck, F.: Die europaischen Meeresmuscheln (Bi-valvia) vom Eismeer bis Kapverden, Mittelmeer und Schwarzen Meer (1969) Die europaischen Meers-Gehauseschnecken (Prosobranchia) vom Eismeer bis Kapverden und Mittelmeer (1968) Die europaischen Meeresschnecken (Opisthobranchia mit Pyramidellidae; Rissoacae) vom Eismeer bis Kapverden, Nittelmeer und Schwarzes Meer (1972) S- Kice, @:'t.: Coastal Brazilian Seashells (1970) 9 Stix, H.& M. and Abbott,R.T.:The Shell. Five Hundred Million Years of Inspired Design (1968) 10. Weaver, C. S. & du Pont,J.E.:The Living Volutes (1970) ll, Zeigler, R.F. & Porreca, H.C.: Olive Shells of the World (1969) The ''American Malacologists'" includes short biographical sketches furnished by professional and amateur malacologists in this country. Information on great many of the fellow collectors is available but a considerable number still is not included. Historical briefs of those that have died are presented in one section. It should be anticipated that, as revised editions are published, the coverage will be increasingly more complete. For some years, The International Directory of Conchologists had served the purpose of providing names and addresses of shell collectors throughout the world. That Directory was started by John Q. Burch and had been continued by Richard E, Petit (latest edition - 1970). Other sources for names and ad- dresses of shell collectors are the rosters frequently compiled in shell ¢lub publications and the membership list that appears in the Annual Bul- letin, The American Malacological Union, Inc. The thin booklet by Arnold is the nearest thing to a handy specialized dictionary for the shell collector that one wili find. Most of the termi- nology one is likely to use are included. Even browsing through the pages will build up one's vocabulary and will sharpen the precision of under- standing things conchological. The book on cowries by Burgess appears to be widely read. It should be of considerable help to all amateurs. But continued perusal of current scienti- fic journal pages is required to maintain some perspective of new informa- tion regularly being accumulated about this popular family. An older reference Cowry Shells of World Seas by J. Allen (1956) may still be useful Page 89 for those more than casually interested in the cowries. Recently there has appeared a monumental publication entitled A Catalogue of Living and Fossil Cowries by M. Schilder and F. A. Schilder (1971). No pictures or photographs are included. The publication, however, lists all names (and sources) for cowries that have appeared in the literature up to the time of the publication of the catalogue. Of considerable importance is the extensive bibliography of source references. The definitive treatise on cone shells of the world is yet to be published. The only one available is included on the list. The books dealing with specific regions such as the Japanese books on South Pacific shells, Cerno- horsky's volume and especially the recent book by Hinton all contain sections on this family. For cone shells of the American coasts, there are, in addition to Johnsonia and Keen's Seashells of Tropical West America, reprint editions such as West American Mollusks of the Genus Conus by G. D. Hanna (1963) and by G. D. Hanna & A. M. Strong (1949) which provide more detailed data, For the mollusks of Great Britain there are at least two other recent publications that could have been included. These are: British Proso- branchs by A. Graham (1971) and British Bivalve Seashells by N. Tebble (1966). Both are authoritative and well-written (and illustrated) and discuss the species found in this geographic area. Unfortunately, I could not locate recently published monographs which cover the molluscan fauna of the European waters and which are written in English. The three volumes by Nordsieck are in German and the illustrations are primarily line drawings. These drawings are satisfactory for some purposes but the amateur collector seeking guidance for identification purposes would have preferred colored photographs. However, the scope of the book extends over a vast area from the Baltic Sea along the western shores of Europe to Cape Verde, then eastward to include the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. For a more restricted area, such as the Adriatic Sea, there is another book in German entitled Fauna und Flora der Adria by R. Riedl (1963). © The Shell is a mammoth publication, in size and scope. The large: size hard- back edition should be obtained. This is a book to be enjoyed (the daz- zling photographs are intended to accentuate the artistry and beauty of shell form) and not to be used as identification aids. This is the book for the front room - for your guests and non-collector friends to browse over. A smaller publication with the title Shells - Pleasures and Treas- ures by R. Cameron (1961) presents also the artistic as well as historical aspects of shells. The latter book contains good illustrations as well as interesting text. More specialized is the famous Shell Oil Company book on The Scallop by Ian Cox (1957). All these books provide fascinating material compiled and written to please the reader's eye and mind without the strain that accompanies a plethora of scientific data. The molluscan fauna of the west coast of Africa is not well publicized in print. The book by Nickels is written in French but the Latin names are universal. Similarly, references written in English describing seashells of South America are not easily found. The book by Rios covers only a very small portion of the continent to our south. OOD0000N0QO00000000 Page 90 EDITORIAL STATEMENT by H. Ode” This issue concludes the 10th volume of the Texas Conchologist. For the benefit of our readers in it, a table of contents of these ten volumes is presented. Anyone who has tried to, compose such a table can appreciate the difficulty in keeping it to a reasonable length. For that reason, not every mentioned species has been always cited but a choice was made. Au- thors names were entirely omitted and most emphasis was placed on citations from the Texas fauna. Time was too short to make a really efficient cross index, but we hope that this table can serve its purpose. At this moment the precise format of the 1lth volume has not been decided upon. It appears probable that we will revert to the policy of several years ago and publish four or even three larger issues per year, unless enough copy becomes available to publish at regular short time intervals. Editorial duties will be undertaken by Mr. W. R. Keeler, assisted by sev- eral experienced editorial staff members such as Mrs. C. Boone and Dr. W. Sutow. I will remain available for technical advice. TOO SHORT A VISIT (continued) again but is having to adjust to a different method for delivering the bowling ball. The steel plates and pins in one leg permits only limited use of that leg. Speaking for my family and myself, it was a rare treat to have had the opportunity to meet and visit with this all'round, "jolly good" Egg from Australia. Frank Abbottsmith is a widower, father of three grown children and a re- tired Australian Commonwealth Statistician. He is a member of the Western Australian Shell Club and an honorary member of ALL the shell clubs in Australia. He has been collecting and studying shells since he started school, some fifty years ago. He thought HE had been collecting for a long time till he met some charter shell club members, now in their nineties, who are still collecting and studyinz shells. He has been of assistance to a number of authors of shell books but wants no mention or gratification for his help. He just likes shells! And isn't that true of all of us "shell nuts''? OODDDD00QOO0000000 Page 91 TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUMES I-X Volume numbers are given by Roman numerals. Volumes I, II and III were not paginated and the numbers between brackets indicate the issue, of which there are nine per volume. refer to the page numbers. For the other volumes the numbers cited In Volume X there were a number of appendices, which are given by the capital letters A, B, C, D, E and F. Some effort was made to cover most of the text material. Incidental citations of most tropical shells were left out. Citations of the beach notes and illustra- ted short notes have been underlined. Authors names have been omitted. Abra aequalis " ticies Aclididae Acteon candens ™ tneisus " punctostriatus Adula sp. Aequipecten gibbus " glyptus " irradians " muscosus Agriolimax reticulatus Alaba incerta Alabina Alabina cerithidioides Alexania Aligena floridana " texasiana Alvania auberiana Amaea mitchelli Amaura sp. Amphissa sp. Amusium dalli " papyraceum Amygdalum papyria Amygdalum sp. Anachis avera _ " semiplicata 3 " similis " floridana iontha obesa " ostreicola " semiplicata " translirata Anadara baughmani “ brasiliana " chemnitzi " lienosa Ba-wzhe Il, (6); VI, 88; ViEliis, 30. 69; X, B. I, (2) III, (7). Tar (/)5 Torts); de Usps 1551 16) 2 NM, 9. VI, 79, Bs, Pert, Wa JO XATE, FE. Ur 59) 87, 89. ¥..7;1Vili, 30. Iv, 3. CC eriy, 3, 40; IV, 16grkaofi yom EV, S;yVIII, 43. PILI .7 55. TZ, (6). 17%. 47). 1, (ae: WLI 91 SVL ED, 30.0 Til. (3). IX, 50. V; oe 87; Vit, 3; VItL,. 69; IX, 50 VEL, oh VEIL, 44. PS (ae TEE ONS EV y 18s. Wet, SPs, V5.5. LXse Ek Vida ¥ 420. BY, 3. Tey 2NIII, 30. Bey see VELL, G9; X, 77, A. Vie Ste Dep, (Foy TEE (5)i3 EV, 45. EY, “Ck).- Eup (ons EEL, 1€9); VI, 86, By (ope TER .Ch)s VE 2186.9(89;,ViL. + 413 7D. VII, 58. iv, 2oe V, 18; VI, 16, 86; VIL.ad; WEEI 5743; (%)-7k, De Ven to. VI, 79, 86; VIL, 473. 9I1E, 10; Samad 1. 3460. Wis oe 971, 77, dD. VII, 58, VIII, 44. iti, (4). 2 iis pee) STEVES “Sy VL, Bo, Bs PEL.peo); X, 54. Thieves); VIII, 43. Page 92 Anadara notabilis Tit, (3). " Ovalis III, (4); IV, 7, 45; VI, 15; VIII, 30, 69; RP As ' transversa TIT, (3) 3 ‘IV, 7; °VI,° 163 87; VILL} GOSPG9; MATT As Angel wing TIF AC7}R Anguispira alternata cressa VII, 85, VIII, 28, 40. . " strongyloides VII, 85, VIII, 28, 41. Anodontia alba TIL, €6)% Anomalocardia cuneimeris TV oe. Vis BOi. me Fis, Be " rostrata ty, 30. Anomia simplex Vo 3j.N1,.15, 87; VIIL, 30,*695°R i> 77 yen, Antarctic VFi, 5. Anticlimax pilsbryi L¥,i243 Vi,.11, 66; VIII; /0;0R,oRe: Antigona callimorpha EV. 94% " listeri TV i355 " strigillina TWii3l, VIII, 45. Aorotrema sp. VII, 94. Aplysia 2) ew ee Aplysia brasiliana PU 247); VIIT, 3. " dactylomela Tae che) 3 VIELE. 2: " donca TST 0X7); VIII, 3. " floridensis Tits? G@). '" morio TEE c42)5 VIET, 3. " protea T174-(7). " willcoxi Tiida); Vill, 3. Aransas If, 459. Arca imbricata III Ae ee i '" zebra TAI ES) 5 oLV, adic Architectonica nobilis II, (6); IV,.34; VIII, 43; X, 62. Arcopsis adamsi Wo Gas LEE. £3). Asaphis deflorata Ee? CB): Assemblages ViL,<24% 54, 62; VII, 543%, *65°7 2°82 Assiminea succinea TTT, (9);. IVA 46, 79, 86;* ie" Saree Atlanta gaudichaudi Wi. 825 " peroni V¥;1835¢ VIII, 43. o Sexe Ven be Atrina seminuda Ede ah) 5: VES L355 os As " serrata cL oF Atys riiseana Va SRe VI; 67, 80% Balcis conoidea WI, 94; VIII, 60. " hemphilli Vi, O62. VIIE, 070; 1.2%," DB, '' jamaicensis VI, 94. Barbatia cancellaria III, (4). " candida fC I Oo) '' domingensis eles); Ky 353. " tenera CTT > 2X4) 5 Barnea costata WE, ADs " truncata 14°{8)5 ILL, 7; VI, 16, 80,5°Re5*mrc7z, Basterotia elliptica ie, 52. ' quadrata i OE As Bathyal Zone ERE Batillaria minima Iv, 10. Beckianum beckianum WA1i5*.56. Bentharca asperula III, (4). Berghia coerulescens ViId 5 . Bermudaclis bermudensis Ui, 30 Page 93 Besla elegans WEil.w36, 52, 70; X;0°E. Bimini V; ie. Bittium varium eee wees 21, (1), C26) 5, Ty, 245. Wha, 79,865 wart, FO; X, 784,Bs~D. i, (3p, 66); tats 8); 1¥, 36, 55; V, 5.020s.52, 72: Vi; -32; 435 44, .565,67-),, 90; 96; Vai, 20, 41, 347 66, B250V1i5; | 47,58, frasie, SL, 100; IX, 35, 36,.41: mee 51, SA, 55, 70. Booklist Book Review Botula fusca Vi, 39, Brachidontes citrinus VI, 47. " exustus Wh, toy 425 Wil ya XH0ls ewe " recurvus iv, 225 Vi, 4/7, 87; VIIT, 69,535.08 Brasil VIII, 46. Bulinulus alternatus Ver, Ga: VIII, 27, 42. " dealbatus Wer.; 64; VIII, 27. " d. mooreanus Wit.; ea, VIII, 27, 41. " d. ragsdalei VEL, .@3; VIII, 27, 42. Bulla eburnea EL.) G72- " sp. Ad art VD. " striata ie. . 4003; Vi, 87; ZX, 76, E. Bullata ovuliformis VIII, 45. Bursatella plei Wiliy, 3: Busycon candelabrum IX, 33. " contrarium tL, €2e AV, 45; VI, 15, 86; " perversum IX, . a3, 34;; 863, X5, D. " spiratum ig tapq Vi, TS, 86; VIII, -44;..1%...33; 86. Cadulus sp. VIII, 44. Caecum bipartitum VIII, 44. " condylum Vi, «tae " cooperi El, wae; VILIs, 43. " glabrum Einewtens LLL, (7); V, 8: VI, .86%.VEIE, 70; AC. " pulchellum Ee, tees Wor 8; AL, B63, VIIT, 703 x, 77, C. * SD, Rs; ft Calipyrgula circumstriata VII, 82. Calliostoma euglyptum II, (9). Callista eucymata IV, 51. Callocardia texasiana Calyptraea centralis Cancellaria reticulata be, (ds BV. 63; VI, 15; VIIE, 60; xX; A. V, 83; VIII, 43. he (/s Vi, 16. Cantharus cancellarius Il Ge IV,7453: VIII 43. " tinctus ies ten; 2, 53. Cardiomya ornatissima VET, 59. Sp. VIZ 13s Cardita floridana Ty (85, BET, €5)5) Xo,)74- 8 Carditamera avata I Carpenter, P.:P. Carychium exile Catalogues Catinella avara Cavolina longirostris " quadridentata tridentata trispinosa W " uncinata Vil. 24, 36. VIII, 26, 39. fix Cay 110,. VII, 86; VIII, 28. Ww. di; Vi, 89, VIII, 30. Iv, 11. rae iv. £1. T¥.- 3); Viti, 45. Page 94 Ceciliodes acicula Cephalopods Cerberella tanna Cerithidea pliculosa Cerithiopsis emersoni " greeni subulata Cerithium floridanum " litteratum sp. variabile Chaetopleura apiculata (corrected for Acanthopleura) Chama congregata " florida Checklists " Chemnitzia abrupta " aequalis atypha belotheca compsa curta dalji exarata heilprini hemphilli inclinata kymatoessa leuca ‘laevis modesta pulchella pusilla " rhabdota Sp. swifti turris unilirata uruguayensis Chione cancellata clenchi grus intapurpurea ' paphia ' pubera W " " " " " Chlamys benedicti Chrysallida seminuda Clathridrillia albinodata Cleaning of shells Clio pyramidat. Clothing Cochliolepis nautiliformis ". parasitica striata Codakia orbicularis Gs ection H.M.N.S. " VELL,.A93.< TIM fv, 6. pee OP Lae VE, OO; 2, 785 Ds weil» ‘IO, TV, 1065, 24; 86; VEIT; +10 EV 3-28, Sele TIL, (5). 4). IT, (4) VI, 86. ‘ - , 44, 105s, eee a C4) 7 VS 85 VIL S PF, VEEL, “709 2 eee Cig 69, VII, 70; Xx, 78. fewer), VIII, 30. Sei L Plats ay) 2 EV, BF; 31; V, 29-32, 4am Wee 51, 85; VILIS* 20% Wet 50, 62, 65; X, E. VEIT, 950; GAS202%, 788 VETE +50. VEII, 50. VIdIs 250. VIII, 50. Vitt.—90, 63. VE *50. Weutjeso, 63. VEED, £816 3.165. VES, 62. Wirt .*5!'. Vror 90. Vite! . vats 1 . Wrrne ror. MELERSS 1. VEIT S51". Yee. ce i A Vem MS); 63, Maaldguas",*5 1,’ 62. ORR jel . Bee) Sy 355) VOLI 69S KX, ar, oe Bee 6TP; IV, 42; VIS"RS te: VITr, ae Pee TV. 42, 7; VOLT. -43. sa ee) Made, 16; VITE S44, Tis 2. A al. Pete VIS I , 44, VELE S44. VBEY.23. Epeuoyiae (4). Py, Sie. VI, 42. oes VL, 23. wowace, 73; VI, 23. moe; IV, 38; V, O25 Viwi2Z, ous [TEy-“(6) . Ve-—oeex, 46, 60, 73. Page 95 Congeria leucopheata Conservation Conus austini " ¢larky " Sp. Coralliophila aberraus Corambella baratariae Corbula barattiana " Swiftiana Cosmioconcha calliglypta Costaclis Cowries Crassinella galestonensis ry lunulata mactracea martinicensis Crassispira fuscescens - leucocyma ostraerum Crassostrea rhinophorae ‘i virginica Cratena kaoruae Crenella sp. Crepidula convexa - fornicata plana Creseis acicula _ virgula Crucibulum auricula Cryoturris serta " Sp. Cumingia coarctata “4 telliniodes Cuspidaria granulata Cuvierina columnella Cyclinella tenuis Cyclocardia armilla Cyclopecten nanus Cyclostremella humilis Cyclostremiscus beaui ss cubanus jeannae pentagonus Sp. suppressus Err ix Cylichna bidentata Cymatium krebsi ss muricinum nicobaricum parthenopeum pileare poulseni Cypraea cervus U..35. Pees he VIL, 29, 32; IX, 43. Maerts VII, 45. VIII, 44. TE*(5). ft eth): V,.71. ETE; 2, EES2C1): ‘VI, 70; 88; VIT; 3: VIIT, 30; X, c. Peery: VL, 70; VIL, 3; VILL, 44; x, C. WEEE; °45, WES 35. Pitas) 20; 307 VIE, SEC 9S: Voy 3914 RVers: V, 71; VEIT, 30, 43769; xX, A. V, 71. V, 71. wir. 34. VII, 34. VII, 34. Il 2). Saeses)-: Vi, 87; VET 6s. x; "53, 77, A. WELLE. 72. VI, 59. Bid-05); V9: VI, 867 °X 77, D. V~63>- Vi, 16,86; -VITI, 43. Po Gia5 -V, 03; VI, 15, 863 VIII, 30, 70; Er CG); ys VY, 19S VE, 79, 69: VEIL, 30. T¥5.-1T. Ws 202 83; VIL, 43. vite 25. VIII, 45. Ey (4). weeees, (4)5, VI, 885 VIII, 69; X, 77, ES. VITl. 4&4. £V-ER, IV, 50; VIII, 44; X, A. EL 8). ae as VIII, 43. Pesce); LIL (9); iV, 38; 'V, 6, 38, B85; Me, 79,0005 Vit. 35.233. avo coe, VE. 3. Wisco. wre, 25, 1k, 88. aw ee Vo. tS VI, 2. 63; 86s Vit, 452 2. cP ly! Se Iv, 2s Va, 73 VE, 2, _14,. 665--x,. a. ETT, €9). Tr “C4y. VE,’ os Vie 47 Vv, 47. V, 47. II, (1), (4); V, 46. Vee. Cypraca cincerae TU... 4. mus ¥id. sat, 80. Cypraecassis testiculus 1, 2th. Cyrtopleura costata T,.tans gil, (7); VE, 88; VITL, Geiceee Daphnella morra WiLL « see v Dentalium callipeplum ETT. t1). o Cardius EAL st). ce eboreum Til f1). - gouldii ELT sth) - laqueatum Trl ioe r+ sericatum Ltt... (1), . sp. VIII, 44. ss texasianum Tht. 4)5 Mis BBs, VIIL,. 20. .005 3, ee Depressiscala nautlae Per rae, iv, Ais Deroceras laeve WL bare Diacria quadridentata VILt. ae Dinocardium robustum Be thin) Lie (18)5 AV 453 VL. Slee a 44; X, B. : r. vanhyningi ET.” (a). Diodora cayenensis IVa sas, V, 58; VILI, 44; 3, 54.) ine Diplodonta nucleiformis ELT. -f >). u punctata cl eee Mm semiaspera Pee, toy: IV, 25; X; Be soror Lit. Yo); VI, 83; VIII, 302%, A. " turgida Vil, os, 99. Diplothyra smythi Pie. €2)5 S11. (7), (9)3. Vhs, Bas Boe Discadoris hedgpethi BELLI 934. Diseases ite tips Veils, 90. Distorsio clathrata Ei Mee, Vs 365.47; VILL 4 43. megintyi V, 36. se perdistorta Ty 53> Divaricilla quadrisulcata Tit. (). Donax bet Bl mi ey OM Donax denticulata III ys 4s fossor cit Tce). . roemeri ¢ oe os tumidus Per sae)s LV; 45; WI, 15; VEEL, ae. variabilis roemeri Lit, wGe); IV, 155 VL, Be. Dosinia discus ae AJ); Tis (8)3 IV, 45, 505 Vi, 25, eee P elegans Ly, aoe VELL, 43. Drum diet Til . Gs) « Drupa didyma V5 S93. Echinochama arcinella Ditters Aes. Vill, 20s Editorials V. ta. x, 46. Ensis directus Et 2). minor Ts, 406 ths (2), 8; 1V,, 45; Vi, Bosca ae Dis Ensitellops constricta Vite aD; VIEL, 69. ‘ Sp. Teeawtes) Ay 7), A. Eontia bisulcata TET ya) . Episcynia inornata ives. aus Vis 22. Epitonium V5 7Us Epitonium albidum ite oo; TV, 1950; 83. Vi,, Bos. Vile ee 7 angulatum fees iL, CO), (8), IV; “283° VI, 16, “mee ss apiculatum P, Yer) £6) 5, FV .0195 Vy 87004, Bee 6s candeanum EVs ze, V, G3, Vi, 80, 09; Page 97 Eyeroeium championi foliaceicostum humphreysi t krebsi lamellosum multistriatum " novangliae rupicola sericifilum of tollini uni fasciatum Erato maugeriae Ervilia concentrica Erycina periscopiana Ethalia reclusa Ethyl acetate Euconulus chersinus trochulus Eucrassatella speciosa Euglandina singleyana " texasiana Eulimastoma bartschi ci canaliculata harbisonae teres weberi Evalea emeryi Fargoa dianthophila Fasciolaria hunteria " lillium ° tulipa Florida Florida Keys Flower Gardens Freshwater mussels Fusinus couei bs eucosmius a timessus Gastrocopta armifera " contracta cristata pellucida hordeacella Gastrocopta pentodon . procera rupicola Gemma gemma purpurea Geoduck Glaucus marinus Glycymeris americana : pectinata spectralis undata Gouldia cerina By 264 27. Iv, 27. Timao)s IV, 19, 40, 45; V, 8; X, D Iv, 19. TV.) 26% Eo, (on IV, 26: V, 85; Nien 8G5..%, Ds Soest, (Oo); FB (265 By 8; V1, 86; Viti, 43. E98) Bi, (6); 71V, 275 My Bay VI, 86; Minty) 70% x, 7D. . Gos Tl, (9): Waddie ba VE iy EPs (Ge: FV,:195 57, 8; Vi“« Sb. Eom je It, (1). VIIE. rh¥. Wil has VIIL» 28. VIII, 43. Wil ges: VIIL, 28, 41. Vit. fy) 64; VIII, 27, 42. TX. bo. Wie, (705 SEX, VIGs 14s XX). 7848. Tee 10g 145%; 76, E. Tees. vi9;, VELL, 70; XE Viti. we; ik, 6).135 Aydin WPrr, ao; TX, 11, 15; XX, -e. VEIT, HO; IX, 10; X, £. Limes VEIL, 44; %, 53, 77. I, (8) het sue TEL, 2¢5) 5 VIET, (82. ET, c6P) ac LIE (4). IV, 46; IX, 23. Wert, GG, 28. Vil. Ge: VILI, 28. Witty 1%, 28. Witt, 25,28, 40. Wes 5G5 VLEp 773 Ky ck. Wee, 40> IX, 18. Ee 01); FV, 433 VIEL, 30: Page 98 Granoturris padolina Graphis underwoodae Gregariella opifex Growth Guaymas Gulf of Mexico Guppya gundlachii Haminoea antillarum m elegans succinea Haplotrema concavum Hastula cinerea e luctusosa maryleeae salleana Hawaiia minuscula Helicina chrysocheila “ fragilis elata orbiculata tropica Helicodiscus eigenmanni Helix aspersa Hemiaclis Henrya Henrya goldmani ie henryi morrisoni sp. Heteropoda Hiatella arctica History Holospira roemeri Hydrobia barretti me booneae Sp. Hydrobiidae Indian culture Iphigenia brasiliana Ischnochiton papillosus Isla Mujeres Isla Dernieres Isognomon alatus ve bicolor radiatus Ithycythara sp. Janthina exigua es globosa janthina pallida prolongata umbilicata Japan Jouannetia quillingi Vil, 35s Mise Vil, 53. Viv. Gin Viil, 43. V, 40. VI, 43; VII, 80. IV, 46; VI, 29. MED,.<23; VIII, 28, 42: Py, 165..V, 56. V,.. 58. MATL. OF, 695 VIL, 77s Ky Os VEU, sa; VIIL, 28, 40% TV, 70. DY OF. 1 ao LY,,..08.. VEE; VIIL, 28. VEEL 7 « VIIGS-S7. VILE +26, ‘S39 ViLAeo; VIII, 28. VELES 453. VL, 35. ELE); IV, 24; V, Tee--vES B7eevEr 7: mais? , ‘C. View. 34s, VIL, 90. VES aoe VI, ‘34. Wines, VIL, 91. TV, ‘22. EV 4g PSN, TO. BAgoks V, 60; VI, 505 VETS "3- VEE Sh. VEEL. Pee Joo X, C, Re thie Mio. 56. VEwSes, VIL. 6, 18, 31,43, Soy ST2 We Lie); VE. 62. Piso. iL FO; XK, 5377s es WE -B,' °E5:. Beats); 1V5573 %, 33% Pints, IV, 25% X,. Bos Tre C37 2 Vi s*35; VIIL, 44. ei SOPs ELL, ACS) . EES G27. Er ey, Lets (5). TLE sc{5) tet ts); VI, 86. ETE, €5). ieee TL, (7), (9); Vi OleNE, 72. Ill q). Page 99 Juvenile mollusks Kellia suborbicularis Kurtziella atrostyla i cerinella limonitella Sp. " W Labiosa lineata Be plicatella Laevicardium fiski laevigatum mortoni pictum Lamellaria leucosphaera Lamellaxis gracilis Ms mexicanus micra Lasaea sp. Leptadrilla splendida Lepton depidum Leucozonia nassa Library W W Lima locklini He pellucida tenera Limax flavus Lioberus castaneus Lithophaga aristata = bisulcata nigra Litiopa melanostoma Littoridina sphinctostoma Littoridinops monroensis " Sp. Littorina angulifera irrorata lineolata meleagris mespiltum nebulosa ZiCzac Lolliguncula brevis Longchaeus crenulatus Lucapinella limatula Lucidella lirata Lucina amianta ‘ floridana Lucina multilineata = sombrerensis Lucinidae Lyonsia hyalina floridana Lyropecten nodosus VE; Jes VIII, 44. VER, Lf. TVS AOY VL, 87; VIL, LBpepnee soll. VIII, 44. VIII, 43. neltiee VEL 15, 71. E;e64)¥ VI, 15, 71, 268 Fine); VIIT, 43. Pie (8); VIET, 69; X, 77 peBe Tiehi(as; VIT, 83, VIII, 30. iti,samy- iV, 5, ZL, 22g rSSge¥2, 67,°73; Mit, 30; VELL, Al; Xe3667960, 737 89. VII, 94, 100. aT eee tty). VIII, 54. LE 2Sdws Vi, 58. Vip oo. Wie ee Vili, 45; xX, 633 Toys, TV, 24, 55; V, ddeud0s Waar, 10; Xe /L, & Wise 725,,00; VIL, 82 ; - ‘ Vii Ube. II UO. G Ager ; Vievl5owelé, Sagams nee Lis, (79 Lik <7) Lt’) (4); VITTS<60% ED. <7) Il Mes Vi, vis IX, 373 Beeabse igi ux Wot TAU: ViLs355 Repetere V1, 87; ViIdtid eee dX yeh Rao FSs Woe ne a, 98. VA T3531» Pigeee); Vil, 35 VIIT, 30: IIL, (6) ame); VII, 3; VIII eaoh LWT); VIL, 94; VIL G4 VET LAS). Hi, (8); hy €, 7/7. 1) pes Page 100 TIT, (9); VidijedageWGil, 69; 7 Macoma aurora 4s brevi frons constricta extenuata leptonoidea limula - mitchelli pulleyi tageliformis - tenta Macrocallista maculata “1 nimbosa Macrophalina - palmalitoris pierrot Mactra fragilis Malleus candeanus Mangelia plicosa Marshall Islands Martesia cuneiformis 4 fragilis vs striata Master's Thesis Matagorda Bay Medicine Megaxinus floridanus Meioceras lermondi 14 nitidum Melampus bidentatus ™ coffeus lineatus Melanella arcuata hemphilli jamaicensis Menestho babylonia rs bushiana impressa seminuda Mercenaria campechiensis c. texana Mesodon roemeri = thyroidus Mesomphix friabilis Microcardium peramabile oi tinctum transversum Milax gagates Miralda abbotti = bushiana decorata dux havanensis Mitrella duclosiana - lunata Z,5{4)e, 11; (Ops Ey 2S, I, (4); V, 34. VirdGeVVEg 155 VIEL, »605.3,:3. Vouso7 Viti, 30. VV, 353 V, 35. SV, 35; We 36¢,VI; ;l6s Xpad. Vix ibe Vireo; IVIL, 44. TB) C205 Vs 343, Vis Bb znE The Rs IV, S33 VIII, 43. Ie) S37 VY, 57. Té\<8)5 Vil, 3. EY, 385 VI, 22. wi lee ee CE ee Y, «ei IV, 16. II, (1), (2), (3), (4)3 IV, 62; V, 13, 97; WIy 12, 243 Wi ky, 84, bit, AT). ETL, (7). Itt, (7). Vil, 167. VIII, 68. tyter; Vill, 5, 80. EE 555,40) cae’ (a0: ¥, 8; KX, Fz: iv, Si; Vi, 16, 87; 1%523985,,%40 54. TV, di iV, 51) Vee pes VL, 95; Midsedds yr 3. V; 19. VIII, 8. ye RE gs Wo, Si, 87; VIIL, 70; Td. 2.-85 X, 8, E. Vi, ov; ix, 4. 8. T.) (/05-Ily (8); IV, 355100, 88; X, B. TY, .35) Wil... 7 » WII,..62; VIII, 27. Wil.{ 7s: VIIL, 28. VIII, 44. LE, <2); IV, 45; V, 183, NEy-86;, Vid,, 58; B, 7, DB. Page 101 Modiolus americanus VI, 58; VIII, 44. “4 demissus Viz, fa 58. a tulipus Tis Clde Modulus modulus Rieti 2h, (9), (5), V Gs Vi, 86; Vill, 44;, X,.. 77, Monilispira monilis VII, 34. Montacuta floridana Law © ae Mudlump fauna i Ou. Mulinia lateralis Pet eee ts heey Lin, (G0, GAS TV. 23, 45; Sin, icy Ue VEEL, 30, UY, A, 77;,0. > pontchartrainensis igs Das Murex brevifrons Ricete« As fulvescens ah, Gas Wy S55. VELL, Ae, . pomum V, 94. Musculus lateralis Its TareV Ls J3- Mya arenaria Vaud U Mysella planulata Ver! eee; VI, o7; Vil, 35 VIIE, 69; Te Shs Xsied 7 9.7bo ” Sp. Vin S74. 1% 51; X,, AK. Mytilopsis leucopheata Kigy tie Nannodiella melanitica VII, 22; VIII, 44. Nassarina glypta Le (as Nassarius acutus Feet Cites 1 Mee 4 56< Vien BGs: Palen 1D: <3. de albus Ethie (0; 222, 49). si sp. VIII, 44. 6 vibex Teuttns 1V, 435.%, 77, OD. Netica canrena IV, 58. Neolithic Trade Routes VILL 24. Neosimnia uniplicata Il iss Nerita fulgurans Lik, te) 3 Wis, 03. = peloronta Ligne? Neritina reclivata Likwae) 5 In; 30s “ tessellata : a versicolor fvih s i virginica New Records Niso interrupta Noetia ponderosa Nomenclature Notocorbula operculata Nucula proxima Nuculana acuta < carpenteri concentrica eborea jamaicensis unca Nudibranchs Octopus vulgaris Odostomia acutidens 4 barretti beauforti bermudensis bisuturalis Pige-ked, Lk, 38; X,, 53, 775 Liga) « VI, 94; VIII, 43. dag; me); Viz 15, SYS Vill, 30, 69; 2B, A. tans ae); (4), & ); VEL, 32. Eeerteee View il; VILI, 30. Ledeas Li, (1); VILI, 30,,09; Tage 2) AV, 23; VI, 48; 875° VIII, 44, 60. eee); VL, 46, 87; VIII, 30, 69; A, A. Tris) 5yNVLL, OD. pe oop 0 Ey ote joe er, 64; V, 183. VI, 46, 66; Vill, 4. Eh; 7. Doge 2h Mae) Ts Page 102 Odostomia b. ovilensis bruneri bushiana camera canaliculata cancellata conoidea dianthophila didyma eburnea emeryi fernandina gemmulosa gibbosa insculpta jadisi jonesi laevigata lubrica modesta morseana nioba pocahontasae ryalea ryclea seminuda S. granatina Odostomia somersi " Sp. spirata styliformis sulcata sulcosa terryi tornata toyatoni 7 trifida ss t. bedequensis unidentata virginica weberi willisi winkleyi Oliva sayana Olivella dealbata 24 jaspidea minuta mutica nivea Opeas pyrgula Ostrea equestris Otala lactea ‘ vermiculata Oyster Reefs Palacios ) a Ik5-?* . nti, Me low TO 2644 En. 2 2S. Recess V1;\ 6/3. VIII, 43. diy as IR 36. Tere. V, L73 Vi, SFo ves, Cee 5: gpg SIM i ig fi Dae ho > Gy fe i gay BP TeE tes Vesls, 18: VL, fos_cr. Veta on Wert..f0,.tk, 16, Let 2, oe. Ie Ix; -20: 1g hg. “Ges Wath? goWE nel Deel i eee Tleelh3) a SII, (6)5 VIII, 43. piel ae, (€6),3 VI, re G7; Vill, 44. pill et Panama Pandora bushiana ie inflata ¥ trilineata Panopea bitruncata Papyridea semisulcata % soleniformis Paramya subovata Parastarte triquetra Parvilucina amianta ™ multilineata Parviturboides interruptus Pecten raveneli Pectinidae Pedipes mirabilis Pen shells Periploma angulifera 4 inequale " margaritaceum " orbiculare Peristichia toreta: Petricola lapicida ' pholadiformis Phacoides pectinatus Phalium granulatum Phasianella concolor Phenacolepas hamillei Philately Philomicus carolinianus flexuolaris Pholas campechiensis Phylloda squamifera Pinctada radiata Pinna carnea Pioneer Texas Conchologist Pitar aresta " cordata dione fulminata SP. Pleurobranchea hedgpethi Pleuromalaxis balesi -Pleuroploca gigantea Plicatula gibbosa Pododesmus rudis Poisonous Cones Polinices duplicatus hepaticus lacteus leptaleus *- tenuis Polygira ariadna p auriformis dor feuilliana implicata VEEES V91. (1), (5). VIII, 43. LEs+€9) », (8) ; Let fSy;.¥, 70. VIL, 183. Li Bic, Vill, 45, ¥V,5025); Vi, 71, 83, 588i VI,2/8z2,.88, 89. X, A. VIII, 69. IV, 38; VI, 10; VII, 65; VIII, 44. $V,12% VIII, 43. TV,. 5% ites oes IV, Si; or as Ligtdb);. VE, 88; VII, 46. TY¥,i#0;. V1, 15; VII, 46. VII, 46. VII, 46; X, C. ix, 37. 1L,/46)3. VI, 15, 88; VITds2 605 v Xp Ba: pits (6); IX, 37; ZhoFijom IV, 25, 40, MERE, 70; °"X, C. I, (8); II, (6); IV, 40; VI, > 155 VIII, 43. VI, 46. VI, VI, 70. TEL. (3), (5) PXOP Ty 5731 V, 54,68, 75, 88, 92: VI, 40, 53; VEILZ,. 66; X,- 21. VII, 86; VIII, 28. LJ1@) ;, IIL, (7); VI, 8; VUE, 60. v, 10. LE 185).5.X, 72. ll, (6). LEESY (4). IV, 51. IV, 43; VI, 15, IV} 151. TRI. VIII, 44, 69. WELT &. EV;,138;, VI, 11. Li 48) 5X, 7. 63. II, (5); VIII, 44. V, 36 SY) walk, 30s (7); II, 66; VIII, “A: E, : Ds EEG*(S);, IV, 58. E¥.+59. 3¥2459. L¥4i59. Vainiy 56. Vaan"49; VItlL,. 27: Wesee 3h: VILLI, 55. VEIT; 56. 16; VIII, 30. Page 104 (6), (S)3 vBWes455 58; VI, 15, Polygira leporina 2% mooreana * m. tholus oppilata _ rhoadsi septemvolva s. volvoxis texasiana ” t. polita " t. tridontoides Polymesoda caroliniana Polystira albida Praticolella berlandieriana * griseola Probability Probythmella protera Proper Labels Provinces Prunum apicinum Pseudochama radians Pseudocyrena floridana Pteria colymbus Punctum vitreum Pupisoma dioscoricolia Pupoides albilabris Purple Snails Pycnodonta hyotis Pyramidella engonia teres Pyramidellacea Pyrgiscus aciculus = alfredi anira areolatus asperulus buteonis cancellatus carolinianus cascoensis cedrous chipolanus conoma conradi costulatus despar edwardensis electra elegans elegantulus enna Exaratus exilis fasciatus flavocinctus fulvocinctus grandis haycocki hecuba VII, 49; VIII, 27. VII, 49; VIII, 27. VII, 49; VIII, 27, VIII, 56. VIII, 56. VII, 49; VIII, 27. VIII, 53. VII, 49; VIII, 27. VII, 52; VIII, 27, VII, 52; VIII, 27. 41. 42. II, (7); VI, 16; VIII, 60. VII, 10; VIII, 43. VII, 61; VIII, 27. VII, 61; VIII, 27, X, 26, 34, 48. 1. 09); 11, (5). £X%4 (8). PiLwvis, 25, 60. 42. ETE 5); V, 46; Ky. 98s Tita 1). be a Pee Pa ise}; IC, 7. Vil, 86; VIII, 28. WII®D.: 25, 39, grams 15, 28. BLE eS). II, (9). 7... 2. WEIL, 22, 34, 50, 62, 74, 94; SImm, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 75. Vill; 75. VIII, 71, 75, 89, VIII, 75. VIII, 75. VIII, 71, 75, 96; VIII, 75. VIII, 76. VIII, 75. VIII, 76. Wills 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76, 97. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. VIII, 76. Page 105 95; xX, 5. X, E. tk, ty. 23- Pyrgiscus hybridus " idothea incisa Lk, constrictus interruptus kurtzii latior leta lineatus lineolatus louisae mighelsi minor modestus Multicostatus myla nemea nonica obeliscus ornatus palmerae peilei perlepidus phrykalea pilsbryi pocahontasae portoricanus powhatani protractus Pyrgiscus punctus " ‘@ obsoletus puniceus pupoides p. ischna pyrrha quinguestriatus rathbuni reticulatus chea.' VIII, 785 riisei rufus a fulvocinctus rushii sirena Sp. speira stimpsoni subcarinatus subcoronatus subulatus sumneri suturalis textiles toyatani validus verrilli vineae 16, 88; X5 78 77, 88, 89. 94; XE virga virgatus virginicus viridarius whiteavesi winkleyi ‘ " senilis Pyrgocythara hemphilli “3 plicoca Sp. Pyrgiscus Quadrans lintea Rangia cuneata Cs flexuosa hunting Rangianella Recluzia rollandiana Relative Abundance Retinella roemeri : indentata paucilirata. Retusa candei Sp. Rhizorus acutus Ringicula semistriata Risomurex roseus Rissoina breyerea “4 browniana cancellata catesbyana chesneli decussata elegantissima multicostata scalarella striatocostata Rocellaria hians ” sp. Rubellatoma rubella " Sp. Rumina decollata Rupellaria typica Rissoina ial Salasiella balchi Sanguinolaria cruenta Sanibel San Luis Pass Sayella caloossensis 4g Cheas apeakea crosseana c. bahamensis fusca - hemphilli laevigata livida VIII, 86. VIII, 86. VIII, 86. VIII, 86. VIII, 86. VIITy .86. VIII, 86. POPE, 432 acts VIUUTCGZ; Vil, Ll; Villguaign IO; X, FE; E. LITIV(9). TEC); V, 105, WITT, '80s Tite) 511, Tit); VI, 15; x, B. Titi). TIN (7). Il, (@). fx a eit); VI. f8; VII, S5308TE, 29. Vrryy74; VIL, 28, 41 WieneVvIA: VIL, 28. aaLY CL); IV, 24, 46gbVEs (704 37; FIL, Tie hade, E. VIII, 44. INStV iT). VIII, 44. VI, 82. VI, 4. Vil, ins wea. 2. Viii4,.00, 89; VIL, 2¢uR5tive Iv, i 24,. VI, 4. wigs, 85; VII, a IX, 25. IX, 25. Welded + Vig, 87, 89; IK,! 265700, 31. IX, 26. Thi} 26,, 28, 30. VIRV:,4x, 26. IX, 26. TX}126, 29, 31; V, 17; VEgr87, 89. Page 107 (7); IV, 2@3eMignld; ViiIr, 693 peyeita ovuloides producta - solidula " sp. sy vanhyningi a watlingsi = winkleyi Scaphander watsoni Schistosomiasis Schwengelia floridana Scientific Names Sconsia striata Scyllaea pelagica Seabeans Seahares Seila adamsi Semele Semele bellastriata is nuculoides : proficua ry purpurascens Sepia officinalis Shell Collecting Shell Forms Shell Money VII, 31, 42, 43. Shell Show Criteria Shell Show Reports Shell Show Terminology Sinum masulatum “4 perspectivum Siphonaria pectinata Smaragdia viridis Solariorbis bartschi (Misprint for blakei) a“ blakei euzonus infracarinata mooreana terminalis Solecurtus cumingianus hy sanctae marthae Solen viridis Sphenia antillensis i tumida Spiratella inflata Spirolaxis exquisita Spirula spirula Spisula solidissima similis Spondylus americanus i gussoni Spurilla neapolitana State Shell Stenotrema leai aliciae Stetson Bank Stomach Content Seastars Striatura meridionalis IX, 26. EG, 26, 273. 30. IX, 26. Wiener; VIII, 70; IX, Ol} R,/ Es Ws. VI, 35. Vs ta, 90, 98; Vi, fy. 395 Lacey: Vill, 44. VERT.) 2. finely. (6). Tis. (On. 1V,.24; Vi, 86; VIITLT; 10» G¥seX, WD. 7x, 122. Cane as a Lseeee: 2h, G1)s VEEL, 43: Is. €2y¥, (4)3 11, (1); Vige?4. EG G20: Wi). 165.665 3) 8, I, (2); VIII, 44. ETLE YS). TT5.. (9); TV; 65°63, 645 eWE9 68g 91; "1K, 39. $1. (4). IV, 59. IV, 59; VI, 16, 86. ft, (9). EEE {£2} - VEL, 77; VEEEG+60: VIII, 70. NN. 90; VV, 73 Vi, 3, P06; aEp Cy 977. Vi. <3: T¥32983"V..75 Vis. S006. TVR. 30g VE. os Vi, 35 Ii, (2); VEEL, 43. ®#ivelZ). Pea epee ticng2)s IV, 40, 453. VET, 78. VI, 82. Wit. 71, 79. VIII, 45. VEI,,20, 23. V, 82. iy (8,. C7); IL, (6)3. TV, 285. ££. (2) Tih, (2) Viil, 3: ive oe: Wal 6, 75. Wi. Tek: VIIl, 27: VIy. 30. ik. 36. Vid, 76: WELT, 28, 40. Page 108 Strigilla carnaria Ks gabbi mirabilis Strioturbonilla sp. " " A wt W B Strobilops hubbardi m labyrinthica texasiana Strombiformis bifasciata 6 bilineata Strombus alatus in costatus gigas pugilis alatus raninus Styliola subula Succinea luteola "a unicolor Sulcorinella sp. teres " " Surinam Symbiosis Syrnola sp. Tagelus divisus ‘ gibbus " plebeius Tectonatica pusilla Tegula fasciata Teinostoma biscaynense cryptospira goniogyrus lerema parvicallus Sp. Telecythara floridana Tellidora cristata Tellina aequestriata a alternata LES laevigata lineata magna nitens probrina promera radiata squamifera sybaritica tampaensis tayloriana tenera Vis 35. Et BS V, 23; VI, 285 IG) yey, 23; VE, 28; aes X, Es WEEi £3575. 62. VaUees;° VIL, 28. VERS (7S VIEL, 28. VT... 93. Ve 19% TRS tet Vill, 30. Vp 2% TW, AS: VELI,) 44. VI, 487%) VILL, 28. Vid, To). Wid, OF.) 59. Wi. 67.) B98 Va0eo2 Wi, tas IV, 24. Tk) youl, .66; 5) B: VEULs 169). BD HB EV, 45; Vi, Laxyimseh eebs ET, (4); IV, 45, 595/VEjc86s VIET, (30geX, Da re); iV, 24; XX, 772 BY, 28 303’ V, 73 Viiv isn869294; VELL; 1G5, x, €. PELSICIY S VERE, “7D VERE. TW. 335 Vig LOgAVIZLge%0z iv Ses. Vi, LO; VITT, 43. 1 a VOLT Gi22. me. (00s) 11; (8); IV, 45¢nReeeas VES Ze: VEL,» /7. Vy 10: i iS)s IV, 45; 0Ugetls VEsolbs VITE, 45; at AB E105) (8); IV, 40yp 74551059235 6 Viapeed, oo. Vil, 77. Vi t35% Viu1 Ty Woh 10y W225 W111, #43: VL,.2o,, VEL, WOO: VERE, oo4e Vii 35: V2 35N eee. VE Ley) VELL AS. UY,1283 VIL, 83,2999! Vilige43n Deo Vit, 175 1k, 375 KX, Fee v7; Les Ao Vico ees Page 109 Tellina texana Ve Oey By DF yh Be ig veriscolor 19. 403. Vi 225. VEL Pee VEEL YE 30, 69; 2. Be a vespuciana Wi, 26. Tellinidae WT. 20. Tennessee Valley Authority PLES. (2y. Terebra cinera salleana LEE) (Sy. i concava Tid. (GS) sy VELA SA. : dislocata ZLEs) £635 IVS $53, VE; 875 “i d. rudis LLL £8). " maryleeae $i 1. (8). - protexta Triy £8); V7 "52s. Vi, OF. a salleana VL, “87. 4 taurinus Fit, (8). Terrestrial Mollusks Vit. pase 25.0537, 495068, 83, Cay WEEE PS 2 ao Aa. Soe Texadina sphinctostoma Vi, 66. Thais haemostoma Es {793 TEs C6)s) TV3) Shc Vio 955 VES Pees: VEEP 49.08, dD. . patula Vooo2: Thracia conradi VIET. 45, Thyasira trisimiata TET, (5)5 VELL 44. Thysanophora hornii VEE, 62: VETE. 27.42. ” plagyoptycha WITT, 56. Timbalier Island Ni OS. kos Tonna galea Ty C87 YEE RG) S CIV, 255455. Vig Ses Torinia bisulcata IV, 34. Trachycardium egmontianum EE tan 1 isocardia EL hs Ve “5 magnum <7 ke “a muricatum 15 40)}> WLIL, 693 Ay ddA Tree Snails < I3« Tricolia affinis cruenta TUE >) GL¥3 VEER 60; X, F773 Trigoniocardia media it, @y. Triodopsis vulturosa Vil, :623 VERE. 275/740. | Triphora intermedia Vi, 3- ey melanura Vv, Vv, 3. : nigrocincta ©. 3 Witt, Se, 170; X78, D. - perversa EV,; 2435 Vi, 35. VE, G6. I pulchella ¥, 3. Triphora turristhomae wa S. Triptychus pliocena TX, 53. Trivia suffusa be Geen Lees sy OT Truncatella pulchella Bit (995. Ve 825 ER 38: - Turbonilla conradi WILL, “43. \ 4 elegans WV, Ba; Vi; 89: { ‘ elegantula V5 } " hemphilli Ve Gs VEL 89. i fd interrupta VIII, 44. 2 sp. VI, 89; VIII, 43. » Types TV... 44. d Typhis sowerbyi VI, 60. | oe -ep. v, 48. . Vallonia perspectiva WLETS,56:. i iM pulchella VETL,. oot. | Valuabie Shells V, 84. Venericardia armilla jew hog Page 110 Ventridens demissus : intertextus Vermicularia fargoi a spirata Verticordia ornata Vertigo milium sd oscariana ovata rugulosa Vesicomya pilula Vioscalba louisianae Vitricythara metria Vitrinella fioridana sg heliciodea - shimeri ‘ sp. " texana Volutidae Volvulella persimilis tw sp. ta texasiana Wampum Wampum Belts Whipcoral Yoldia solenoides Zonitoides arboreus 7 nitidus Vit, #33: VilL, 2eese VEL,. 76; VIIL, 28.760. } VI, 86; VII, 59; VIII, 70, x, 77, VITSI O93 VILL, Gk. VIII? 44. ViTGS 15, 28: WITT 25, 39, 40; Wile tig 26, Wilt. 16, 39, VIII, 43. IV,’ 54; V, 18; VI, 46)"ea% VITI, ‘7Gecme PIGLT AS) VIL, Lis ee a 50 ee, S85" Vy OFS Boe VI, 11, 86; VII, 4; VEIL, 44, 70: 25 0 ‘ TIT,’ (9); ‘IV, 38; VESewimeae iv, 38, SL A ake) lege, ir i a VITIZ° 70) £5) (8); IV, 33; Mal, 41. ViIlt,¥43. VI, 87, 89. Vi. 37! Vi i q VII, 42. . VII, 66. ; II, (1). . 4 EETLICA); Vivica! Vii5576; ‘VIIt, 28. VIII, 54. eletelelelelele)Uleleleleleletele) +a Page 111