5 *>0.5n^> ZOOLOGICA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 31 1946-1947 Numbers 1-13 1 Published by the Society The Zoological Park, New York NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY General Office: 630 Fifth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y. Publication Office: The Zoological Park, New York 60, N. Y. OFFICERS Fairfield Osborn, President Alfred Ely, First Vice-president Laurance S. Rockefeller, Second Vice-president William Bridges, Editor and Curator of Publications Myrtice Blatci-iley, Associate in Charge, Education Zoological Park Lee S. Crandall, General Curator & Curator of Birds Leonard J. Goss, Veterinarian Braytton Eddy, Curator of Reptiles and Insects Grace Davall, Assistant to General Curator Aquarium Christopher W. Coates, Curator and Aquarist Ross F. Nigrelli, Pathologist Myron Gordon, Assistant Curator C. M. Breder, Jr., Research Associate in Ichthyology G. M. Smith, Research Associate in Pathology Homer W. Smith, Research Associate in Physiology Harold J. O’Connell, Secretary Cornelius R. Agnew, Treasurer SCIENTIFIC STAFF General John Tee-Van, Executive Secretary Department of Tropical Research William Beebe, Director Jocelyn Crane, Research Zoologist Henry Fleming, Entomologist William K. Gregory, Associate Gloria Hollister, Associate John Tee-Van, Associate Mary VanderPyl, Associate Scientific Advisory Council A. Raymond Docilez Alfred E. Emerson Alan Gregg K. S. Lashley John S. Nicholas George M. Smith Editorial Committee Fairfield Osborn, Chairman William Beebe William Bridges Christopher W. Coates Lee S. Crandall Leonard J. Goss John Tee- Van CONTENTS Part 1. April 29, 1946 PAGE 1. Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of Malaysia. By Jean Delacour. 1 2. A New Name for a Philippine Flowerpecker. By Ernst Mayr 8 3. Further Notes on Display Forms of the Long-tailed Bird of Para- dise, Epimachus meyeri meyeri Finsch. By Lee S. Crandall. Plates I-IXX 9 4. Field Notes on the Snakes of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. By William Beebe. Plates I-XIII; Text-figures 1-4... 11 Part 2. August 20, 1946 5. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXIV. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part III. By Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate X 53 6. Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes. I. The Be- havior of Comet — A Platypoecilus maculatus Gene in Xipho- phorus hellerii. By Myron Gordon. Plates I-XII 77 7. Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes. I. Osteochondroma in the Jewel- fish, Hemichromis bimaculatus. By Ross F. Nigrelli & Myron Gordon. Plates I-V ; Text-figures 1 & 2 89 R^rt 3. December 5, 1946 8. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXV. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part IV. By Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate 1 93 9. Effects of Sex Hormones on the Development of the Platyfish, Platypoecilus maculatus. By Herman Cohen. Plates I-V ; Text-figure 1 121 Part 4. February 21, 1947 PAGE 10. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVI. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part V. By Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate I 129 11. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVII. Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes. By William Beebe & Jocelyn Crane. Plates I-III; Text-figures 1-19 151 12. Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes. II. Fibro-carcinoma-like Growth in the Stomach of Borophryne apogon A Deep-sea Cera- tioid Fish. By Ross F. Nigrelli. Plates I-IV 183 13. Studies on the Genus Hirudinella, Giant Trematodes of Scom- briform Fishes. By Ross F. Nigrelli & Horace W. Stunkard. Plates I-VIII 185 Index to Volume 31 197 SI iSTJ ZOOLOGICA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 31 Part 1 Numbers 1-4 Published by the Society The Zoological Park, New York April 29, 1946 CONTENTS PAGE 1. Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of Malaysia. By Jean Delacour. 1 2. A New Name for a Philippine Flowerpecker. By Ernst Mayr 8 3. Further Notes on Display Forms of the Long- tailed Bird of Para- dise, Epimachus meyeri meyeri Finsch. By Lee S. Crandall. Plates I-III 9 4. Field Notes on the Snakes of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. By William Beebe. Plates I-XIII; Text-figs. 1-4 11 Delacour: Taxonomy of Birds of Malaysia 1 1. Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of Malaysia. Jean Delacour. New York Zoological Society and American Museum of Natural History. In the preparation of a handbook of the birds of Malaysia, I have naturally used as a basis “A handlist of Malaysian Birds” by F. N. Chasen (Bull. Raffles Museum, Singa- pore, No. 11, December, 1935), an excellent and most reliable work. But a number of additions have been made, and new facts have been brought to light since its publi- cation. Furthermore, considerable changes have taken place in the nomenclature, mostly as a result of several revisions of families or smaller groups recently conducted by E. Mayr, D. Amadon, H. G. Deignan, S. D. Ripley, C. Vaurie, and myself. All these al- terations of Chasen’s nomenclature have been incorporated in the forthcoming hand- book. I thought it useful to point out the most important of them in the present pa- per. A bibliography of the Malaysian Avi- fauna since 1935 will be found at the end of these notes. In most cases, no attempt has been made to revise subspecies, for lack of time. Reasons for their adoption, rejec- tion or addition are not discussed unless they prove of special interest. The same applies to extension or modification in ranges. Particularly the reader is referred to “Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of the Philippines” by Jean Delacour and Ernst Mayr, Zoologica, 30 (12), November 15, 1945, pp. 105-117, for all changes apply- ing equally well to Malaysian birds, as they will not be discussed here again. I am much indebted to the curators of the U. S. National Museum, Washington, and of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila- delphia, for the loan of valuable material, and to my friend Dr. Ernst Mayr for much useful information and help. Grebes (Podicipidae). Podiceps novae-liollandiae javanicus has been added to the list. Found in Java. Mayr has discussed the distribution of novae- hollandiae and ruficollis (Emu, 43, 1943, pp. 3-7; 44, 1945, pp. 231-233). Ducks (Anatidae). The Australian pochard ( Aythia aus- tralis) has been found in Java, where it seems to be a rare resident in the eastern part of the island (Hiang Plateau). Mayr (Amer. Mus. Novit. No. 1056, p. 7, 1940) has shown that the proposed race lebeboeri (Bartels and Frank, Treubia, 16, p. 337, 1938) is not acceptable. The Javan speci- mens belong to the nominate race. Game Birds (Phasianidae). I do not consider that all Malaysian forms of Arborophila, except cliarltoni and races, can be considered subspecies of brunneo- pectus (= javanica ) , as proposed by Chasen. Differences in pattern and general coloration are too great. The Malaysian group form a superspecies which can be listed as follows : A. brunneopectus : campbelli, rolli, suma- trana, orientalis; A. javanica : javanica, bar- telsi; A. hyperhythra ( erythrophrys is but a color phase). In the general study of the kalij and fire- back pheasants which I have recently ef- fected in the preparation of a new mono- graph, I have been compelled to admit that no natural generic divisions exist among these birds. Characters such as the general color pattern, the shape of the crest or its absence in one or both sexes, the shape and development of the tail feathers, do not show sufficient consistency for clear distinc- tions. The species inornatus, imperialis and edtvarclsi are providing links between the different groups to such a degree that no satisfactory divisions can stand. Therefore the generic names Gennaeus, Hierophasis, Delacourig alius, Houppifer, Chalcocomus and Diardigallus are synonyms of Lophura, the oldest in date. Although the species calchurum is very distinct in shape, display and voice, it can- not be separated from other Polyplectron, as inopinatum supplies a perfect interme- diate. Pigeons (Columbidoe). Mayr (“The Birds of Timor and Sumba,” Bull. A. M. N. H., 83 (2), 1944, pp. 147- 148) has pointed out that the subspecies Ducula aenea aenea occurs only in the Lesser Sunda Islands, being larger, more vinaceous than the Malaysian population. The oldest name available for the latter is consobrina (Salvadori, 1887, Nias). Cuckoos (Cuculidae). We have shown ( Zoologica , 30 (12), p. 107) that the generic names Rhopodytes, MAY; 3 >46 2 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:1 Rhinortha and Zanclostomus are synonyms of Phoenicophaeus. It follows that P. cur- virostris bomeensis (Blasius and Nehrkorn, 1881) is antedated by P. diardi bomeensis (Salvadori, 1874). It must therefore be known as P. c. microrhinus (Berlepsch, 1895). Hornbills (Bucerotidoe). Two very similar pied hornbills are found in India and Ceylon: coronatus in the south and west and malabaricus in the northeast. Both coexist in part of their range (Chota Nag-pore and western Bengal) and therefore must be considered two different species. There is a great deal of difference in the shape of the casque, which is narrow, com- pressed, with flat sides in coronatus; broad, swollen and convex on the sides in mala- baricus. Furthermore, in coronatus there is one large black patch on the bill, located on the terminal two-thirds of the casque, in- cluding the whole ridge. In malabaricus, there are two black patches, one on each side of the casque, leaving out the ridge which is always pure white; they ai*e roughly tri- angular, extending from the tip of the casque downward to about one-half of the bill and encroaching on the sides of the mandible itself. In coronatus, all the lateral tail feathers are white, the central pair alone being black. In malabaricus, the lateral feathers are black, with only the terminal quarter white. Farther east, a subspecies of malabaricus ( leucogaster ) ranges as far south as Perak in Malaya. Southern Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo and islands are the home of convexus, which again has the lateral tail feathers entirely white, as in coronatus. All the same, convexus is a subspecies of mala- baricus, not of coronatus, as the casque is of identical shape and pattern. This charac- teristic is much more important than the variation in the color of the tail feathers. As it could be expected from the geograph- ical distribution of these hornbills, the simi- larity of coronatus and convexus in this par- ticular point can only be interpreted as a result of convergence, without any phyletic significance. Barbets (Capitonidae). The barbets have been revised recently by Ripley (Auk, 62, 1945, pp. 542-563). His general conclusions have been adopted, with the following exceptions : I consider Megalaema armillaris (+ bali- ensis) , M. henrici (+ brachyrhyncha) , and M. pulcherrima as three different species, forming a superspecies, as the differences in pattern are too great, in my opinion, to war- rant specific lumping. M. eximia (+ cyanea ) is so different in pattern, coloration and size of rictal bristles from M. australis (+ du- vauceli and races) that they should be con- sidered as two distinct and not very closely related species. Woodpeckers (Picidae). The generic names Callolophus and Chry- sophlegma are considered synonyms of Picus, no sufficiently important characteris- tics being found in the different species to warrant generic splitting. The Malaysian pigmy woodpeckers of the genus Dendrocopos 1 belong to two distinct species: canicapillus (gray-headed) and mo- luccensis (brown-headed), which coexist in numerous localities. (See Greenway, Auk, 60, 1943, pp. 564-574). The Philippine forms belong to a different species : 7naculatus. The three species are very similar, but can be fairly easily distinguished. The two three-toed species, javanense and rafflesi, are certainly to be regarded as con- generic, as they have very similar pattern and colors, the differences in the bill (cul- men straighter and more angulate, and base covered by short plumes in rafflesi ) being of specific significance only. Therefore Chloro- picoides (1847) becomes a synonym of Din- opium. (1814). It follows that D. rafflesi borneonensis (Hesse, 1911) is antedated by D. javanense borneonensis (Dubois, 1897). I propose to name it: Dinopium rafflesi dulitense nom. nov. for Gauropicoides rafflesi bor- neonensis, Hesse, Orn. Monatsber. 19, 1911, p. 192: Mt. Dulit, North Sarawak, Borneo. Pittas (Pittidae). I consider Pitta schneideri as a full spe- cies, as it is too different in colors from P. nipalensis, in both sexes and at different ages. P. venusta and P. ussheri, both with the crown black, are considered subspecies of the red-crowned P. granatina (+ coc- cinea) as none of the forms appear to over- lap. Venusta inhabits western Sumatra; coccinea, Malaya and northwestern Sumatra ; ussheri, northwestern Borneo; granatina, northeastern and southern Borneo. Strese- mann ( Temminckia , 3, 1938, Leiden, pp. 124- 125) mentions intermediates in adjoining areas of distribution in Borneo. Cuckoo-Shrikes (Compephagidae). In examining the numerous species so far distributed among the “genera” Coquus, Pteropodocys, Coracina, V olvocivora, Edoli- soma, I fail to see how they can be divided according to any important and stable groups of characteristics. Difference in the size and proportions of the body, bill, wings and tail, or in color pattern, are combined in all sorts of ways, none being of any great signficance. It is therefore advisable to in- clude them all in the genus Coracina. On the other hand, the genus Lalage is quite distinct, if restricted to the slender species nigra, sueuri, melanoleuca, leuco- i Dendrocopos Koch, 1816, replaces Dryobates Boie, 1826. Not antedated by Dendrocopus Vieillot, 1816. 1946] Delacour : Taxonomy of Birds of Malaysia 3 pygia, aurea, atrovirens, leucomela, macu- losa and sharpei. The genera Campephaga, Chlamy docker a, Campocliera, Pericrocotus, Hemipus and Tephrodornis complete the family. Leafbirds ( Aegithinidae). Aethorhynchus is a synonym of Aegithina. The only species assigned to it, lafresnayei, is but a larger edition of Aegithina tiphia, with a longer bill. Both species have the same color pattern, and both have two moults in the year, the male assuming a breeding plumage for the mating season. They are obviously so closely related that a generic distinction between them appears to be absurd. Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae). A new arrangement of the subspecies of crested bulbuls of the genus Criniger has been adopted. It is a little different from that previously proposed in my “Revision of the Genera and Species of the Family Pycnonotidae’’ ( Zoologica , 28 (4), 1943, p. 26), and very similar to that recently pro- posed by H. G. Deignan (The Birds of Northern Thailand, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 186, 1945, p. 338). It now seems to me that these puzzling bulbuls, all very similar, can be divided into two species : 1. Criniger tephrogenys — Crest and tail relatively short. Living at lower altitudes in the southern part of the range, where both species coexist. It includes the following subspecies : xanthizurus, balicus, f rater, gut- turalis, tephrogenys, robinsoni. 2. Criniger ochraceus — Crest and tail rel- atively long, living at higher altitudes in the southern part of the range, with the follow- ing subspecies: flaveolus, burmanicus, gri- seiceps, pallidus, henrici, annamensis, ochraceus, cambodianus, sacculatus, suma- tranus, ruficrissus. In both groups we find birds with bright yellow, dirty yellow and pale brown under- parts, and many intermediates. The extent and intensity of the yellow pigment is only of subspecific significance. Old World Insect-eaters (Muscicapidae). I. Robins, Chats and Thrushes (Turdinae). Like Kittacincla, Trichixos Lesson, 1839, is a synonym of Copsychus (see “Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of the Philip- pines,” Zoologica 30 (12), 1945, p. 112). The unique species pyrropygus is very close to saularis in shape, and to malabaricus in habits and voice. The new name ater proposed in the same paper for Copsychus saularis niger (Sharpe) is unnecessary, as there is an older name available for the subspecies, so far over- looked : Copsychus adamsi Elliott, Auk, VII, 1890, p. 348. In a further note, Auk, VIII, 1891, p. 117, Elliott recognizes that adamsi is a synonym of niger. II. Babblers (Timaliinae). The heterogenous medley of species vari- ously assigned to the babbler group since the beginning of the last century have been a puzzle to ornithologists until the present days. For many years the present writer has studied them extensively in museums, in captivity and in nature, having observed and collected many different forms in French Indo-China, the richest country in the Orient as far as these birds are con- cerned. During the last few years, Mayr and I have been preparing a detailed study of the Timaliinae which we hope to have pub- lished shortly. I only want to give here a brief and tenta- tive survey of the principal results and their repercussion on the nomenclature of Malay- sian Timaliinae. We have found that there are five distinct groups, or tribes, with or without links between themselves or with the other subfamilies of insect-eaters: A. Ground babblers (Cinchlosomatini) inhabiting the Australian Region, only one reaching Malaysia ( Eupetes ) ; a primitive tribe. B. Jungle babblers (Pellorneini) includ- ing the following Malaysian genera and spe- cies: Pellorneum: ruficeps, capistratum; Malacocincla: tickelli, pyrrhogenys, malac- censis, cinereiceps, rostrata, bicolor, se- piaria, abboti; Malacopteron: magnum, cinereum, magnirostre, affine, albogulare. The generic names Aethostoma, Anur- opsis and Erythrocichla are considered syn- onyms of Malacocincla. The species tickelli belong to that genus, not to Pellorneum. M. vanderbilti is probably an altitudinal race of sepiaria. Examination of available series shows that the birds named Elocincla aenigma by Riley are identical with those named rufiventris by Salvadori. As they agree with the description of the mysterious perspicillata Bonaparte, this last name must be used. Ophrydornis is a synonym of Malacop- teron. Through Pellorneum, on the one hand, and such birds as Megarulurus mariei, bi- vittata (New Caledonia and Timor) and Ortygociclila rubiginosa (New Britain), and Bradypterus, on the other, this tribe is con- nected with the Sylviinae. C. Scimitar and wren babblers (Poma- torhinini), forming a separate tribe with little connection with any others. The Ma- laysian representatives are: Pomatorhinus : montanus, hypoleucos; Rimator: malacop- tilus; Ptilocichla: leucogrammica, falcata; Kenopia: striata; Turdinus: marmoratus, macrodactylus, brevicaudatus , epilepidotus ; Pnoepyga: pusilla. 4 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:1 Napothera is considered a synonym of Turdinus, as brevicaudatus differs from macrodactylus by the size only, the different races of both species showing a strikingly similar variation. Contrary to R. M. de Schauensee’s opinion ( Proc . Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, 1940, 91, pp. 352-354), I be- lieve that all the forms of the smaller Tur- dinus can be referred to the one species epilepidotus , those found in the same area being altitudinal races, not really coexisting anywhere. The Annamese genus Jabouilleia provides a perfect link between Pomatorhirms and Rimator. D. Tit babblers (Timaliini) . A large tribe, perhaps connected with the titmice (Pari- dae) through the so-called longtailed tits ( Aegithalos , Psaltria, Psaltriparus) , the parrotbills (Paradoxornis) , the reedlings (Panurus) , the American wren tits ( Cha - maea), the oriental genera Moupinia, Chry- somma, Dumetia and Timalia. The following occur in Malaysia: Ma- cronus: flavicollis, gularis, ptilosus; Sta- chyris: nigriceps, poliocephala, grammiceps, nigricollis, leucotis, maculata, striolata, thoracica, erythroptera, rufifrons, chrysaea, melanothorax; Timalia: pileata; Psaltria: exilis. The genus Cyanoderma is considered a synonym of Stachyris, as the presence, ex- tent or absence of the naked skin behind the eye vary throughout the whole group in a way which is not consistent with other characteristics. E. Song babblers (Turdoidini). The most differentiated tribe, which appears to be connected with the jungle babblers through Gampsorhynchus and Malacopteron, and also perhaps to the wren babblers through Tur- doides (including Argya ) and Pomato- rhinus. They are numerous in Malaysia, but the Himalaya-Indo-China country is their stronghold: Garrulax: lugubris, palliatus, rufifrons, leucolophus, mitratus, erythro- cephalus; Leiothrix: argentauris; Cutia: nipalensis; Pteruthius: erythropterus, mel- anotis, aenobarbus; Alcippe: castaneiceps, nipalensis, pyrrhoptera; Siva: strigula, cyanuroptera, castaniceps; Yuhina: xantho- leuca; Gampsorhynchus: rufulus; Crocias : guttatus; Heterophasia: picaoides. Melanocichla and Rhopocichla are obvi- ously generic synonyms of Garrulax. We also consider Mesia a synonym of Leiothrix, and Erpornis of Yuhina. There has been in the past some confusion between the small species of Pteruthius; tahanensis, from Malaya, is a subspecies of melanotis, not of aenobarbus, the nom- inate form of which inhabits Java. III. Flycatchers (Muscicapinae). The reasons for lumping several genera of flycatchers into the genus Muscicapa have been previously given (Zoologica, 30 (12), p. 113). The genus Niltava must be added to the synonymy of Muscicapa, as no clear line can be drawn between the various forms with and without blue patches on the neck of the females. Generic distinction between such species as sundara, davidi, vivida, cyanomelana, concreta, etc., is unsound. Oreicola is also a synonym of Muscicapa. Drymophila is apparently a monarch fly- catcher, related to Terpsiphone and to Mon- archa. Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae). The group of flowerpeckers ( Dicaeum ) with dark metallic upperparts and partly red underparts, found from S. E. Asia to Australia, is puzzling. One would be tempted to regard them all as geographical sub- species, but two forms coexist in certain places, such as Timor ( maugei maugei and sanguinolentum hanieli). When carefully examined, they are really more different than they appear to be at first sight. It seems, therefore, necessary to maintain several species. In Malaysia, I consider that monticola (bluish above), sanguinolentum (purplish), and ignipectus (greenish) are separate species ; beccarii, with no red on the breast, is a race of ignipectus, close to cam- bodianum from Indo-China. Dicaeum agile sumatranum ( Piprisoma inodestum sumatranum Chasen, Treubia, 17, afl. 2, 1939, p. 184: Pendeng, Atjeh, N. Sumatra) is antedated by Dicaeum cruen- tatum sumatranum Cabanis, Journ. f. Orn., 1878, p. 101, Sumatra. I propose for it the new name of : Dicaeum agile atjehense All the races of thick-billed gray flower- peckers belong to the species agile; I agree with Deignan (Birds of Northern Thailand, pp. 550-551) in this point, and also in re- ferring the Malayan population to the sub- species modestum, described after specimens from southern Tenasserim. White-eyes (Zosteropidae). The species javanica and squamifrons are so different from other Zosterops, all very similar in a general way, that it seems bet- ter to refer them to the genus Apoia, the type of which is A. goodfellowi, from Min- danao. Finches (Fringillidae). The species estherae is certainly not refer- able to the genus Serinus, but to Carduelis, its nearest relative being C. (= Hypacan- this ) monguilloti from the mountains of southern Annam. Drongos (Dicruridae). This isolated family is now in the course of revision by Dr. C. Vaurie. Dr. Mayr and I are in accord with him in recognizing only two genera of drongos, for the 18 species of 1946] Delacour: Taxonomy of Birds of Malaysia e that family: Dissemurus, for the species with the external rectrices greatly elongated, the long bare shafts terminated into a spat- ula; and Dicrurus, for all the other species with a more normal tail. Bhringa becomes a synonym of Dissemurus, and Chaptia of Dicrurus. Bibliography of Malaysian Birds. 1936-1946 Allin, A. E. 1941. Notes on some Malayan Bitterns and the Yellow Bulbul. Malayan Nat. J., Kuala Lumpur, 1, pp. 110-112. Amadon, D. 1942. Notes on some non-passerine birds (Phalacrocorax melanoleucus, Nycti- corax caledonicus) . Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 1175, pp. 1-11. 1943. Notes on some non-passerine genera ( Anas superciliosa) . Ibid., No. 1237, pp. 1-22. Two interesting Pipits from Labuan Island, Borneo. Ibis, 85, p. 215. Notes on a collection of Birds from Sebattik Island, Borneo. Ibid., 85, pp. 331-333. The genera of Starlings and their re- lationships. Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 1247, 31, pp. 1-16. 1944. The genera of Corvidae and their re- lationships. Ibid., 1251, 22, pp. 1-21. Banks, E. 1937. The distribution of Bornean Birds. Sarawak Mus. J., 4, pp. 453-496. — — - Birds from the highlands of Sarawak. Ibid., 4, pp. 497-518. Seasonal variation in the “white” edi- ble birds’ nest. Ibid., 4, pp. 519-522. Bartels, M. 1937. Zwei fur Java neue Brutvogel. Ornith. Monatsb., 45, pp. 16-19. Zosterops m. melanura, Z. m. gallio, Z. m. unica drei verkannte Vertreter des Rassenkreises Zosterops palpebro- sa. Ibid., 45, pp. 85-86. Uit het leven de Neushoorvogels. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 26, pp. 117-127, 140-147, 166-173. EN BOUMA, P. J. Keerkringvogels en Slechtvalken aan Java’s zuidkust. Ibid., 26, pp. 108-111. 1938. Charadrius asiaticus veredus bij Ba- tavia waargenomen. Charadrius asia- ticus veredus bij Batavia verzameld. Ardea, 27, pp. 172-174. Notizen iiber einige Batrachostomus arten. Jour. fiir. Ornith., pp. 244-247. Ornithologischer Brief aus Java. Or- nith. Monatsb., 46, pp. 76-79. Zwei neue Drosseln aus Java. Ibid., 46, pp. 113-115. Eine neue Rasse von Arborophila brunneopectus aus Java. Treubia, 16, pp. 321-322. Einige Bemerkungen iiber die Dilfer- enzierung des Rassenkreises Alcedo euryzona. Ibid., 16, pp. 335-336. und Frank, P. F. Eine neue Ente aus Java. Ibid., 16, pp. 337-338. 1939. De avifauna van Batavia en om- streken. Ardea, 28, pp. 6-27. 1941. Noogmaals: De avifauna van Batavia en omstreken. Avoca, 29, pp. 147-151. Bastide, J. G. de La 1941. De Kameelkleurige reiger ( Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) . Irena, 1, pp. 22-24. Bemmel, A. C. V. VAN 1938. Twee Snippen. Trop. Natuur Welte- vreden, 27, pp. 138-140. 1940. Ornithologisch Notizen. I-III. Treubia, 17, pp. 333-335. Een zeldzame trekvogel ( Crocethia al- ba). Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 29, pp. 35-36. De Vogels van het Tenggergebergte. Ibid., 29, pp. 93-101. AND HOOGERWERF, A. The Birds of Goenoeng Api. Ibid., 17, pp. 421-472. Berlioz, J. 1936. Notes ornithologiques au cours d’un deuxieme voyage en Malaisie. L’Oi- seau, 6, pp. 28-56. Berwick, E. J. H. 1941. Notes on the Long-Tailed “Tailor Bird” and an unusual Shama’s nest. Malayan Nat. J., 1, pp. 2-4. Notes on two Malayan Flycatchers. Ibid., 1, pp. 91-94. Bouma, P. J. 1936. Broedtijden in de houtvesterij Tjile- doek (Java). Ardea, 25, pp. 100-107. Bromley, E. H. 1941. Notes on Malayan Birds. Malayan Nat. J., 1, pp. 140-146. Cramer, E. D. H. 1941. Notes on the nesting of a Woodpecker. Malayan Nat. J., 1, pp. 138-139. Chasen, F. N. 1936. New name for Stachyris nigriceps di- lutus. B. O. C. Bull., 56, p. 115. H. C. Robinson and The Birds of the Malay Peninsula. Ill, Sporting Birds. Birds of the shore and estuaries, pp. xix — 264. Witherby, London. 1937. The Birds of Billiton Island. Treubia, 16, pp. 205-238. On a Collection of Birds from Kra- katau group of islands, Sunda Strait. Ibid., 16, pp. 245-259. 1938. Vier neue Vogelrassen aus Malaysia. Ornith. Monatsbr., 46, pp. 5-8. 6 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:1 1939. The Birds of the Malay Peninsula. IV. The Birds of the low-country jungle and scrub, pp. xxviii — 485. Witherby, London. Preliminary diagnoses of new birds from North Sumatra. Treubia, 17, pp. 137-138, 183-184. Preliminary diagnoses of new birds from Malaysia. Ibid., 17, pp. 205-206. 1940. A new race of Rock-Thrush from the Malay States. B. O. C. Bull., 60, pp. 97-98. A new Woodpecker from Sumatra. Treubia, 17, p. 261. Notes on some Javan Birds. Ibid., 17, pp. 263-266. AND HOOGERWERF, A. 1941. The Birds of the Netherlands Indian Mt. Leuser Expedition, 1937, to North Sumatra. Ibid., 18. Supp. 1941, pp. 1- 125. COOMANS DE RUITER, L. 1936. Oologischen en biologische aanteeken- ingen van einige roofvogels in de Westerafdeeling van Borneo. Orgaan Cl. ned Vogelk., 9, pp. 34-52. 1938. Oologische en biologische aanteeken- ingen van einige pitta’s of pracht- lijsters in de Westerafdeeling van Borneo. Limosa, 11, pp. 35-45. Over Ooruiltjes en Vischuilen. Troy. Natuur Weltevreden, Jubileum No. 1936, pp. 74-76. Het goed verborgen nest van del Geel- romp Bastaard Honingvogel (Anai- mos xanthopygius) . Ibid., pp. 132-133. Deignan, H. G. 1938. A review of the southern ( melano - stigma) group of the Red-headed Laughing Thrush, Garrulax erythro- cephalus. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 51, pp. 87-92. 1942. Nomenclature of certain Pycnonoti- dae. Auk, 59, pp. 313-315. A revision of the Indo-Chinese forms of the Avian Genus Prinia. Smiths. Misc. Coll., 103, 3, pp. 1-12. 1945. The Birds of Northern Thailand. U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., No. 186, pp. 1-616. 1946. A new Pitta from the Malay Penin- sula. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 59, p. 256. Delacour, J. 1941. On the species Otus scops. Zoologica, 26, pp. 133-142. 1942. The Bush Warblers of the genera Cettia and Bradypterus. Ibis, pp. 509- 519; 1943, pp. 27-40, 343. The Whistling Thrushes (genus Myio- phoneus) . Auk, 59, pp. 246-264. 1943. A revision of the genei’a and species of the family Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls). Zoologica, 28, pp. 17-28. A revision of the subfamily Estril- dinae of the family Ploceidae. Ibid., 28, pp. 69-86. 1944. A revision of the Family Nectari- niidae (Sunbirds). Ibid., 29, pp. 17-38. and Mayr, E. 1945. The family Anatidae. Wilson Bull., 57, pp. 5-55. and Mayr, E. Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of the Philippines. Zoologica, 30, pp. 105-117. Dunselman, J. 1937. lets over Neushoornvogels i Borneo. Trop. Natuur. Weltevreden, 26, pp. 16-19. Bij het nest van Caprimulgus macru- rus. Ibid., 26, pp. 92-95. De Goudplevier en andere trekkens en Borneo’s binnenland ( Charadrius apricarius fulvus) . Ibid., 26, pp. 201- 202. Fluiter, H. J. de 1939. Het vogelleven in de Rawa Meleman (Java). Levende Nat. Amsterdam, 44 pp. 55-59, 89-94, 120-125. Goodfellow, W. 1937. Familiar birds of Singapore. Avicult. Mag., (5), 2, pp. 194-206. Green way, J. C. 1943. Oriental forms of the Pigmy Wood- pecker. Auk, 60, pp. 564-574. Hoogerwerf, A. 1936. Voorkomen van Nycticorax caledoni- cus (Gm.), Plegadis falcinellus subsp. en Phalacro corax ater territori (Mathews). Broedvogels in Oost Java. Ardea, 25, pp. 170-171. Waarneming van Pelecanus philippen- sis Gm., aande kust bij Batavia. Ibid., 25, 171-172. On nidification of some Javan Birds. Bull. Raffles Mus., 12, pp. 118-124. Neues von Java. Ornith. Monatsb., 44, pp. 25-26. en Rengers-Hora-Siccama, G. F. H. W. 1937. De avifauna van Batavia en oms- treken. Ardea, 26, pp. 1-51, 116-159. Enkele biogische aanteekeningen over de kleine zilverreiger Egretta gazetta nigripes. Limosa, 10, pp. 1-11. ■ Uit het leven der witte ibissen, Thres- kiornis aethiopicus melanocephalus. Ibid., pp. 137-146. Bij het nest van Sterna albifrons si- nensis. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 23, pp. 151-153. Broedende Witte Ibissen in West Java. Ibid., 24, pp. 163-171. Vogels, die van verre komen. Ibid., 25, pp. 11-18, 21-29. 1946] Delacour: Taxonomy of Birds of Malaysia 7 Waarnemingen bij het nest van den Koereiger ( Bulbulcus ibis coroman- dus) . Ibid., 25, pp. 79-84. Haliaetus leucogaster de schrik der blauwe Reigers. Ibid., 25, pp. 135-139. Een stukje levens — geschiedenis van der Nachtreiger ( Nycticorax nycti- corax) . Ibid., 25, pp. 167-173. Hoe ik het nest de Griele vestoorde. Ibid., 26, pp. 40-45. Nestlende Karekieten ( Acrocephalus stentoreus) bij Batavia. Ibid., 26, pp. 157-160. 1938. Vogels van Enggano voorloopige de- terminatie .Natuurk. Tijdschrift Ned. Ind., 98, pp. 44-45. en Rengers-Hora-Siccama, G. F. H. W. De Avifauna van Batavia en om- streken. Ardea, 27, pp. 41-92. EN Siccama, G. F. H. W. R. 1939. De avifauna van Batavia en om- streken. Corrigenda. Ibid., 28, pp. 80- 89. Waar stoere vliegers samenkommen. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 28, pp. 27- 158. 1940. Een nieuwe stormvogel voor den 0. in- dischen Archipel. Ibid., 29, p. 34. Enkele bijzonderheden van de hop het Vulcanheiland Goenoeng Api levende Oceanvogels. Limosa, 12, pp. 43-79. Jacobsen, E. 1937. The Alovot, a bird probably living in the island of Simalur (Sumatra). Temminckia, 2, pp. 159-160. Junge, G. C. A. 1936. Fauna simalurensis, Aves. Temminc- kia, 1, pp. 1-74. 1937. Further notes on the Birds of Sima- lur. Ibid., 2, pp. 197-202. 1938. On a collection of Birds from Engano. Treubia, 16, pp. 339-356. Remarks on Chalcites malayanus. Zool. Meded. Leiden, 20, pp. 237-239. 1940. Description of a new bird from Sima- lur. Ibid., 22, p. 120. Kooiman, J. G. 1940. Mededeelingen over het voorkomen in oost-Java van enkele voor dit gewest nog niet in de litteratuur genoemde vogels. Ardea, 29, pp. 98-108. Vogels van het Sjang-Hoogland, Java. Irena, 1, pp. 9-18. Kuroda, N. 1936. A glimpse of bird life in the Dutch East Indies. Tori, 9, No. 42, pp. 155- 180. Birds of the Island of Java. Vol. II, Non-Passeres. Tokyo, pp. vi+371-794. Lonsain, A. J. R. 1941. Enkele vogels en vogelgeluiden des Tjibodas. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 30, pp. 20-23. Madoc, G. C. 1936. On the nidification of some Malaysian birds. Bull. Raffles Mus., 12, 36, pp. 124-133. Mayr, E. 1936. Notes on a collection of Birds from South Borneo. Bull. Raffles Mus., 14, 5-46. 1937. Notes on New Guinea Birds. I. ( Col - localia) . Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 915, pp. 1-19. and Ripley, S. D. 1941. Notes on the genus Lalage. Ibid., No. 1116, pp. 1-18. Uber einige Raubvogel der Kleinen Sunda-Inseln. Ornith. Monatsb., 49, pp. 42-47. and Amadon, D. Geographical variation in Demigretta sacra. Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 1144, pp. 1-11. 1942. Stachyris leucotis obscurata, new subsp. Auk, 59, p. 118. 1943. Notes on the generic classification of Swallows. Ibis, 85, pp. 334-339. Remarks on Nyroca australis in Java. Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 1056, p. 7. Notes on Australian Birds. Descrip- tion of Podiceps novae-hollandiae ja- vanicus; Butorides striatus. Emu, 43, pp. 3-17. 1945. The Birds of Timor and Sumba. Bull. A. M. N. H., 85, pp. 129-194. Neumann, O. 1937. New Birds from Sumatra and the Mentawi Archipelago. B. O. C. Bull., 57, pp. 151-154. 1941. Neue subspecies von vogeln aus Nie- derlandisch-Indien. Zool. Meded., 23, pp. 109-113. Peters, J. L. 1937-1945. Check-list of Birds of the World. Ill, 1937, pp. xiii-311 ; IV, 1940, pp. xii-291; V, 1945, pp. xi-306. Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge. 1941. Birds from Mt. Kina Balu, North Borneo. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 87, pp. 195-211. Pijl, L. van der 1937. Disharmony between Asiatic Flower- birds and American Flower-birds. Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg , 48, pp. 17-26. Brilvogels en Ganitri ( Zosterops ). Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 25, pp. 119-121. Dieren die zich niet aan regels storen. Ibid., 26, pp. 104-108. Riley, J. H. 1937. Three new birds from the Malaysian Subregion. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 50, pp. 61-62. 1938. Birds from Siam and the Malay Pen- insula in the U. S. Nat. Mus. collected by Drs. Hugh M. Smith and William 8 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:1:1946 L. Abbott. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 172, pp. iv+581. Three new Birds from Banka and Borneo. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 51, pp. 95-96. 1939. A genus and three new forms of Birds from Borneo. Jour. Wash. Acad. Sci., 29, pp. 39-41. Ripley, S. D. 1941. Notes on the genus Coracina. Auk, 58, pp. 381-395. A new race of Ceyx erithacus. Proc. New England Zool. Cl., 19, pp. 15-16. Notes on Malaysian Cuckoos. Auk, 59, pp. 575-576. 1942. The species Eurystomus orientalis. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55, pp. 169-176. A Revision of the Kingfishers, Ceyx erithacus and rufidorsus. Zoologica, 27, pp. 55-59. Notes on Malaysian Cuckoos. Auk, 59, pp. 575-576. 1944. The Bird Fauna of the West Sumatra Islands. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 94, No. 8, pp. 307-430. 1945. The Barbets. Auk, 62, pp. 542-563. Roorda, P. 1937. Broedende vogels in beplante sawah. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 23, pp. 67- 68. SCHAUENSEE, R. M. DE 1939. Notes on Cyornis banyumas. Notul. Nat. Philadelphia, 7, pp. 1-3. Preliminary report on the Birds of the George Vanderbilt Sumatran Ex- pedition 1939. Ibid., 18, pp. 1-2. 1940. Second preliminary report on the birds of the George Vanderbilt Suma- tran Expedition 1939. Ibid., 20, pp. 1-2. The Birds of the Batu Islands. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 92, pp. 23-42. and Ripley, S. D. Zoological results of the George Van- derbilt Sumatran Expedition 1936- 1939. Pt. 1. Birds of Atjeh. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 91, pp. 311-368. 1940. Zoological results of the George Van- derbilt Sumatran Expedition 1936- 1939. Pt. III. Birds from Nias Island. Ibid., 91, pp. 339-413. Snouckaert van Schauburg, R. C. E. 1936. De Geographische verbeiding der Pyc- nonotidae von Azie en den Indischen Achipel. Orgaan Cl. ned. Vogelk, 9, pp. 52-67. Sody, H. J. V. 1941. De beide javaansche boschkippen. Trop. Natuur Weltevreden, 30, pp. 38-40. Stresemann, E. 1938. Spizaetus alboniger (Blyth) und Spi- zaetus nanus Wallace’ Zwei falschlich vereinigte Arten. Jour, fur Ornith., 86, pp. 425-431. Vogel vom Fluss Kajan (Nordost- Borneo) gesammelt von Baron Victor von Plessen. Temminckia, 3, pp. 109- 136. 1939. Zosterops siamensis eine gellbouichige Rasse von Zosterops palpebrosa. Jour, fur Ornith., 87, pp. 156-164. 1939-1941. Die Vogel von Celebes. Ibid., 87, pp. 312-425; 88, pp. 1-135, 389-487; 89, pp. 1-102. 1940. Zur kenntnis der Wespen-bussarde ( Pemis ). Arch. Naturges., N. F., 9, pp. 137-193. Young, C. G. 1941. Notes on some migratory Birds in Malaysia. Malayan Nat. J., 1, pp. 149- 156. Zimmer, J., and Mayr, E. 1943. New species of birds described from 1938 to 1941. Auk, 60, pp. 249-262. 2. A New Name for a Philippine Flowerpecker. Ernst Mayr. American Museum of Natural History. Dicaeum hypoleucum pontifex Mayr. New name for Dicaeum everetti Tweed- dale, 1877 (late), Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., (4) XX, p. 537, not Prionochilus everetti Sharpe, 1877 (early), Ibis, p. 16. As stated previously (Delacour and Mayr, 1945, Notes on the Taxonomy of the Birds of the Philip- pines, Zoologica, 30(12), 1945, p. 114) there is no reason for excluding the species agile (of which P. everetti Sharpe is a subspecies) from the genus Dicaeum. Dicaeum hypoleu- cum pontifex Mayr is exactly intermediate between obscurum (Luzon) and hypoleucum (Sulu-Mindanao) . It resembles obscurum in the color of the upperparts, but differs by the whitish gray underparts and the dark brown legs. Crandall: Display of Long-tailed Bird of Paradise 9 3. Further Notes on Display Forms of the Long-tailed Bird of Paradise, Epimachus meyeri meyeri Finsch. Lee S. Crandall. (Plates I-III). In a previous paper1 three distinct display forms of the Long-tailed Bird of Paradise, Epimachus meyeri meyeri Finsch, were de- scribed. Later, a second male presumed to be of the same subspecies was received at the New York Zoological Park. Variants of the display forms of this specimen have been noted and are recorded in the present paper. The bird referred to in the original paper was collected at Deva-deva, Central Division, Papua, in October, 1928, by Mr. J. A. Ward and the author. Immature at the time of capture, the bird assumed full male plumage in September, 1931. Three distinct display forms were noted : pumping, horizontal, (referred to in the original paper as in- verted) and upright. This bird died Septem- ber 18, 1936. The second bird, an adult male still living in the New York Zoological Park, was re- ceived in 1937, from a collection obtained by Mr. Shaw Mayer, in the Waria River area2 of Southeast New Guinea. While the points of origin of these two birds could hardly be more than fifty air miles apart, they are sepa- rated by the formidable ramparts of the Wharton Range. After differences in display form had been noted, the possibility of sub- specific difference came naturally to mind. This was suggested to Dr. A. L. Rand, who at that time was occupied with a study of New Guinea birds at the American Museum of Natural History. Following is a quotation of a letter from Doctor Rand, written under date of October 31, 1940, after examination of available material had been completed: “ . . . Now about Epimachus. I have just gone over what material we have from north 1 Zoologica, Vol. XI, No. 7, Dec. 3, 1932, pp. 82-84. 2 N. Wharton-Tigar, Avicultural Magazine, Fifth Series, Vol. II, June, 1937, p. 182. of the Range in southeast New Guinea. We have only three specimens with undoubted localities. They are definitely smaller than the average from south of the Range but still fall within the limits of variation. There seem to be no other differences of taxonomic importance, and on the basis of the material we have here, at least, it would not be possible to separate them. Greenway, studying the collection from near Wau, came to the same conclusion some years ago . . .” Since it appears that, at least in the light of present knowledge, the two birds in ques- tion are subspecifically identical, no explana- tion of difference in display form is offered. The “pumping” form, seen only once in the first bird, has not been noted in the second. The “horizontal” or “inverted” form, with pectoral shields concealed, used frequently by the first, is seen rather rarely in the second but in identical manner. It is in the upright form that striking differences occur. In the first bird, at the climax of the up- right form, the pectoral shields were thrown upward, like two arms, the narrow tips being separated by an inch or more. The tail was held completely rigid and compressed. In the second bird, the shields are joined at the top, forming a broad fan, giving a quite dif- ferent appearance. At the same time, the short outer tail feathers are rapidly opened and closed, the long central ones remaining quiescent. All other parts of the ritual are identical with those originally described. While these variations have been noted seasonally since 1937, publication has been withheld pending availability of suitable pho- tographs of the second bird. These have now been obtained through the skill and patience of Mr. Samuel Dunton, staff photographer, and are presented herewith. 10 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31 : 3 : 1946] EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Plate I. Fig. 1. Epimachus meyeri meyeri in normal position. Fig. 2. Raising the pectoral shields for display. This position approximates the climax of the form originally described. Plate II. Fig. 3. Shields fully expanded and tightly closed above. Fig. 4. The outer tail feathers are rapidly opened and closed. Plate III. Fig. 5. At the full climax, with plumes ex- panded and body flattened, the curved beak is opened to show the yellow in- terior of the mouth. CRANDALL. PLATE I. FIG. I. FIG. 2. FURTHER NOTES ON DISPLAY FORMS OF THE LONG-TAILED BIRD OF PARADISE EPIMACHUS MEYERI MEYERI FINSCH. FIG. 3. FIG. 4. FURTHER NOTES ON DISPLAY FORMS OF THE LONG-TAILED BIRD OF PARADISE EPIMACHUS MEYERI MEYERI FINSCH. CRANDALL. PLATE II. CRANDALL. PLATE 111. FIG. 5. FURTHER NOTES ON DISPLAY FORMS OF THE LONG-TAILED BIRD OF PARADISE EPIMACHUS MEYERI MEYERI FINSCH. Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 11 4. Field Notes on the Snakes of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. William Beebe. Director, Department of Tropical Research, New York Zoological Society. (Plates I -XIII; Text-figs. 1-4). [This contribution1 is a result of various ex- peditions of the Department of Tropical Re- search of the New York Zoological Society to British Guiana and to Venezuela, all made under the direction of William Beebe. The Guiana ex- peditions were made during the years 1909, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924 and 1926, and the Venezuelan trips in 1908 and 1942. The latter was sponsored by grants from the Com- mittee for Inter-American Artistic and Intel- lectual Relations and from four trustees of the Zoological Society, George C. Clark; Childs Frick, Laurance S. Rockefeller and Herbert L. Satterlee, and by invaluable assistance from the Standard Oil Companies of New Jersey and Venezuela.] Contents. Page i Introduction 11 1 Family Leptotyphlophidae 12 Leptotyphlops albifrons (Wagler) 12 Leptotyphlop8 septemstriata (Schneider) IS Family Typhlophidae 14 Typhlops reticulatus (Linnaeus) 15 Family Iniliidae 16 I InUius scytale (Linnaeus) 16 1 Family Boidae 16 Boa canina Linnaeus 16 Boa endris cookii (Gray) 17 Constrictor constrictor constrictor (Linnaeus) 18 Epicrates cenchris cenchris (Linnaeus) 19 Eunectes gigas (Latreille) 20 Family Colubridae 21 Atractus trilineatus Wagler 21 i Chironius carinatus (Linnaeus). 21 i Chironius fuscus (Linnaeus) 22 Cloelia cloelia cloelia (Daudin) 23 Dipsas catesbyi ( Sentzen ) 24 Dipsas indica ( Lauren ti ) 24 ! Dipsas variegata (Dumeril and Bibron) 25 Dryadophis boddaerti boddaerti (Sentzen) 25 Drymarchon corais corais (Boie) 26 Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Linnaeus) 27 Helicops angulata (Linnaeus) 28 ( Hydrops triangularis (Wagler) 28 Imantodes cenchoa (Linnaeus) 29 Leimadophis reginae (Linnaeus) 29 Leimadophis taeniurus bipraeocularis (Boulenger) . .30 Leimadophis typhlus (Linnaeus) 30 Leptodeira annulata annulata (Linnaeus) 31 Leptodeira rhombifera Gunther 32 Leptophis ahaetulla ahaetulla (Linnaeus) 32 Leptophis ahaetulla ortoni (Cope) 34 Leptophis caeruleodorsus Oliver 34 Liophis breviceps Cope 34 Liophis cobeUa cobella (Linnaeus) . 35 Lygophis lineatus (Linnaeus) 35 Oxybelis aeneus aeneus (Wagler) 35 I Oxybelis fulgidus (Daudin) 36 Oxyrhopus petola petola (Linnaeus) 37 1 Contribution No. 735, Department of Tropical Research, New York Zoological Society. Philodryas viridissimus (Linnaeus) 38 Pseudoboa coronata Schneider 38 Pseudoboa neuweidii (Dumeril and Bibron) 39 Pseustes poecilonotus polylepis (Peters) 39 Pseustes sulphureous sulphureus (Wagler).... 41 Sipholophis cervinus cervinus ( Lauren ti) 42 Spilotes pullatus pullatus (Linnaeus) 42 Tantilla longifrontale (Boulenger) 42 Tantilla melanocephala (Linnaeus) 43 Trypanurgos compressus (Daudin) 43 Xenodon colubrinus (Gunther) 43 Xenodon severus (Linnaeus) 44 Family Elapidae 45 Micrurus lemniscatus (Linnaeus) 46 Micrurus psyches (Daudin) 46 Family Viperidae 47 Lachesis muta (Linnaeus) 47 Bothrops atrox (Linnaeus) 48 Bothrops bilineatus (Wied) 50 Family Crotalidae 51 Crotalus durissus terrificus (Laurenti) 51 Introduction. In the year 1909, and from 1916 to 1926, eight expeditions went out from this depart- ment to British Guiana, and in 1908 and again in 1942 field work was carried on in Venezuela Throughout the course of these expedi- tions many field notes, color plates and pho- tographs were made of tropical vertebrates, and the object of this present series of pa- pers is to assemble and publish these notes and illustrative material. Any change or al- teration of the original notes is placed be- tween brackets. The chief value of these data is that they are concerned with living or recently killed specimens. The observations in Guiana were made in one-quarter of a square mile of jungle at Kartabo, and those in Venezuela at or close to Caripito, which is only 528 kilometers northwest of Kartabo. In addition to numerous technical papers in Zoologica and several popular volumes, there have been published the following general ecological summaries: Zoologica : (Kartabo) Vol. II, No. 7, 1919, pp. 205-227 ; Vol. VI, No. 1, 1925, pp. 1-193; (Caripito) Vol. XXVIII, No. 9, 1943, pp. 53-59. Also see “Tropical Wild Life in British Guiana” by Beebe, Hartley and Howes, published by the New York Zoological Society, 1917, pp. 1-504. 12 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 My hearty thanks go to Dr. Charles M. Bogert of the American Museum of Natural History for many identifications and for bringing up to date my out-worn names of many years ago. My original field numbers and other data have been appended to descriptions, breed- ing and other notes. These specimens are either in the collection of the Department of Tropical Research or in those of the American Museum. In the latter case the original field numbers are still attached with the additional catalogue numbers of the museum. In the strictly limited localities at Kar- tabo and Caripito, we collected eight fam- ilies of snakes, comprising thirty-six genera and fifty-four species. Six of these species were missing from Kartabo, in each case the snake being exceedingly rare at Cari- pito, represented by only a single individ- ual. There were absent from Caripito twenty-two species or 40 per cent, of the total number. This lack was in line with many other groups of organisms, a compar- ative paucity of fauna due apparently to the extremes of dry and rainy seasons, these factors resulting on a considerable percent- age of terrestrial or low-climbing forms finding life difficult or impossible at the heights of drought or of innundation. Early in March, 1919, at Kartabo, we col- lected many specimens of an eel-like fish, Synbranchus marmoratus , the Marbled Eel- fish. These lived in leaf-choked creeks or in swamps and varied in length from 60 to 900 mm. They fed on small crabs and fish and possessed considerable powers of ter- restrial locomotion, making their way across many yards of dry land from one body of water or swamp to another. In the laboratory they frequently made their es- cape from a pail and flipped about all night, taking no harm, although coated for many hours with a thick layer of dust and dirt. This introductory paragraph is to detail an important factor in the following complex. The casual hoeing of an Akawai Indian was the direct cause of our discovery of a remarkable concentration of snakes. With- in a period of eleven days, from March 20th to April 1st, 1919, from a marshy field given over for several years to the cultivation of rice, we obtained seventeen Tricolored Coral Snakes, Micrurus lemniscatus, varying in length from ten to thirty inches. Every one of these, with one exception, had swal- lowed a Marbled Eel or Synbranchus, al- most exactly ten inches long. The seven- teenth snake had two eels in its stomach, whose lengths, 7.5 and 2.5 inches, absurdly enough totalled ten inches. The men with the hoes were provided with containers and with promised rewards, and the resultant serpentine fauna of this marshy field comprised six species. Five of these were colubrine and the sixth was the above-mentioned species of coral snake. All these were united by several more or less unrelated factors: first an apparent pref- erence for a wet, swampy terrain, combined with fossorial or nocturnal habits. In the case of four species they were associated by a pronounced diet of Synbranchus. Finally, and rather abstractly, we observed the pres- ence in each of considerable scarlet in scale coloring. The following is a resume of this un- usual aggregation of snakes, all taken in the single rice field. Micrurus lemniscatus : Seventeen taken from rice field in late March, each indi- vidual feeding on a single 10-inch Syn- branchus. Color : banded with black, white and scarlet. Erythrolamprus aesculapii : Three of these coral snake mimics were collected, one feeding on a small real Micrurus, and two on Synbranchus. Color: black, white and scarlet banded. Hydrops triangularis : Eight of these snakes from the rice field were all crammed with Synbranchus, one of these latter being only 70 mm. in length. Color: red above, white below, with many dark cross-bands. Liophis breviceps: One from the same field with several earthworms and a 150 mm. Synbranchus in its stomach. Color: dark above, scarlet below with black cross bands. Oxyrhopus petola: Two caught in rice field. Stomachs empty. Color: black, with numerous scarlet and yellow bands. Pseudoboa coronata: One from rice field with a half-digested Synbranchus in its stomach. Color: scarlet, with black and white banded head. Without the accident of hoeing in this particular spot, these six species and more than thirty-five individual snakes would never have been discovered. Family LeptotyphlophidAe. Two species out of the forty-odd accred- ited to the single genus in this family were found at Kartabo and one of these at Cari- pito. These small snakes are doubtless much more common than captures indicate, the apparent rarity being due both to a noc- turnal and fossorial life, and to their being frequently mistaken for earthworms. Superficially they are not unlike the mem- bers of the succeeding family, but differ in character of dentition, osteology and scala- tion. There are only fourteen rows of body scales. Leptotyphlops albifrons (Wagler, 1824). Names: Worm Snake, Yellow-faced Worm Snake, Ant-nest Worm. Sabbai-ballu, “one 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 13 who lives in cushie ant nest” (Akawai In- dian). Range : From Mexico throughout almost all South America and in many of the West Indies. General Account: These worm-like snakes just miss being lizards, for beneath their scales are the remains of very distinct hind limbs, bits of all three pelvic bones as well as traces of femurs. They are essen- tially burrowing and nocturnal, and spend most of their time in or near the nests of ants and termites. By their hard, impene- trable scalation they are protected from the attacks of these insects, and feed al- most wholly upon them, their eggs and pupae. Especially during the rainy season they creep about the jungle floor, sometimes covering considerable distances and even climbing to moderate heights. Their teeth are few and delicate and confined to part of the lower jaw. They show unexpected power in pushing through jungle debris and ter- mite nests, aided by a hard, pointed, caudal spine, and are exceedingly difficult to hold in the hand. They are probably the smallest of all snakes and the largest I ever meas- ured was less than eight inches over all. Both at Kartabo and Caripito we found them fairly common and were it not for their fossorial and nocturnal habits many more would doubtless have been seen. I find scattered notes on fourteen speci- mens of this species: Spec. No. 1: Kartabo, June 10, 1919, length 142 mm., diameter 3.2 mm. This snake was found in the course of digging a pit in the jungle in rolling, sandy soil. The tiny animal was two feet beneath the surface, and ten or fifteen yards from the nearest ant or termite nest. It was very ac- tive and its tongue played continually. It escaped from our hands three times, before we could secure it, forcing its head between our fingers. The general color was dark brown, hardly any lighter below, with the edges of the scales barium yellow, the spot on the snout reed yellow and the tail tip amber yellow. Spec. No. 2 (Cat. No. 249) : Kartabo, June 23, 1919, length 180 mm. Caught in daylight, coiled around a live bamboo twig close to the ground and the laboratory door. In the same clump a swarm of Attas were crowding into a hole, probably the reason for the presence of the snake, especially as two crushed Atta workers were found in its stomach. Spec. No. 3: Kartabo, June 23, 1919, length 135 mm. Taken in a nest of Attas or leaf-cutting ants by our Indian hunter. Spec. No. 4: Kartabo, July 4, 1920, Color Plate 153, length 143 mm., weight 1.1 gram. Body unusually dark brown, almost black, head and tail creamy white. A half-digested mass of ant legs and heads was ready for ejection. Spec. No. 5: Kartabo, August 31, 1920. Snout and tail dull olive yellow. Caught on a dead twig in a trail with swarms of ter- mites in all directions after a nocturnal at- tack by a tamandua anteater on their low- swung nest. Watched the snake for half an hour, during which time it climbed eighteen inches up the rough bark of a half dead tree, winding in and out of crevices toward the damaged termite nest. I caught it when it had only three feet more to go to reach the nest. The termites ran past and over it, with neither snake nor insects paying any attention. Spec. No. 6: Kartabo, June 10, 1922, length 170 mm. A single oval egg with half- formed shell found in oviduct. Spec. Nos. 7, 8 and 9: Kartabo, All taken on March 1, 1924, in daytime, within an area of six feet on the surface of a jungle trail, during a light rain. Two of the snakes had been feeding on the cocoons of ants, the contents having been squeezed out and the husks about to be extruded. Spec. No. 10: Kartabo, April 29, 1924, total length 162 mm., tail 10 mm., diameter 3 mm., weight 1.4 gram. Caught in heavy rain, creeping across trail. Spec. Nos. 11 and 12 (Cat. No. 2884) : Kartabo, May 23, 1924, lengths 100 and 150 mm. Both were taken near the entrance of a large Atta nest. The tongue of one was brilliant scarlet. Spec. Nos. 13 and 14 (Cat. No. 30132) : Caripito, June 8, 1942, lengths 125 and 195 mm. Leptotyphlops septemstriata (Schneider, 1801). (Plate I, Fig. 1). Name: Seven-lined Worm Snake. Range: The Guianas and Amazonia. General Account: Habits in general like those of albifrons. In appearance this spe- cies lacks the pale head and tail, and the body color varies from pale lilac to rich golden orange with seven to nine dark lines down back and sides. In most specimens the lowermost line is broken or reduced to a fine thread of pigment. The average size is larger than in albifrons, the largest reach- ing a length of nine inches. This small snake can traverse consider- able ground. One individual on a cloudy day covered eighteen feet over damp, forest debris in forty-eight minutes and then van- ished forever. The seven-lined is less com- mon than the other species. We did not find it at Caripito, and I have records of only twelve at Kartabo, with notes on two of these. 14 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 Text-fig. 1. Leptotyphlops septemstriata. Lateral, dor- sal and ventral views of head, and entire snake. No. 343: Color Plate 243, October 6, 1920, length 170 mm., tail 6, body width 5, height 4 mm., weight 1.7 gram. Found in a small termite nest, under the spathe of a palm at the edge of the jungle. In its stomach were the remains of five mangled termite workers. The general color, above and be- low, was pale lavender with a silvery sheen. It showed seven lines with traces of two more. These were olive brown, beginning back of the head. The eye showed a round pupil of unusually large diameter, the nar- row iris being pale pink. On smooth ground the snake progressed slowly with vigorous undulations of the body, getting as much leverage from the lateral curves as from the pointed tail. It was absolutely smooth and slippery, diffi- cult to hold. No effort at biting was ob- served even under provocation. No. 504: Color Plate 325, February 24, 1922, length 215 mm., tail 6.5, body width 5.3, height 4.5 mm., weight 3.7 grams. Found in a ground termite nest, one hun- dred yards back in the jungle. When held in the hand the edges of the scales could be distinctly felt and seemed to be an effective aid in pushing. The body was golden orange, deepening to tawny red toward head and tail. Seven longitudinal lines of dark brown, turning to black toward head and tail, and two other, very faint lines, making nine in all, extended down back and tail. The ven- tral scales were dark golden yellow. In some lights the entire snake shone like burnished gold. The small eye was distinctly pinkish. Family Typhlophidae. Only a single genus and species out of the five genera and more than twenty neotrop- ical forms contained in this family were ob- served by us in the survey of the localities included in this paper. These burrowing snakes are larger than those of the preced- ing family and have twenty or more rows of body scales. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 15 Typklops reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate I, Figs. 2 and 3). Names: Burrowing Snake, Two-colored Ant Snake, Spine-tailed Blind Snake. Range: North and central South America. General Account: These burrowing snakes frequently found in ant and termite nests are in general larger than the worm snakes, but show the same blunt head, spiny tail and firm, close-fitting, hard scalation. The eye is small and counter-sunk, and the mouth is edentulous except for a few teeth in the upper jaw. Fifteen were recorded at Kartabo and three at Caripito, although others were re- ported at both places. The pattern and colors were varied. Six or seven were jet black above, several more dark brown, and one pale brown above. As to the ventral surface the black specimens usually showed contrasting white, while the dark brown snakes were pink below. The head and tail showed decided asymmetrical variation in pattern. Cat. No. 232: Kartabo, July 30, 1920, length 255 mm., tail 10.5, body width 11.2, height 10, head length 4, eye diameter 1 mm., weight 16 grams. Most of dorsal area shining jet black, but head pale, immaculate back to end of rostral. Third dorsal scale white. Tail black, but with a seven-scale- wide white break, beginning with the eighth scale from the caudal end, broken only by the twelfth and thirteenth dorsal scales which are black. White below. In stomach two Atta workers. Cat. No. 241 : Kartabo, September 3, 1917, length 170 mm. Found in small termite nest near ground with no apparent exit of sufficient size. This individual was the pal- est worm snake of this species found at Kartabo. Pale tawny brown above and creamy write below. It was extremely sensi- tive to a sudden light flashed on it after dark. Cat. No. 260: Kartabo, August 7, 1919, length 230 mm., snout 3.5, eye diameter 1 mm., weight 19 grams. Burnished dark brown above, pale salmon below. In pre- servative the latter has turned to rich chestnut. The rostral and nasal scales were dark salmon, with an irregular black blotch on the latter. Cat. No. 263: Kartabo, Photograph 909, September 8, 1919, length 330 mm., weight 26 grams. Caught in early evening creeping over jungle leaves. On a smooth board this snake progressed very slowly, less by the rapid, lateral undulations of the whole body than by the constant sticking in and push- ing with the short, stout caudal spine. Repe- tition of this movement was constant, and seemed certainly to be the chief function of this organ. The food was a mass of about twenty termites, well crushed, and mixed with bits of nest debris. Cat. No. 581: Kai’tabo, May 8, 1922, length 365 mm., tail 14 mm., weight 40 grams. Caught when crawling out of the ground, ten feet from an Atta nest. I fol- lowed it as it crept for fifteen or twenty feet to a sandy bit of the jungle, when it burrowed so fast that it was necessary to dig it from a depth of about eighteen inches. It was brownish-black above, pink- ish below. The latter color changed in pre- servative to cinnamon buff. The rostral was wholly pink and the nasals partly and asym- metrically of the same color. From the eye to the back of the head the dorsal black ex- tends well down on the sides. At the tail a broad band of the ventral color stretches clear across the dorsal black. Cat. No. 30113: Caripito, May 20, 1942, length 200 mm. Brownish-black above, lemon yellow below. Cat. No. 30113a: Caripito, May 20, 1942, length 230 mm., weight 10 grams. Caught in Pit No. 12, in open llanos, thirty feet from low jungle. Brownish-black above, lemon yellow below. Head black with four, short, broad bands of buff down rostral and nasals, to tip of snout which is all buff. Below lemon yellow on fore body, paling back of this area. The dorsal black extends around on to the ventral side at the level of the posterior part of the head, but does not meet on the mid-ventral line. The same pat- tern holds for the tail, the black almost meeting on the ventral line a short distance from the tail tip. The scales are so hard and close fitting that it seems as if no ant or termite could penetrate them. I tested this later with another specimen by drop- ping it into a mass of angry Atta ants. It suffered no harm from the workers al- though they did their best, and in spite of being badly bitten myself I could not per- suade the giant-headed soldiers of the home guard to attack the reptile. A half grown worm snake dropped in a tangle of army ants had short shrift, and a dozen of the insects fixed their jaws into the unfortunate snake before I could re- trieve it and drop it into alcohol. Every structure of this snake is adapted for burrowing; the mouth is shark-like, far overhead by the snout, the eye is small and under the scales, the mouth is small with slight ability of mastication, either merely crushing or swallowing its ant food whole. In a specimen taken soon after the present one were the remains of 36 termites and even a recognizable guest staphylinid. These snakes show great resistance to death by drowning, surviving in water for an hour or more with no access to air. 16 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 4 Family Iniliidae. This is another primitive family of de- generate eyed, burrowing snakes. The eyes are very small and sunken beneath the scales, while the dorsal and ventral scales are all small and sub-equal. The. coloration is brilliant, pink and yellow, with numerous, broad, irregular cross-bands of black. A single genus and species is known from South America. Inilius scy tale (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate I, Figs. 4 and 5). Names : False Coral Snake, Scarlet Ground Snake, Chain Snake. Sarree-booh, “love on the leaves” (Akawai Indian). Range : Northern South America, east of the Andes. General Account : This is a strange snake. It is the only neotropical representative of its family, it has pelvic vestiges connecting it with the worm snakes and boas, and it is brilliantly colored although in structure as well as in habits it is decidedly fossorial. It was not rare and we caught a consider- able number at Kartabo, but did not find it at Caripito. I noted no habits of especial interest. Eight specimens of these brightly colored burrowing snakes were found from April to July 1916, and three others in June and July, 1920, in a deserted rice field, where we also captured twenty true coral snakes ( Micrurus lemniscat.us) . Coll. No. 227: May 30, 1919, length 560 mm. Found among the decayed mould of a fallen tree. This individual possessed fifty- one black bands, of which sixteen are semi- bars. All of these latter are uniformly al- ternate, ending abruptly at the mid-line. The ground color is coral red, with the head brownish. The small eyes are in the center of a single scale, close to the anterior edge of the first black bar. In the stomach were three small Typhlonectes and four crushed q j*^})optGrs Coll. No. 240a: Color Plate 268, Novem- ber 8, 1920, length 660 mm., tail 27, body width 12, height 10, head length 13, width 11.5 mm., rows of scales 21, ventrals 225, subcaudals 13. This snake has forty-four black cross bars on its coral red back- ground, of which eleven are Y-shaped, being double on one side. The lower sides and ventral surface are pale straw yellow. In life the eye has a large, round pupil, with a narrow pink iris, the whole flat and under scale. In preservative, after twenty-four years the black has changed to pale cin- namon brown, and the red to creamy white. Coll. No. 3516 (body) and 3517 (skin) : Female breeding, Color Plate 771, June 21, 1924, length 530 mm., tail 20, body width 13, height 12, head length 14, width 9.5, eye diameter 1 mm., scale rows 21, sub- caudals 14, weight 38.5 grams. The colors are bright scarlet, jet black, and clear, strong lemon yellow below. After the color plate was made, the snake was skinned and mounted on a sheet of pasteboard. Today, in 1946, twenty-two years afterwards, the colors of the skin are exactly as in life. There are forty black bands, whole or broken, of which twenty-three are complete, a few are Y-shaped, and others are alter- nate, crossing each other in mid-back. Family Boidae. Among boas we find the largest and most powerful of serpents. Like the preceding families they are primitive, and possess the remains of a pelvis, while some even have an external claw altered from its original use as an aid in locomotion in lizard-like ancestors to a sexual function. Cretaceous fossil boa-like creatures which lived fifty million years ago are so much like living species that we may assume that little evo- lution has taken place throughout this long period. In South America there are seven genera and about fifteen species. Of these, four genera and five species were recorded in the course of our studies in British Guiana and northeastern Venezuela. Boa canina Linnaeus, 1758. (Plate II, Figs. 6 and 7). Names'. Green Tree Boa, Dog Boa, Yel- low-faced Boa, Parrot Snake. Yea-tah-yah- mo (Akawai Indian). Range: Northern and central South America. General Account: No tree boas were seen at Caripito, and only five taken at Kartabo. Others were probably often in full view but unobserved owing to their quiescent habits in the daytime and their protective coloring. In general the color is bright green above, spotted and narrowly banded with white, with much of the head and the under parts yellow. This ruptive patterning, combined with the spots of sunlight on the jungle foliage, renders the snake all but invisible. We found it usually bunched or draped in a more or less compact ball or closely wound series of coils. It was not vicious, and after a preliminary fight for freedom, seemed to accept captivity with a sort of watchful waiting. Coll. No. 228: Color Plate 36, Pelvis KOH 19123, May 25, 1919. Length 1540 mm. (5 feet), weight 910 grams (2 pounds). Gen- eral color above peacock green with the usual irregular white cross bands, and olive yellow below, this latter color extending over much of the face and all labials. Iris light orange brown. This pigmentation 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 17 made the snake darker than any other spe- cimen. Found on a branch six feet up, and it made no effort to escape until seized, when it struck viciously and constricted with all its force. It soon relaxed and clung closely but not too tightly to my hand and arm as I carried it to the laboratory. Coll. No. 559: Color Plates 373 and 374, Photographs 1740, 1754, 1755, 1756, 1757 and 1762. April 23, 1922. Length 1330 mm. (4 feet, 4 inches), tail 200 mm., head length 52, width 40, body width 24, height 34, eye diameter 7 mm., weight 437 grams. Colors: General color of head above par- rot green, lighter on snout and around eye ; the deeply pitted upper labials light viri- dine yellow with pinkish shading on their most recessive parts. Lower labials pale greenish-yellow shaded with light viridine yellow. Body above parrot green anteriorly shading through calliste green to yellow green on the tail. Starting on neck are scat- tered transverse markings, sometimes joined, sometimes alternating, one to five or six scales wide on median line, tapering on upper sides. These markings are white, more or less clouded with gray. They are vaguely bordered with a wide clouding of dark ivy green, these borders being very wide anteriorly, sometimes running into each other, while posteriorly they are sparse. Sides of body yellow green, lighter toward tail. There are a few small touches of empire yellow here and there along the sides, and one large one about mid-body. Extreme lower sides of body empire yellow anteriorly the remainder being faintly mot- tled with the same color, while glaucous blue scales appear here and there along the area' of greatest girth and toward the tail. Here there are also a few splotches of pinkish-white at long intervals. Chin and ventrals napthaline yellow, while a faint lateral stripe of empire yellow extends down the tail. Pupil vertical, the line of the pupil ex- tended up and down by a deep groove heavily stippled with dark gray. Iris straw- yellow with faint gray stippling all over, which becomes more dense and arranged in the form of two crescents on the sides of the pupil, leaving narrow l(nes of clear straw yellow next to the pupil. Veins in iris and its periphery faintly tinged with orange. Mouth inside lavender tinged with bluish-white. Predominating colors of uni- versal sheen over whole body are bengal green, chrysophrase and golden orange. Boa endris cookii (Gray, 1842). Names: Yellow-marbled Tree Boa, Brown Tree Boa. Ya-mung (Akawai Indian) ; Macaurel, Oroya (Spanish). Range: Northern South America, Pa- nama, Lesser Antilles and Trinidad. General Account: Six of these tree boas were recorded from Kartabo and two from Caripito. The variation in both ground color and pattern is very considerable, and is most confusing for ocular field identifi- cation. But a tree snake with vertical pupils, plain gray or brown, or with intricate dull yellow mottlings will probably be this spe- cies. This boa is essentially arboreal and noc- turnal, although they seem at times to de- scend to the ground as is proved by two specimens of the terrestrial frog Elachi- stocleis ovalis bicolor which I took from the stomach of one boa. Trust in immobility and their resemblance to branches and twigs seems reflected in the ease with which they can be approached in daylight and seized. Poor eyesight may also have something to do with this. Coll. No. 349: Kartabo, June 3, 1920, length 650 mm. Color in Life: Unmarked buffy-brown, and only slighter lighter be- low. It was coiled in a tree, and when seized by the neck managed to get two of its long anterior teeth into my finger, at the same time vibrating its tail against the twigs so that I was startled by the rat- tling. The Indians are in deadly fear of this boa, and with more superficial reason than in the case of colubrine tree snakes. The number and length of the anterior fang-like teeth, the swollen posterior portion of the head, the vertical pupils, and the unusually loud hiss of the buffy tree boa, all have sinister appearances. But the teeth and mouth are always clean and the bite in- nocuous. Coll. No. 2677 : Kartabo, Color Plates 683 and 684, April 5, 1924. Total length 1200 mm. (4 feet), body 940 mm., tail 260, body width 16, height 26.5, head length 29.5, width 19, eye diameter 4 mm., rows of scales 58, ventrals 276, subcaudals 120, weight 172.2 grams. Color in Life : General color of body light grayish-olive, with many alternating patches, some complete, some broken, on each side of dorsal aspect, olive brown. These darken dorsally and fade downward into very much broken perpen- dicular lateral streaks and markings of buffy olive which reach to the edge of the ventrals. The dorsal markings are darker toward the head and the tail. Also toward the head and tail they take on the appear- ance of the Greek letter omega, at mid- body looking like thick, downward-pointing crescents. All these markings have a faint center of cream color, and are rimmed above with the same. The space between is filled with a mottling of grayish-olive, with a few dark splotches, forming a more or less continuous wavy line down the dorsal 18 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 ridge. Head, labials and anterior chin cream color, with an area in front of eye light grape green. Head above covered with finely interwoven pattern of dark brown lines, which leave still finer lines of the cream between. One heavy lateral dark streak backward from the eye, a narrower one from eye forward and up over snout; two from upper part of eye backward, small spot and a few crescentic markings on nuchal region. Neck and posterior chin and anterior ventrals tinged with tea green ; re- maining ventrals pale olive buff, each tinged with creamy buff along posterior edge, and with very fine stippling of grayish- olive, which becomes pronounced toward tail, where there is a mass of confused mottling. A few dark spots on snout and lower labials. Posterior upper labials with deep notches. Iris dull cream color with fine gray stippling, pupil rim more brilliant, and an area of dark sepia stippled around the vertical pupil. Coll. No. 30059: Caripito, April 20, 1942, Total length 1880 mm. (6 feet, 2 inches), tail 370 mm. Color in Life : Above uniform olive green, changing posteriorly into pale brown, with more and more black encroach- ing on the scales from well before the anus to tail tip. Below creamy white, each scale washed with a sheen of lavender. Along both sides of the ventrals from a distance before anus equal to the length of the tail, there is an irregular series of black spots, becoming larger and extending clear across ventrals under the tail. The tail ends in a sharp spine. In preservative the colors change to olive buff above, and warm an- timony yellow below. This boa was caught coiled among the small branches of a low tree at the edge of the savanna. It allowed itself to be grasped around the neck, when it coiled and uncoiled like lightning, hissing loudly. Coll. No. 30150: Caripito, June 22, 1942, length 700 mm. Color in Life : Light red- brown, appearing uniform at first glance, but after being grasped, a series of faint, but dark markings became apparent, quite distinct on the tail, in general pattern re- calling those on No. 2677, but in only two indistinct shades of brown. There was a slight but definite color change, the dark markings remaining after death. Below pale yellow brown. The eye with its vertical pupil appeared large and conspicuous in life, and was of such a rich orange brown that until killed and identified we labelled this specimen the Orange-eyed Tree Boa. Constrictor constrictor constrictor (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate III, Figs. 8, 9 and 10). Names: Boa Constrictor. Land Camoodie (Creole). Range : Northern and central South America, east of the Andes. Genei'al Account: The boa constrictor is a fairly common snake both at Kartabo and Caripito. At the latter place we found only small and medium specimens but at Kar- tabo, among the twenty or thirty collected, eight were from eleven feet to twelve feet six inches in total length, measured when still alive, before shipping north to the New York Zoological Park. The pattern and color of this snake are too well known to make it worth while to reproduce my detailed notes. At Kartabo there were two more or less distinct and definite color phases, independent of age or sex. One was characterized by rich, warm hues of chestnut and browns, and the other was darker and colder in general color, with drab and olive greens replacing the warmer tones. Invariably the body colors increase in brilliancy and contrast through- out the length of the tail, but in spite of this apparent conspicuousness these ser- pents were exceedingly difficult to discover in daylight when they were draped over a fallen tree, or coiled in the crotch of a branch. The eyes, which would be revealing char- acters, are always obliterated by two to four black or brown marks radiating for- ward, down and back. The one from the nostril back to the eye bisects the iris, thus destroying all appearance of regularity of outline. (Plate III, Fig. 8). In greater detail, the iris is rather abruptly, pigmentally divided transversely just above its equator. When the eye is at rest this line coincides exactly with the sharp division of color which separates the pale brown of the upper head from the black line extending along the upper side of the head and face. The eyeball has suffi- cient mobility at times slightly to disrupt the exact continuity of this pattern of iris and scales. The upper part of the iris is pale smoky gray, sparsely and irregularly flecked with dark; the lower portion is fuscous, obscurely mottled, and paling at the very bottom (quite invisible most of the time) and near the pupil. This latter results in a bright thread-width line around the pupil. The pupil is narrow and vertical,' extending almost across the entire iris, and coming to a sharp point above and below. Most of our specimens were taken at night, as they crawled along the trails or crept over low branches. A small boa was captured in the thatched roof of an Indian benab just as it was seized by a six foot black jungle racer ( Cloelia c. cloelia). This was the only enemy of the boa constrictor I recorded. Three stomachs contained the following: Cat. No. 692, one large Ameiva and a small Cnemidophorus ; No. 2757, an 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 19 Ameiva tail, a large antbird, a spiny rat; No. 2876, one large Ameiva, a spiny rat, which in turn contained four embryos. Eighty per cent, of our boa constrictors were captured at the height of the long rainy season, May through July. Like other boas these snakes put up a strong fight when first caught, then give up and in most cases can be handled at will thereafter without showing any resentment or attempt at attack. On June 28, 1922, our Indian hunter Degas reported a large land camoodie coiled near his village. We found a boa of large size wound over a fallen log with a burrow of sorts just beneath. It had been there at least five days and the brilliancy of its skin seemed to indicate a recent shedding. We rushed it and took it home and with some difficulty found that it measured at least twelve feet, six inches over all. The next day when I was preparing to remove the boa from its cage for the pur- pose of photography I was surprised by a loud hiss which lasted so long that I sent for a stop watch. I pounded on the cage wire, the snake struck short, and laying its head flat on the ground it hissed steadily for 25 seconds. In response to intermittent pounding on the wire it hissed 17 times with an average of 20 to 80 seconds each time. The intervals lasted from five to ten seconds and during these short periods the air rushed into the lung and the body vis- ibly swelled. The sound was exactly like steam escaping from a radiator. The hiss did not seem particularly loud, yet was dis- tinctly audible 100 feet away. A few days later I held its head for a water color portrait and found that I needed all my strength to uncoil its tail when that organ once got a twist around my body. When first caught it gave forth a most nauseous odor but this was not noticed again. In handling it many times I never saw it make a swift motion. Four boas were measured immediately after death, as follows: General Account : The rainbow boa is not rare; at Kartabo we took 12 individuals, and two at Caripito. The Kartabo snakes occurred from March to May. None of these specimens showed the uniform coloration ascribed to some captured in other parts of Venezuela. All of our snakes had the rings and ocelli well developed. Three, however, showed a general pale brown and orange pattern with little iridescence, while all the others were of rich dark colors, with pro- nounced yellows and were brilliantly irides- cent. Most of these boas were coiled on branches in the daytime, or moving slowly on the ground in twilight or moonlight. Two were captured as they were trying to rob hen roosts near Indian benabs. Coll. No. 315: Kartabo, March 5, 1921, Color Plate 314, total length 914 mm., rows of scales 52, ventrals 250, subcaudals 63. This was one of the pale types with very little iridescence, not typical of the major- ity of the specimens. The iris reflected this diminishing or lightening of pigment, and was pale silvery, densely shot with a maze of fine black veins. The pale clay color of the interior of the fifty-odd dorsal circles made these stand out much more strongly than in the darker individuals. The post ocular black band was very prominent. This boa had devoured an antbird and a pullet, the latter from the coop of our Akawai Indian hunter, where the snake was captured. Coll. No. 732: Kartabo, May 10, 1922, Color Plate 381, Photograph 1802, total length 1828 mm. This boa was the most beautiful specimen we saw, its steel-blue iri- descent markings contrasting strongly with the rich orange background. Color in Life : In detail it was orange brown above, shad- ing through ochraceous tawny and tawny to cinnamon brown on lower sides. Ring markings on back alternating with large oval splotches of dark blue-black on lower sides. These side markings have a small crescent of warm buff above their center, topped with a larger crescent of shining Cat. No Total length . . Tail Eye diameter . Body width . . Body height . . Rows of scales Ventrals Sub-caudals . . Weight 692 692a 880 mm. 910 mm. 96 105 4.4 5 23 23 34 34 91 96 237 239 58 63 277 grams 309 grams 2757 2876 1345 mm. 1650 mm. 155 190 6 7 50 53 70 76 93 95 243 239 57 60 4 lbs. 7.5 lbs. Epicrates cenchris cenchris (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate IV, Figs. 11, 12 and 13). Names-. Rainbow Boa, Ringed Boa, Pea- cock-eyed Boa. Aboma (Creole). Range : Northern and central South America. blue. Head above, pecan brown with darker markings. Sides of face livid brown. Labi- als vinaceous fawn clouded with deep pur- plish-gray. Ventrals light buff tinged with pink. Ground color of tail pale reddish, the markings clouded with gray. Claw ivory 20 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31:4 yellow. Rainbow-like iridescence over the whole snake, the sheen over the ground color mainly golden, green and orange, over the markings chiefly indigo, greenish-blue and violet. Iris very dark brown, a little lighter in a faint border around the ver- tical pupil, but everywhere veined with black. One day when I lifted this six-foot boa by the neck it threw three coils around my wrist and lower arm and twisted the tail across the coils in a strong tight overlap- ping lock. The head and neck remained limp in my hand but the rest of the body began a slow, rhythmic pressing, tighter and tighter. This turned to a throbbing which I soon found was the beating of my own blood. My hand became reddish, then bluish, and the veins stood out strongly. After taking movies of this effect I was glad to unwind the boa as the pain was considerable. Traces of the compression were visible the following day. Coll. No. 2635: Kartabo, March 3, 1924, Color Plate 652, total length 1600 mm. (5 feet, 3 inches). Rows of scales 48, ventrals 274, subcaudals 61, weight two and one- half pounds. The background of dark brown shows little iridescence, but the rings and ocelli are ablaze with shining ultramarine, and the dorsal crescents of the lateral ocelli are brilliant gold. The labials, chin and un- der surface are mouse gray. Coll. No. 2867: Kartabo, May 20, 1924, total length 1360 mm., tail 194, body width 36, eye diameter 5.2 mm., rows of scales 51, ventrals 276, subcaudals 61, weight two and one-quarter pounds. This boa was caught in the chicken coop of our Indian hunter, but its stomach was still empty. Coll. No. 30173: Caripito, July 31, 1942, total length 1200 mm. Captured at dusk stalking a large frog which seemed unaware of its enemy’s approach. Color in Life: Background above down to lower sides chestnut brown, below pale orange yellow. Dorsal pattern a series of more or less regu- lar, contiguous rings formed of narrow, blue black lines. Some of the markings fail to extend across the back, resulting in hour-glass rather than paired rings. On the sides in the concavity patterns formed by the junction of the dorsal rings is a series of ornamental ocelli, each a large, round, iridescent blue spot, bordered on the dorsal half by a wide crescent of yellowish-white, and above this a second, similar but nar- rower boundary of blue black. Alternating with and below these ocelli are two series of irregular and less distinct roundish or oval spots. The ventral scales are immacu- late. In this four-foot boa there are 56 of the rings and ocelli from head to tail tip. Eunectes gigas (Latreille, 1802). (Plate V, Figs. 14, 15 and 16). Names : Anaconda. Water Camoodie (Creole) . Ow-oo-rah, Sal-urring-mah, “quick runner” (Akawai Indian). Range : South America east of the Andes. General Account: The anaconda is the* giant among American serpents with an ac- credited length of 29 feet, but the largest taken by us was close to Kartabo, where one of these boas measuring 17 feet, two inches was shot from a branch overhanging the water a mile down river. Eleven were taken and others seen at Kartabo, and two small ones at Caripito. This is essentially a water snake and from three stomachs we took 27 fish, including sharp-spined catfish and four species of armored catfish. Occasionally they 'were found in the jungle but never very far from the river, and more often coiled on a branch over the water or on the sandy shore. The following individual will serve as typical of the species ; Coll. No. 540: Kartabo, May 27, 1922, Color Plates 371, 372, Photographs 1742, 1743, total length 917 mm. (three feet), tail 90, eye diameter 5 mm., weight 280.4 grams. Another young anaconda only two- thirds (665 mmM) as long as the present one, weighed only one-quarter (69 grams) as much. Color in Life: Top of head dark olive, almost black on orbits ; side of face in front of eye, upper labials and post oculars dark olive. A broad cinnamon band equal in width to eye extends from eye to posterior point of jaw, becoming darker and narrower on side of neck. This cinnamon band is bounded below by a narrowed band of black which extends along the neck. Back olive green with many alternately placed, irregu- lar, large, round and oval black spots. Sides buffy brown with smaller, more crowded spots of orange yellow, edged with black. The lowermost of these are much broken and extend in places over the ventrals. Chin pale pinkish-cinnamon flecked laterally on the throat with gray and black. Ventrals warm buff with exceedingly variegated markings composed of small, black, geo- metrical patches, which frequently form two broken, longitudinal lines. Pupil ver- tical, much shorter than in the boa con- strictor. Also it is not double pointed but rounded above and below, and with a slight median constriction. Iris dark citrine with faint dark mottlings. This, like a number of other specimens, was taken on the sandy beach in front of Kartabo on a moonlight night. It was so lethargic that it allowed me to pick it up, whereupon it put up the usual, brief boine fight. It is difficult to distinguish anacondas 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 21 when they lie motionless, for they rest so flatly on the sand that they scarcely cast a shadow, and when they move, it |is so silently and in so straight a line that the ear and eye give little warning. More than once I have attempted to catch a snake and have seized only sand, the serpent having vanished without my sensory knowledge, leaving only the faint shadow of a shallow depression in the sand. Family Colubridae. This family contains the great majority of living serpents, but satisfactory char- acters for sub-division are still to be found. In the present paper twenty-five genera are included, leaving only eleven belonging to all the other families, and 39 species as compared with only fifteen representing the remaining families of serpents. With the exception of the worm snakes, boas and such poisonous forms as the coral, fer-de- lance, bushmasters and rattlers, all others are classified as colubrine. Atractus trilineatus Wagler, 1828. (Plate VI, Figs. 17 and 18). Names: Stub-tailed Snake, Three-lined Worm Snake. Range: Guianas, Eastern Venezuela and Trinidad. General Account: This is a small, round, stocky snake, with small pointed head and very short, stubby tail adapted for burrow- ing. The eye is small with round pupil. It is dark brown above, with three longitudinal black lines, and usually lemon yellow below. It is fairly common both at Kartabo and Caripito, but discoverable chiefly by dig- ging. In the dim light of the jungle it may, at first sight, be mistaken for Leptoty- phlops. In a dozen specimens the total lengths varied from 112 to 256 mm. They were taken from March through August. Atractus is a rather slow moving snake, never biting, but pushing continually with both head and tail. The latter has a sharp pointed tip which is used with considerable force as in Lep- totyphlops, driving the creature ahead through one’s fingers. When placed on soil it at once burrows out of sight. A female of 250 mm., had three eggs in the oviduct, two complete with leathery shells ready for deposition. They were oblong, equal-ended and measured 20 by 8 mm. Coll. No. 525: Kartabo, April 3, 1922, Color Plate, total length 235 mm., tail 14, head length 6, eye diameter .9 mm., ventrals 139, subcaudals 15, weight 5.6 grams. Color in Life: Head above cinnamon brown with distinct asymmetrical mottlings of mummy brown. Back hazel brown with three longi- tudinal stripes of dark clove brown. Upper labials citrine yellow. The upper side of body below the lateral dorsal stripes, tawny olive and below this a faint, narrow line of brown. Lower labials, chin and anterior ven trals lemon yellow. Remaining ventrals mus- tard yellow with pinkish tinge. Iris dark cinnamon brown. Coll. No. 246: Kartabo, August 31, 1920, length 256 mm., tail 14.7, head length 6.5, body width and height 6 mm., ventrals 150, subcaudals 13, weight 5.6 grams. In life this specimen was fuscous above, with the three lines brownish-black. The ventral surface pinkish-buff, which deepened to tawny olive on lower sides. Iris very indistinct, with black mottling. A young specimen taken March 6, 1924, only 165 mm. in length, had a tail of 14 mm., ventrals 135, subcaudals 19 and a weight of 2.7 grams. This was taken from the stomach of an Erythrolamfrus aesculafii. All of the Atractus taken at Caripito were considerably lighter in color than the Kar- tabo ones, with the ventrals creamy white. Two out of five (Nos. 30070, 30122) were found in Pit 13, the only one dug outside of the jungle proper, a few yards from the nearest trees, at the edge of the open savanna. Chironius c arinatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Names: Golden Tree Snake, Yellow-lipped Tree Snake. Yellow-belly (Creole). Sipo (Native). Range: Northern South America to Brazil and Bolivia. General Account : This is a rather slender snake, essentially arboreal, either sage green above and bright yellow below, or blackish-brown above and steel blue below. It is usually found draped among dense foliage or creeping slowly along. When frightened it can move faster than the eye can follow. It is nervous and vicious in dis- position and can seldom be caught without getting in at least one bite. Its enormous gape gives it an especially alarming appear- ance although it is quite harmless. The eye is unusually prominent with a round pupil. About 25 specimens were taken and others seen, from March through August at Kar- tabo. We did not find it at Caripito. In length our captives varied from 600 mm. (two feet) to 2850 mm. (nine feet, four inches), this being, I think, the record for the species. Colors in Life: Coll. No. 2612: Young snake. Pale blue above with wide white ver- tebral stripe. Pale yellow below. Col. No. 2814: 900 mm. Dark olive green above, picric yellow below. Coll. No. 2822 : 1249 mm. Dark olive green above with a purplish tinge, pale yellow be- low. Coll. No. 2802: 957 mm. Color Plate 133, head and body above grayish-olive, with a 22 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 4 light vertebral band. Below empire yellow on labials, fading down neck to pale lemon yellow, into the general ventral color of light greenish-yellow. Tail lemon yellow be- low. Eyes very prominent; iris inner half brackish-brown, changing rather abruptly with a concentrated stippled margin into pale silvery yellow on the outer half. Pupil surrounded by a very narrow yellow ring. Tongue long, slender, shooting out 20 mm., rich dragon’s-blood red. Coll. No. 2801: 741 mm. Very young snake. Top of head saccardo umber, back brownish-olive, russet on snout. Upper labials, throat and first few ventral stron- tian yellow, shading through green to honey yellow under tail. Sides of body sage green. Outer edge of iris colonial buff flecked with orange. Dark patch around pupil brown, flecked with gold. Coll. No. 2668: 1020 mm. Like No. 2802, but with two bright lateral yellow stripes along tail. Coll. No. 2764: On the dark brown of the back, at mid-body, this individual has a number of oblique markings, angled, point- ing backward, narrow bands in pairs, the width of the pair equalling the interspaces. These are composed of broken lines of lemon yellow spots, much smaller than the scales on which they occur. The ventrals of the an- terior half of the body are colored steel blue and lemon yellow in equal proportions. On the posterior half of the body the blue dom- inates, but on the tail the yellow again ap- pears abruptly and eliminates the blue. The upper labials, chin and throat are immacu- late golden yellow. After 22 years, the skin of this snake, mounted on cardboard, shows no change of color whatever. Coll. No. 2855: 1420 mm. Color Plate 1176, sage green above, the pale vertebral stripe scarcely visible. Upper labials, chin and anterior ventrals chalcedony yellow with faint gray line down center, brighten- ing to empire yellow under tail. Food : One snake was caught with quite half of its body wedged between the wire meshes of a cage in the laboratory holding five Hyla maxima. Another was captured while climbing up to a nest of two nestling an thirds. A third had swallowed a large Leptodactylus frog. Measurements of mens: freshly killed speci- Coll. No . 2801 2940 2802 Total length (mm.) . . . 741 903 957 Tail (mm.) . 201 328 257 Jaw length (mm.) . . . 21.5 25 Eye diameter (mm.) . . 4 5.5 6 Rows of scales 12 12 12 Ventrals . 151 190 Subcaudals . 140 180 Weight (grams) 6.8 19 13 Cftironius fuscus (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate VI, Fig. 19). Names : Red-fronted Tree Snake; Green Tree Snake. Cow-um-bung, “one who lives in high bush” (Akawai Indian). Range: Northern and equatorial South America. General Account : A long, well-built, con- stricting arboreal snake. Typical pattern brown above with numerous, well-spaced, pale, dark-edged, double cross bands, below yellowish-white mottled with brown, head with black posterior eye streak, reddish on snout, labials and anterior ventrals. Two vertebral lines of black along dorsal keels. Individually the cross bands may be wholly lacking in both young and adults, or the entire snake may be green, deeper above and pale below. We saw none of the green phase longer than 535 mm. Besides the possession of 10 rows of scales (instead of 12 as in C. carinatus) , the iris in this species is char- acteristic. In the green phase the dark mottling covers almost the entire iris evenly, but in all brown forms the only part of the iris free from the solid brown is the peri- phery of the upper fifth of the visible eye, this being pale gold. (Plate 0, Fig. 0). All the various color phases were taken within the quarter square mile of jungle at Kar- tabo. We did not find this snake at Caripito. Of the 24 specimens captured, more were taken on the ground than was the case with C. carinatus. Three of these were of the green phase. All were active and vicious, striking at every opportunity. Color's in Life : Col. No. 3294: Rich red brown above, salmon below. Col. No. 3554: June 12, 1919. Liver brown above, covered with a purplish sheen, ferrugineous below. Coll. No. 2669 : Color Plate 151, 1242 mm. General color above cinnamon brown, with two dark brown vertebral stripes. Faint oblique cross bands of fuscous about an inch apart, each with a broken border before and behind of the dark color. Top of head chest- nut brown, changing to russet anteriorly. Upper labials white, the anterior three, and the upper parts of all cinnamon rufous. Ven- trals white heavily tinged with pale ochrace- ous salmon toward head, mottled thickly toward tail with vinaceous and dusky. Lower three-fourths of iris dark brown ground color, heavily marbled and mottled with gold and black. Upper one-fourth pure gold, 2668 2764 2855 2922 320 1020 1125 1420 2320 2850 420 395 500 883 950 29 33 39 42.5 46 6 6.5 8 8.5 10 12 12 12 12 12 150 159 154 184 184 146 139 129 190 194 52 68.5 180 1 lb. 1% 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 23 streaked upward and toward the edge with flecks of black. Very narrow unbroken pupil ring, gold on upper fourth, and orange on lower three-fourths. A broad streak for 10 mm., back of eye bluish iridescent black. From gape and back along the upper edge of the ten anterior ventrals a series of large spots of bright red. Coll. No. 3112: 2350 mm. This large speci- men is very dark red, with all labials and chin shields red, the post ocular black streak lost in the dark red, and the pale upper part of the iris darkened to a grayish-cream. Coll. No. 527: 535 mm. Head and back cromium green, becoming dark greenish- glaucous on sides of body and malachite on sides of face, and cobalt on upper labials. First few lower labials touched with beryl green, remainder of lower labials and chin bluish-white. Ventrals pale nile blue, be- coming deeper and strongly tinged with olive toward the tail. All body scales edged with translucent dark gray. Pupil rim bril- liant buffy white. Iris, cartridge buff above, much whiter and more brilliant below. An- terior of iris covered with brownish stip- pling, arranged in faint streaks. This stip- pling irregularly surrounds the pupil, resolv- ing into upwardly-converging streaks above, and irregularly streaking below. Coll. No 3294 3554 Total length (mm.) 340 512 Tail (mm.) 124 165 Jaw (mm.) 10 Eye diameter (mm.) 2.5 7 Ventrals 165 Subcaudals 137 122 Weight (grams) 2.5 Coll. No. 2669 : 571 mm. This young speci- men is colored almost like No. 2669 except that the vertebral stripes are almost in- visible, only a faint, much broken line. All the labials are much whiter and the gold of the upper iris is much more diffused. In the present snake the cross bands begin 110 mm. back of the snout, and end 100 mm. from the tip of the tail. There are 30 of these pale centered marks, but on the tail they become very broken and irregular. The skin of this snake was mounted on cardboard on the day it was collected, April 1, 1924, and now, 22 years later, every pattern and color is clear and unaffected. Coll. No. 3554: 512 mm. Peacock green above, lichen green under chin, and glaucous green on the ventral surface. Gold streaking of iris is very much diffused. Coll. No. 821 : Color Plate 348, 950 mm. There are 38 cross bands on this brown snake, and the anterior red is very strong on chin and sides of anterior body. The ven- trals elsewhere are quite white. Optical Fundus : Dr. Casey Wood analyzed the fundus of the right eye of snake No. 2669 as follows: Eyeground dark blue gray covered with uneven, brilliant silvery dots. The optic disc is large, round, dirty white, with moss green edges. Only a faint suggestion of opaque nerve fibers is apparent. There is one large vein running from the lower periphery straight up into the papilla where it disap- pears from view. Two smaller veins, one on either side of it converge and join over the lower end of the disc and then continue as one across the center of the disc to near the upper edge where it again divides, this time into three branches. Near the lower edge of the papilla, under a spot where the two small veins join, is a round dark area which may be a depression in the disc. Food : The stomach contents of five snakes are as follows: (1) A pullet just swallowed in the coop of our Indian hunter, where the snake was captured. (2) One medium Lep- todactylus caliginosus. (3) Bones of a jungle mouse or young rat. (4) Full-grown Anolis and several small mollusks, probably the food of the lizard. (5) A large Leptodactylus mysticenus, 53 mm. in length. Measurements of freshly killed specimens: 2669 624 2798 3112 571 1270 1370 2350 221 380 410 755 18.5 29 32 40 7 7 9 150 147 147 164 132 95 101 121 11.2 233.5 277 Cloelia cloelia cloelia (Daudin, 1803). (Plate VI, Fig. 20). Names : Black Tree Snake. Masurana (In- dian Name) . Range: Northern and central South America. General Account : A large, round-bodied, strong and active, arboreal snake. Black or dark gray or reddish-brown above, white or yellowish-white or rarely salmon colored be- low. Fourteen taken at Kartabo but none at Caripito. These fearless snakes feed on liz- ards and both poisonous and harmless snakes. They seem equally at home among branches and on the ground. Coll. No. 643: Kartabo, July 1, 1922, total length 2145 mm. Color in Life : Olive brown above, anterior upper labials and below pale salmon. Pupil a wide vertical, iris brown mottled with darker. Coll. No. 250: Kartabo, September 1, 1920, total length 1595 mm. Color in Life: Brownish-gray above, upper labials and be- low creamy white. Coll. No. 3274: Kartabo, Color Plate 230, July 23, 1922, Color in Life : 24 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 Above slaty black, upper labials slightly paler. Below yellowish-white. Pupil a wide, vertical slit, iris rich coral red, mottled with darker red. l Food: The stomach contents of five snakes were as follows: (1) When chloro- formed this individual disgorged a 300 mm. Ameiva in general appearance uninjured. (2) Nothing but its own shed skin. (3) One large Ameiva. (4) Caught in the act of killing a small Constrictor constrictor in the roof of an Indian benab near the labora- tory. (5) Two small fer-de-lance in stomach, one partly digested, the other fresh. Measurements of freshly killed specimens; Coll. No 3528 Total length (mm.) 1322 Tail (mm) 272 Eye diameter (mm.) 3.5 Rows of scales 19 Ventrals 216 Subcaudals 83 Weight (grams) 381.5 Dlpsas catesbyi (Sentzen, 1796). (Plate VI, Fig. 21). Name: Catesby’s Snake, Brown-saddled Snake. Range : Guianas, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru and Argentina. General Account : A gentle, rather delib- erate snake, slender, with rounded head and long tail. Above cinnamon brown with nu- merous black half-bands, bounded with white on the sides. The markings may be alternate rounded spots, or opposite, or as- sume saddle shapes. The body is much com- pressed, strongly keeled along the mid-back. Eye very large and protuberant. Iris black. Half a dozen were taken at Kartabo, but none seen at Caripito. All were climbing among slender branches in low jungle growth. In size we found it ranging only between 530 and 645 mm. over all. Measurements and Color in Life: Coll. No. 240b, Kartabo, April 27, 1919, total length 590 mm., tail 150 mm., ventrals 173, subcaudals 97. In preservative this individ- ual has changed to light brown saddles and pale pinkish flesh color elsewhere. Coll. No. 3293: Kartabo, August 31, 1920, total length 600 mm., tail 176 mm., ventrals 178, subcaudals 94, weight 15.4 grams. In this specimen the dark bands are reddish chestnut. Coll. No. 149: Kartabo, American Mu- seum 18153, Color Plate 176, July 23, 1920, total length 620 mm., tail 150 mm., eye di- ameter 3, body width 7.8 mm., body height 11 mm., ventrals 180, subcaudals 91, weight 15 grams. The head is black with irregular bluish-white markings, with a narrow nu- chal band just back of gape snuff brown. Dorsal surface tawny brown with about 40 half-bands of blackish-slate. Most of these bands alternate with each other, but some are opposite but do not join. Ventrals white with large longitudinal, irregular blotches of dark reddish-brown, cleanly outlined. The iris is quite indistinguishable from the jet black pupil. Coll. No. 3253: Kartabo, May 10, 1920, total length 630 mm., tail 187 mm., ventrals 206, subcaudals 123. Coll. No. 226: Kartabo, American Mu- seum 18154, July 30, 1920, total length 660 mm., tail 215, head length 9.5, eye diameter 3.5, body width 6, body height 8 mm., ven- trals 209, subcaudals 125, upper labials, right 9, left 10, weight 11.5 grams. 3278 250 643 3274 1470 1595 1870 2030 260 276 275 430 4.5 4 4 4.5 19 19 19 19 235 240 220 220 78 72 60 72 330 1 14 lbs. 1.5 lbs. 2.5 lbs. Color in Life: The head is variegated with white, chiefly in the form of an im- perfect band around the snout and a collar back of the parietals. Much of the side of the face is white, also chin and throat ex- cept 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th lower labials and two central spots which are black. The first three narrow dorsal bands, dividing the very elongate black saddles, are white, and in the next four the bands become medially tinged more and more strongly with brown, until from the 8th on the usual pattern of a white-edged brown band is seen. There are 41 black saddles altogether. Below, brownish-white, marked with irregular, longitudinal spots of brown. The dorsal sad- dles, in this specimen, result in a close ap- proach to the pattern of Dipsas indica. Food: The food of No. 243 consisted of three small snails and an equal number of newly emerged, soft-bodied wood roaches. Dipsas indica (Laurenti, 1768). (Plate VII, Figs. 22 and 23). Name: Snail-eating Snake. Range : Guianas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argen- tina. General Account: Only three specimens of this little snake were taken at Kartabo and none at Caripito. It is a slender, nar- row-necked, round-headed serpent, with many black saddles along the body framed in tawny brown, and a black and white head. It is slow in movement and with large eyes, active both in daylight and at night. In disposition it is exceedingly gentle and wholly unresentful of handling. All were taken among branches in second growth jungle. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 25 Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 76, Kartabo, American Museum No. 18179, May 12, 1916, total length 648 mm., ventrals 205, subcaudals 120. Above, this specimen was brownish-gray, whiter toward head, with numerous very large saddles of black Coll. No. 2678: Kartabo, Color Plates 685 and 686, April 8, 1924, total length 620 mm., tail 190, head length 11.5, head width 7.5, eye diameter 2.6, body width 5.5, body height 9 mm., rows of scales 13, ventrals 198, subcaudals 115, weight 7.7 grams. Food: (1) 5 small land snails, swallowed whole with a few bits of shell. (2) A mass of soft tissue, probably slugs, and 2 ants. Dipsas variegata (Dumeril and Bibron, 1854). (Plate VII, Figs. 24 and 25) . Name: Many-banded Snake. Range: Guianas, Colombia and Brazil. General Account: Only four of these little snakes were taken at Kartabo, and none at Caripito. All were found coiled up in the day time low down in the debris of bamboo clumps. They are light brown above and creamy white below, with numerous, broken dark brown or black bands extending al- most around the body. On the lower sides Coll. No . . . . 2670 247 Total length (mm.) .... . . . . 385 451 Tail (mm.) 100 96 Eye diameter (mm.) . . . . 2.5 3. Rows of scales 17 15 Ventrals . . . . 175 174 Subcaudals 99 95 Weight (grams) 5.2 each of these expands into a large, rounded spot occupying a lateral third of one or two ventrals. The eye is very character- istic. The pupil is a broad vertical oval. The iris is greenish-yellow, heavily dotted with reddish-brown on the upper half, less densely below. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 347, Kartabo, Color Plate 292, Janu- ary 13, 1921, total length 300 mm., tail 75, head length 7, head width 6, body width 6, body height 8 mm., ventrals 180, sub- caudals 84. General color above and half down sides mouse gray with two black patches on back of head. Upper head scales mottled with black. Labials and face scales edged irregularly with black. Entire length of body banded with about 50 transverse bands, some broken, considerably separated on ventral surface. Between these are fainter, more broken series of black spots. On the lower lateral surface all these end in a black spot. Ventral surface pale yellow becoming whitish toward tail. Eye: Pupil broadly vertical, less slit-like than in wholly nocturnal snakes. A pale gold rim around pupil. Iris with a ground color of ivory yellow or gold, lighter toward outer rim. This is heavily dotted with red brown on the upper half, dying out toward the lower part of the iris and internally, leaving considerable clear yellow on the inner and lower portions of the iris. Coll. No. 649: Kartabo, male, August 18, 1922, total length 637 mm., eye diameter 3.2 mm, ventrals 175, subcaudals 89, weight 22.3 grams. Dryadophis boddaerti boddaerti (Sentzen, 1796). (Plate VII, Figs. 26 and 27). Names : Checkered Jungle Snake (young) , Brown Lined Snake (adult). Range: Northern half of South America. General Account: Medium-sized, slender snake, almost altogether terrestrial. Young, brown or gray, checkered on back and sides, and with variegated pattern on head. Adult, plain brown or gray above with two longitudinal pale lines. Iris golden in upper fourth. Not rare; active and in captivity biting at every opportunity. Measurements of freshly killed speci- ments : 528 787 2743 301 283 475 618 1190 1352 1410 138 320 310 290 5 5 6 17 17 17 176 188 182 97 108 101 50 155 87.3 115. Color and Pattern in Life: Young check- ered snakes are brown or grayish-black above, with many cross bands of white or pale drab on the body, tail uniform. These bands are narrower than the inter-spaces and confined to the dorsal scales. On the sides there is a corresponding series of white bands, but alternating with the dorsal ones. The top of the head is mottled with light and dark brown, and the labials and anterior lateral scales are boldly marked with black and white. Below, whitish mot- tled on anterior ventrals and on sides of re- mainder. Iris mottled red or red brown on the lower three-fourths, golden or pale orange above. Total lengths 285 to 450 mm. Individuals of intermediate size have the dorsal pattern more or less distinct, giving way to a uniform brown or grayish-brown, with traces or a half-developed pale lateral lines. In the adult snake the pattern is a uni- form brown or gray brown above with two distinct paler lateral lines extending the full length of the body. Whitish or grayish- 26 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 white below in Kartabo specimens. In all Caripito adults the ventrals are sulphur or bright yellow. Individual Patterns. Coll. No. 247 : Kartabo, Color Plate 192, August 6, 1920, total length 451 mm. Top of head bone brown, each scale narrowly margined with dark apple green, sides of head lighter green shading to bluish-white on upper labials. First to fifth upper labials irregularly edged with black along posterior borders, a large round spot on posterior half of sixth and anterior half of seventh. A wide band of brown on eighth extending upward to black center of occipitals. Chin shields and ventral surface bluish-white, anterior half of every ventral pearl gray. Dorsal body brown with 39 narrow, transverse bands of cinnamon buff edged with black, ending abruptly at tail. Tail fuscous above, smoke gray below. Iris, lower four-fifths rich red brown, upper fifth lumiere green. Coll. No. 30, 196: Caripito, August 21, 1942, total length 285 mm. Quite similar to No. 247, except that it wholly lacks the cephalic green, the top and sides of head being coarsely mottled in shades of brown. A continuous but irregular band of white extends from eye to gape. Coll. No. 2636: Kartabo, Color Plate 650, March 1, 1924, total length 375 mm. Differs from typical juvenile pattern of No. 247 in lacking all green on head, and in having body pattern strongly contrasting brownish- black and white, and in having the superior fourth of iris silvery. Coll. No. 2670: Kartabo, April 1, 1924. Differs from No. 247 in having essentially seal brown ground color with pale brown markings. Throat heavily mottled, and check- ered pattern more of squares than of nar- row bands and rectangles. The dorsal cross bands become more narrow and irregularly oblique on posterior third of body. The pre- served skin mounted on cardboard has al- tered in no way from the colors of life as recorded 22 years ago. Intermediate Pattern. Coll. No. 528: Kartabo, Color Plate 351, April 1, 1922, total length 475 mm. The head is olive brown above, deepening on sides to sepia along top line of upper labials. All labials and chin bluish-white, while the anterior upper and all lower labials are edged with slate color. Sixth to ninth upper labials have irregular splotches of gull gray, which shade into burnt umber on upper edges of eighth and ninth. Top and sides of body hair brown, with faint transverse bands almost as wide as inter-spaces, of snuff brown which terminate along a pale gray lateral line, and alternate with simi- larly colored square patches on lower sides. All body markings faintly edged with black anteriorly. The lateral line dies out at mid- body. Ventrals dirty white toward neck, shading back through smoke gray to pink- ish-buff. Pupil rim flame scarlet, iris pale gold on upper quarter. Coll. No. 787: Kartabo, April 19, 1922. General color above saccardo umber, faint drab cross markings, shading to hair brown. Pale lateral line well developed, olive buff on tail. Upper fourth of iris golden, re- mainder burnt umber mottled with darker. Adult Pattern. Coll. No. 2743: Kartabo, April 27, 1924, total length 1190 mm. Seal brown above with single pair of pale lateral lines. Throat mottled, and extreme anterior and posterior ventrals dominately grayish-blue, with con- siderable olive buff on mid-body ventrals. In the stretched and preserved flat skin faint traces can be seen on the interscale area of the juvenile dorsal pattern, but this is absolutely invisible in the living snake. Coll. No. 301 : Kartabo, July 23, 1920. Similar to No. 2743 except that there is a faint tinge of greenish-buff on anterior ventrals Coll. No. 283: Kartabo, Color Plate 138, June 12, 1920, total length 1410 mm. Gen- eral color above brown, with a broad stripe down each side of light drab. Upper half of head uniform brown, upper labials light mineral gray, under parts gi-ayish-white. Pupil ring rufous turning to gold at the top. Lower three-fourths of iris pecan brown, upper fourth antimony gold flecked with darker. Four Caripito adults (No. 30184, total length 880; No. 30275, total length 1055; No. 30276, total length 970; No. 30278, total length 955 mm.) show almost identical patterning and coloring. Uniform seal brown above with faint pale lateral line. Labials and ventrals sulphur or bright yel- low, with considerable lateral marking of blue gray. Subcaudals with or without cen- tral, irregular dark mottling. Chin and throat with more or less blue gray edging to scales. Black band nostril to eye and eye to gape present or absent. Pood : Five of these snakes had eaten the following: (1) One small frog. (2) A very young Ameiva. (3) 4 unidentifiable reptile eggs. (4) This snake captured at the base of a stub from which it had just caught and eaten a nestling Glyphorhynchus. (5) 3 small frogs and a large scarlet-winged grass-hopper. Drymarchon corals corais (Boie, 1827). (Plate VIII, Figs. 28 and 29). Names: Yellowtail, Tiger Snake, Rat Snake, Black-and-yellow Jungle Snake. Cribo, El Tigre, Raba Amarilla (Native). 1946] Beebe : Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 27 Range : South America, south to tropical Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and Bolivia. General Account: A large, fierce, terres- trial snake, black variegated posteriorly with yellow. Rare at Kartabo where we re- corded only three in eight years. More com- mon at Caripito where 12 came to our at- tention and six were captured. Several were killed on the road by cars. In the jungle it was necessary to fire instantly to obtain a specimen, for otherwise the speed of the reptile gave but a moment’s glimpse. Sev- eral snakes were longer than eight feet, and the largest measured nine feet, eight inches. A shed skin, complete except for part of the tail, was a full eight feet six inches. In eastern Venezuela there is a wide-spread belief that if a pregnant woman encounters one of these snakes she will be beaten by its tail and her child will be delivered at once. Coll. No. 30086: Caripito, Color Plate 1567, May 5, 1942, total length 2540 mm. (8 feet, 4 inches), head 62, eye diameter 8, snout 22 mm., weight 8 pounds. Color in Life: Above blue black as far back as 600 mm. before the tail, when the dorsal ground color changes to empire yellow and then to warm orange. The black is continued in this yellow area as paired bands. After four of these pairs, the bands begin to degener- ate, diminishing in width and purity, but they continue in a succession of about 30 to the tip of the tail. The rostral, nasals, internasals, loreals and all the upper labials are ivory white, with a flecking of black on the loreals and 6th, 7th and 8th labials. This white color continues on the chin, throat and ventrals, each of the latter with an invasion of black from each side, never- meeting in the middle. The subcaudals are yellow orange like the upper side. The iris is dragon’s blood red with a gold pupil ring. Coll. No. 30144: Caripito, June 18, 1942, total length 1448 mm. (four feet, 9 inches). The pattern and color in general are very similar to those of No. 30086, but there is less white on the snout and upper labials. Food: Five yellowtails had eaten the fol- lowing: (1) A medium sized opossum and 2 Ameivas. (2) 2 young opossums and an eighteen inch fer-de-lance. (3) 3 Leptodac- tylus frogs. (4) 1 Bufo marinus and a spiny rat. (5) 2 spiny rats. Erythrolamprus aes culapii (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate VIII, Figs. 30, 31 and 32). Names: False Coral Snake, Necklace Snake. Range: Northern and central South America. General Account: Brilliantly hued, tri- colored snakes of rather small size, found crawling through the jungle or occasionally dug up a foot or more beneath the surface. Not nearly as common as the true coral snakes which they so much resemble. In three instances Erythrolamprus was taken within a few feet of a Micrurus individual. Typical coloring of a dozen or more Kar- tabo snakes, a succession of 13 to 18 tri- annuli (two black and one white ring), separated by scarlet. The white bands are narrow and of even width, the black bands are wide above and narrow below, the scar- let bands are narrow above and wide be- low. I found none with single black bands, and no yellow ones. All the snakes taken at Caripito had each black band split in two by intrusive white bands, sometimes equal to the black in width, and the scarlet bands were much wider than in the Kartabo speci- mens. The largest snake of this species was 26 inches in total length. Individuals varied greatly in disposition, some being active and irritable, and others quiet, permitting any amount of handling. Measurements of freshly killed speci- mens : Coll. No 259 258 2973 254 256 Total length (mm.) 253 393 540 545 545 Tail (mm.) 31 52 90 66 74 Eye diameter (mm.) 2.5 2.5 3 3 3 Ventrals 189 189 187 186 191 Subcaudals 49 46 42 45 Weight (grams) . . . 4.6 12.8 56.5 33 30.2 Coll. No. 256: Kartabo, Color Plate 160, figs, a and b, July 2, 1920, total length 545 mm. Color in Life : Fourteen scarlet bands, each set off by a pair of black and a pair of white. The bands are ivory white and flame scarlet. Black and scarlet equal in width above (about 12 mm.), white nar- rower (about 5 mm.). Iris blackish-brown, almost indistinguishable from pupil. Coll. No. 258: Kartabo, Color Plate 160, fig. c, July 16, 1920, total length 393 mm. Color in Life : Thirteen scarlet bands, equal to the black above (about 9 mm.) and widening to twice that width below. White bands 4 mm. above, slightly wider below. Black 9 mm. above narrowing to 4 mm. be- low. Coll. No. 254: Kartabo, August 24, 1920, total length 545 mm. Color in Life: Thirteen scarlet bands, and a scarlet tail tip. Scarlet very wide, 15 mm. above, 20 to 23 mm. below, wider than black. White strongly black-tipped. Rostral, anterior la- bials and chin shields tinged with apricot buff. Coll. No. 259: Kartabo, April 16, 1922, total length 253 mm. Color in Life: Thir- teen scarlet bands, and thirteen black- bounded white bands excluding the incipi- ent one on the head. Head black with broad band of pale grass green from gape almost to orbits, extending clear across head above. 28 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [81: 4 Snout buffy brown, first two labials and an- terior chin shields warm buff. The usual white bands are, on this individual, grass green tipped with gray. Iris dark cinnamon brown. Coll. No. 2973: Kartabo, Color Plate 767, June 17, 1924, total length 540 mm. Color in Life: Fifteen pairs of black paired bands, wide above, narrowing below to two to four ventrals. These black bands are separated by narrower bands of pale grass green, somewhat wider on the ventral surface (one and a half to three scales wide), and above with jagged edges dovetailing with the black. The inter-spaces are orange red, nar- rower than the black rings dorsally, but below, widening out abruptly to a maximum of seven ventral scales. The cephalic black pair is incomplete, the pale central band covering the occiput, and dying out at the labials, the anterior black ring being very small, extending across the orbits and end- ing in an irregular line along the mouth. The snout, all lower labials except the pos- terior two and under chin and neck are solid orange red. The pale ring of the thirteenth pair covers the anal region, the fourteenth the central portion of the stumpy tail, and the last, very much reduced, extends almost to the tip, leaving a tiny speck of scarlet at the extreme end. Iris very dark rich brown. Coll. No. 334: Kartabo, May 28, 1920, total length 456 mm. 18 annuli. No. 335: Kartabo, June 21, 1920, total length 475 mm. Very dark specimen, all red scales black tipped. 18 annuli. No. 335a: Kartabo, June 25, 1920, total length 502 mm. 18 an- nuli. A scattering of whitish scales mixed with some of the black. Coll. No. 30008: Caripito, Color Plate 1511, March 10, 1942, total length 524 mm. 15 annuli. Black bands split into equal parts by intrusive white bands. No. 30143; Cari- pito, June 18, 1942, total length 365 mm. 16 annuli. Black bands equally divided by white, making four black and three white to each annulus. Very dark colored snake. Food: (1) Remains of small snake, 2 large crickets. (2) 150 mm. Atractus trili- neatus in fairly good condition; indeter- minate mass which may have been an am- phibian. (3) Very small Micrurus half di- gested. (4) Small lizard too far gone for identification. (5) Half digested Tantilla longifrontale, and two small Synbranchus. Helicops angulata (Linnaeus, 1758). Name: Brown-banded Water Snake, Water Labarria. Range: Northern half of South America. General Account: Helicops was not found at Caripito, and was rare or else difficult to detect at Kartabo as only four are in the records. It is apparently rather aquatic in habits as two were seen swimming in the Cuyuni River. A third was captured in 1916 and sent north to the Zoo. A fourth killed in the jungle had an indeterminate mass of fish scales in its stomach. Coll. No. 3266: Kartabo, May 10, 1922, total length 870 mm., tail 225 mm. In gen- eral its pattern was olive gray above with numerous wide, dark brown transverse bands. Below it was straw yellow with a checker-board pattern of alternate squares of dark brown. Hydrops triangularis (Wagler, 1824). Names: Red-and-black Banded False Coral Snake. Pung-gak, “living in ground” (Akawai Indian). Range : Guianas, Amazon valley, southern Colombia. General Account: Small burrowing snake, red-and-black banded above, white below, living in close association with Erythro- lamprus and Micrurus. Several were caught crawling through jungle in the rainy sea- son, and eight were taken in a single rice field, in company with the two above men- tioned species. All were feeding on Syn- branchus. Locally common at Kartabo, but not observed at Caripito. These are slow moving, non-biting, dark-loving snakes. Coll. No. 244a: Kartabo, Color Plate 88, March 24, 1919, total length 440 mm., ven- trals 171, subcaudals 60. Color in Life: Seventy-three series of patterns. Below, the ground color is pure white, with two series of dark brown blotches close together, some- times opposite, sometimes alternate. These narrow suddenly and extend upward as scale-width vertical bands, not quite meet- ing on the mid-back. The back is red brown, while between each of the lateral, vertical lines is a conspicuous spot of bright coral red, suffusing from three to five scales over two rows. The head has four irregular cross bands of black, with inter-spaces, counting from the snout backward, of pale brown, dark brown, dark red and bright red. The suc- ceeding nuchal band of black almost meets above, and is the broadest on the whole snake. The head is small and the eyes in- conspicuous, the iris reddish. The general impression of the lateral pattern is of suc- cessive layers of red-brown, bright red and white, cut by numerous vertical black bands. This and seven other specimens were captured in one ploughed, marshy rice field. In the present specimen there were two Synbranchus in the stomach, one partly di- gested and the other quite fresh and 70 mm. in length. All eight Hydrops had from one to three Synbranchus eels in their digestive Coll. No. 3261: Kartabo, March 26, 1919, total length 385 mm., tail 83 mm., eye diam- 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 29 1.2 mm. Color in Life: Seventy-one black annuli, some alternate, some joined to make a “Y.” Rufous red above changing to bright red on the sides and to white below. The black bands are narrow above and widen abruptly below, where the white inter- spaces are of only two scales width. Coll. No. 3292: Kartabo, March 26, 1919, total length 427 mm., tail 80 mm. Color in Life: Reddish above, changing into coral on sides. The dorsal markings are rather atypical of this species, consisting of alter- nate narrow black bands which barely reach the middle line. Each band widens on the sides and below, until the ventral aspect is of alternate triangles of black, two scales apart, and with bases separated from each other and across the mid-line by white. The ventral aspect of this snake is decidedly darker than the dorsal. Imantodes cenchoa (Linnaeus, 1T58). (Plate VIII, Figs. 33 and 34). Names: Thread Snake, Night Climber, Chunk-headed Snake. Range: Mexico and Central America and South America south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. General Account: A very long, attenuated snake, with short, thick, enlarged head and enormous golden eyes with vertical slit pupil. Pinkish-brown with numerous large saddles of dark brown. The eye has a de- cided forward and downward slant, the angle with the mid-snout line being 43 degrees, doubtless an adaptation for noc- turnal pursuit. None seen at Caripito, five at Kartabo. Found by accident coiled in masses of leaves or debris in parasitic plants. Active at night, twice entering labo- ratory, once in pursuit of a Hyla rubra. When caught it was very active, tying itself into knots, and with considerable power of compression. It gave forth, from the anus, a most evil-smelling liquid. Coll. No. 329: Kartabo, Color Pate 232, August 7, 1920, total length 1025 mm. (40.5 inches), tail 255, head length 12, head width 9, neck width 4, body width 5, eye diameter 3.5 mm., weight 18.5 grams. Color in Life: General color above sandy brown, snout and sides of head vinaceous buff with a slight yellowish tinge. Six or eight large, symmetrical patches on top of head, and about seventy large, diamond-shaped dorsal body saddles of chocolate brown. On the posterior half of the body these break on each side into a small lateral spot. Throat and lower labials pale grayish-buff, becom- ing speckled on the ventrals and shading to gray on the tail. Pupil a narrow, almost ver- tical slit, with a backward superior inclina- tion. Iris golden, with irregular indistinct fleckings and streaks of orange and golden brown. Two narrow lines of light yellow along both sides of the pupil, and a small patch of dark brown at top and bottom. Coll. No. 346: Kartabo, August 16, 1922, total length 1190 mm. (47 inches), tail 380 mm., head length 14.5, head width 8.5, eye diameter 4 mm., rows of scales 17, ventrals 286, subcaudals 168. This specimen had ninety-eight brown saddles. A much darker snake than No. 329. Leimadophis reginae (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate IX, Fig. 35). Names: Reticulated Snake. Range : Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guianas, Trinidad and Brazil. General Account : Found both at Caripito and Kai’tabo, four specimens at the former, and six at the latter locality. It is an active snake of medium size, well able to climb but usually found on the ground. Olive or bright green or lemon yellow above, with black edges to the scales giving a strong reticulated appearance. Below pale buffy yellow or bright empire yellow (Kartabo), or dominately scarlet (Caripito), both phases strongly and irregularly marked with black spots. In temperament this snake is usually timid, making no effort to bite, but with ceaselessly flowing tongue. It is strong for its size and when its head was being drawn never ceased to constrict with its entire body. When angered, the head is raised and the neck flattened and widely expanded, becoming a cobra in miniature. Coll. No. 270: Kartabo, Color Plates 126 and 132, June 7, 1920, total length 580 mm. (23 inches), tail 155 mm., weight 26.7 grams. Color in Life: Above serpentine green, brightening to light cress green to- ward head, with large, indistinct, dark re- ticulations along the back, and a line of large, distinct dark spots down each side, merging into a solid, black, lateral line from 50 mm. in front of vent to tail tip. Beneath, the head is light buffy yellow, deepening to mustard yellow below tail. From the neck to vent, a series of trans- verse, blue black bands or half-bands oc- cupies the entire width of the ventrals. An average of every fourth scale is clear, un- marked yellow, and a larger number of half, alternating bands than of whole ones. Ventral tail unmarked yellow. Iris, lower four-fifths light mahogany red, mottled and lined with darker. Upper fifth, slightly for- ward of center, capucine yellow almost clear. Coll. No. 284: Kartabo, July 20, 1920, total length 608 mm. Color in Life : General color above olive, reticulated with dark brown. Top of head fuscous, head markings 30 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31: 4 cedar green, lateral neck scales parrot green. Labials, chin, throat and anterior ventrals pale ochraceous buff. Posteriorly the ven- trals are mottled more and more with pale salmon, deepening and changing to aniline yellow on subcaudals. Coll. No. 291: Kartabo, October 6, 1920, total length 811 mm. Color in Life: Head brownish-olive, deepening toward snout. Two median patches of dark lettuce green directly back of eyes, below which are patches of cinnamon brown. A narrow line of black extends along top of upper labials, and back from eye to point of mouth, and down a few scales of the neck. Labials, throat and anterior neck pale ochraceous buff ground color, shading through buffy olive to grayish-olive on tail. Down the back are faint criss-cross markings of dark brown, surrounding faint, irregular whitish spots, which extend in a double dorsal row. Sides tinged with gray and with about 53 spots of dark brown, which merge into a narrow lateral line on tail. Ventrals salmon buff with blue-black markings; subcaudals chamois. Iris with upper fourth straw yel- low, lower three-fourths mottled pecan brown. Pupil rim gold above, orange rufous below. Coll. No. 2976: Kartabo, June 17, 1924, male, total length 2320 mm., tail 60, eye di- ameter 2.5, body width 6 mm., rows of scales 17, ventrals 139, subcaudals 49, weight 6.5 grams. Color in Life: Although only nine and a quarter inches in length this young snake is exactly like No. 291, except that the body and tail above are bone brown throughout, and the faint dorsal spot- tings are very obscure. Also the anterior ventral scales are pinkish-buff, shading back to cinnamon on posterior half of body, and to honey yellow under tail. Coll. No. 30075: Caripito, Color Plate 1562, April 30, 1942, total length 570 mm., tail 85, head 16.2, snout 6.5, eye diameter 4.5 mm., weight 52 grams. Color in Life: Above dull lemon yellow on basal half of each scale, with the distal half or a very wide margin black. Some scales marked with lateral margins of scarlet. Below, from the tip of lower jaw to the ninth ventral bright lemon yellow, from the ninth back gradu- ally replaced from the center outward with bright flame scarlet, the yellow on the ex- treme lateral edges soon merging with the greenish or lemon of the dorsal scales. The ventral scarlet irregularly marked laterally with black lines, not quite forming cross hands. At irregular intervals an entire scale may be pearl gray, about ten of these in all. Just before the anus the black dies out and the scarlet persists to the tip of tail. Top of head olive green, variegated with black, a broad band of black extending back from the eye to the last head scale. Upper labials bright yellow, extending back beneath the lateral black head band. Iris gold on upper fourth, rich chestnut below, marked later- ally with black. It was a female and con- tained many small, undeveloped eggs, about 1 mm. across. In the body cavity was a four- inch tapeworm. Coll. No. 30131: Caripito, June 8, 1942, total length 506 mm., tail 148 mm. Color in Life: Above dark gray, edged on each scale with black, appearing wholly black in gen- eral. Labials, chin and anterior ten ventrals straw yellow. Rest of body ventrals coral red, changing under tail to rich salmon. Ventral chin, neck and tail immaculate. The rest with a black pattern of alternating squares of one scale width, with alternating transverse narrow lines, extending to right or left of the squares. Coll. No. 30139: Caripito, June 3, 1942, total length 568 mm. Color in Life: Bright green and black above. Below red, with the black markings limited to narrow cross lines, except on posterior half of body where a medium black thickening on the ventrals is seen. Coll. No. 30216: Caripito, May 3, 1942, total length 195 mm., tail 51 mm. Color in Life : Almost uniform brown above. Red collar across nape and an imperfect collar- like marking from eye obliquely back from gape. Pink below, irregularly marked. Food: No. 291 had swallowed two frogs and a small bird. No. 2976 was caught at- tempting to eat a very small, 28 mm., frog with half-absorbed tail which it had just caught in a jungle pool. No. 30075 had eaten a Hyla rubra. No. 30139 had a 190 mm. Ameiva in its stomach. Leimadophis taeniurus bipraeocularis (Boulenger, 1903). Names: Side-spotted Snake. Range: Colombia and Venezuela. General Account: This species is repre- sented by a single, very young specimen picked up in a jungle trail at Caripito on June 24, 1942. In total length it is only 125 mm., with a tail of 27 mm. It is red brown above, with rostral, labials and all under parts pale yellow. There is a deep yellow scallop on the side of the neck which bites into the dorsal brown, and back of this a round spot is pinched off from the dorsal color. These spots continue posteriorly, spaced closer and closer together until, on the posterior third of the body and on the tail, they merge and form a solid, distinct lateral line. Leimadophis typhlus (Linnaeus, 1758). Names: Pink Ground Snake. Range: South America in general. General Account : A short, thickish snake. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 31 dark green above and lemon yellow below, or dull pink above and bright pink below. I have observed no gradations in life between these phases. In preservative the colors alter radically or are completely lost, and even in dried skins the green changes to dark olive. From the point of view of human observa- tion this is a gentle snake, allowing handling and not attempting to bite. When striving to escape or when teased, it raises the head to some distance and flattens the neck, mak- ing it look twice natural size. Even when thoroughly alarmed it progresses only by rather slow undulations, as we might expect fiom the short, thick body. I have never been able to persuade it to any swiftness or quickened progress. This is one of the very few jungle snakes which are terrestrial and yet, at least in one color phase, green in color. L. typhlus was not observed at Cari- pito, but seven were collected at Kartabo, three in the green phase, four in the pink. Measurements of freshly killed speci- mens : Coll. No 2785 2834 332 624 Total length ( mm. ) 175 425 545 585 Tail (mm.) 38 102 106 100 Eye diameter (mm.) 3 4.5 4.5 5 Rows of scales .... 19 19 19 19 Ventrals 167 145 140 147 Subcaudals 53 53 53 50 Weight (grams)... 44 44.2 85 Coll. No. 332: Kartabo, Color Plate 233, September 14, 1920 , total length 545 mm. Color in Life: Above elm green, shading laterally through parrot green to lemon yel- low. Upper labials mineral green, shading back to chalcedony yellow. Lower labials and throat strontian yellow. Ventral sur- face primuline yellow, with a light grayish- pink reflection. Iris, upper fifth pinkish-buff with dark brown flecks, remainder dark red brown. Distinct pupil rim bittersweet orange, with upper fifth orange buff. Coll. No. 624: Kartabo, June 17, 1922, total length 585 mm. A female containing five eggs, apparently full sized but without shell, round-ended ovals, 7 by 17 mm. This snake was in the pink phase. Coll. No. 2642: Kartabo, Color Plate 654, March 15, 1924. Color in Life : General color above dull pink. Head above brown with a greenish cast, snout and sides of head olive. Lower labials pale pink. The dorsal pink shades laterally into vinaceous, with the ventrals a brighter pink than the back. Faint dark, oblique stripes show here and there along the sides as the snake bends laterally. The center scales of the distensible hood on the neck have half hidden white streaks on their anterior edges, set off by similar streaks of salmon. Iris brilliant orange in upper quadrant, the rest dark brown with a red tinge. Coll. No. 2834: Kartabo, May 21, 1924, total length 425 mm. Adult male in breeding- condition, testes 21 mm. Color in dried skin: The mounted skin of this specimen has al- tered from the living green to olive green above. The anterior three-fourths of the body has been stretched in mounting and this artificial distension reveals a pattern, wholly concealed in the living snake. This pattern consists of about thirty inverted Vs with the arms directed backward from the mid line. These are made by the separa- tion of scale rows in pairs, two rows of the olive green scales set in dark skin back- ground, then two rows set in yellow skin bases. The stretching is to the extent of one- fifth, the total length in the freshly killed snake being 425 mm., and in the mounted skin 530 mm. The V-shaped marks become visible in the living snake only when it distends its neck in the terrifying attitude which it assumes when thoroughly fright- ened. Food: Three of these snakes had fed on frogs, one on a 47 mm. Leptodactylus mys- tacinus. No. 2834 had swallowed a small frog and, rather surprisingly, a mass of more than one hundred good-sized ants, not the disturbed food of the frog. Leptodeira annulata annulata (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate IX, Fig. 36). Names: Saddle-back Snake, Annulated Night Snake. Range: South American south to and in- cluding Paraguay and northern Argentina. General Account: One of the commonest small snakes at Kartabo, where upward of two dozen were observed. Only two were collected at Caripito. One specimen meas- ured 900 mm., but all others were well under this measurement. This snake is nocturnal, as indicated by its narrow, vertical pupil. When disturbed or alarmed it gives off a very offensive odor, but almost never at- tempts to bite on capture. It spends the day curled up under the loose bark of fallen logs or in crevices of bark as high as six feet from the ground. It seems to prefer swampy localities and several times I found it actu- ally in jungle pools. In general the color above is pale cinna- mon buff with a series of large irregular spots down the back. These are found in all shapes, sometimes fairly evenly rounded, or confluent in zigzags or actual cross bands. Every type may be found in one snake. A black post orbital band and buffy or whitish ventrals are generally characteristic. The number of saddle markings varies from 38 to 76. Measurements of freshly killed speci- mens : 32 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 Coll. No 235a 347 235b 2875 333 Total length (mm.) 210 312 375 470 900 Tail (mm.) 50 75 100 148 225 Eye diameter (mm.) 2 3 3 4 5 Rows of scales. . . . 21 23 19 21 21 Ventrals 192 201 193 196 189 Subcaudals 83 91 100 87 88 Weight (grams) . . . 2.2 3.5 6.5 29 48 Coll. No. 347 : Kartabo, Color Plate 140, figs, a and b, June 12, 1920, total length 312 mm. Color in Life : Darker than the general run of this species. Head above olive brown, body tawny olive, spots blue-black. Throat, chin and a few anterior ventrals gray, re- mainder of ventrals vinaceous buff. Series of dorsal spots round and oval, four or five mei'ged together or alternate, about 76 in all. A line of small, round, black dots down each lateral line, alternating with the dorsal saddles. Pupil a narrow, vertical slit. Iris pecan brown flecked with gold. Caught in tent pursuing a small frog. Coll. No. 235a: Kartabo, June 27, 1920, total length 210 mm. Much paler and grayer than usual. General color above pale drab, ventrals lighter. Top of head and dorsal spots dark gray. About 62 spots, saddles and bands along back. Iris gray. Taken in shal- low water in an old tank, sharing the space with hundreds of very small tadpoles. Coll. No. 333: Kartabo, Color Plate 140, fig. c, September 24, 1920, total length 900 mm. Color in Life : Above cinnamon brown with about 62 blue-black markings, mostly saddle-shaped, occasionally joined together. Sides of head and snout tawny with a streak of mummy brown from eye to angle of jaw. Below this a streak of orange buff, tinging the upper part of the anterior ventrals. Labials, throat and ventral surface light buff with faint mottlings of mineral gray. Iris orange rufous, lighter around the pupil and streaked with dusky. Caught under bark, six feet from ground. It was coiled in intimate association with a mass of termites and a large whip scorpion. Coll. No. 30,152: Caripito, June 24, 1942, total length 585 mm. Color in Life : Pale brown above with dorsal markings of dark brown. On the nape there are two short, thick, longitudinal bands, then four pairs of alternating short bands, changing into more or less rounded spots. Some of these are double, others dumbbell-shaped, a few yoked three together. They continue to the tip of the tail but are fainter beyond the anus. Sides with a series of faint, brown, short, longitudinal lines. Below pale yellow brown. Iris dull golden brown. Caught swimming across a small jungle pool. Food: Three stomach contents were: (1) 2 frogs and 8 tadpoles. (2) 1 tadpole, 1 small Hyla rubra. (3) Bones, probably of amphibians, 1 small lizard. Leptodeira rhombifera Gunther, 1872. Name: White-bellied Night Snake. Range: Mexico to northern South Amer- ica. General Account : A single specimen taken at Caripito represents this species. It was found coiled in a mass of leaves at the base at o ninoiP f i’pp Coll. No. 30,143: Caripito, June 19, 1942, total length 465, tail 90 mm. Color in Life : Hair brown above with 42 dark brown spots, large, mostly round or oblong, sev- eral yoked together down back of body. These are continued on the short tail but indistinctly. The brown of the sides pales abruptly into the ventral aspect which is im- maculate pure white. Leptophis ahaetulla ahaetulla (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate IX, Fig. 37). Names: Whip Snake. Range: Northern South America. General Account: A long, slender, tree- climbing snake, green or blue, rarely brown above, with usually a dorsal and two broad lateral yellow-brown stripes. Below white anteriorly, changing into pale brown pos- teriorly, or everywhere below bright yellow (large, Caripito specimens). A black line through sides of head divides the dorsal and ventral colors. Eye golden yellow, with foi'e and aft black areas continuing the lateral black line of head. Thirteen specimens taken at Kartabo, two at Caripito and two others seen. All the Kartabo snakes were relatively small, only one reaching 1200 mm., brightly colored above, dull below, and exceedingly slender. All the four Caripito snakes were very large, the two captured being six feet, and seven feet, eight inches respectvely. All were dull colored above and brilliant below, and relatively heavy-bodied. These snakes are excellent climbers and often rest quietly for hours draped over branches and twigs. Six of those taken at Kartabo, however, were hunting on the ground. One had just caught a leopard Hyla. It relinquished its hold on the frog in the excitement of being captured, but ten min- utes later when placed in a wire cage with the still unhurt frog, it again attacked and this time swallowed the unfortunate am- phibian. Two were caught in the laboratory when they dropped from the rafters to the floor. The small Kartabo specimens were nerv- ous and bit at every opportunity. No. 245, with a total length of 975 mm., when set at liberty for an hour in the laboratory com- pound, made straight for the nearest bam- boo stem and would not be turned aside. It 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 33 climbed the stem, which was six inches thick and exceedingly smooth, ascending rapidly by throwing S-shaped coils around half the circumference, and holding on by pressure on opposite sides of the stem. It soon shifted to an adjoining shrub, climbing easily among the slender branches, holding the head and neck raised stiffly, and occasionally swaying them from side to side. Text-fig. 2. Leptophis a. ahaetulla. Snake climbing bamboo. This head-rearing seems to be a habit. From a level of foliage in a bush-covered clearing a single object projected, and closer examination showed this to be six inches of head and neck of a brilliant green and white whip snake. It permitted me to approach and actually grasp its neck, but instantly the iittie serpent became a hena, seized my nnger anu so jerked its head irom side to side that its teetn tore the riesh and caused a tew drops of blood to escape. Unlike the boas it lought until i shut it tightly in a snake bag. Color m Life : Coll. No. 609, Kartabo, Color Plate 398, June 10, 1922, total length 103b mm., weight 2 1.6 grams. Head grass green with an indistinct, oval, dark grayish uiotcn on top, between and slightly back of orbits. r>ack generally grass green with a median ciorsai line ot cadmium yellow, be- ginning narrowly on the back of the neck and widening and shading to old gold on tail. ah the back scales are shaded on the outer edges with mack and are turquoise green on tne inner edges, giving a brilliant blue green tinge to tile general color. Side of head tinged with chrysophrase and paling to light green about the super orbitais. There is a narrow, lateral, preocular line of black lamtiy shaded below with gold, running through the base of eye. Behind the eye this becomes wider and stronger and the gold aimost covers the eighth labial. The upper labials below this lateral line are bluish- white. The lateral line becomes indistinct black and gold stippling on the side of the neck, widening and becoming light cadmium on anterior sides, widening and deepening again to a broad line of bronze on posterior body and tan. Chin and under neck white with pinkish tinge, becoming more and more heavily shaded with pale pinkish lavender ana deepening through butt to duli brownish-lilac on posterior ventrals and tail. Iris strongly empire yellow around pupil, becoming lighter and greenish toward peri- phery. Two patches ox olive green stippled with darker, small and barely touching ins on lett, larger and wider on right, both sides iraying out downward in bright cres- cents. T hese dark marks continue the black, lateral head line through the orbit. The colors of this specimen after twenty- four years of preservation have all gone. It is now dark brownish-black above, leaden blue below, labials, chin and throat pale pink. The dullest, darkest Kartabo specimen was No. 2763, with a total length of 1132 mm., m which the back was hair brown, with the top of the head, a narrow vertebral line, and two broad lines on the lower sides greenish-blue. The chin and throat were white, and all ventrals steel blue. Coll. No. 30174 was a six-foot specimen taken in Caripito. I pulled it down as it rested sprawled across the branches of a low jungle growth. When dragged free it struck at me several times but was not 34 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 nearly as antagonistic as the smaller Kar- tabo snakes. It was dark olive green above, with a paler green vertebral line, shading down the sides to the same apple green of the vertebral line, and on down to chalce- dony yellow on the ventrals. Below, this color deepened to bright yellow chrome on the whole lower head, the labials, the chin and anterior neck and under tail. In pre- servative the colors are altered to a uniform brown above, greenish-yellow below. Measurements of freshly killed speci- mens (all from Kartabo largest) : except the two Total length (mm.) . . . 356 1035 Tail (mm.) . . . 100 480 Eye diameter (mm.) 3 4. Ventrals ... 156 152 Subcaudals . . . 171 170 Weight (grams) 2.1 25 Leptophis ah aetulla ortoni (Cope, 1875). Name : Keeled Whip Snake. Range : Venezuela and Colombia. General Account : A single specimen taken at Caripito represents this subspecies. It was climbing slowly and apparently had its eye on a small Anolis. Coll. No. 30163; Color Plate 1618, July 1, 1942, total length 1587 mm. (five feet), tail 553 mm. In brilliancy of the upper surface it resembles the small specimens of Leptophis ahaetulla ahaetulla taken at Kartabo, but in brightness of ven- tral yellow it recalls the large specimens of ahaetulla captured at Caripito. In general color above it was turquoise blue from snout to tail tip. The lowermost two or three scales throughout the body, from the gape to the vent, were bright orange, while the labials, chin, throat and ventrals to vent were white. The orange spreads across all subcaudals as well as the sides of the tail. A narrow, preocular black line is continued pigmentally through the iris itself, and on to a stronger black line along the side of the head to the last upper labial. The top and bottom of the iris are bright yellow. In this specimen, after four years in pre- servative, all color is lost, the dorsal scales being brown, and ventrals steel blue. Leptophis eaeruleodorsus Oliver, 1942. Name : Blue-back Yellow-belly. Range : Northeastern coast of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago. General Account : This is the only speci- men taken of this species. Coll. No. 30,280: Caripito, July 1, 1942, total length 1216 mm., tail 490 mm. Turquoise blue above, lemon yellow below. Liophis breviceps Cope, 1860. Name-. Red-bellied Burrowing Snake. Range : Guianas and Ecuador. General Account: A small, thick-set snake, with short tapering tail and small head and eyes, and burrowing habits. The largest captured measured 22 inches in length. Dark above with many faint, yellow cross bands, red below with numerous black, scale-wide cross bands. Little variation among individuals. Four ■ were taken at Kartabo and one at Caripito. One of the former was four inches under ground in 1132 1252 1310 1835 2340 460 510 490 690 865 4.5 5 5 9 9 168 164 153 182 182 165 167 161 184 172 30 55 55 384 219 a marshy rice field in company with many Micrurus and Erythrolamprus , feeding on earthworms. Others were taken among jungle debris, burrowing at the first hint of danger. When handled it was unexpect- edly quick and active in motion. Coll. No. 338: Kartabo, adult female, October 9, 1920, total length 560 mm., tail 95, eye diameter 2 mm., ventrals 161, sub- caudals 54, weight 56 grams. Color in Life : Dorsal surface brownish-black with about 90 narrow, faint, irregular transverse bands of pale vinaceous buff. Labials, chin, throat and subcaudals creamy white, the latter heavily marked with alternating spots of black. The ventrals are coral red with about 36 broad, black, disjointed cross bands. They are of two or three scales width, and are rarely unbroken, but usually disjointed at the center. Eye small, pupil round and large, no visible pattern on iris. This female con- tained eight large, oblong, shell-less eggs. Coll. No. 30,146: Caripito, June 19, 1942, taken on the ground in jungle, starting to burrow at first alarm, total length 206 mm., tail 43 mm. Color in Life : Black above with faint yellow markings in indefinite bands. Below, throat pale yellow, changing gradu- ally into bright coral red, paling again at the tail. Black cross bands on ventrals ex- actly as in No. 338. Very active and quick when alarmed and in the hand. In this same specimen, when preserved after four years, all the yellow and red colors have vanished. Food : No. 338 had devoured one large and a second smaller earthworm. Another snake had eaten three earthworms, two medium myriapods and a 150 mm. Syn- branchus. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 35 Llophis cobella cobella (Linnaeus, 1758). Names : Banded Tricolored Snake, Red- bellied Ground Snake. Range: Guiana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Co- lombia and Brazil. General Account: A small black snake with imperfect, narrow white dorsal bands, scarlet below with broad bands of black; head and tail below whitish, the latter with imperfect black bands. A second color phase is brown above, salmon below, with very faint white and scarlet bands. Six of these small snakes were taken at Kartabo, the largest eighteen inches in length, and the smallest and most brilliantly colored less than eight. One specimen was captured at Caripito. Few observations in life were made. It is a ground snake, found in the jungle or among bamboo clumps, diurnal, and feeds on small frogs and liz- ards. The remains of bones alone, prevented any more definite identifications. One speci- men (No. 166), under eight inches, was remarkably strong for its size, making no attempt to bite, but pulling hard with its curved tail. When set temporarily at liberty, instead of trying to crawl to safety it actu- ally twisted up the posterior part of the body into a tight, overhand knot, although it was quite uninjured Color in Life: Coll. No. 166, American Museum No. 18159, Kartabo, June 10, 1920, Color Plate 134, figs, a and b, total length 192 mm., tail 29, head length 8.2, eye diam- eter 1.75 mm., weight 1.8 grams. Above blue-black with several complete, narrow whitish bands across the neck, all the ones on the body fainter and hardly meeting. These bands widen abruptly on the sides and change at once to the double ven- tral coloration, a broad band of carnelian red about three scales wide, succeeded by a black band averaging two scales in width, and so on. Not counting an abortive black band which stops on the posterior side of the head, there are 34 of these black bands. On the tail are 21 imperfect bands of black. The red fades out to seashell pink on chin, throat and lower labials, and the tail be- comes abruptly grayish-white. There are 65 dorsal bands of white, including one on the mid-head which ends in two whitish spots on the anterior part of the parietals. Pupil round, iris very dark russet brown, hardly distinguishable from the pupil black. Coll. No. 219: Kartabo, June 22, 1920, total length 200 mm., tail 41, head length 8.5 mm., weight 2.6 grams. The coloring of this small specimen is very unlike that of No. 166. General color above saccardo brown, more or less regularly barred broadly with dots of black. All labials and throat pale ochraceous buff, shading on ventrals to light salmon, and this on all the main body ven- trals to coral red. This fades posteriorly to buff again. Instead of wide ventral red bands, both the red and the black are nar- row and irregular, often only a single scale in width, and usually alternate, not meet- ing in the middle. The iris has a broad irreg- ular inner band of vinaceous tawny, shading externally to roods brown. Coll. No. 165: Kartabo, September 14, 1919, Color Plate 254, total length 450 mm., tail 92 mm., weight 26 grams. Head and back above dark olive with faint bands of violet gray, upper labials, chin and throat pale pinkish-buff, ventral surface salmon shading to deeper pink toward head and tail, with about 75 alternating and broken bands of violet gray. Coll. No. 224: Kartabo, October 12, 1920, Color Plate 134, fig. c, total length 480 mm., tail 90, head length 14, head width 10.3, eye diameter 3, body width 9 mm., ventrals 153, subcaudals 57, weight 24.2 grams. General color above buffy brown flecked with olive brown, paling to deep olive buff on sides. Back with very faint markings of dark brown. Upper labials grayish-olive edged with black. Throat and lower neck pale pinkish-buff with scattered fleckings of black. Ventrals apricot buff paling to colo- nial buff on tail, and crossed with numerous irregular bands of violet gray. Iris brown near pupil, mottled with dark on outer area. Coll. No. 30,287 : Caripito, April 14, 1942, total length 206 mm. Independent descrip- tion corresponds exactly with that of No. 166, except that the scarlet is more intense. Lygophis iineatus (Linnaeus, 1758). Name: Red-striped Snake. Range: Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. General Account: A single specimen caught as it was swimming a jungle pool near the Kartabo laboratory. It had eaten three Hyla rubra, all very young specimens with tail barely absorbed. Coll. No. 3563: Kartabo, September 3, 1924, male, total length 453 mm., tail 142 mm. Color in Life: Dark brown on head be- coming paler toward tail. Three longitudinal stripes, one vertebral, two lateral, bright red extending full length of snake. A bright red brown band from snout through eye to lateral neck. Salmon below. Oxybe/is aeneus aeneus (Wagler, 1824). (Plate IX, Figs. 38 and 39). Names : Ashy Tree Snake. Whip Snake, Lizard Snake (Creole). Range : Mexico, Central and northern South America. General Account: A very long and slender tree snake, ashy white above, brown below, dark line through eye, throat white. Iris sage green in front and back, white above and below. Fairly common at Kartabo where ■6 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 4 a dozen specimens were taken and other's seen. Also found at Caripito. In size my specimens varied from three feet to six feet, three inches. All were found among slender branches in open jungle or near the rivers. The extreme slenderness and the reversed, dorso-ventral pattern of coloring, combined with the irregular drap- ing of the body over branches, and complete immobility, all make them extremely diffi- cult to detect. When disturbed they vanish almost between winks, and the instantan- eous dash twenty or thirty feet away leaves the eye completely baffled. Birds’ eyes detect them better than hu- mans’, and one snake in tall bamboo was so mobbed by small birds and jays that it fell thirty feet to the ground close to me. A curious habit is that of protruding the tongue full length, about equal to the length of the head, and holding it motionless. It is lemon yellow for three-fourths of its length and dark at the tip. Whether this slight addition to the serpent’s resemblance to irregular twigs is the origin or stimulus of this phenomenon, I cannot say, but I ob- served it at various times in the same snake and in three other individuals. On April 3, 1922, I caught an ashy tree snake back of the laboratory. Whenever it squeezed a few inches of the attenuated neck free of my hand its tongue appeared full length and “fi'oze” in that postion, simultaneously put- ting an end to all struggling. When several feet of the tail were at liberty, this end of the snake slowly reared upward, and curved around into an amazingly large and complete circle, a full eight inches in diameter. The slender muscles supported the two free and elevated body lengths without apparent effort. These snakes never made any attempt to bite, but when first caught they frequently emitted from the anus a clear fluid, giving off a most peculiar and pungent odor, most difficult to wash off. Measurements-. Coll. No. 2966, Kartabo, June 17, 1924, male, gives, in the flesh, the following measurements: total length 1360 mm. tail 560, jaw 29, head width 10, body width 6, eye diameter 4 mm., rows of scales 17, ventrals 196, subcaudals 184, weight 30 grams. Color in Life-. Coll. No. 231, American Museum No. 18179, Kartabo, August 8, 1920, Color Plate 196, total length 1720 mm., weight 24 grams. There is little varia- tion among these snakes so this description may be taken as typical. Top of head sepia. An indefinite streak along side of head which deepens to a narrow band of black just above the upper labials, and continues across the iris in two areas of dark green. The second to fifth upper labials with nar- row shading of black along upper edge. A streak of pale vinaceous buff extends across the top of the preocular, tinging the lower portion of the supra ocular and continuing in a horizontal line a little back of eye, where it deepens to umber. Upper labials pale yellow, shading downward to bluish- white. Throat bluish-white with faint tinge of pink. Body above light ashy, ventral sur- face dark vinaceous brown. A narrow rim of picric yellow extends around the lower four- fifths of the pupil, widening toward the top and shading to silver white, which extends over all the upper part of the iris. Large ir- regular patches of parrot green lie on either side of pupil flecked with black. The lower part of iris is silvery white flecked with maize yellow. Foocl\ Some of the hunting of this snake must take place on the ground as shown by certain stomach contents. Here is the food of four individuals: (1) A medium- sized Auieiva. (2) Two Anolis chrysolepis. (3) Two small treefrogs, one a Hyla rubra. (4) Hyla rubra and a female manakin. Parasites: A five-foot snake captured on February 24, 1922, had three large ticks fastened tightly to the head, one of which, on the left lower side of the jaw, had worked half-way back from the tip of the mandible, inducing such severe injuries that the en- tire lower jaw was shrunken and distorted. Breeding : No. 2648, a six-foot female cap- tured on March 17, 1924, contained three fully formed eggs measuring 7 by 17 mm. O xybelis fulgidus (Daudin, 1803). (Plate IX, Fig. 40). Names : Green Whip Snake, Emerald Tree Snake. Parrakeet Snake (Creole). Wah-coo- qua-malee, A-di-a-mung, “living with leaves” (Akawai Indian). Range : Mexico and Central America, south to Bolivia and northern Argentina. General Account: This is a large, slender tree snake, with long, pointed, overhanging snout, dark green above, yellow green below, with a narrow white lateral line. It is about as common at Kartabo as its relative, Oxy- belis a. aeneus, and has very similar habits. Twice, when disturbed, I saw these snakes puff out the anterior portion of the body, thus bringing into full view the orange and yellow colors usually concealed beneath the scales, and described below. Seven feet, one inch, was the largest snake captured. In ten specimens, none under four and a half feet in length, the ventrals varied from 200 to 214, the sub- caudals from 150 to 162. A 1608 mm. total length specimen weighed 89 grams, and another 2063 mm. over all, weighed 224 grams or one-half pound. In most individ- uals the sharp tip of the snout overhangs the lower jaw by 4 or 5 mm. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 37 No. 532 was shot as it was creeping slowly along some slender branches toward a male Gold-headed Manakin. I watched it for many minutes as it slowly reached forward with its chin and neck, testing every dead twig with flickering tongue, and laying the trail for the five feet of following body and tail. I only discovered it because a cluster of leaves moved slightly when there was no wind. Twice when I took my eyes away I lost it completely although it had not moved in the interim. The extremely slow forward motion conveyed to my eye below no sense of movement, and the tail was so slender and tapered so gradually that it was difficult to determine whether one saw it or not. The color of the belly was exactly that of sunlit leaves from below. In the pre- served specimens the greens have all turned to blue. As I watched I was suddenly aware that the snake was observing me, although it was directly overhead. My glasses focussed on the ventral view of the head showed the eyes so twisted out and down that more than half of the iris and pupil were clearly visible, directed straight downward each side of the head. The eyeball must have been rotated a full ninety degrees downward. When I remained quiet for a few minutes the eyes disappeared and the snake began its insensible forward motion toward the bird. I shot it when it was almost within striking distance. Text-fig. 3. Oxybelis fulgidus. Head from be- low showing ventral vision. Measurements-. Coll. No. 2854, Kartabo, May 29, 1924, adult male, total length 1610 mm., tail 550, jaw length 42.5, eye diameter 6 mm., ventrals 205, subcaudals 161, weight 136.2 grams. Color in Life : There is very little varia- tion in pattern and color among these snakes, so the following may be considered typical. Coll. No. 523, Kartabo, March 1, 1922, Color Plate 320, total length 1608 mm., tail 530 mm., weight 142.5 grams. Head above dark forest green. Side of face the same with a loral streak of chalcedony yellow. Upper and lower labials, chin and ventrals dominately yellow green. Body above forest green, while sides of body and upper corners of ventrals are stone green. Lateral line pinkish-white, which, cutting ventrals close to upper border, becomes deep yellow toward neck. All scales of labi- als, chin and ventrals edged with pinkish flesh color. Pupil rim golden yellow. Pupil slightly pulled out at upper posterior corner, where the rim pigment widens, becoming yellowish-white, then tawny. A patch of thick golden buff in upper anterior edge of iris, also an irregular crescent of buff to tiie left of center, below which it widens to the right along the base of iris. Remain- ing iris is dark brown, flecked in the upper posterior corner with large patches of orange buff, and fewer patches of pale buff toward the front. The skin under many of the scales is apricot orange. Dermal Coloring in Life : Coll. No. 708, Kartabo, August 19, 1922, Color Plate 669, adult female, total length 2063 mm., weight 194 grams. In life, ordinarily, the close fitting, tile-like, overlapping scales of the neck show only the scale color of dark green above and yellow green on the lateral rows. Several times when alarmed, these snakes were seen to distend their neck, cobra-wise, when the green colors of the seventeen rows of scales became subordinated to the broad bands of orange which cover the skin be- tween the scales. In a dead snake, when the skin was stretched laterally, these wide bands were seen to alternate with equally wide bands of pale yellow. An emei’ald tree snake with a normal neck width of 16 mm. permits lateral stretching to 70 mm. Except in the case of the several extreme dorsal rows of scales, the lateral relation of scales to intervening expanse of skin is 4 to 8 mm., or twice as much colored skin as scale. These alternat- ing yellow and orange bands are directed obliquely forward from their apex on the vertebral line. They are dominantly dorso- ventral in extent, as horizontally the scales are less capable of separation. Food: Three snakes had eaten the follow- ing: (1) Remains of a small lizard, probably Anolis. (2) Two medium Anolis chrysolepis. (3) Bones of a small bird. Breeding: No. 708, collected August 19th, contained six fully-formed but shell-less eggs, even-ended oblongs, 10.5 by 22.5 mm. Oxyrhopus petola petola (Linnaeus, 1758). Name: Narrow-banded False Coral Snake. Range: Mexico south to Brazil and Ar- gentina. General Account: This is a small snake, black with many rather narrow, more or less imperfect, transverse rings of white and red. It is semi-fossorial in habits and noctural, although the rather vertical pupil is very broad. Only four specimens were taken at Kartabo, two of which were un- covered in the same rice field which had yielded many Micrurus, Hydrops, Erythro- lamprus, Liophis, etc. 38 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:4 It is a gentle snake, showing no resent- ment at being handled. One died after a half hour’s accidental exposure to the sun. Color in Life : Coll. No. 92, Kartabo, March 26, 1919, total length 260 mm., tail 64 mm., upper labials 8, entering eye fourth and fifth, ventrals 214, subcaudals 90, weight 3.2 grams. Ground color above shining purplish- black, cut by 45 bands, several of which are broken and do not meet, the others extend- ing clear across. The widest is that on the hinder part of the head. This is creamy white as are the succeeding seven or eight, then a pink tinge becomes apparent and this increases posteriorly, until the bands on the tail are coral red. The ventral scales are white. In preservative after twenty- seven years, this same snake had become pale white, with dorsal bands of light brown. Removed from preservative, and with excess moisture shaken off, the weight is 3.1 grams, as compared with 3.2 grams immediately cift/Gi* dGsth Coll. No. 508: Kartabo, March 1, 1922, Color Plate 326, total length 250 mm., tail 65 mm., weight 3 grams. This individual differs from No. 92 chiefly in having almost double the number of dorsal cross bands in a jet black ground color. These are so nar- row that they should be called lines instead of bands. On the back of the head behind the gape there is a broad band of scarlet. The next few rings and those of the lower back and upper tail are arranged in a more or less definite succession of a band of scarlet between two narrow creamy white rings, but throughout all the rest of the dorsal surface there is no regularity. Complete and incom- plete whitish lines alternate with corres- ponding scarlet ones, in no regular order. After the anal area of greater regularity, the tail ends in a succession of regular white bands. The labials, chin, throat and the ventrals, back to the sixteenth, are all slate gray, the rest of the under side being creamy white. Philodryas viridissimus (Linnaeus, 1758). Name : Two-colored Green Tree Snake. Range: Guianas, Brazil, Colombia, Ecua- dor, Peru and Bolivia. General Account-. A tree snake of medium size, dark green above, yellow green below, iris brown with gold dots over upper por- tion. Rare at Kartabo where only two speci- mens were taken. Color in Life-. Coll. No. 3264, Kartabo, June 19, 1920, Color Plate 148, total length 910 mm., tail 230, eye diameter 4, body width 11, body height 15 mm., weight 57 grams. General body color lettuce green above, shading laterally to greenish-yellow on ven- tral scales. Top of head parrot green, two black spots on scales in front of eye and three behind, forming a broken facial band. Upper labials emerald green, shading pos- teriorly to light yellow green. Lower labials, chin and throat pale greenish-gray touched with pale cinnamon pink. Scales back of gape, along lateral neck and forming an- terior border of the first fifty ventrals, beryl green, which in spite of its name in Ridg- way’s Key appears a most delicate blue. This color occurs sporadically on other ventral scales and on all the caudal ventrals. tail. Pupil round. Iris a tangled mesh of dark cinnamon brown with a sparse but con- spicuous flecking of gold dots across the upper portion. Inside of mouth pallid blue violet, tongue blue green, tipped with violet and black. Caught at dusk, draped quietly over foliage. Coll. No. 3557 : Kartabo, July 1, 1924, male breeding, total length 1195 mm., tail 315, jaw length 28, eye diameter 4, body width 14, body height 19 mm., rows of scales 19, ventrals 217, subcaudals 121. Caught in low bush while it was being mobbed by three hummingbirds. Pseudoboa coronata Schneider, 1801. Name: Black-headed Scarlet Snake. Range: Venezuela, Guianas and Brazil. General Account: Only two specimens, the larger twenty inches in length, were taken at Kartabo. The first, No. 507, caught on the ground near the laboratory, was de- scribed, painted, and then made its escape the same night, and was never seen again. Two weeks later, on March 15, 1922, a sec- ond specimen, No. 3287, identical in color- ing and 455 mm. in length, was found in the same rice field as all the other real and false coral snakes, a half-digested eel in its stomach. At Caripito only a single specimen was taken. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 507, Kartabo, March 2, 1922, Color Plate 324, total length 485 mm., tail 105, head length 9, head width 7, eye diameter 1.5, body width 7, body height 8 mm., rows of scales 17, upper labials 7, ventrals 174, sub- caudals 89, weight 10.5 grams. 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 39 Dorsal head scales and band on neck black. Sides of face and lower labials dull gray, shaded with darker. Band of yellowish-white at back of head with two pink lateral patches. This band widens on sides of head and joins the general whitish tone of the chin and throat. Body above coral red, each scale tipped slightly with dark gray. Ven- trals yellowish-white, tail grayish. Iris dark. This species seems equally rare at Cari- pito where a single one was collected as it was making its way slowly across a trail. Coll. No. 30,112: Caripito, May 21, 1942, total length 296 mm., tail 70 mm. Its color was exactly like that of No. 507 except for an irregular series of very faint dusky, short, cross lines at intervals down the back. The pupil was very slightly vertically oval. Pseudoboa neuwiedii (Dumeril and Bibron, 1854). Name: Brown and Yellow Snake. Range : Guianas, Trinidad, Venezuela, Co- lombia, Panama and Costa Rica. General Account : Two specimens only from Caripito, not found at Kartabo. Both were taken on the ground and put up a lusty fight when seized. Both were identical in coloring, light sepia or seal brown above with the head definitely darker, almost black. Below yellowish-orange. Coll. No. 30,135: Caripito, June 13, 1942, total length 906 mm., tail 196 mm., weight 151 grams. No. 30,162: Caripito, July 2, 1942, total length 793 mm., tail 222 mm. Pseustes poeeilonotus polyleph (Peters, 1867). (Plate X, Figs. 41, 42 and 43). Names : Liana Snake, Bird-eating Snake. Range : Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil. General Account: I know of no Creole or Indian name for this well-known snake, and the variety of pattern and coloring defy usual adjectives. In the field we called it the Liana Snake owing to its astonishing imi- tation of a monkey ladder, and the Bird- eater on account of the dominant nature of its food. At Kartabo we found it common and at least two dozen specimens were en- countered in the quarter square mile of jungle. These varied from seventeen inches to five feet, while at Caripito the only speci- men obtained measured a full six feet. The majority of the snakes were seen or taken on the ground, but three times I saw them in trees. A male in full breeding con- dition was captured as it was swimming the Mazaruni River where the stream was al- most a mile in width. The adult snakes from 1100 mm. (about three and a half feet) up- ward are monochrome above and below in two phases, one a deep olive green with lemon yellow lower head, chin and throat, and the other a rich red brown with yel- lowish-orange anterior lower parts. In the young, at least from 446 mm., the variation is still more extreme, the basic colors being red brown, or gray or olive above, banded with darker shades of the ground color, with face and throat black-marked white or green-marked yellow. The iris is the most stable character and almost always offers a reliable, superficial means of field identifica- tion. In general the iris is mottled silvery, with dark pigmented areas fore and aft, which are crossed with about three, distinct, white, vein-like lines, radiating from a nar- row area on the anterior and posterior equator of the pupil, extending out to the external rim of the iris. Individuals differ from one another as much in their emotional display as in their pattern and pigmentation. No. 336, definitely a young snake, was very strong in its con- stricting ability, but in spite of much han- dling made no attempt to bite. Nos. 2667 and 2727, approaching adult size and pat- terning, were extremely vicious, striking re- peatedly and vibrating their tails with great vigor. One outstanding habit which, in my ex- perience is confined to this and to a con- generic species, is that of contorting the entire body and tail into a series of rigid undulations. In a four foot snake there was about twenty of these successive half curves on each side of the body. When lying on the ground in this condition the snake’s resem- blance to a short extent of the common mon- key ladder is startling. Three times on the ground, twice among branches, I have seen this effect. For example on March 23, 1922, I wrote, “I caught a three foot Liana Snake (No. 521) wholly reddish-brown, at the en- trance of Puruni Trail. It lay across the trail rigid as an iron rod, with every inch regularly bent and waved, as if a section of liana had recently fallen. Snakes of all species look much like this when they have been killed with chloroform. This individual never moved even when my hand approached within an inch of his head. Not until I pressed down on his neck and gripped him, did he ‘break trance’ and coil around me like a flash. From this moment on he fought all the way home. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 334, Kartabo, October 2, 1920, Color Plate 229, fig. a, a young male, total length 446 mm., tail 125, eye diameter 4 mm., ventrals 198, subcaudals 131, weight 7.5 grams. A specimen in the yellow brown phase, with typical eye pattern, but somewhat browner. Pinkish-buff above shading to tawny olive toward head and tail. Lace-like pattern on head and face markings dark snuff brown. About 42 irregular, broken bands on dorsal orange cinnamon, becoming grayer and in- definite toward tail. These bands are stippled along their edges with umber. Sides of body 40 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society stippled with hair brown and deep orange. Ventrals white, mottled heavily with fus- cous, which becomes an almost solid color toward tail. Upper edges of ventrals with 40 patches of chestnut brown, each of which covers three ventral scales. Coll. No. 78a: Kartabo, September 10, 1919, total length 609 mm., weight 16 grams. General color light grayish-olive, with broad, irregular bands of dark grayish-olive. Be- neath, ivory white anteriorly, becoming more and more suffused with olive until it is concolorous with the back. Pupil a longitud- inal, very broad, oval. Iris dull yellow buff, with a suffusion of dark brown in front and back, reaching the pupil. A few transverse white lines across these dark areas. Coll. No. 251: Kartabo, August 23, 1920, Color Plate 229, figs, b and c, total length 615 mm., tail 176, eye diameter 5.5 mm., ventrals 191, subcaudals 125, weight 18.4 grams. General color above light grayish- olive with broken irregular mottling of fus- cous and hair brown on head. Three short, black bands project down over the white upper labials, the central one extending straight down from the eye and covering a lower labial. A faint dark stripe of mot- tling extends along side of face. The body shows 40 wide, diagonal, rather irregular, transverse bands of deep grayish-olive, sometimes narrowly split in two. The an- terior scales of these bands are touched with black. The throat is white with black marks. Ventral surface white on neck, becoming more and more thickly stippled with dark brown which coalesces near the tail. The lower parts are also flecked with hair brown. Pupil slightly ovate horizontally. Iris pinkish-buff, finely stippled with white. Three spots of snuff brown in front, behind and below, and three irregular white lines radiating toward pupil from anterior and posterior outer rims. Coll. No. 2727: Kartabo, March 29, 1924, total length 953 mm., tail 260 mm., ventrals 200, subcaudals 126, weight 75.5 grams. A specimen with distincter dorsal markings and with the typical white streaks in the iris but fainter than usual. Head above grayish-olive with symmetrical lighter and darker markings, and a dark streak running diagonally across eighth labial to eye. Upper labials amber yellow with patches of lime green. Lower labials pinkish-white with a large patch of lime green below eye, and a speckled area of the same color around snout. Large lateral patch of orange scales just back of and below point of jaw. Ven- trals and scales of three lower rows, for about four inches from head, edged an- teriorly with apricot yellow. General body color violet brown with fine speckling of green, shading to clouded hazel on mid-body, and russet on tail. More than [31: 4 half of the entire length has eighteen ir- regular, dorsal, faintly crescentic markings, composed toward the head, of red-edged, dark-mottled, green scales with a few scat- tered brown spots, backed with coral pink skin. The remaining markings on the rest of the body are extremely faint and on their way toward obliteration. Ventrals pale mot- tled buff toward head, shading backward to fawn color. Iris light pinkish-cinnamon, with brilliant white pupil rim, broken be- bore and behind. Dark patches of sepia at each side of pupil, and white radiating veining. Coll. No. 521: Kartabo, March 22, 1922, Color Plate 349, total length 1565 mm., tail 355, eye diameter 6.2 mm., weight 136 grams. This snake is almost solid red brown above. In detail head above walnut brown, with shadings of burnt umber on orbits. Snout vinaceous tawny, upper sides of head brownish-olive, paling laterally where the color passes through eye. Below this line the upper labials are light cadmium touched with orange. The scales around nostril and snout are vinaceous tawny. Body above red brown, becoming more thickly flecked with terra cotta toward ventrals. The part of the ventrals which extend up the sides are of this same terra cotta. Lower labials, chin and under neck are buffy yellow touched with darker yellow and reddish toward snout, with a few whitish streaks under the neck which merge backward with large mot- tlings of pale rose, into the main ventral color of dark orange red. Toward the tail the ventrals acquire a bloom of pale violet gray. Pupil rim broken at both sides, of bril- liant ivory. Iris light buff, with sparse black stipplings above, which are denser below. Two solid patches at each side of iris dark brown, fraying out at edges and shot with a few silvery white veins. Coll. No. 336: Kartabo, October 2, 1920, Color Plate 245, total length 1310 mm., weight 111 grams. Solid dark olive green above. Wax yellow on labials, chin and throat, becoming mottled posteriorly with olive green on a few anterior ventrals, until the whole is concolorous. Iris, lower three- fourths buffy-brown, upper fourth sandy, with fine white stippling. Strong pupil rim of clear buff, two or three radiating lines silvery white, from anterior and posterior outer iris edge almost to pupil. After twenty-six years in preservative the whole snake is vinaceous brown. Coll. No. 30,175: Caripito, July 15, 1942, female breeding, total length 1806 mm., tail 463 mm., weight 490 grams. Plain olive green above, below bright chrome yellow on chin, throat and jaw scales upper and lower. From here back, the bright color dulls with- in a few inches to the general color of the ventral surface, olive buff. Iris dark hazel 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 41 brown with silvery veins as usual, silvery white above and below. In full grown monochrome snakes, long after the dorsal, transverse bands of the juvenile pattern have disappeared from the scales, these bands reappear in strong out- line when the skin is stretched. On the skin between the scales they are etched through- out life, although under no stress of danger or excitement have I ever seen this species distend its neck as other serpents do. Food : No. 2665 had swallowed two eggs of a seedeater, with sufficient shell for at least this identification. In the stomachs of three other snakes were the bones of small birds, and in one the bones of a small hawk, probably the Bat Falcon ( Falco rufigularis) . Breeding-. No. 30,175, Caripito, July 15, 1942, total length 1806 mm., was a female weighing 490 grams. There were eleven eggs in the oviduct, shell-less oblong yolks, each 15 by 45 mm. Pseustes sulphureus sulphurous (Wagler, 1824). (Plate X, Figs. 44 and 45). Names: Puffing Snake, Black-tailed Golden Snake. Yellow-belly (Creole) . Sal-la-bu (Ak- awai Indian). Range: Guianas, Trinidad, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and equatorial Brazil. General Account: This large powerful constrictor was as common at Kartabo as its congener, P. poecilonotus polylepis, and its pattern and color variation were even more confusing. While the dorsal coloring may be monochrome, olive, brown or yellow, this is not an adult pattern but may occur in an individual only one-third grown. The usual pattern shows a series of conspicuous dorsal cross markings, crescents or bands, single or double, or even more intricate figures. The general tendency is a gradual change from yellow background with black markings on the head and anterior body, to black with corresponding yellow markings posteriorly. A nine-foot snake taken at Caripito was larger than any captured at Kartabo. This snake in pattern was curiously like a very large Drymarchon c. corals but with com- pletely reversed color pattern. Concealed der- mal markings are very characteristic and correlated with an optical defense mechan- ism. Also the rigid, liana-like habits are as strongly developed as in the preceding P. polylepis. Both of these habits were exhib- ited in an individual Yellow-belly which I caught on May 10, 1924, near the laboratory at Kartabo. My journal note reads as fol- lows : “May 10, 1924. Worked among the branch- es of a giant fallen jungle tree near the Cuyuni River for three hours, and later while running home before a threatened heavy rain, I leaped over a bit of monkey ladder lying directly on the trail. After I had gone on some distance I seemed to re- member a curious regularity about the stick and went back. It was a splendid Phrynonax sulphureus (No. 2857) lying flat, stiff and straight but strongly and evenly waved. The snake moved only a fraction of an inch as I slowly brought the gun barrel across its neck, but then it struck viciously and threw its coils tightly about the gun and my leg. I was loaded down with birds and an aguti and could not free the coils, and so limped home. In a vivarium the snake gave a mag- nificent exhibition of puffing, the entire an- terior third swelling up as if filled with two or three hen’s eggs. As the skin of the throat and anterior body rose, swelled and expand- ed, the inter-scale golden skin color leaped into view, merging with the scales them- selves. On each side of the posterior throat conspicuous streaks of purplish-black ap- peared. It presented a truly fearsome sight, and simultaneously the tail quivered and rattled noisily against whatever object was within reach.” (Plate X, Figs. 44 and 45). With all the bewildering array of pattern and color variations, it is especially valu- able in the field to find one character of satisfactory reliability, which delineates this species: The iris has a remarkably consistent pattern, the background brown- ish-black, with a fine mist of paler brown lines radiating outward from the bright sil- very pupil ring to the outermost borders of the visible eyeball. It thus differs radically from the iris of the congeneric species, Pseustes polylepis. Measurements and Color in Life ( in order of size) : Coll. No. 15, Kartabo, June 15, 1919, total length 890 mm., weight 56.2 grams. A dull, olive brown snake with faint oblique markings on anterior two-thirds of back dull yellow. This color occurs between the scales so that when they are completely in place the snake is uniformly olive brown./ Beneath pale lemon yellow, gradually be- coming smoky brown on the posterior third, both above and below. Iris clove brown, with a regular dense mesh of olive brown, and a narrow bright gold pupil ring-. Coll. No. 2691: Kartabo, April 9, 1924, skin preserved, Color Plates 690, 691 and 692. Head isabella color, shaded with olive and black. General body color olive brown shading to tawny on posterior third, and gray on tail. Thirty-six arrow-shaped, for- ward pointing black-edged dorsal markings which become broken toward ventrals. These are buffy brown shading to dark wine color posteriorly and very dark gray on under surface of tail. The dorsal markings are nar- row on the anterior body, leaving large in- terspaces with a faint stripe between. The interspaces became narrow toward tail 42 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 where they exist as faint rings. As the dor- sal markings become larger they acquire a light central streak and the stripe between them becomes stronger. Scales of the body color, especially on the dorsal area, have partially concealed edges of apricot yellow, posteriorly becoming more orange. Scales in the center of the mid-body dorsal markings have white edges. The anterior lateral scales have lemon yellow edges which make the body appear to shade into the citron yellow of the forward ventrals, which become mot- tled on mid-body with dull brown. They turn vinaceous gray and then almost black on tail. There is a dark streak backward from the eye extending the length of the head along the side of the neck, becoming broader and broken laterally. The scales in the center of this have white edges. The skin under this marking is velvet black, as also are several large scale spots under the chin. Labials, chin and neck bright yellow, the five pos- terior upper labials and four lower just under the eye with black rear edges. The eye and iris are typical of the species. Coll. No. 2733: Kartabo, April 16, 1924, :sk:in preserved, total length 812 mm., tail 201, jaw length 27, eye diameter 5.5, body width 12, body height 16 mm., rows of scales 21, ventrals 224, subcaudals 142, weight 39.5 grams. This specimen is duller in every way than No. 2691. The black un- der-neck skin marks are very faint, occur- ring as a broken line instead of forming large blotches as in other individuals. Coll. No. 238: Kartabo, August 27, 1920, Color Plate 213, total length 1342 mm., tail 242, eye diameter 6 mm., ventrals 219, sub- caudals 144, weight 93.5 grams. Head above is buffy olive green, back the same, shading on posterior third to brownish-olive. Tail wholly black. Anterior half of body indis- tinctly banded with dusky, posterior half with 12 or 13 bands of hazel. Upper labials and ventral head empire yellow, shading posteriorly through olive yellow to light brownish-olive, and to purplish-black on tail. Coll. No. 2857: Kai’tabo, male, May 10, 1924, total length 2060 mm., tail 550, eye diameter 9, body width 26, body height 41 mm., ventrals 222, subcaudals 135, weight 679 grams (1.5 pounds). This snake was very fierce when first caged and puffed out all along the body for a distance of at least twenty inches, the largest swelling being near the neck, a full three inches from side to side. The head seemed small and shrunken in its sunken position in the large bulging mass. Coll. No. 30,281: Caripito, July 1, 1942, total length 2752 mm. (nine feet), tail 756 mm., ventrals 221, subcaudals 143, weight 1472 grams (3.25 pounds). Above pale olive green, head plain with a narrow black line from the eyes back to three-fourths length of head behind. A series of dorsal V-shaped, black marks ; narrow arms leading obliquely back from the apex. These marks become thicker as to arms and closer together, until at mid-body they merge and the pattern becomes solid black with well separated, double, vertical bands of sulphur yellow. These die out after four or five faint dou- ble lines on the tail. All of the remaining tail is jet black. Below, pale sulphur yellow, with a lateral series of freckled black spots, beginning at three feet from the head. These become more numerous, forming a checker- board pattern with the sulphur yellow. About five feet back of the head, the black becomes dominant on the belly, leaving a lateral series of bright yellow spots which die out at the vent. Iris hazel with the usual outwardly directed series of fine dark brown lines. Food : Consisting wholly of birds. (1) A domestic chicken and the feathers of some small bird. (2) Bones of birds. (3) Caught while being mobbed by a pair of kiskadees, with the head of the snake almost at the nest which contained three nestlings, twen- ty-five feet above the ground. Sipholophis cervinus cervinus (Laurenti, 1768) . Name : Yellow Frog Snake (Creole). Range : Guianas, Trinidad and Brazil. General Account : In 1916 and in 1920 I took three specimens of this snake, sent them north alive to the New York Zoological Park, where they were named by Dr. G. K. Noble. No. 182a was taken on December 20, 1920, and was 810 mm. over all. I find no further data. Spilotes pullatus pullatus (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate X, Fig. 46). Name : Tiger Snake. Range : Mexico south to northern Brazil and Argentina. General Account : Three specimens were caught at Kartabo in 1919, and two others at Guanoco, Venezuela, in 1922. All were sent alive to the New York Zoological Park. A sixth snake found half-devoured by vul- tures had the remains of a bird in its stom- ach. All these Tiger Snakes were brilliantly colored with contrasting black and yellow, and none were under five feet in length. No other notes were made. Tantilla longifrontale (Boulenger, 1896). Name : Black-headed Snake. Range-. Venezuela and Colombia. General Account : This species was not found at Kartabo. The only specimen from Caripito was taken from the stomach of an Erythrolamprus aesculapii, which was 410 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 43 mm. in total length. The latter snake was uncovered in a patch of sand and leaves inside high jungle. This little black-headed snake was quite perfect anteriorly, but having been swal- lowed tail first, the posterior part of its body and its tail were half-digested. It is Coll. No. 30,145 and was taken with its devourerer on June 18, 1942, and measures approximately 124 mm. over all. The entire top of the head and nape is black except for a pale band across the nostrils and two large patches, side by side, on the nape. Laterally on the head, there is much less black around the eyes than in T. melanocephala, and considerably more white pigment back of the gape. Tanfilla melanocephala (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate X, Fig. 47). Name: Pink-headed Snake. Range : Central and South America south to Argentina. General Account : A small dark brown snake, the head about the same size as the body, with no appreciable neck, tapering gradually to tail. Head darker, body lighter brown, snout, chin, throat, two nuchal bands and sides of body pinkish. Ventrals pale green. Six specimens were taken at Kartabo but none at Caripito. Several of these were sent north alive, but on two, some detailed notes were made. All were found on the surface of the jungle floor except one which was burrowing. They were gentle snakes, almost never striking, and were delicate as well as timid, and did not survive long in captivity. Measurements and Color in Life: Coll. No. 236, Kartabo, Color Plate 205, August 19, 1920, total length 328 mm., tail 66, head length 7.5, eye diameter 1.5, body width 5.5, body height 4.5 mm., rows of scales 15, ventrals 144, subcaudals 61, weight 3.3 grams. Head bone brown, snout dark russet brown and two narrow cross bands back of head pink. Back russet with three lateral lines of pink, separated by a broader upper and a narrower line of mottled black. Sides of head buffy pink. The brown of the head extends downward in three rather regular curves, one enclosing the eye, a second touching the gape and a third on the lateral scales of the neck, immediately in front of the lateral lines. Eye, pupil very large and round. Iris narrow and brilliant scarlet, rather dusky antero-posteriorly. Coll. No. 325: Kartabo, September 12, 1920, total length 296 mm., tail 60 mm., weight 2.2 grams. Food: Two specimens had eaten small in- sects, including two wood roaches. Trypanurgos compressus (Daudin, 1803). (Plate X, Fig. 48). Name: Red-headed Water Snake. Range: Guianas, Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia and Brazil. General Account: Two specimens were taken at Kartabo, one of which is No. 18,151 in the American Museum of Natural His- tory. Not seen at Caripito. This is a slender, oval-headed snake, head and iris pink, a nar- row pale yellow nuchal band, then an inch of black. The rest of the snake is red with about 45 black bands or alternate spots one-third as wide as the interspaces. Whit- ish below. One of the snakes was taken near the river, the second, No. 3267, November 20, 1920, total length 570 mm., became tangled and drowned on the submerged rope hawser of our motor boat, tied up at the Kartabo laboratory wharf. It must have become en- tangled in attempting to climb up from the water. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 200, Kartabo, Color Plate 122, June 6, 1920, total length 450 mm., tail 105, eye diameter 2.3 mm., weight 6.5 grams. Head dark car- nelian red, iris the same, pupil broaaly ver- tically elliptical. Posterior head dull sulphur yellow. Body brownish-red with black mark- ings. Below pinkish-white. Width of yellow collar 3.5 mm., black zone 16 mm. Forty- seven irregular markings of black along back and sides, extending from the black collar to the 15 mm. of tail tip, which are black. Of these markings 13 are complete bands, the rest being two rounded spots, alternating with each other. The relative widths are, black bands 3 mm., red spaces 8 mm. Xenodon colubrinus (Gunther, 1858). (Plate XI, Fig. 49). Name: False Fer-de-lance, Frog-eating Snake. False Labaria (Creole). Range : Central America, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and British Guiana. General Account: A heavy, thickset snake with very short tail. Adult usually mottled reddish-brown or grayish-black above with many indistinct cross bands of gray. Face and snout black, below mottled pale buff. Pupil round with scarlet ring, iris dark mot- tled. The young have twelve or more five- banded dorsal figures of gray and black on red brown background; white and mottled below. This terrestrial species was found occasionally at Kartabo, but not seen at Caripito. It occurred in marshy localities or wet jungle. No. 253 was caught when swimming a half-mile-wide river. The young are remarkably like fer-de-lance in pattern, color and movements, especially striking posture. 44 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31: 4 Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 652, Kartabo, April 29, 1922, young male, total length 445 mm., tail 60, head length 14, body width 12.5, body height 11 mm., ventrals 153, subcaudals 45, weight 33.5 grams. This young snake closely resembles a fer-de-lance except for the lack of a lemon yellow tail. The dorsal series of black and gray V-bands have the apices touching each other on the mid-dorsal line, unlike the con- dition in No. 240. Coll. No. 240; Kartabo, Color Plate 212, August 20, 1920, total length 450 mm., tail 65, eye diameter 4.8 mm., ventrals 148, sub- caudals 49, weight 26.3 grams. Head mottled with varying shades of pinkish-brown, pale on sides with brown blotches. There is a fairly distinct black line or band from snout above the nostrils back to eye, and from posterior eye to gape. The markings of the back are in the form of successive angled bands. The sequence of these, proceding posteriorly, is as follows : a wide, red brown interspace, V-shaped gray band and black band pointing posteriorly, a narrow red brown band or interspace, V-shaped black band and gray band pointing anteriorly, an- other wide red brown interspace, etc. There are 12 of these five-banded figures dis- tributed along the body, giving place on the tail to faint, indefinite gray and black mark- ings. The chin and throat are immaculate white. Sides of body whitish, interrupted with large spots of "brownish-black. These have a regular relation to the dorsal mark- ings, there being one for each of the wide interspaces, and one for each of the four boundary bands of the narrow brown inter- space. The mid-portion of the ventrals is mottled buff and olive brown, beautifully iridescent in strong contrast to the upper dull brown and gray surface. The eye is sil- very with this color almost obliterated by a tangle of red brown threads radiating more or less regularly outward in all direc- tions from the pupil. The ring around the latter is lemon yellow. Coll. No. 735: Kartabo, male, August 29, 1922, total length 610 mm., tail 91, eye diameter 15.5 mm., ventrals 146, subcaudals 54, weight 36.5 grams. Coll. No. 253 : Kartabo, Color Plate 174, July 20, 1920, American Museum No. 18173, total length 970 mm., tail 125, head length 23, eye diameter 7 mm., weight 152.4 grams. Back reddish-brown with about 35 faint, irregular cross bands surrounded by brown- ish-black. Scales flecked with olive buff and mottlings of warm red brown, becoming redder near ventrals. Top of head brown, flecked with buff, the flecks increasing and merging to form a pale temporal band. Snout, face and ventral surface of head black, with scattered irregular spots of pink- ish-buff. Ventrals buffy pink mottled with rose and brownish-olive. Iris dark brown finely flecked with gold, pupil round, with a bright red outer ring. Food: (1) Large Bufo viarinus. (2) A 55 mm. Bufo typhonius. (3) 3 Microhyla microps. (4) 27 tadpoles and half-tailed young frogs. (5) 1 young Bufo guttatus. Xenodon severus (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate XI, Figs. 50 and 51). Names : Frog Snake. Crapeau or Mattopi Snake (Creole). Range: The Guianas, Venezuela, Colom- bia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. General Account: A very poisonous-look- ing snake, with flat head, expansive neck, thick body and short, stubby tail. It is, however, a rapid mover. It was fairly com- mon at Kartabo but not taken at Caripito. The variety of pattern and coloring is almost indescribable. The adult snake tends to be monochrome, green, brown, black or rufous, and yellowish or gray below. But dorsal bands or spots may persist in large specimens, black-edged scales or more defi- nite bands. The young usually have a com- plex angular pattern of bands and hour- glass figures. One fairly consistent mark is a large central nuchal patch of pink, red, orange or rufous, surrounded by one or more concentric bands of the same color. This be- comes very conspicuous when the snake flat- tens its neck, cobra-like. When dozens of detailed kodachrome photographs are avail- able of individuals carefully measured and sexed, some semblance of order may emerge from the infinite variety of pattern and pig- mentation. I present seven descriptions. Most of these snakes were taken in bam- boo clumps or when they were crawling across trails or over the jungle floor. Their pattern made them almost invisible when not in motion. No. 77 when frightened took to the water at once and swam to a floating bush. No. 65 was caught when swimming far from land, well out in the river. It swam very high, compressing the body as the boat approached and thus bringing all the con- cealed markings into view. It tried to climb aboard and when netted flattened its head and struck repeatedly. The markings were so much like those of a fer-de-lance that for a time we did not dare handle it. No. 510 was one of the most nervous and irascible snakes I have ever seen, striking at the least annoyance, and spreading its neck to an astonishing width and flatness. This was done apparently by means of the ribs, and the conscious object was always to keep the flattened side toward the object of rage or fear, exactly as a male golden pheasant orients its ruff and body plumage broadside to the hen. At times, as I walked around the displaying snake, it would slowly 1946]; Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 45 revolve its expanded neck, and even fold up one side to keep it broadways toward me. Attempts to take motion pictures were very difficult as the snake tired almost at once and after several short displays at- tempted only to escape. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 344, Kartabo, Color Plate 256, October 12, 1920, half-grown male, total length 342 mm., tail 38, head length 15, eye diameter 5, body width 16, body height 10 mm., rows of scales 21, ventrals 139, subcaudals 34, weight 22.8 grams. This young snake differs in pattern from most adults. General color above dark brown, lighter on sides. There are twelve backward-pointing, broad, transverse-angled bands of pale wood brown, edged with dark- er, diminishing in width toward the tail, and breaking up into small, dark patches along the sides. The first of these bands lengthens out into an irregular head mark- ing, back of the eyes. General color of head hair brown, with narrow transverse bands of gray across top of snout and between eyes, also a broad black velvety stripe back- ward from eye. Upper labials and sides of neck pale brownish-pink. Lower labials and chin creamy white. Ventral surface gray, with quite regular square pink patches along sides, which merge above abruptly with the wood brown of the sides. Iris, upper fifth pinkish-buff, the rest brown stippled with black. A narrow pupil ring of buff. Coll. No. 2734: Kartabo, April 22, 1924, preserved skin, total length 485 mm., tail 50, jaw length 29, eye diameter 5.5, body width 19, body height 14 mm., ventrals 139, subcaudals 41, weight 24.5 grams. Dark brown with eight very wide pale brown, slightly angled bands, Ventrals dark gray edged with yellow. A large central nuchal area, and a broad anterior, triangular cres- cent pink, visible in the stretched skin. Coll. No. 510: Kartabo, Color Plate 322, March 2, 1922, total length 640 mm. Above dark ferrugineous brown, becoming more red laterally, and changing beneath to pale reddish-ochre. Under surface of head orange buff. The background of the iris is tawny brown, except for lower right hand quarter, which is light buff, quite reddish at the bot- tom. The whole iris is finely stippled with dark brown ; the narrow pupil rim is cinna- mon. Coll. No. 65: Kartabo, September 11, 1919, total length 711 mm., weight 80.5 grams. General color above dark ochraceous brown, with 12 to 15 angular, irregular, darker areas occupying the entire width of the dor- sal surface and dying out toward the tail. Each dark area is bordered anteriorly and posteriorly with an irregular connected series of large spots of brownish-black. Be- neath pale cream color, suffused with pale brown, becoming gray mixed with red on tail, and yellowish beneath the head. Sides of body with equally spaced dark reddish- brown spots, confluent with the darker color of the sides and of upper surface. Posteri- orly these spots are connected with much broken bands of the same color. General color of head cinnamon brown. Labials, loreals, nasals and rostral yellow green, ir- regularly spotted with fine brown spots, con- fluent along the joinings of labial scales. A narrow line of the green from nostrils through the eye to angle of jaw. Another line just above this from center of eye light olive brown, fading posteriorly into general body color. A dark brown spot on prefront- als, extending to the anterior portion of frontal. Coll. No. 608: Kartabo, Color Plate 333, fig. a, March 10, 1922, total length 810 mm. Head above olive green, sides paler. Neck when distended and flattened with a central solid patch of bright grenadine pink, sur- rounded at a distance by a larger, diamond- shaped band of the same color. This in turn is framed in a large patch of dark olive green. The extreme edges of the flattened nuchal hood are bright lemon yellow. Body generally deep olive green, with indistinct cross bands and diagonal markings of every conceivable kind, olive brown becoming darker toward the short tail. Lower labials and chin olive buff. Ventrals olive buff with irregular cross bands of light gray. Iris buffy brown with dark stippling toward the outer edge. Coll. No. 3132: Kartabo, June 6, 1920, total length 1031 mm., fully adult snake. Genei’al color dark reddish-pink, shading to rich rufous on the tail, where there are large blotches of black. Coll. No. 3133: Kartabo, October 2, 1920, total length 1503 mm., above blue black, with numerous, irregularly scattered scales of grass green. Ventral surface grass green. Coll. No. 77: Kartabo, June 3, 1919, total length 1530 mm. (5 feet, 2 inches), body width 50 mm., weight 1245 grams (2% pounds). The largest of this species taken. Above dark olive buff, under surface straw yellow. Iris buckthorn brown. Food : (1) Caught near laboratory at- tacking a small domestic chicken, while it had just swallowed a small marine toad. (2) Just caught a marine toad, 130 mm. long, still alive. Partly digested was a large frog buried in a mass of round worms. (3) 1 grasshopper, 1 Atta soldier, 2 large black ants, 1 small spider, 2 leaves. (4) 2 large Leptodactylus frogs, 1 Ameiva. (5) Small Ameiva. Family Elapidae. Coral snakes, while claiming close kin with forms such as the common and king cobras and kraits, are far less dangerous 46 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31: 4 because of their small size and relatively short fangs. Most are characterized by bril- liancy of coloring such as many successive bands of red, black and yellow. They are closely mimicked by several unrelated, harm- less snakes. They are burrowers and usually nocturnal, and feed on small lizards, frogs and insects. In the localities under consideration I found only two species although locally these snakes were almost abundant. Micrurus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate XI, Figs. 52 and 53). Names : Tricolored Coral Snake. Hot Bead Snake (Creole). Koo-mung, “one who lives in the ground” (Akawai Indian). Range : Northern and central South America. General Account : Locally abundant at Kartabo, but in general, both there and at Caripito found only occasionally. About 35 were collected in all. Those snakes not actually dug up were found as they crawled slowly through the jungle, usually on over- cast days. The typical color pattern of the common Kartabo coral snake is a black snout, white loreal band and a broad scarlet complete band on the back of the head and nape. These are followed by the first of 14 to 17 body and tail pattern sequences, a large black area trisected by two narrow bands of white, followed in turn by a second scar- let interspace. The scarlet occasionally has the scales tipped with black, producing a dulling of the color, or very rarely there is a tinge of yellow on the white bands, but in no coral snake from British Guiana did I see true yellow bands. Considerable varia- tion occurs in the pattern of the extreme head and tail, but it is always a regular carrying out and continuation of the so- matic pattern sequence. Measurements of three coral snakes of varying lengths are as follows: Coll. No. 825, total length 245 mm.; No. 236a, length 630; and No. 3552, length 900 mm. Tail re- spectively 20.7, 55 and 80 mm., ventrals 228, 254 and 226, subcaudals 34, 36 and 33, weights 3, 19.8 and 75 grams. Color in Life : Among the 17 snakes taken from a single field there were only two noticeable variations. In one individual all the white bands were themselves bisected or split with narrow lines of black. Coll. No. 230; March 27, 1919, total length 555 mm. Very aberrant in pattern, for while the white bands are very wide and conspicuous ventrally, they are almost ab- sent on the back. The exact opposite is true of the red bands which are deep in color, with considerable black edging to the scales, and yet below there is hardly a trace of this color. Hence this individual is black above with strong red bands at wide intervals. Beneath it is black with twice as many broad white bands. Coll. No. 3552: male, 900 mm. total length, June 30, 1924. This snake showed only ten sets of patterns on both body and tail, all the bands red, black and white be- ing of unusual width and the white very heavily edged with black. Twenty-two years later in the dried, well-preserved skin all the whites are changed to bright yellow, the scarlet and black being unaltered. Of the 35 specimens taken at Kartabo, 17 were captured in a single marshy field of some three acres extent, all within eleven days, from March 20 to April 1, 1919. Others were taken in the same field on May 20 of the same year. They were all uncovered while the field was being hoed. In total length the first 17 coral snakes measured from 241 mm. (9.5 inches), to 787.4 mm. (31 inches), the average being 577 mm. (22.5 inches). I also counted the scarlet bands on these snakes, including that on the head and that near the tip of the tail. Of two snakes with 14 red bands the average length was 591 mm. (23.25 inches). Seven with 15 bands averaged 628 mm. (24.7 inches), 3 with 16 bands averaged 530 mm. (20.8 inches), and 4 specimens with 17 red bands showed an average length of 534 mm. (21 inches). So age has nothing to do with the number of pattern series. We found coral snakes much more vio- lent and aggressive than we had been led to expect. When captured they twisted and fought and struck, until allowed to bury themselves in debris in vivariums. The tail seemed to have the ability to flatten itself slightly and when excited was often held upright and twisted about in its own orbit. Micrurus psyches (Daudin, 1803). (Plate XII, Figs. 54 and 55). Name: Bicolored Coral Snake. Range: Guianas and northeastern Vene- zuela. General Account: This snake is found occasionally both at Kartabo and Caripito. About a dozen specimens were taken at the former place, none of which were associated with the concentrations of Micrurus lemnis- catus. Without exception this species seemed more quiet and less aggressive than the con- generic form, almost never making any re- sistance at capture. As will be seen from the various descrip- tions, the pattern shows considerable varia- tion, the two most common phases being black above, with many pale yellow, narrow rings, or alternate broad bands of dark red and black throughout body and tail. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 633, Kartabo, July 10, 1922, total length 250 mm., weight 4.5 grams. Black with 51 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 47 narrow white bands completely around body, and 5 wider ones on tail. Coll. No. 2660: March 25, 1924, total length 295 mm., tail 35.8, eye 1.5 mm., ven- trals 195, subcaudals 49, weight 6.2 grams. Coll. No. 30,105: Caripito, May 17, 1942, total length 390 mm., tail 48 mm. On the body are 35 complete black bands, averaging three scales in width, bounded dorsally by single scale lines of white. The black bands are separated at equal distances by broad bands of pale red much dulled by black on the distal half of each scale, producing a checkered appearance. The black spots die out at the edge of the pale salmon ventrals. The red interspaces are about three times the width of the black bands. Coll. No. 3263: Kartabo, March 16, 1921, total length 400 mm., tail 60 mm. Latero- ventral head band red, then a black nuchal band, next the first somatic red, black-tipped band. Twenty-four black bands on body separated by red interspaces, each of the latter four times as wide as the black. No segregation into pairs is observable. The red is very much dimmed by the half black scales. Ventrally, the red interspaces are immaculate. The tail has a wholly different pattern, being black above with eight pairs of single scale width, broken pink lines. Ventrally these widen, and broad, black subcaudal bands alternate with red spaces, with a mottling of black in the center of the latter. Coll. No. 640: June 30, 1922, Color Plate 416, total length 425 mm., tail 40 mm., ven- trals 213, subcaudals 32, weight 11 grams. This specimen has 35 red bands on the dorsal surface and an equal number of dark red ones. Coll. No. 2735: April 4, 1924, total length 453 mm., tail 41, head length 12, eye 2.3 mm., ventrals 200, subcaudals 30, weight 15.5 grams. Black above with faint blue sheen and slight iridescence all over in the sunlight. There are 58 narrow rings of dull white, grouped in pairs on each side of in- terspaces which are narrower and darker than the spaces between the pairs. These rings are broken above, but form wider, well defined bands across the ventral sur- face. A broad band of pale yellowish-white diagonally forward across side of face. Four of the rings which occur on the tail have a yellowish tinge and are wider than the somatic white rings. Coll. No. 3265: June 15, 1922, total length 465 mm., tail 63 mm. The pale body rings are very narrow and broken above, widening below where they can be observed to form rather indefinite pairs, covering one or two ventrals as compared with three or four ventrals between. The usual latero-ventral cephalic band. The first body pair of white lines, while very narrow above, are wide and actually fuse below, and the second pair almost joins ventrally. Altogether the 66 rings on body form 30 pairs. There are nine wide, unpaired white rings on the tail. Coll. No. 634: September 10, 1919, total length 480 mm., tail 40 mm. Above iri- descent dark steely blue, with about a dozen narrow, very faint cross bands on the an- terior third of the body. From here back none are visible. Below we find the same iridescence, with 59 more or less regular cross bands of creamy white, usually cov- ering half of two adjoining ventrals. The bands occur on about every fourth ventral, the anterior ten occurring over an area of 37 scales. A 60th band is found on the side of the head, beginning behind the eye and extending down across both jaws. The eye is small but well developed, the iris being dark brown. Coll. No. 632: March 10, 1921, Color Plate 464, total length 400 mm., tail 50 mm. This specimen is unique in its pattern which closely resembles that of Micrurus lemnis- catus although the coloring is quite differ- ent. The head is black except for a broad post-ocular, complete band of buflfy yellow. There follows a wide area of black, trisected with two narrow, white lines. This black, white and yellow pattern is repeated ten times on the body and tail. Food : The following are the contents of three stomachs: (1) Insect remains and a few quartz crystals. (2) A small snake. (3) Two small lizards, probably Anolis. Breeding : The body of coral snake No. 640 was slightly enlarged posteriorly, and when it died two days after capture on June 22nd, two eggs were found, shell-less but almost full sized, elongate, measuring 7 by 25 mm. Family Viperidae. Lachesis muta (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate XII, Fig. 56). Names: Bushmaster. Coonocooshe (Creole). Pah-tie-ee-sack (Awakai Indian). Range : From Panama throughout north- ern and central South America. General Account : The bushmaster is not rare at Kartabo but much less common than the fer-de-lance, whereas the opposite is true at Caripito where one encounters many more of the present species than fer-de-lance snakes. We seldom found a bushmaster in motion, but always coiled in a tight mat in a game trail. One of the first found was also the largest, No. 199, measuring 2596 mm., or eight feet, six inches over all. I have given an account of the capture of this giant in “Jungle Peace,” pp. 188 to 195. It was sent north alive to the New York Zoo- logical Park on April 10, 1916. In the case both of the bushmaster and the fer-de-lance we wondered why our eyes 48 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 were so often drawn to the coiled serpent before we were near enough to step on it. Experimenting with freshly caught speci- mens of both species I found that when I was tightly blind-folded I was aware of a distinct odor, even when six to ten feet away. This was especially true of the bush- master, the odor being musky and very un- pleasant. Unless we stopped and consciously sniffed, when our eyes were open other in- terfering sense impressions reduced the ol- factory ones to only subconscious effect. Twice I found large bushmasters closely associated in pairs, both times in spiny palm scrub. Measurements and Color in Life : Coll. No. 199, eight feet, six inches over all, Color Plate 181, fig. b, had more lilac and violet in its coloring than usual, and the iris was straw yellow instead of reddish. The large dorsal markings were dark lilac with black borders and outer frames of pale violet. Coll. No. 3275: A male, July 24, 1920, Plate 181, fig. a. Total length 1038 mm. (45 inches), tail 92, head length 46, eye 4.5, body width 30, body height 27 mm., ven- trals 220, subcaudals 40, weight one pound. The top of head was seal brown, mottled with paler. Body with wide diamond-shaped markings beginning at back of neck. Black lateral cephalic band running into a curved band from eye almost to first ventral. Above this a band of light brown, then a narrow, broken line of black. Tawny olive on upper neck. Upper labials and side of face pale buff, deepening to buffy brown on snout. Lower labials and throat white tinged with pinkish-buff. Iris flame scarlet, coarsely blotched and mottled with dark brown toward the outer rim, leaving a wide area immaculate around pupil. Pupil a rather wide vertical ellipse. Coll. No. 656: Kartabo, July 7, 1922, Color Plate 421. Total length 1070 mm. (five feet, seven inches), tail 165, head length 70, head width 48, eye 6, body width 50, body height 45 mm., weight four and a half pounds. This was essentially a yellow brown phase and complete with the pattern of jungle debris when coiled as we first found it. The eye was scarlet, the head and much of the sides of the body pale wood brown. The postocular black band was very strongly marked. The dorsal diamonds were almost solid black, with a few rufous scales at their center, and each banded with a narrow frame of pale buff. The ventrals were yellowish-brown, and the dorsal markings became very ir- regular and whitish on the tail. Food: Spiny rats seem to be the favorite diet of bushmasters both at Kartabo and Caripito. Five individuals were found feed- ing on these rodents. Breeding : One female taken at Kartabo on April 6 contained seven nearly formed eggs, each three inches in length, and an- other snake captured on May 19 at Caripito had a 21/2-inch shell-less yolk. Bothrops atrox (Linnaeus, 1758). (Plate XII, Figs. 57, 58 and 59). Names : Fer-de-lance. Labaria (Creole). Sah-ru-rima (Akawai Indian). Range : Mexico south to northern and central South America. Martinique and Tobago. General Account : The fer-de-lance is a common snake at Kartabo but rather rare at Caripito. Between forty and fifty were taken alive and sent north or preserved. Young ones were frequently found in the bamboo clumps near the Kartabo laboratory and the larger ones on the deeper jungle floor. The fer-de-lance is nocturnal, but oc- casionally is active on overcast days. A full time embryo measured 10% inches and the largest snake we saw, a female, was a little more than 4 feet, 3 inches over all. Boulenger’s color descriptions (Catalogue of Snakes of British Museum) are usually from preserved specimens, and wholly un- like those of living snakes, but the follow- ing characterization of this species is per- fect: “Coloration very variable; gray, brown, yellow, olive or reddish above, uni- form, or with more less distinct dark spots or crossbands, or with dark triangles on the sides inclosing pale rhombs. Lower parts yellowish, uniform or powdered or spotted with brown, or brown with light spots.” The only two really characteristic pat- terns which seem always to be present, are the dark band extending on the side of the head from the eye to the gape, and the con- spicuous whitish or lemon yellow color of the tail. Comparative measurements of 11 individ- uals, from 268 to 1290 mm. total length, are as follows: Coll. No 221a Total length (mm.) .... 268 Tail (mm.) 38 Eye diameter (mm.) .... 3 Ventrals 204 Subcaudals 69 Weight (grams) 3.3 3134 2762 2794 3531 2988 320 346 422 557 1040 42 46 62 72 153 3 3.5 3.5 3.9 5 201 200 191 207 205 65 64 65 73 70 8.5 10.2 21 25 342 2788 221 3255 613 3121 1110 1120 1159 1228 1290 150 120 159 168 165 5 5 5 5 6 203 196 204 195 206 64 62 67 70 66 380 292 370 384 373 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana ayid Venezuela 49 The head length in the two extremes of the embryo and the 1290 mm. specimen are 10 and 41 mm. The weight of the unborn embryo when the yolk sac is included, is increased from 3.3 to 10 grams. Color in Life : Coll. No. 221a, Kartabo, nearly born embryo, length 268 mm., Color Plate 234, September 25, 1920. This one of eight nearly full-developed embryos was the offspring of No. 221. It was very active, dragging about its yolk-sac which weighed three times as much as itself. It showed two shades of lilac, very pale and darker, the two being arranged in a series of equally wide bands down the back. The character- istic dark eye to gape band, and the pale tail are both in evidence. The iris is much darker than in the usual fer-de-lance, and the wide pupil is vertical, not directed slightly forward as in older snakes. Coll. No. 3100: young snake of 305 mm. length, June 14, 1919. Strong reddish-brown above with cross bands of dark olive, each constricted at mid-back. Whitish below, thickly checkered with pinkish-brown. Iris golden yellow, covered with a vertically striated mesh of black. Coll. No. 2794: length 422 mm., May 11, 1924. Looked down upon as on a flat skin, the pattern is of a series of transverse, broad, hour-glass figures separated by nar- row diamond interspaces. The boundaries are formed by narrow, yellowish-white lines. The anterior half of the body is of a general pale brown, the posterior half being much darker with a thick scattering of round, blackish-brown spots. Black, lateral head line and pale yellow tail as usual. Ventrals dominately black with many yellow spots. Coll. No. 2827: length 465 mm., May 16, 1924. Similar to No. 2794, except that throughout, the hour-glass pattern is very dark, and the ventrals dominately yellow with dark lateral checkers. Coll. No. 3258: length 615 mm., Color Plates 97 and 111, August 12, 1919. An extremely dark phase. Dark purplish-brown above, coarsely mottled with black. Tail very conspicuously lemon yellow, and ventrals bright salmon red, checkered with black. Head dark brown above, black on sides and below, with large patches of pink-bounded gray in the centers of 6 upper and 5 lower labials. Loreal scales pink, and iris pale gold with three broad antero-posterior bands of pinkish-red. Pupil, as in all fer-de-lance of this length and larger, tipped obliquely forward about twenty degrees. Coll. No. 2788: female breeding, May 6, 1924, Color Plate 731, length 1110 mm. Gen- eral color above hair brown with the tynical Bothrops atrox markings showing as rhom- boida! patches of dark brown, enclosing the lighter tone. These markings however are very faint. The top of the head has a faint greenish tinge. The labial region is light olive buff with very dark lateral facial line of broken streaks, which occur strongly on the keels of the scales, running from the eye back and obliquely downward. Ventrals cream buff shading to olive toward tail, and with touches of carnelian red on sides of the first few ventrals. Ventrals mottled, strongly toward tail, with light gray. Coll. No. 221: female breeding (parent of No. 221a), length 1120 mm., Color plate 234, September 25, 1920. Head purplish gray, paler at the posterior sides and pinkish at snout. Sides of head also purple, all labials thickly mottled with dark brown, and the usual lateral dark line. Body purplish- gray with dark, transverse triangular mark- ings of dark lilac, edged with smoke gray. Chin light buff tinged with purplish, ven- trals naples yellow, upper edges with touches of pink, fading to cream color, and mottled more and more thickly with bluish-gray toward tail. Iris warm yellow with dense flecking of dark gi’ay and brown all over, except for pupil rim. Coll. No. 613: length 1228 mm., Color Plate 400, June 14, 1922. General color of head and back hair brown, entire length with evenly spaced transverse bands of dark olive, over an inch in width at mid-body, all widely edged and blotched with black. The interspaces are edged with light gray- ish-olive and have a large, indistinct central diamond patch and lateral shading of brown- ish-black. Sides of head and lower labials bluish-gray with black loreal streak, and a few irregular black spots. Chin smoke gray anteriorly, becoming lighter under neck and merging into the general bright naples yel- low of the ventral ground color. On the lateral portion of the ventrals is a series of large, irregular, roundish black spots, each separated by about two ventrals. Tail dull lemon yellow, inconspicuous. Iris ground color maize yellow, very heavily streaked and stippled with black, with a faint streak of red through the obliquely vertical pupil and a touch of red about the pupil rim. Coll. No. 3121: length 1290 mm., Color Plate 180, July 25, 1920. Top of head brown- ish-black with supraoculars and keels of scales mouse gray. Loreals pink. Side of face antimony yellow, with three perpen- dicular marks on upper labials of black. Broad oblique band extending from eye al- most to fourth ventral black. Body above with broad transverse bands of dusky violet edged narrowly with brown. Ventrals amber yellow deepening to apricot yellow on upper edges, mottled more and more thickly toward tail with black. Pupil a moderately wide, oblique ellipse. Iris pale yellow gold flecked with ochraceous orange, with three zones of 50 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 4 mottling of dark brown, one at either end of pupil, and a broad band horizontally across the middle. Food : Seven stomach contents were as follows: (1) A large Leptodactylus penta- dactylus. (2) Remains of two mice. (3) In this snake, 887 mm. over all, was a spiny rat 410 mm. in length. (4) Two medium Ameivas. (5) 2 young spiny rats. (6) Un- identified lizard, small snake and the fur of some small mammal. (7) Shot while stalk- ing a manakin. Breeding: No. 2788, Kartabo, 1110 mm. long, taken on May 9, contained 16 eggs about half-developed. No. 2988, Kartabo, 1040 mm., taken on June 19, 9 large eggs almost ready for deposition, measuring 20 by 30 mm. No. 221, Kartabo, 1120 mm. total length, captured on September 25, con- tained 8 young snakes almost ready for birth; No. 221a, 268 mm. long is one of these. No. 3249, Kartabo, 1140 mm., taken October 20, contained 11 large embryos. Bothrops bilineatus (Wied, 1825). (Plate XIII, Figs. 60 and 61). Names: Tree Fer-de-lance, Green Fer-de- lance. Green Labaria (Creole). Eye-dee-ah- mo (Akawai Indian). Range: Guianas, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. General Account: A rare snake at Kar- labo, only three specimens being taken. It may well be more common than we think, owing to the difficulty of detecting it among the same colored jungle foliage. Except for the general green color it differs little from atrox, having even the lateral facial oblique band and the conspicuous, self-colored tail. It is pale leaf green above, uniform or sparsely spotted with darker, and yellow below. In the late atrox embryo the tail is 14 per cent, of the total length, and in the largest atrox taken it is 12 per cent. In the present species the tail is slightly longer, 15 to 16 per cent, of the length. All three specimens were taken among the branches of low jungle shrubs. No. 354 was only five feet from the ground. I walked within a foot of the snake, and it made an abortive attempt at my face, striking the rim of my hat before I saw it and broke its back with my gun barrel. Measurements and Color in Life: Coll. No. 345, Kartabo, April 4, 1920. Total length 540 mm., tail 80, head length 18, width 12, eye diameter 3, body width 12, body height 13 mm., rows of scales 33, ventrals 202, subcaudals 76, weight 38.2 grams. General color above lichen green, shading to grass green toward tail, which changes abruptly to pale pinkish-buff near the tip. Lateral line on side of head and about 40 sets of alternating, irregular, short, transverse dor- sal marks light cadmium yellow, edged with black. Side of head greenish-yellow, shad- ing into a wide patch of picric yellow on the side of the neck, which in turn merges into the lateral body line of straw deepen- ing to citron toward the tail. Ventrals pale lumiere green lighter toward tail, touched with lighter greenish-yellow on the lateral edges of the ventrals. Iris light yellow green flecked with darker green, paler toward pupil. The character of this marking is of a maze of indistinct fibers, extending more or less up and down. Pupil is an oblique vertical wide slit. Coll. No. 2671: Kartabo, April 3, 1924, Color Plates 675 and 676. Total length 752 mm., tail 115, head length 26, eye 4, mm., rows of scales 31, ventrals 208, subcaudals 77, weight 39.4 grams. General color of head and back leaf green, dulled on head and anterior body by fine black dots which are larger and closer on the head. A lateral body stripe of chalcedony yellow extends along the outermost row of scales formed by the solid color of these scales and a small triangle at the edge of the ventrals. This yellow line is edged below by a narrow line of dark green along the ventrals. A band of ochraceous orange with faint black streaks extends from the eye to angle of mouth. This streak is broken in this individual snake on the left side by the intrusion of a single green scale. A few small markings of the same orange color occur at intervals along each side of the mid-back. Upper labials and a slight shading on the lower, lime green with scattered black dots. The remainder of the labials and chin pale lemon yellow which joins a lateral line on the side of the neck. Ventrals primrose yellow, paler toward tail, the tip of which for an inch is solid purplish-pink. Iris chalcedony yellow with fine stippling of jade green everywhere except at the top. In 22 years this snake has changed to grayish-blue above, and the ventral yellow has become straw. Coll. No. 267 : Kartabo, November 5, 1920, Color Plate 262, total length 424 mm. Head above and back pale turquoise green with many irregular short markings down each upper side, each of which is orange framed with black dots and dashes. Scales of supra- and preocular areas of head pale greenish dotted with large black spots. Labials pale buffy yellow with considerable blotching of rich green. Postocular oblique band orange, spotted with black. Iris a maze of dark green fibrous markings. Chin and throat yellowish-white changing gradually into the general ventral color of immaculate pale blue green. Food: No. 345 had swalowed a large Hyla maxima, 180 mm. over all. No. 267 had made 1946] Beebe: Snakes of British Guiana and Venezuela 51 a meal of four large Hylas and two anolid lizards. Family Crotalidae. Crotalus durissus terrificus (Laurenti, 1768). (Plate XIII, Figs. 62 and 63). Names: Green Rattlesnake. Jungle Rat- tlesnake. Cascabel (Spanish). Sak-kah-sak (Akawai Indian). Range : Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia, to northern Argentine. Paraguay and south Brazil. General Account: Very rare in the jungle at Kartabo where only three specimens were seen or taken during eight seasons. At Cari- pito not rare in the open llanos or savannas. One Kartabo snake had swallowed a large spiny rat. Coll. No. 556: Kartabo, April 29, 1922, Color Plate 548. This was taken at night while crawling along a jungle trail near the laboratory. The tail was injured and there were only six remaining rattles. Like the other Kartabo specimens this rattler was green in general coloring, with variegated shades from pale to deep forest green, with irregular dorsal markings of black. The eyes were connected by a black band, and from the eyes back, two broad bands of dark brown extended along the body for some distance. The iris was green with two large vertical patches of brown mottling on the central three-fifths. The rather narrow pupil was vertical, not oblique as in the fer-de- lance. Below, the ventrals were creamy white, anteriorly deepening into greenish posteriorly. Coll. No. 30058: Caripito, taken on the open savanna. It measured 740 mm. over all and was found on April 20, 1942. This and five others seen or taken were wholly brown of varying shades with black mark- ings. The head was pale brown with a brown- ish-black band from the snout back over the mid-crown on to the nape. Two indistinct bands of dull reddish extended from the lateral head along the back. A postocular band of black extended back to the gape, then turned forward along the line of the mouth, covering first the lower labials and then passing on to the upper ones, and swinging up and back to the anterior aspect of the eye. It actually joined the postocular streak by a broad central brown band across the iris itself. The rest of the iris was deep orange. A series of very distinct black diamonds, bounded with pale buff, ex- tended down the back, with irregular lateral streaks posteriorly along the sides. The ven- tral surfaces were pale brown. 52 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society T31 EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. (The black-and-white figures in the Plates are reproductions of color paintings by Isabel Cooper and Helen Tee- Van. Photographs are by William Beebe and John Tee-Van). Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Fig. 11. Fig. 12. Fig. 13. Fig. 14. Fig. 15. Fig. 16. Fig. 17. Fig. 18. Fig. 19. Fig. 20. Fig. 21. Fig. 22. Fig. 23. Fig. 24. Fig. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 27. Fig. 28. Fig. 29. Plate I. Leptotyphlops septemstriata Life size photograph. Typhlops reticulatus Head. Entire. Inilius scytale Head and fore body. Mounted skin. Photograph. Plate II. Boa canina Boa in tree. Photograph. Head. Photograph. Plate III. Constrictor c. constrictor Head of adult. Entire snake. Twelve-foot boa on ground. Photo- graph. Plate IV. Epicrates c. cenchris Head. Entire snake. Boa constricting on arm. Plate V. Eunectes gigas Entire snake. Head of adult. External hind claw. Plate VI. Atractus trilineatus Head. Entire snake. Chironius fuscus Head. Clelia c. clelia Head. Dipsas catesbyi Entire snake. Plate VII. Dipsas indica Head and fore body. Entire snake. Dipsas variegata Head. Entire snake. Dryadophis b. boddaerti Head. Head of young snake. Plate VIII. Drymarchon c. corais Entire snake. Head. Erythrolamprus aesculapii Fig. 30. Head and fore body. Fig. 31. Entire snake. Fig. 32. Entire snake, variation. Imantodes cenchoa Fig. 33. Head. Fig. 34. Entire snake. Plate IX. Leimadophis reginae Fig. 35. Head. Leptodeira a. annulata Fig. 36. Head. Leptophis a. ahaetulla Fig. 37. Head. Oxybelis a. aeneus Fig. 38. Head. Fig. 39. Entire snake. Oxybelis fulgidus Fig. 40. Head. Plate X. Pseustes poecilonotus polylepis Fig- 41. Head. Fig. 42. Head and fore body. Fig. 43. Snake mimicking liana. Pseustes s. sulphureus Fig. 44. Snake puffing, side view. Fig. 45. Snake puffing, front view. Spilotes p. pullatus Fig. 46. Head. Tantilla melanocephala Fig. 47. Head. Trypanurgos compressus Fig. 48. Head. Plate XI. Xenodon colubrinus Fig. 49. Head. Xenodon severus Fig. 50. Entire snake. Fig. 51. Snake flattening head and neck. Micrurus lemniscatus Fig. 52. Head. Fig. 53. Entire snake. Plate XII. Micrurus psyches Fig. 54. Head. Fig. 55. Entire snake. Lachesis muta Fig. 56. Head. Bothrops atrox Fig. 57. Head, adult male. Fig. 58. Head, adult female. Fig. 59. Heads and coiled embryos. Plate XIII. Bothrops bilineatus Fig. 60. Head. Fig. 61. Entire snake. Crotalus durissus terrificus Fig. 62. Entire snake. Fig. 63. Head. EBE. PLATE I. FIG. 1. FIG. 2. FIG. 5. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE FIG. 7. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. EEBE. PLATE III. FIG. 10. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA. AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE IV. S' lii! • is- FIG. 13. FIG. 11. FIG. 12. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA. AND CAR1P1TO, VENEZUELA. EEBE. PLATE V. FIG. 16. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA. AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE VI FIG. 19. FIG. 20. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA. AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. PLATE VII. FIG. 26. FIG. 27. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. FIG. 22. FIG. 24. FIG. 25. FIG BEEBE. PLATE VIII. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA. AND CARIP1TO, VENEZUELA. PLATE IX. 3EEBE. FIG. 40. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA. AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE X. FIG. 47. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA, AND CAR1P1TO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE IX. FIG. 52. FIG. 51. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE XII. FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO, BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. BEEBE. PLATE XIII FIELD NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF KARTABO. BRITISH GUIANA, AND CARIPITO, VENEZUELA. ZOOLOGICA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 31 Part 2 Numbers 5-7 Published by the Society The Zoological Park, New York August 20, 1946 CONTENTS PAGE 5. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXII. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part III. by Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate 1 53 6. Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes. I. The Be- havior of Comet — A Platypoecilus maculatus Gene in Xipho- phorus hellerii. By Myron Gordon. Plates I-III 77 7. Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes. I. Osteochondroma in the Jewel- fish, Hemichromis bimaculatus. By Ross F. Nigrelli & Myron Gordon. Plates 1-5 ; Text-figures 1 & 2 89 Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 53 5. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXIV. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part III.1 Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. (Plate I). [This is the thirty-fourth of a series of papers dealing with the collections of the East- ern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoo- logical Society made under the direction of William Beebe. The present paper is concerned with specimens taken on the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937-1938). For data on localities, dates, dredges, etc., refer to Zoo- logica, Vol. XXII, No. 2, pp. 33-46, and Vol. XXIII, No. 14, pp. 287-298.] Contents. Page Introduction 53 Superfamily Ostracea 54 Family Ostreidae 54 Genus Ostrea Linnaeus 54 Ostrea columbiensis Hanley 54 Ostrea fisheri Dali 54 Ostrea iridescens Gray in Hanley 55 Ostrea megodon Hanley 55 Ostrea palmula Carpenter 55 Superfamily Pectinacea 56 Family Pectinidae 56 Genus Pecten Muller 56 Subgenus Pecten s.s 56 Pecten ( Pecten ) diegensis Dali 56 Pecten ( Pecten ) sericeus Hinds 56 Pecten ( Pecten ) vogdesi Arnold 57 Subgenus Chlamys Bolten 57 Pecten { Chlamys ) lowei Hertlein 57 Subgenus Plagioctenium Dali 57 Pecten ( Plagioctenium ) circularis Sowerby. 57 Subgenus Lyropecten Conrad 58 Pecten { Lyropecten ) subnodosus Sowerby.. 58 Pecten ( Lyropecten ) subnodosus intermedins Conrad 58 Subgenus Mesopeplum Iredale 59 Pecten ( Mesopeplum ) fasciculatus Hinds .. . 59 Subgenus Leptopecten Verrill 59 Pecten ( Leptopecten ) latiauratus Conrad... 59 Pecten ( Leptopecten ) latiauratus monoti- . . . meris Conrad 60 Pecten { Leptopecten ) tumbezens;s d’Orbigny 60 Pecten ( Leptopecten ) velero Hertlein 60 Pecten ( Leptopecten ) velero biolleyi Hertlein & Strong, subsp. nov 60 Subgenus Delectopecten Stewart 61 Pecten ( Delectopecten ) arces Dali 61 Subgenus Cyclopecten Verrill 61 Pecten { Cyclopecten ) catalinensis Willett. . . 61 Pecten ( Cyclopecten ) pernomus Hertlein. .. . 61 Family Spondylidae 62 Genus Spondylus Linnaeus 62 Spondylus princeps Broderip 62 Genus Plicatula Lamarck 63 Plicatula penicillata Carpenter 63 Plicatula spondylopsis Rochebrune 63 Family Dimyidae 64 Genus Dimya Rouault 64 Dimya calif orniana Berry 65 Family Limidae 65 Genus Lima Cuvier 65 Subgenus Lima s.s 65 Lima {Lima) tetrica Gould 65 Subgenus Promantellum Iredale 65 1 Contribution No. 737, Department of Tropical Re- search, New York Zoological Society. Lima ( Promantellum ) pacifica d’Orbigny. . 66 Subgenus Limaria Link 66 Lima {Limaria) hemphilli Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 66 Lima {Limaria) orbignyi Lamy 67 Subgenus Limatula Wood 68 Lima {Limatula) subauriculata Montagu... 68 Superfamily Anomiacea 68 Family Anomiidae 68 Genus Anomia Linnaeus 68 Anomia peruviana d’Orbigny 68 Genus Pododesmus Philippi 68 Pododesmus macrochismus Deshayes 68 Genus Placunanomia Broderip 69 Placunanomia cumingii Broderip 69 Superfamily Mytilacea 69 Family Mytilidae 69 Genus Mytilus Linnaeus 70 Subgenus Mytilus s.s 70 Mytilus ( Mytilus ) calif or nianus Conrad 70 Subgenus Chloromya Morch 70 Mytilus ( Chloromya ) palliopunctatus Dunker 70 Genus Brachidontes Swainson 70 Subgenus Hormomya Morch 70 Brachidontes {Hormomya) adamsianus Dunker 70 Genus Septifer Recluz 71 Septifer zeteki Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 71 Genus Volsella Scopoli 72 Subgenus Volsella s.s 72 Volsella {Volsella) arciformis Dali 72 Volsella {VolseUa) capax Conrad 72 Volsella {Volsella) guyanensis Lamarck.... 72 Volsella {Volsella) salvadorica Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 73 Subgenus Amygdalum Megerle von Miihlfeld. . 73 Volsella {Amygdalum) pallidula Dali 73 Volsella {Amygdalum) speciosa Dunker 73 Genus Botula Morch 74 Subgenus Adula H. & A. Adams 74 Botula {Adula) falcata Gould 74 Genus Lithophaga Bolten 74 Subgenus My of or ceps Fischer 74 Lithophaga {Myoforceps) aristata Dillwyn. . 74 Subgenus Labis Dali 74 Lithophaga {Labis) attenuata Deshayes.... 74 Subgenus Diberus Dali 75 Lithophaga {Diberus) plumula Hanley 75 Genus Crenclla Brown 76 Crenella divaricata d’Orbigny 75 Introduction. This is the third of a series of papers deal- ing with collections of mollusks taken on the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937- 1938). The general plan of presentation fol- lowed in the present contribution is that mentioned in Part II of this series of papers2. Formal headings and keys are given only for the species collected by the Expedi- tions of 1936 and 1937-1938. 2 Hertlein, L. G., and Strong, A. M. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXII. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part II. Zoologica, New York Zool. Soc., Vol. 28, Pt. 3, December 6, 1943, pp. 149-168, pi. 1. 54 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:5 Acknowledgment is due Dr. G. D. Hanna, Curator, department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences, for assist- ance and suggestions. Acknowledgment is also due Dr. A. Myra Keen of Stanford Uni- versity, Mr. A. G. Smith, Berkeley, Cali- fornia, Mr. George Willett of the Los An- geles County Museum of History, Science and Art, and Mr. C. G. Abbott, director of the San Diego Society of Natural History. The preparation of photographs by Mr. Frank L. Rogers is here acknowledged : his work was accomplished during the course of Federal Works Progress Administration Project Number 8569. CLASS PELECYPODA. Order Prionodesmacea. Superfamily Ostracea. Family Ostreidae. Genus Ostrea Linnaeus. Key to the species of Ostrea. A. Margin with denticles or transverse striae a. Margin plicated b. Upper valve flat, fitting into the lower palmula bb. Upper valve arched, interlocking with the lower c. Shape arcuate, with 4 or 5 large corrugations; denticles along dorsal half of margin ..megodon cc. Shape round or subrounded; transverse striae on margin just below hinge fisheri aa. Margin usually not plicated ; interior iridescent, burnished bronze, or white S'idescens B. Margin without denticles or transverse striae columbiensis Ostrea columbiensis Hanley. Ostrea columbiensis Hanley, Proc. Zcol. Soc. London, for 1845 (issued February, 1846), p. 107. “Hab. St. Elena, West Colum- bia, adhering to the rocks at half-tide (Cum- ing)”.— Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 18, Os- traea, January, 1871, species 10, pi. 7, figs. 10a, b. “St. Helena, Cuming. Mazatlan. Lower California”. Type Locality : Santa Elena, Ecuador, ad- hering to rocks at half-tide. Range : San Bartolome [Turtle] Bay, Lower California, and the Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Coquimbo, Chile. Collecting Station : Nicaragua: Isla En- cantada, Corinto. Description: Shell varying in shape from suborbicular to oblong, often about 3 inches long; lower valve usually attached by its en- tire lower surface; the upper valve fits into the lower and is continued by lamellae to the margin which often expands into wavy foliations; upper surface often rayed with purple on a white ground; the interior of the valves white; margin not dentate; scar reniform in shape; the margin as well as the muscle scar is usually colored purple. Ostrea columbiensis never attains the size or thickness of O. chilensis Philippi. It also differs in the purple margin and in the pres- ence of yellow or purple rays ornamenting the upper valve. Distribution: This species occurs from Lower California to Chile and is usually found adhering to rocks or mangroves. It is gathered and sold for food in the markets of Peru. Ostrea fisheri Dali. Ostrea jacobaea Rochebrune, Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Paris, Vol. 1, 1895, p. 241. “lies de la Baie de la Paz.” — Contreras, An. Inst, de Biologia, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1932, p. 210, figs. 22 and 23. Islands of San Jose and Es- piritu Santo, Gulf of California. Ostrea fisheri Dali, Nautilus, Vol. 28, No. 1, May, 1914, p. 1. “Gulf of California.” New name for Ostrea jacobaea Rochebrune, not O. jacobaea Linnaeus. Type Locality: Islands in the Bay of La Paz, Lower California. Range: San Luis Gonzaga Bay, Gulf of California, to Panama and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California. Description: Subcircular or rounded in outline, thick, valves gently arched, extern- ally colored blackish-purple or dark red; margin often but not always with 6 to 8 plications which in some specimens give rise to irregular hollow tubercles; margin with- out denticles; ligamentary pit triangular and small in proportion to the size of the shell; transverse striations occur along the margin just below the ligamentary pit; in- teriorly the margin and the muscle scar are colored purple and in some specimens nearly all the interior is colored blackish-purple but in others the earlier portion is white. A large specimen from La Paz, Lower Cali- fornia, in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences, measures approxi- mately 172 mm. from beak to base. Ostrea fisheri bears a resemblance to O. hyotis Linnaeus, an Indo-Pacific species, and also to O. sinensis Gmelin, described from China. It also resembles O. thomasi Mc- Lean,3 a species living off Florida, and 0. tamiamiensis Mansfield from the Pliocene of Florida. Distribution: Ostrea fisheri occurs at 3 Ostrea ( Ostrea ) thomasi McLean, Not. Nat. of Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, No. 67, January 14, 1941, p. 7, pi. 3, figs. 1, 2, pi. 4, figs. 1, 2. The type was “dredged off Palm Beach, Florida, in 300 feet of water. It was firmly attached to a piece of coral. . . .” 1946] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 55 various localities from the Gulf of Cali- fornia to the Galapagos Islands but so far as known it appears to be abundant only in the southern part of the Gulf of California. It is known to occur from Pliocene to Recent. Ostrea iridescens Gray in Hanley. Ostrea iridescens Gray, M.S. in Hanley, Conch. Miscell., Ostrea, 1854, pi. 2, figs. 6 and 7 — Contreras, An. Inst, de Biologia, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1932, p. 194, figs. 1 and 2. San Lu- cas; Mazatlan to Panama. [Not all the syn- onymy. Not the record “la costa occidental de Africa.”] Ostraea spathulata Lamarck, Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 18, Ostraea, 1871, species 13, pi. 8, fig. 13. “Guacomayo, Co. of America”. Not Ostrea spathulata Lamarck, Hist. Nat. Awim. s. Vert., Vol. 6, 1819, p. 206. Type Locality : Reef at Panama City, Pan- ama (here designated). Range : La Paz, Lower California, to Panama. Collecting Stations : Mexico; Banderas Bay, shore; Tenacatita Bay, shore; Port Guatulco, shore; Santa Cruz Bay, shore; Tangola-Tangola Bay, shore; El Salvador: Conchaguita Island, Gulf of Fonseca; Nica- ragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca; Costa Rica: Gulf of Dulce; Port Culebra. Description : Shell elongately rectangular, with laminated structure, hinge long and square ; large denticles occur along the mar- gin below the hinge, and these fit in corre- sponding sockets in the opposite valve; the color of the interior is sometimes white but is usually beautifully iridescent and often of a brownish metallic luster; the muscle scar is large, reniform and variable. This species has sometimes been cited under the name of Ostrea prismatica Gray, a South African species. Distribution-. Ostrea iridescens occurs from the Gulf of California to Panama and is often observed on rocks exposed between tides. The species is known to occur in the Pleistocene of Mexico and Ecuador and it probably occurs in the Pliocene of Peru. Ostrea megodon Hanley. Ostrea megodon Hanley, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, Pt. 13, for 1845 (issued February, 1846), p. 106. “Hab. Peru (Cuming). Mus. Cuming.” — Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 18, Ostraea, 1871, species 24, pi. 12, figs. 24a, 24b. Peru. Type Locality. Peru. Range: Scammon Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, and the Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Station : Costa Rica: 14 miles S.E. of Judas Point (214-D-1-4), 42-61 fath- oms, mud, shell, rocks. Description: Shell arcuate, usually at- tached by the tip of the umbo; margin folded into 4 or 5 large rounded plications and oc- casionally with additional smaller folds post- eriorly; a row of denticles usually occurs along the margin from the hinge to about half the length of the shell ; interior white with green or whitish-green margin. Related species occur in the Miocene of the Caribbean region. Distribution: This species occurs from Lower California to Peru. It usually occurs in fairly shallow water. The specimens in the present collection were dredged in 42-61 fathoms. The species is known from Plio- cene to Recent. Ostrea palmula Carpenter. Plate I, Figure 14. Ostrea ? conchaphila, var. palmula Car- penter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, March, 1856, pp. 163, 550. “Mazatlan; extremely rare; L’pool Col. S. W. Mexico, P. P. C. — Upper California, Nuttall.” Ostraea mexicana Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 18, Ostraea, 1871, species 35, pi. 16, figs. 35a, b, c. “Tehauntepec, Mexico.” Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, and the Gulf of California, to Tu- maco, Colombia, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Concepcion Bay, Lower California, 2 y2 to 4 fathoms, at- tached to calcareous material; Port Gua- tulco; Nicaragua: San Juan del Sur; Costa Rica: Port Parker; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description: Attached by the lower valve which turns up forming a cup-shaped de- pression; upper valve nearly flat and fitting into the upturned lower valve; margin usu- ally plicated, sometimes with as many as 15 foliaceous plications ; the exterior is usually some shade of green or purplish-blue; in- teriorly the margin is ornamented by a row of fine denticles which lit into corresponding sockets in the opposite valve ; the margin is colored a dark purplish-blue, the muscle scar may be dark bluish-purple or light olive in color and the remainder of the interior may be white, olive, or bluish in color. Ostrea palmula is a variable species and has been described under several different specific names in the literature. It is char- acterized by the flattish upper valve which fits into the plicate lower valve, and by the purplish-blue dentate margin. The form cited under this name from California and Washington can be referred to Ostrea lurida laticaudata Carpenter. Distribution: Ostrea palmula occurs abun- dantly between tides at many localities fi-om Lower California to Panama and the Gala- pagos Islands. It is usually attached to rocks or to mangroves and occurs abundantly on reefs exposed to the surf. It is known to 56 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 occur in the Pleistocene and probably occurs from Pliocene to Recent in the Gulf of Cali- fornia region. Superfamily Pectinacea. Family Pectinidae. Genus Pec ten Muller. Key to the subgenera of the Pectinidae. A. Right valve arched, left valve flat or nearly so Pecten s.s. B. Both valves convex a. Shell corrugated, usually thick, strongly sculptured, usually brightly colored b. Ribs and interspaces strongly radi- ally striated c. Shell large, very thick, ribs 9-12, often noded Lyropecten cc. Shell smaller, thinner, ribs 5-7, not noded Mesopeplum bb. Ribs and interspaces without strong radial striae d. Ears nearly equal in length e. Shell small, oblique, thin Leptopecten ee. Shell large, less oblique, thick, very convex Plagioctenium dd. Ears unequal in length, the right markedly the longer Chlamys aa. Shell not corrugated, very thin, glassy, delicate sculpture, colored wholly or partly white f. Both valves with radial or reticu- late sculpture Delectopecten ff. Right valve with concentric, the left with radial, sculpture Cyclopecten Subgenus Pecten s.s. Key to the species of Pecten s.s. A. Right valve very highly arched ; about 19-20 low rounded ribs vogdesi B. Right valve gently arched ; about 22- 23 radial ribs a. Ribs high, squarish, interspaces flat- bottomed diegensis aa. Ribs lower, broader, and these as well as bottoms of interspaces often somewhat triangular in cross section '.sericeus Pec ten I Pecten) diegensis Dali. Pecten floridus Hinds, Zool. Voy. Sulphur, Moll., Pt. 3, 1844 (dated January, 1845, on cover of Pt. 3), p. 60, pi. 17, figs. 6, 6a. “In- hab. San Diego, California. In five fathoms, among mud.” Not Ostrea [=Pecten] florida Gmelin, 1790. Pecten ( Pecten ) diegensis Dali, Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., Vol. 3, Pt. 4, April, 1898, p. 710. “Pleistocene of San Diego; Hemphill. Living on the adjacent shores from Monterey, California, southward.” A new name for Pecten floridus Hinds, 1844, not Ostrea [-Pecten] florida Gmelin, 1790. — Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 127, pi. 51, figs. 1, la, lb. Mon- terey to San Diego, and in the Pleistocene of San Diego, California. Type Locality : San Diego, California, in 5 fathoms, mud. Range : Cordell Bank, California, to Gorda Banks, off Cape San Lucas, Lower Cali- fornia. Collecting Stations : Mexico : East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-3, 10, 11, 12), 40-60 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, eel grass; Gorda Banks (150-D-2), 75 fathoms, sand. Description : Right valve convex, orna- mented by 22 or 23 flat-topped ribs which are generally longitudinally ridged or sul- cated on top. Left valve flat or nearly so, and ornamented by 21 or 22 prominent, nar- row, convex-topped ribs. Distribution-. This species is often dredged off southern California in 10 to 30 fathoms. It apparently occurs in deeper water further south. The present record of specimens dredged on Gorda Banks in 75 fathoms is an extension south in the known range of the species. It is known to occur north to Cordell Bank, California. Pecten I Pecten) sericeus Hinds. Pecten sericeus Hinds, Zool. Voy. Sulphur, Moll., Pt. 3, 1844 (dated January, 1845, on cover of Pt. 3), p. 60, pi. 17, figs. 1, la. “Inhab. Bay of Panama. In fifty-three fath- oms, on a muddy floor”. Pecten ( Pecten ) sericeus Hinds, Hert- lein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, 1935, p. 303, pi. 18, figs. 14, 15; pi. 19, figs. 3 and 4. Various localities cited, from east of San Jose del Cabo, Lower California, to Panama. Type Locality : Bay of Panama, in 53 fathoms, muddy bottom. Range : Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California, to Panama. Also Maria Madre Island, Clarion Island, and Cocos Island. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Bank, Gulf of California (136-D-l, 4, 26, 27, 31), 35-50 fathoms, mud, Area conglomerates, sand, crushed shell, calcareous algae, rock; Santa Inez Bay (147-D-2), 60 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Gorda Banks (150-D-9), 50- 60 fathoms, muddy sand; 3 miles off Pyra- mid Rock, Clarion Island (163-D-2), 55 fathoms, rock, coral; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud; Panama: Hannibal Bank west of Coiba Is- land, 35 fathoms, rocks, mud, coral. Description : Right valve gently arched, the ribs are lower, broader, and are separ- ated by slightly wider interspaces than are those of P. diegensis. Some of the large specimens reveal the presence of shallow 1946] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 57 grooves separating three minor riblets on top of each rib, the middle riblet the highest of the three. In some cases a single riblet occurs directly in the center of the rib. The ribs on the flattened left valve are less prom- inent and wider spaced than are those of P. diegensis. On the ventral portion of some large left valves a faint riblet occurs in the interspaces between the ribs. The largest specimen of Pecten sericeus in the present collection measures 63 mm. from beak to base. On one of the specimens a Capulus calif ornicus Dali is attached to the anterior side of the umbo of the right valve in ex- actly the same position as it occurs on some specimens of Pecten diegensis. Distribution: This species occurs from the southern part of the Gulf of California to Panama, and off Maria Madre Island, Clarion Island and Cocos Island. Pecten (Pecten] vogdesi Arnold. Pecten ( Pecten ) vogdesi Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 100, pi. 33, figs. 1, la; pi. 34, fig. 1. “The type of this species (a right valve) is from the upper San Pedro formation at San Pedro,” California, Pleistocene. Also other localities. ■ — Hertlein, Pros. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, 1935, p. 304, pi. 19, figs. 16 and 17. Various localities from Magdalena Bay, Lower California, and the Gulf of California, south to Paita, Peru. Pliocene and Pleistocene of California and Lower California. Type Locality: Upper San Pedro forma- tion (Pleistocene), San Pedro, California. Range : Magdalena Bay, Lower California, and the Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico; Arena Bank (136-D-13, 28, 30), 35-85 fathoms, mud, sand, Area conglomerate, weed ; Ceralbo Is- land; Ceralbo Channel (137-D-30), 46 fath- oms, rock; Santa Inez Bay (141-D-2, 3, 4,), 10-20 fathoms, sand, crushed shell, weed, also on shore; Arena Point area; Gorda Banks (150-D-6), 60 fathoms, muddy sand, rocks; Manzanillo (184-D-l, 2), 25-30 fathoms, sand; Tenacatita Bay; Port Guatulco (195- D-19-20), 17-23 fathoms, gravel, mud, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-1-2-3) 10-15 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Port Culebra; Golfito, Gulf of Dulce; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui, David Bay and Isla Parida to Bahia Honda (221- D-l-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Right valve highly arched and ornamented by 19 to 20 low rounded ribs. Left valve gently concave, and orna- mented by about 22 low, square ribs. The color of the shell is usually light brown or reddish-brown. This species has also been recorded in I west American literature under the names of Pecten dentatus G. B. Sowerby, Pecten excavatus Anton and Pecten cataractes Dali. Distribution: This species occurs fairly commonly from Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, to Peru, from near shore to 50 fath- oms. The deepest occurrence in the present dredgings was at 85 fathoms. Pecten vog- desi also occurs in the Pliocene and Pleisto- cene of California and Lower California. Subgenus Chlamys Bolten. Pecten (Chlamys I lowei Hertlein. Pecten ( Chlamys ) lowei Hertlein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, Sep- tember 26, 1935, p. 308, pi. 19, figs. 1, 2, 7, 8. “From Carmen Island, Gulf of California, from a depth of 20 fathoms.” Type Locality: Carmen Island, Gulf of California, in 20 fathoms. Range : Carmen Island, Gulf of California, and Clarion Island, to Panama and the Galapagos Islands. ?Santa Catalina Island, California. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Bank (136-D-4, 22), 45-55 fathoms, mud; 3 mi. off Pyramid Rock, Clarion Island (163-D-2), 55 fathoms, rock, coral; Manzanillo (184-D- 2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Costa Rica: Golfito, Gulf of Dulce (218) ; Panama: Han- nibal Bank (224), 35-40 fathoms, rocks, coral, sand, shells, mud. Description: Right valve with a well de- veloped byssal notch under the right auricle. The valves are ornamented by 20 to 22 rounded triangular ribs upon which spinose riblets occur and a spinose riblet occurs in each interspace. The color is white or gray flecked with brown or on some specimens the greater part is orange or reddish-brown. One of the largest specimens in the present collection measures approximately 18.5 mm. from beak to base. Distribution: This species is known from Carmen Island, Angel de la Guardia Island, and Arena Bank in the Gulf of California, off Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Man- zanillo, Mexico, Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica, Hannibal Bank, Panama, and the Galapagos Islands. A specimen possibly of this species was dredged off Catalina Island, California, but the occurrence of the species there is not positively known. Subgenus Plagioctenium Dali. Pecten (Plagioctenium) eircuiaris Sowerby. Pecten eircuiaris Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, October 9, 1835, p. 110. “Hab. ad Sinum Californiae. (Guaymas)”. “Found in sandy mud at a depth of seven fathoms.” Pecten ( Plagioctenium ) eircuiaris Sow- erby, Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 125, pi. 42, figs. 3, 4, 5, 6; pi. 44, figs. 6, 6a, 6b, 7. Pliocene and Pleistocene. Recent from the Gulf of California to Santa Elena, Ecuador. 58 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Type Locality. Guaymas, Mexico, 7 fath- oms, sandy mud. Range : Cedros Island, Lower California, and the Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-2), 38 fathoms, mud; Arena Bank (136-D-18), 40 fathoms, mud; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-3, also beach), 35 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; (145-D-l, 3,), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Concepcion Bay, anchor- age 1 mile south of San Domingo Point; Arena Point area; Gulf of California; Cape San Lucas; Banderas Bay; Chamela Bay; Tenacatita Bay (183-D-2, also beach), 30 fathoms, sandy mud; Manzanillo (184-D-l, 2), 25-30 fathoms, sand, gravelly sand; Port Guatulco (195-D-2, 9, 17, 19, 20, 21, also beach), 3-23 fathoms, sand, gravelly sand, crushed shell, mud; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-6, 7, 8, 14, also beach), 5-9 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-l, 3, 16, 17, 19, also beach) , 2-13 fath- oms, mangrove leaves; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 2, 3, also beach), 10-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, algae; Culebra Bay; Port Culebra (206-D-l, 2, 3, also beach), 14 fathoms, sandy mud; Piedra Blanca Bay (208-D-1-10), 2-6 fathoms, rocks, sand, algae; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-1-10) , 8-10 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell; Golfito, Gulf of Dulce (218) ; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-l- 5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description : Both valves strongly arched; ornamented by 19 to 21 ribs, those on the right valve squarish, close-set, smooth, and those on the left narrower, flat-topped and with sloping sides ; color light to dark brownish-red. The coloration of P. circularis is much more vivid than the more northern subspecies aequisulcatus which reaches a larger size when adult, has a thinner and flatter shell and narrower ribs. The sub- species is often colored with some pattern of brown while circularis is often orna- mented with some pattern of red coloration. Distribution: Pecten circularis was taken at many localities from Cedros Island to Panama, on the beach and at depths of 2 to 40 fathoms. Subgenus Lyropeeten Conrad. Key to the species of Lyropeeten. A. Right valve with 11 or 12 ribs, left with 10 or 11 subnodosus B. Right valve with 10 ribs, left with 9; lighter colored intermedins Pecten I Lyropeeten l subnodosus Sowerby. Pecten subnodosus Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, October 9, 1835, p. 109. “Found in sandy mud and coral sand in from ten to seventeen fathoms.” Three varieties; brownish-red with white striae, “ad Sinum Californiae” ; var. variegated with brown and white patches, “ad Insulam Platae, Columbiae Occidentalis ;” var. with more de- pressed shell of a bright orange color, “ad Sinum Tehuantepec, Mexicanorum.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 8, Pecten, 1852, species 20, pi. 4, fig. 20. Mexico and west Colombia, in sandy mud and coral sand, at a depth of 10 to 17 fathoms. Type Locality: Island of La Plata, Ecua- dor. Range: Tres Marias Islands, Mexico, to Negritos, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Banderas Bay; Chamela Bay, Passavera Island; Costa Rica: Port Parker; Culebra Bay; Panama: Bahia Honda, beach; Hannibal Bank, 35-40 fathoms, rocks, sand, coral, shells, mud, algae. Description: Shell large, coarse, thick, right valve usually ornamented with 11 stri- ated ribs, the left with 10, and occasionally there are 12 on the right valve and 11 on the left; the ribs are often nodose especially on the earlier part of the shell. Distribution: This species occurs at vari- ous localities from the Tres Marias Islands to Paita, Peru. The exact northern limit is not known. It may occur in the Gulf of Cali- fornia but the form found there often has one less rib and is lighter colored. Pecten I Lyropeeten! subnodosus intermedius Conrad. Lyropeeten intermedius Conrad, Amer. Jour. Conch., Vol. 3, Pt. 1, April 4, 1867, p. 7. “Cape St. Lucas, California.” Pecten ( Lyropeeten ) subnodosus Sow- erby, Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 128, pi. 52, fig. 1; pi. 53, figs. 1, la. West coast of Mexico. Pecten (Lyropeeten) nodosus (Linnaeus) variety intermedius (Conrad), Grant and Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 181. Pliocene to Recent in the Gulf of California region. Type Locality: Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Mexico. Range : Scammon Lagoon to Cape San Lu- cas, and the Gulf of California; Clarion Island. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, beach; Arena Bank (136-D-6, 30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; 3 miles off Pyramid Rock, Clarion Island (163-D-2), 55 fathoms, rock, coral. Description: Shell usually with one rib less than that of Pecten subnodosus, lighter colored and often larger. There is some doubt as to the validity of this subspecies because the number of ribs is not con- stantly different from that of P. subnodo- sus. In general, however, the specimens from the west coast of Lower California and the Gulf of California show the features mentioned and for this reason the subspe- 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 59 cific name intermedium is retained at least for the present. A large specimen in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences from Scammon Lagoon, Lower California, measures 150 mm. from beak to base. Distribution-. This subspecies occurs at Scammon Lagoon, Cedros Island, Magdalena Bay and at Cape San Lucas, Lower Cali- fornia, as well as at many localities in the Gulf of California. The exact southern range is not known but it is known to occur as far south as Clarion Island and perhaps along the coast of Mexico some distance south of the Gulf of California. It occurs in shallow water. Subgenus Meso peplum Iredale. Pec ten I Meso peplum) fasciculatus Hinds. Pecten fasciculatus Hinds, Zool. Voy. Sul- phur, Moll., Pt. 3, 1844 (date on cover of Pt. 3, January, 1845), p. 61, pi. 17, fig. 4. “West coast of Veragua. In seventeen fath- oms among sandy mud.” Pecten ( Pallium ) miser Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 401, pi. 8, fig. 6. “Gulf of Panama, in 182 fathoms, mud, bottom temperature 54°. 1 F.” Pecten ( Decadopecten ) fasciculatus Hinds, Hertlein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, September 26, 1935, p. 318, pi. 18, figs 1, 2. Earlier records cited. Type Locality : West coast of Veragua, Panama, 17 fathoms, in sandy mud. Range: Arena Bank, Gulf of California, to Panama. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Bank, Gulf of California (136-D-27, 28, 31) 35-85 fathoms, sand, muddy sand, rock, calcareous algae, weed ; Gorda Banks, Gulf of Cali- fornia (150-D-4, 6, 16, 18, 23), 45-75 fath- oms, muddy sand, sand, rocks, calcareous al- gae; Panama: Hannibal Bank (224), 35-40 fathoms, rocks, coral, sand, shells, algae. Description: Shell with about a half dozen rounded ribs ornamenting each valve; ribs and interspaces ornamented by fine radial riblets, which are covered with fine concen- tric imbrications. In some specimens the ribs are flatter than in others. Color brown- ish-pink exactly as shown on the original illustration. Interiorly most of the speci- mens show vertical grooving along the hinge line and large specimens have well developed, grooved, cardinal crura. Irregular radial | rounded riblets occur along the interior ven- tral margin. This margin is turned up espe- cially in the right valve but sometimes that of the left is turned down to meet the right. The largest specimen at hand measures ap- proximately 31.4 mm. from beak to base. A study of these specimens leaves no doubt that the species described by Dali as Pecten miser is identical with P. fascicula- tus. The features of Pecten fasciculatus so closely resemble illustrations of Mesopeplum caroli Iredale,4 the type of Mesopeplum, that we have referred it to that subgenus. It also closely resembles Notochlamys a n- guineus Finlay, the type of Notochlamys, which is said to differ from Mesopeplum only in lacking concentric sculpture. Distribution: The present record of the occurrence of this species in the Gulf of California furnishes a long extension north in the range. It has been recorded as occur- ing in depths from 17 to 182 fathoms. Subgenus Leptopecten Verrill. Key to the species of Leptopecten. A. Every third rib (especially on the left valve) raised above the others a. Ribs 16 velero aa. Ribs 12 biolleyi B. Ribs of about equal elevation a. Ribs square or subangular b. Shell moderately thick, ears squarely offset from submargins tumbezensis bb. Shell thin, areas joining ears and submargins rounded latiauratus aa. Ribs 12-16 rounded corrugations of the shell monotimeris Pecten I Leptopecten I latiauratus Conrad. Pecten latiauratus Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 238, pi. 18, fig. 9. “Inhabits below the efflux of the tide near Sta. Diego and Sta. Barbara.” Pecten ( Chlamys ) latiauritus Conrad, Ar- nold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 115, pi. 46, figs. 2, 2a, 3, 3a. Mon- terey to San Diego, California. Also Pliocene and Pleistocene. Type Locality: San Diego, California (ac- cording to I. S. Oldroyd, 1924). Range: Off Point Reyes, California, to Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Collecting Stations: Mexico: 5 miles west of San Jose Point, Lower California (175- D-l), 45 fathoms, slabs of slaty rock; east of Cedros Island (126-D-8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1'5), 42-60 fathoms, mud, crushed shell and eel grass; also (127-D-l), 38 fathoms, mud. Description: Shell small, thin, 12 to 16 square ribs; hinge line long, oblique; ears acutely pointed at termination of hinge line. Distribution: This little pecten was dredged west of San Jose Point, at several localities east of Cedros Island, and a few were collected at Cape San Lucas, Lower California. 4 Mesopeplum caroli Iredale, Rec. Australian Mus., Vol. 17, No. 4, September 4, 1929, p. 162, pi. 38, figs. 7-9. “Type trawled in 55-60 fathoms off Montague Island, New South Wales.’’ 60 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:5 Pecten I Leptopecten I latiauratus monotimeris Conrad. Pecten monotimeris Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 238, pi. 18, fig. 10. “Inhabits with the preceding” [^Inhabits below the efflux of the tide near Sta. Diego and Sta. Barbara], “The young occasionally found attached to Fuci by a slender byssus.” Pecten ( Chlamys ) latiauritus var. mono- timeris Conrad, Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 131, pi. 46, figs. 4, 5, 5a. San Francisco and Santa Barbara to San Diego, California, Recent; also Pleis- tocene. Type Locality : San Diego, California (ac- cording to I. S. Oldroyd, 1924). Range: Monterey Bay, California, to Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-10), 60 fathoms, crushed shell and eel grass; Cape San Lucas. Description: The rounded ribs which form broad corrugations of the shell, and the less acutely pointed ears, distinguish this subspecies from P. latiauratus. Distribution: One specimen of Pecten latiauratus monotimeris was dredged east of Cedros Island and six typical specimens of this little kelp pecten were collected at Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Pecten I Leptopecten I tumbezensis d’Orbigny. Pecten tumbezensis d’Orbigny, Voy. Amer. Merid., Vol. 5, 1846, p. 663. Tumbez, Peru. New name for Pecten aspersus Sow- erby, not P. aspersus Lamarck. Pecten ( Leptopecten ) tumbezensis d’Or- bigny, Hertlein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, September 26, 1935, p. 314, pi. 19, figs. 11, 12. Gulf of California to Tumbez and Paita, Peru. Also Quater- nary of Peru. Type Locality: Tumbez, Peru. Range : Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Santa Cruz Bay (195-D-21), 18 fathoms, mud; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-17), 23 fath- oms, mud; Guatemala: 7 miles west of Champerico (197-D-1-2), 14 fathoms, mud; El Salvador: La Libertad (198-D-1-2), 13- 14 fathoms, mud; Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-19), 12-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves; Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca; Costa Rica: 14 miles S.E. of Judas Point (214-D-1-4), 42-61 fathoms, mud, shell, rocks; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D- 1-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell fairly thick in propor- tion to the size, usually somewhat expanded posteriorly ; ornamented by about 14 square ribs. The right valve is usually at least partly white in color but the left valve is usually ornamented by a sprinkling of light bluish dots on a slate-colored or brown back- ground. A large valve from Monypenny Point, Nicaragua, in the Gulf of Fonseca, measures 31.2 mm. from beak to base and 33.9 mm. in length. Distribution: This species was dredged at a number of localities from off Manzanillo, Mexico, to Panama, in depths from 12 to 61 fathoms. It ranges south to Peru. Pec ten ( Leptopecten 1 velero Hertlein. Pecten ( Leptopecten ) velero Hertlein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, September 26, 1935, p. 316, pi. 19, figs. 13, 14. “Bahia Honda, Veragua, Panama, in three to nine fathoms.” Type Locality: Bahia Honda, Veragua, Panama, in 3 to 9 fathoms. Range : Off Mazatlan, Mexico, to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; El Salvador: Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fon- seca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D- 1, 19), 6.5-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves. Description: Shell small, ornamented by 16 ribs of which every third one is raised above the others, this is especially notice- able on the left valve. Toward the ventral margin of the right valve some specimens have well developed interribs and occasion- ally these also are present on the left valve. Distribution: This species is known to occur off Mazatlan, Manzanillo, and Tres Marias Islands, Mexico, Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca, El Salvador, Corinto, Ni- caragua, and at Bahia Honda, Panama. It has been dredged in waters to a depth of 30 fathoms. Pecten l Leptopecten I velero biolleyi Hertlein and Strong, subsp. nov. Plate I, Figure 6. Shell small, rather thin, hinge long; color white and brown roughly arranged in con- centric bands; anterior ear of right valve with large byssal notch and ctenolium, orna- mented by three ribs ; ventral margin broad- ly rounded; left ear large and broadly notched, ornamented by about four ribs; valve ornamented by about 12 to 13 rather high sharply triangular ribs which are sep- arated by considerably wider interspaces, ribs and interspaces with strong, dense, fringing imbricating lamellae ; when slight- ly worn the tops of the ribs are smooth ; the ribs near the anterior and posterior mar- gins are somewhat higher than the others and sometimes every third rib or pair of ribs is slightly raised; left valve similar to right except that it lacks the large byssal notch and the right ear is ornamented by about 4 or 5 ribs and the left ear is orna- 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 61 merited by 5 or 6 ribs; on some left valves every third rib is raised higher than the in- tervening ones. Length, 6.9 mm.; height, 6.6 mm. Holotype, right valve, and paratypes (Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Coll.), from Sta- tion 203-D-3, dredged in 12 fathoms (22 meters) in Lat. 10°55>45"N., Long. 85°49'0'5" W., Port Parker, Costa Rica, on bottom of sandy mud and crushed shells. Several small specimens were dredged near the same locality at Station 203-D-l. This form is described as a subspecies of Pecten velero Hertlein because occasional left valves have every third rib raised simi- lar to that species. The new subspecies dif- fers from Pecten velero in possessing fewer, stronger ribs, 12 as compared to 16, and in that every third rib is less strongly raised in relation to the others. Pecten velero biolleyi resembles P. bellilamellatus Arnold5 a species described as a fossil from the Plio- cene of California, but differs in possessing fewer ribs, only 12 or 13 as compared to 15 or 16. Our specimens bear a remarkable resemblance to Arnold’s illustrations of P. bellilamellatus and possibly this new sub- species might be considered to be a living representative of that species. Arnold’s species however, was described as possessing about 16 ribs whereas the present form is constant in its small size and in its orna- mentation of 12 or occasionally 13 ribs. Compared to Pecten latiauratus delosi Ar- nold,6 the new subspecies has fewer, wider spaced ribs. This new subspecies is named for Paul Biolley, former professor of Natural His- tory at San Jose de Costa Rica. Subgenus Delectopecten Stewart. Pec ten IDeleefopectenl arces Dali. Pecten ( Pseudamusium ) arces Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 45, June 11, 1913, p. 592. “Off Santa Barbara, California, in over 500 fathoms, muddy bottom.” Pseudamusium arces Dali, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 66, Art. 17, 1925, p. 24, pi. 27, fig. 4. “Off Santa Cruz Island, Calif., in 534 fathoms.” Type Locality: Off Santa Barbara, Cali- fornia, in over 500 fathoms, mud. Range : Off Santa Cruz Island, California, to off Cedros Island, Lower California. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-12), 45 fathoms, crushed shell, mud. Description: Shell small, thin, ornamented 5 Pecten ( Chlamys ) bellilamellatus Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 108, pi. 41, figs. 6, 6a, 7, 7a. ‘‘San Diego formation (Pliocene), Pacific Beach, San Diego County, Cal.” 6 Pecten ( Chlamys ) latiauritus Conrad var. delosi Arnold, U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 47, 1906, p. 130, pi. 46, figs. 9, 9a, 10, 10a. “San Pedro formation (lower portion ) , Pleistocene, Deadman Island, near San Pedro, Los Angeles County, Cal.” Also Recent. by reticulated radial and concentric sculp- ture which where crossing forms a tiny spinule. The posterior ear forms an oblique angle with the hinge line similar to that of Pecten randolphi Dali rather than a nearly square angle as is the case in P. van- couverensis. Two left valves in the present collection appear to be the young of this species. Distribution: This species has been re- corded from off Santa Cruz Island and San Nicolas Island, California. The present speci- mens extend the known range of the species south to Cedros Island, Lower California. Subgenus Cyclopecten Verrill. Key to the species of Cyclopecten. A. Right ear of each valve with fine reticulate sculpture pernomus B. Right ear of each valve without reticulate sculpture catalinensis Pecten l Cyclopecten I catalinensis Willett. Pecten ( Cyclopecten ) catalinensis Willett, Nautilus, Vol. 45, No. 2, October, 1931, p. 65, pi. 4, figs. 1 and 2. “Taken by the writer in 100 fathoms off White’s Landing, north side of Catalina Island, California.” Type Locality: Off White’s Landing, Cata- lina Island, California, in 100 fathoms. Range : Catalina Island, California, to Ce- dros Island, Lower California. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-10), 60 fathoms, crushed shell and eel grass. Description: Shell small, shining trans- parent, very fragile; right valve white, or- namented only by fine concentric lines of growth; the left valve with lines of growth which are crossed in the umbonal region by very fine wavy striae, also ornamented by irregular brown radial rays, in the type specimen about 20, in the present specimen about 15; ears on both valves nearly equal in size and ornamented by concentric lines of growth. A single small left valve in the present collection appears to be referable to this species. The shell of Pecten catalinensis has more nearly equal ears, lacks the posterior sulca- tion and has different color markings from that of P. cocosensis Dali. Characters which assist in separating P. catalinensis from P. pernomus are the concentric rather than re- ticulate sculpture of the right ear of each valve, also the faint rather than well de- veloped radial sculpture of the left valve. Distribution: One valve of Pecten catalin- ensis was dredged by the Expedition east of Cedros Island, Lower California, in 60 fathoms. This is an extension south in the known range of the species. Pecten ( Cyclopecten I pernomus Hertlein. Pecten ( Cyclopecten ) rotundus Dali, Bull. 62 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 404. “Panama Bay, in 291/2 fathoms ; also at station 2784, in 194 fathoms, mud, bottom temperature 51°. 9 F.” Pecten ( Cyclopecten ) pernomus Hertlein, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 21, No. 25, September 26, 1935, p. 320, pi. 18, figs. 11, 12, 13. New name for Pecten ( Cyclopec- ten) rotundus Dali, not P. rotundus von Hagenow. Type Locality: Panama Bay, in 29V2 fath- oms, mud. Range : Cedros Island, Lower California, to Panama. Collecting Stations : Mexico : East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-10, 12), 45-60 fathoms, crushed shell, eel grass, mud; Arena Bank (136-D-29), 70 fathoms, rock, weed;- Man- zanillo (184-D-2) , 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Port Guatulco (195-D-19), 17 fath- oms, green mud, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud. Description: The shell of this species is small, thin, suborbicular, with sub-equal ears. The right valve is ornamented by con- centric striations; the anterior ear is or- namented by fine reticulate sculpture, a byssal notch is present, the posterior ear smooth; valve colored white or ornamented by small white and brown spots. The left valve is radially striated, the striae bifurcat- ing toward the ventral margin ; the ears are subequal, the left the larger of the two, both finely radially striated and crossed by fine concentric sculpture; color white and often ornamented by brownish spots or by large V-shaped brownish areas pointing toward the beaks. A study of the specimens in the present collection and of those collected by George Willett from off western Mexico has con- vinced us that these should be referred to Pecten pernomus Hertlein. The records from California Academy of Sciences localities numbers 23,779, 23,804, 25,527 27,581, 27,- 584, 27,587, cited by Hertlein (1935) under Pecten ( Cyclopecten ) cocosensis Dali, can be referred to P. pernomus. The suborbicular shape and absence of the posterior sulca- tion as well as the larger ears and strong radial ornamentation of the left valve all serve to separate this species from P. coco- sensis Dali. Distribution: This species occurs fairly abundantly at some localities off southern Mexico and off Nicaragua. It occurs as far north as Cedros Island and south to the bay of Panama. Dali mentioned that a single valve from near the Straits of Magellan was apparently identical with Pecten rotundus Dali l— pernomus] . We have not seen speci- mens from that region but it seems unlikely that the species occurs that far south. Family Spondylidae. Key to the genera of the Spondylidae. A. Shell with auricular areas each side of umbo Spondylus B. Shell without auricular areas each side of umbo Plicatula Genus Spondylus Linnaeus. Spondylus princeps Broderip. Spondylus princeps Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, May 17, 1833, p. 4. “Hab. ad Insulam Platam Columbiae Occidentalis.” “Found attached to coral rocks at the depth of seventeen fathoms.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 9, Spondylus, 1856, species 9, pi. 2, fig. 9. Original locality cited. Spondylus leucacantha Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, May 17, 1833, p. 5. “Hab. ad Insulam Platam.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 9, Spondylus, 1856, species 6, pi. 2, fig. 6. Original locality cited. Type Locality: Island of Plata, Ecuador, in 17 fathoms, attached to coral rocks. Range: Scammon Lagoon, and the Gulf of California, to Negritos, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-2, 4, 11), 30-45 fathoms, mud, Area conglomerate, rock; Santa Inez Bay; Costa Rica: Port Culebra; Piedra Blanca; Pan- ama: Bahia Honda; Colombia: Gorgona Is- land. Description: Shell with radial rows of long spines; color white with red near the umbos, orange, or entirely red, interior white, border sometimes red or orange. There is some doubt as to the earliest cor- rect name for this species. It has generally been attributed to Spondylus crassi-squama Lamarck7. Lamarck referred to Recent speci- mens stated to occur in “les mers de l’lnde” and to fossil forms from “Fossil a Cartha- gene d’Amerique.” Favre8, who has given illustrations of Lamarck’s fossil specimens, stated that Lamarck’s Recent specimens can be referred to S. pictorum Chemnitz but that the name crassi-squama should apparently be restricted to the fossil form from Colom- bia. Spondylus pictorum Chemnitz9 has been considered by some authors to be the earliest name for the Recent west American form but the type locality of the species is given as the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean 7 Spondylus crassi-squama Lamarck, Hist. Nat. Anim. s. Vert., Vol. 6, February- June, 1819, p. 191. “Habite les mers de l’lnde.” Also “On le trouve fossile a Cartha- gene d’Amerique.” References to “Rumph. Mus. t.48. fig.l.” and “Encyclop. pi. 192. f.2.” Also “[b] Squamis palmatis. Seba, Mus. 3. t.88. f.10.” 8 Favre, J., Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Geneve Cat. Illustr. Coll. Lamarck, Conch. Monomyaires foss. 1918, II Sec., pi. 12, figs. 39a, 39b, 39c. “Le S', pictorum semble etre une muta- tion plus ornament.ee du S. crassi-squama fossile, et il parait indique de restreindre au type eteint le nom que Lamarck avait applique indistinctement aux deux form?s parentes.” 9 Spondylus pictorum Chemnitz, Neus Syst. Conch. -Cab., Bd. 7, 1784, p. 94, suppl. pi. 69, figs. E. F. “Sie wohnet im mittellandischen Meere, und vorziiglich nach Aristotelis Aussage im ageischen Meere, welches heut zu Tage der griechische Archipelagus heist.” 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 63 Sea. Pfeiffer30 referred Chemnitz’s fig- ures “E.” and “F.” of Spondylus pictorum to Spondylus gaederopus of Gmelin. Some writ- ers do not accept as valid the names of species proposed by Chemnitz.* * However, his names appear to deserve acceptance far more than those of some authors whose names have been accepted but whose strict use of binomial nomenclature may be open to question. In any case the name Spondylus princeps Broderip without doubt was applied to the Recent west American Spondylus which also has been cited in the literature as S. dubius Broderip and S. leucacantha Bro- derip. D’Orbigny (1846) considered S. leu- cacantha to be only an adult variety of S. princeps. Spondylus limbatus Sowerby, er- roneously cited from the Gulf of California by some authors, was originally described from the Persian Gulf. Spondylus calcifer Carpenter11, the only other species of Spondylus living in west American waters, possesses a very thick shell which is less coarsely spinose than that of S. princeps, and is colored along the interi- or margin by a deep reddish-purple band. It has been reported to range from Concepcion Bay in the Gulf of California to Panama. It is sometimes burned for lime in regions where it is abundant. Distribution : Spondylus princeps occurs at various localities from Scammon Lagoon, Lower California, to Peru. Most of the speci- mens in the present collection were worn beach specimens or imperfect dredged speci- mens. Genus Plicafula Lamarck. Key to the species of Plicatula. A. Shell small, thin, finely radially ribbed penicillata B. Shell large, thick, coarsely radially plaited spondylopsis Plicatula penicillata Carpenter. Plicatula penicillata Carpenter, Cat. Ma- zatlan Shells, February, 1856, p. 155. “Hab. 1° Pfeiffer, L., Kritisches Register zu Martini und Chemnitz’s Syst. Konch.-Kab., p. 73, (Kassel), 1840. * Since this paper was submitted for publication the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has ruled against acceptance of the specific and subspecific names in Volumes 1-11 of Martini and Chemnitz, Neues Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, Niirnberg, 1769-1795. (See “Opinions and Declarations rendered by the Interna- tional Commission on Zoological Nomenclature”, Vol. 3, Pt. 3, Opinion 184. Summary, p. 27. “No new specific or subspecific trivial name published in these volumes has any status in nomenclature.” Also p. 34. Issued October 17, 1944). Spondylus calcifer Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, February, 1856, p. 152. “Hab.— Bay of Panama, in a few fathoms of water, Cuming ; C. B. Adams.— La Paz ; Lieut. Green.— Mazatlan ; not uncommon.” This species appears to be the one illustrated by Reeve under the name Spondylus radula (Conch. Icon., Vol. 9, Spondylus, May, 1856, species 52, pi. 14, fig. 52. “Hab. Tehuantepec, West Mexico ; Captain Dare.”) The combina- tion of names Spondylus radula was used by Lamarck in 1806, therefore Reeve’s species was renamed Spondylus smithi by Fulton ( Journ . Conch., Vol. 14, No. 12, October 1, 1915, p. 357). — Bay of Fonseca, Cuming. — Mazatlan ; ex- tremely rare, on shells.”- — Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 19, Plicatula, 1878, species 3, pi. 1, fig. 3. North America. Type Locality : Mazatlan, Mexico (here designated). Gulf of Fonseca also originally cited. Range-. Gulf of California to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-19), 12- 13 fathoms, mangrove leaves. Description : Shell small, suborbicular or irregular in shape, thin, finely ribbed or sculptured by fine radial rows of hollow spines; some specimens are ornamented ex- teriorly by small brown spots; the interior of the shell is often colored by dark brown spots or stripes especially around the mar- gin, which is denticulated. A large specimen measures approximately 15 mm. from beak to base. Distribution: This species has been re- corded between Cape Pulmo and Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Mazatlan, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Specimens in the present collection were dredged at depths of 7 to 13 fathoms. Plicatula spondylopsis Rochebrune. Plate I, Figures 15 and 16. Plicatula spondylopsis Rochebrune, Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Paris, Vol. 1, 1895, p. 242. “Lagunes des isles de San Jose.” Gulf of California. — Lamy, Jour, de Conchyl., Vol. 83, No. 1, 1939, p. 23. Lower California. Type Locality: San Jose Island, Gulf of California, in lagoon. Range: San Jose Island, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Ecuador, and the Galapagos Is- lands. Collecting Stations: Arena Bank (136-D- 5, 26), 33-45 fathoms, sand, weed, crushed shell; Gulf of California. Description: Shell roughly trigonal in shape, thick, ornamented by coarse radial plaited sculpture, which however may be partially or almost wholly absent on some specimens; two hinge teeth in each valve. In perfect shells the exterior is colored purple and the interior white, with dark spots around the corrugated margin. Muscle scar nearer the posterior margin. A very narrow space between the valves is occupied by the animal. Plicatula ostreivaga Rochebrune is a syno- nym. This species has been cited from west American waters under the name Plicatula dubia Hanley. At the time of original de- scription Plicatula dubia 12 was cited from both the Philippine Islands and from the 12 Plicatula dubia Hanley in Sowerby, Thes. Conch., Vol. 1, p. 437, pi. 90, fig. 12?; pi. 91, fig. 19, 1847. “Collected by Mr. Cuming at the Island of Samar, and at the Island of Cana, West Colombia.” 64 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Island of “Cana,” west Colombia. Later writers including Hanley13, Sowerby11, Hi- dalgo15, and Lamy considered it to be a Philippine species. Lamy16 pointed out that an island of the name of “Cana” occurs in the Philippine Archipelago but that no is- land of that name is known from western South America. There is, however, an island of “Cano” in the Gulf of Nicoya and another island of the same name in the Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica. It is uncertain whether either of these may have been the island to which Han- ley referred. It appears then that the correct name for the west American species consid- ered here is Plicatula spondylopsis Roche- brune. Plicatula spondyloidea Meuschen17, a Car- ibbean species, is very similar to the west American form. Distribution-. Plicatula spondylopsis oc- curs from the Gulf of California to Ecua- dor and the Galapagos Islands, in rather shallow water. It also occurs from Pliocene to Recent in the same region. Family Dimyidae. Genus Dim ya Rouault. Dimya Rouault, Mem. Soc. Geol. France, Ser. 2, Vol. 3, Pt. 2, 1848, p. 470 (Mem. No. 7, p. 14). Sole species, “Dimya Deshay esi- ana, Nob.”, p. 471 (Mem. No. 7, p. 15), pi. 15 (Mem. No. 7, pi. B), figs. 3, 3a, 3b. “Bos d’Arros,” France, Eocene. — Stoliczka, Mem. Geol. Surv. India. Palaeont. Indica, Ser. 6, Cret. Fauna South. India, Vol. 3, 1871, pp. XXII, 397. “Type, D. Deshayesiana Rouault, from Eocene beds at Bos d’Arros, France.” — Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6, 1886, p. 227. “Type Dimya Deshayesiana Rouault.” Not Dimya Menke, Syn. Meth. Moll., 1830, p. 101. “Subordo 2. Dimya. (Dimyaires, Fer.).” Not Dimya F. Moore, 1881. Lep. Noctuid. Margariona (Dali MS), Kobelt, Nach- richtsbl. Malakozool. Gesell., Vol. 14, Nos. 11 and 12, November-December, 1882, p. 186. [No species cited, but it was placed in the synonmy of Dimya by Dali in 1886], Deuteromya Cossmann, Rev. Crit. de Pa- leozool., Vol. 7, 1903, p. 68. A new name for Dimya Rouault, not Dimya Menke. — Coss- mann and Peyrot, Act. Soc. Linn. Bordeaux, Vol. 68, 1914, p. 409. “(G.-T. : Dimya Desh- ayesiana Rouault, Eoc.)” Type (by monofypy) : Dimya deshayesi- ana Rouault. Eocene of France. Illustrated 13 Hanley, S., Cat. Rec. Biv. Shells, 1856, p. 289. ‘'Philippines." 14 Sowerby, G. B., Conch. Icon., Vol. 19, Plicatula, 1873, species 13, pi. 4, fig. 13. "Hah. Isl. Samar, Philippines.” 15 Hidalgo, J. G., Cat. Mol. Test. Islas Filipinas, 1904- 1905, p. 385. 16 Lamy, E., Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 83, No. 1, 1939, p. 17. 17 See Lamy, E., Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 83, No. 1, 1939, p. 19. by Rouault, 1848, pi. 15, figs. 3, 3a, 3b. Also, Tryon, Struct, and Syst. Conch., Vol. 3, 1884, p. 281, pi. 132, figs. 80 and 81. Eocene; Pau. — Fischer, Man. de Conchyl., 1886, p. 936, fig. 704. Shell small, irregularly orbicular, adher- ing by the right valve which is larger than the left, compressed, externally nacreous, internally porcellanous ; umbones slightly projecting, subcentral; surface smooth or with fine radial ornamentation or sculptured similar to the object to which it adheres; external ligament slender, linear; interior ligament in a small triangular pit. Interior white; anterior and posterior muscle scars present, the posterior one larger and double ; pallial line simple; inner margin radiately wrinkled. We have used the genus name Dimya Rou- ault although the name Dimya was also used by Menke in 1830 as a name for a sub- order as follows: “Subordo 2. Dimya. (Dimyaires, Fer.).” If Dimya is not avail- able as a generic name then the name Mar- gariona Dali in Kobelt is applicable. Kobelt in 1882 mentioned that Dali intended to name a genus Margariona for a species of Dimyidae dredged in the Caribbean region. No species was cited by Kobelt and Mar- gariona was thus originally a genus with- out species. In 1886 Dali placed Margariona in the synonymy of Dimya whose type was cited as Dimya deshayesiana Rouault. If Dimya Rouault proves to be invalid, Dali’s action would make Margariona Dali in Ko- belt a valid genus with the same type, Dimya deshayesiana Rouault. Cossmann in 1903 proposed Deuteromya as a new name for Dimya Rouault (not Dimya Menke). There is also a Dimya F. Moore, 1881, in Lepidoptera. Dimyarina Iredale has been proposed with the type, Dimya corrugata Hedley, a Recent species from Australia. Species referred to the genus Dimya have been described from beds of Cretaceous age in Africa and in Mexico. Probably most of the forms which have been attributed to Dimya in the earlier Mesozoic belong to other genera such as Dimyodon Munier- Chalmas, the type of which is D. schlumber- geri Munier-Chalmas. That genus as pointed out by Dali “is characterized chiefly by its undivided posterior adductor scar, the tooth- like crura being present though feeble in the typical Dimya.” Dimyopsis Bittner with the type Dimyodon intusstriata Emmrich is a related genus in the Triassic. Species of Dimya have been described from the Tertiary of Australia, New Zea- land, East Indies and Europe. The genus is represented at the present time in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, East In- dies, Philippine Islands, Japan, Hawaii, southern California and northern Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. 1946] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 65 Dimya calif orniana Berry. Plate I, Figure 17. Dimya calif orniana Berry, Proc. Malac. Soc. London, Vol. 22, Pt. 3, November 14, 1936, p. 126, pi. 13B, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4. “100 fathoms, off Santa Monica, California; specimen obtained from a stone taken by fishermen (W. H. Golisch, summer 1918).” Type Locality : Off Santa Monica, Cali- fornia, in 100 fathoms, on a stone. Range : Santa Monica, California, to Ceralbo channel, Gulf of California. Collecting Station: Mexico: Ceralbo chan- nel, Gulf of California (137-D-2), 46 fath- oms, rock. Description : Shell small, suborbicular, rather flat, outer surface irregularly lam- inated somewhat like mica; cardinal crura continuous above a small, roundly-triangular pit-like socket for the resilium; a line of denticles occurs just inside of where the valves impinge upon each other. A single left valve of a Dimya dredged in Ceralbo channel in the Gulf of California agrees with the description and illustra- tions of Dimya calif orniana Berry. Some- what similar species are Dimya filipina Bartsch and D. lima Bartsch, from the Phil- ippine Islands, and D. mimula Dali, Bartsch & Rehder, from the Hawaiian Islands. Berry has recently described Dimya coralliotis from southern California (Proc. Malacol. Soc. London, Vol. 26, Pt. 1, May 4, 1944, p. 25, figs. 1-4) . Distribution: The single specimen of this species dredged in 46 fathoms in Ceralbo channel in the Gulf of California is the only record of this species from Mexican waters. Family Limidae. Genus Lima Cuvier. Key to the species of Lima. A. Shell large, thick, with coarse radial ribs tetrica B. Shell small, thin, with fine radial ribs a. Shell with a central longitudinal sulcus subauriculata aa. Shell without a central longitudinal sulcus b. Shell narrowly elongate, slightly convex, widely gaping on both sides pacifica bb. Shell ovately elongate, decidedly convex, gaping wider anteriorly than posteriorly c. Widest part of shell at about the middle of the anterior margin orbignyi cc. Widest part of shell above the middle of the anterior margin hemphilli Subgenus Lima s.s. Lima ILimal tetrica Gould. Lima tetrica Gould, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 4, November, 1851, p. 93. “Gulf of California, La Paz. Maj. Rich.” — Gould, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., Vol. 6, 1857, p. 405, pi. 16, fig. 6. La Paz, Gulf of California. Type Locality: La Paz, Lower California, Mexico. Range: Espiritu Santo Island, in the Gulf of California, to Gorgona Island, Colombia. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gravel, sand and crushed shell; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-14, 15), 5 fathoms, crushed shell; Costa Rica: 14 miles S. X E. of Judas Point (214-D-1-4), 42-61 fathoms, mud, shell, rock. Description: Shell obliquely ovate, tri- angular, thick, dull white, with eighteen radiating ribs covered with long, semi-erect, muricated scales, longest at the posterior margin. The muscle scar is nearer the posterior margin. The shell attains a height of at least 50 mm. Lima tetrica belongs to a group of species which occur in the warm marine waters of the world. This group is typified by Lima lima, the type of the genus which is prob- ably a Mediterranean species. Distribution: Lima tetrica occurs in com- paratively shallow water, from the Gulf of California to Colombia. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Oaxaca, Mexico. Subgenus Promantellum Iredale. Promantellum Iredale, Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Great Barrier Reef Exped. 1928-1929. Sci. Repts., Vol. 5, No. 6, Moll., Pt. 1, Feb- ruary 25, 1939, p. 385. “Type: P. parafragile sp. nov.,” p. 386, pi. 6, figs. 10, 10a. “Low Isles,” Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Type (by original designation) : Proman- tellum parafragile Iredale. Shell very thin and oblique, flattened, equivalve, inequilateral, widely gaping both anteriorly and posteriorly, hinge line oblique and short, ears small, the anterior the larger and pointed ; sculpture of low, sharp, slightly scaly, radial ribs which are separated by wider interspaces; ligament short and broad; free swimming. Exteriorly the gen- eral characters of the shells of Promantel- lum are somewhat like those of Limatulella Sacco18, but the valves gape widely while those of Limatulella, which is typified by Lima loscombi Leach in Sowerby, gape only slightly along the upper anterior dorsal margin. 18 Limatulella Sacco, Moll. Piemonte e Liguria, Pt. 25, August, 1898, p. 16. “(tipo L. Loscombii (Sow.)).’' [“Lima Loscombi, Leach,” G. B. Sowerby, Gen. Shells, Vol. 1, 1823, Lima, pi. 99, fig. 4 (cited on plate as L. loscombii) . Coast of Devonshire, England. Also illustrated by Forbes & Hanley, Hist. Brit. Moll., Vol. 2, 1853, p. 265, pi. 53, figs. 1, 2, 3. Various localities about Gt. Britain. Ranges throughout the European seas.] 66 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Lima I Promantellumi pacifica d’Orbigny. Lima arcuata Sowerby, Thes. Conch., Vol. 1, 1843, p. 86, pi. 22, figs. 41 and 42. [The date on the title page is 1842, but according to Sherborn this part was issued prior to June 23, 1843], “at Panama in sandy mud; at Guayaquil Bay; at Guacomayo, under stones, etc. by Mr. Cuming.” [Not the record “Found at Lord Hood’s Island, under coral rocks,” but it does occur at Hood Island, Galapagos group]. Not Lima arcuata Geinitz, 1840. Lima pacifica d’Orbigny, Voy. Amer. Merid., Vol. 5, 1846, p. 654. “M. Cuming l’a rencontree pres de Guayaquil, republique de l’fiquateur, et a Panama.” New name for Lima arcuata Sowerby, not Lima arcuata Geinitz. Type Locality : Panama, in sandy mud (here designated as type locality). Bay of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Guacomayo, and Lord Hood’s Island also cited originally. Range: Punta Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, to Negritos, Peru, and the Galapagos Is- lands. Collecting Station: Costa Rica: Piedra Blanca. Description: Shell thin, rather narrowly elongate, and somewhat expanded ventrally, widely gaping, the valves in contact only along the hinge and base; ornamented by about 30 to 35 fine, slightly wavy, radial ribs which bear very fine scales; the ribs become finer and more closely spaced an- teriorly and posteriorly. A fairly large valve measures approximately: height 27 mm., length 17 mm., convexity (one valve) 5 mm. Lima galapagensis Pilsbry and Vanatta19 appears to be identical with this species. Distribution: Lima pacifica is found occa- sionally from the Gulf of California to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. It occurs under rocks at extreme low tide. Subgenus Limaria Link. Limaria Link, Beschreib. Nat.-Samml. Vniv. Rostock, Abt. 3, May 17, 1807, p. 157. — Winckworth, Proc. Malacol. Soc. London, Vol. 19, Pt. 3, November, 1930, p. 116. “I here choose inflata as type ...” Type (by subsequent designation) : Li- maria inflata of Link founded on Chemnitz, Conchyl.-Cab., Bd. 7, 1784, pi. 68, fig. 649a [cited as 641a by Link], From the “Kiiste von Guinea und an den Stranden der west- indischen Zuckerinsuln.” Shell moderately thin, oblique, somewhat produced anteriorly toward the ventral margin, submargins not impressed, usually somewhat inflated and gaping; ornamented by rather fine ribs of variable strength, 1!i Lima g alapagensis Pilsbry & Vanatta, Proc. Washing- ton Acad. Sci., Vol. 4, September 30, 1902, p. 556, pi. 35, fig. 4. "Tagus Cove, Albemarle” Island, Galapagos Islands. often scaly; ligament pit broadly triangu- lar; foot without byssus or retractor. Limaria is available for most of the spe- cies formerly attributed to Mantellum Morch which is not available due to earlier use of that name by Bolten. Winckworth designated Lima inflata of Link as type, based on fig. 649a [cited as 641a by Link] of Chemnitz. Iredale rejected this selection, stating that vulgaris of Link (based on fig. 651 of Chemnitz, and under which Link included as a synonym Ostrea lima Linnaeus) should be the type by tau- tonomy, thus making Limaria a synonym of Lima. However, according to the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (Article 30 (m)) it is recom- mended that names such as vulgaris, com- munis, etc., in the original list of species accompanying a genus, should be given preference but it is not stated that they must be selected as type. Ostrea lima Linnaeus is cited in the syn- onymy of vulgaris Link, but the specific name lima is not absolutely tautonymous with Limaria but only virtually tautony- mous. According to the rules of nomen- clature a type by subsequent designation takes precedence over designation by vir- tual tautonomy. For these reasons we have retained Limaria with the type inflata based on Chemnitz’s figure 649a as designated by Winckworth. Iredale pointed out that Lima inflata of Gmelin, based on Chemnitz’s figure 6495, represents a different species ( bullata Born ) . Species of Limaria have been recorded from the Neocomian, lower Cretaceous, to Recent. At the present time species occur at various depths in the waters of the tem- perate and tropical latitudes. Lima l Lima rial hemphilli Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 3 and 4. Lima dehiscens Conrad cited in west American records. Not Lima dehiscens Con- rad, 1837. Island of Fayal, Azores. Description: Shell obliquely elliptical, equivalve, inequilateral, moderately convex, broadly gaping especially along the anterior dorsal margin, posteriorly narrowly gaping ; hinge short, anterior ear the larger, pointed, and beneath which a notch is present; the maximum width of the anterior margin is above the middle of the shell; between the widest portion and the hinge the margin shows two vague angulations; ventral mar- gin elliptical, posterior margin very gently rounded; the anterior umbonal slope of the valves is gentle, the posterior slope is rather abrupt; valves ornamented by fine irregu- lar radial ribs which are crossed by very 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 67 fine imbricating lirae; anterior and poster- ior submargins smooth. Height 23 mm., length 16.4 mm., convexity (both valves) approximately 12 mm. Holotype and paratype (Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Type Coll.) from Loc. 5955 (C.A.S.), San Diego, California; Henry Hemphill col- lector. This species has been cited in the west American records as Lima dehiscens Con- rad20, a species originally described from the island of Fayal in the Azores. Sowerby21 later considered Conrad’s species to be syn- onymous with Lima fragilis Chemnitz22 which was described originally from the coast of Nicobar. Carpenter23 in 1864 cited Lima orientalis Adams and Reeve from California and cited Cooper as authority that the species was identical with Lima dehiscens. Lima orien- talis Adams and Reeve24 was originally de- scribed from the Philippine Islands and is a distinct species. From a consideration of the facts it ap- pears to us that the west American species is without a valid name. It is here named in honor of Henry Hemphill who made ex- tensive collections of mollusks in western North America. Lima hemphilli greatly resembles the east American species generally referred to Lima inflata Lamarck25. The west American form appears to be wider in proportion to the length in comparison with the east coast specimens which we have seen, but they are very similar. Compared to Lima Mans, the width of L. hemphilli is proportionally greater, the wid- est part of the shell is somewhat farther above the middle and there are two vague angulations along the anterior dorsal out- line rather than a correspondingly straight marginal outline in L. Mans. Furthermore the anterior slope in L. hemphilli is steeper than that of L. Mans. Compared to Lima hemphilli the shell of L. hirasei Pilsbry26 is flatter, the radial sculpture is finer, and the anterior and 20 Lima dehiscens Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- delphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 247, pi. 19, fig. 7. “Inhabits the rocky coast of the island of Fayal ; rare.” 21 Sowerby, Jun., G. B., Thes. Conch., Vol. 1, Lima, 1843, p. 86. 22 Pecten fragilis, Chemnitz, Conchy], -Cab., Vol. 7, 1784, p. 349, pi. 68, fig. 650. “Diese seltene Muschel ist an den Nicobarischen Stranden gefunden worden.” 23 Carpenter, P. P., Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1863 (issued August, 1864), pp. 612, 645. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 98, 131. 2'4 Lima orientalis Adams and Reeve, Zool. Voy. Sama- rang, August, 1850, Moll., p. 75, pi. 21, fig. 7. “Hab. Philippine Archipelago.’’ 25 See Perry, L. M., Bull. Amer. Paleo., Vol. 26, No. 95, August 12, 1940, p. 44, pi. 6, fig. 31. Florida. 26 Lima hirasei Pilsbry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadel- phia, Vol. 53, May 7, 1901, p. 209. "Hirado, prov. Hizen, Kiusiu, Japan (Mr. Hirase) .’’—Pilsbry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 53, p. 402, pi. 19, fig. 12 (as Lima hians Gmelin var. hirasei Pilsbry). posterior dorsal margins are flattened and gently upturned. Thiele27 considered L. hi- rasei to be only a variety of the West Amer- ican species. Range : Monterey, California, to Acapulco, Mexico. Distribution : Lima hemphilli occurs from Monterey, California, to off western Mexico in waters from 10 to 50 fathoms and per- haps at greater depths. A single specimen of this species was dredged by the Crocker- Beebe expedition southeast of Cedros Is- land, in the channel, (126-D-19), in 25 fathoms, rocks, algae. It is also known from Pliocene to Recent and a similar or identi- cal form has been recorded from the upper Miocene of southern California. Lima I Limariai arbignyi Lamy. Lima angulata Sowerby, Thes. Conch., Vol. 1, 1843, p. 86, pi. 22, figs. 39, 40. [The date on the title page is 1842 but accord- ing to Sherborn this part was issued prior to June 23, 1843]. “Found by Mr. Cuming at Panama and the Bay of Caracas, in sandy mud, 10 to 12 fathoms.” — Prashad, Siboga Exped., Monogr. 53c, Lamell., 1932, pp. 125- 126 (in text), pi. 3, figs. 34, 35. Panama. Not Lima angidata Munster, 1841. Lima ( Mantellum ) orbignyi Lamy, Jour, de Conchyl., Vol. 74, No. 3, November 29, 1930, p. 180. New name for Lima angulata Sowerby, not L. angulata Munster. Type Locality : Panama, in 10 to 12 fath- oms, sandy mud (here designated). Bay of Caraccas, Ecuador, also cited originally. Range: Punta Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, to Juan Fernandez Island, and the Gala- pagos Islands. Collecting Stations: El Salvador: La Un- ion, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-8, 22), 3-6 fathoms, mud, mangrove leaves on bottom; Nicaragua: Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fon- seca (199-D-6), 4 fathoms, mud; Potosi Is- land; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description: Thin, striated, ventricose, slightly gaping on both sides, obliquely oval, with a posterior angle between the lateral and ventral margin, hinge narrow, auricles small, nearly equal (Sowerby). The valves gape widest along the dorsal portion of the anterior margin. A large specimen of this species from Panama in the collection of Stanford Uni- versity measures approximately 32 mm. in altitude and 24 mm. in width. Lima orbignyi in some cases has been cited from west American waters under the name of Lima orientalis Adams and Reeve. The species described by Adams and Reeve 27 Thiele, J., Martini— Chemnitz Conchyl. -Cab., Bd. 7, Abt. 2a, Heft 22, 1920, Limidae, p. 32, pi. 5, fig. 4. Pacific Ocean (Kiusiu, Japan). 68 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 occurs in the East Indies and is distinct from the west American shell. Distribution-. This species occurs from the Gulf of California to Juan Fernandez Island. Specimens in the present collection were dredged from depths of 3 to 13 fath- oms and some were found along the beach. Subgenus Limatula Wood. Lima l Limatula i subauriculata Montagu. Pecten subauriculata Montagu, Suppl. to Test. Brittanica [Vol. 3], 1808, p. 63, Tab. 29, fig. 2. On the coast of Devon, in deep water. Lima subauriculata Montagu, Forbes & Hanley, Hist. Brit. Moll., Vol. 2, 1853, p. 263, pi. 53, figs. 4 and 5. Numerous locali- ties cited in British Isles. Also said to range along all the coasts of Europe. Type Locality : On the coast of Devon, England, in deep water. Range: Izhut Bay, Afognak Island, Alaska, to Cape San Lucas, Lower Cali- fornia; northern Europe; North Atlantic; in West Atlantic south to Porto Rico; White Sea; circumboreal. Collecting Stations : Mexico : east of Ce- dros Island (126-D-9,12) , 45-56 fathoms, crushed shell, mud ; Cape San Lucas. Description: Shell ovate-oblong, pellucid, white, equilateral, equivalve, furnished with small, equal, angular projections, or sub- auricles, and wrought with numerous longi- tudinal striae that slightly crenulate the margin ; along the middle are two striae that appear more conspicuous than the rest by being opaque and are equally evident on the inside; a character constant in several specimens examined. Length a quarter of an inch; breadth half its length (Montagu). The two prominent riblets ornamenting the center of the valves of Lima subauricu- lata border a sulcus visible both exteriorly and interiorly. On the species described as L. attenuata by Dali, a sulcus is said to show only on the inside of the valves, while L. similis Dali is said to lack a sulcus. Distribution: The distribution of Lima subauriculata is very wide. It is circumbo- real and occurs in both the North Atlantic and Pacific waters. Woodring28 has ques- tioned the identity of the species cited under this name from western North America. Carpenter29, however, stated that a speci- men from California “Exactly agrees with British specimens,” and Dali and others have considered the west American shells to be identical with those from northern European waters. It has been recorded from various localities from later Tertiary to Recent. 23 Woodring, W. P., U. S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Paper 190, 1938, pp. 49-50. 29 Carpenter, P. P., Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1863 (issued August, 1864), p. 612. Reprint in Smithson. Miseell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, p. 98. Superfamily Anomiacea. Family Anomiidae. Key to the genera of the Anomiidae. A. Hinge with cardinal crura Placunanomia B. Hinge without cardinal crura a. Imperforate valve with 1 large and two small muscle scars Anomia aa. Imperforate valve with 1 large and 1 small muscle scar Pododesmus Genus Anomia Linnaeus. Anomia peruviana d’Orbigny. Anomia peruviana d’Orbigny, Voy. Amer. Merid., Vol. 5, 1846, p. 673. “environs de Payta (Perou),” Recent.- — Philippi, Abbild. u. Beschreib. Conchyl., Bd. 3, Heft 8, 1850, p. 131, Anomia, Tab. 1, figs. 2 and 3. Peru. — Grant and Gale, Mem . San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 240, pi. 12, figs. 2 and 5. Earlier records cited. Pliocene to Recent. Type Locality: Paita, Peru. Range: Monterey Bay, California, to Paita, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l, also beach; 144-D-2; 145-D- 1, 3; 147-D-2), 2V2-6O fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weed, sand, rocks; Cape San Lucas; Chamela Bay; Tenacatita Bay; Nica- ragua: Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l, 12, 22, also beach), 3-29 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell, mangrove leaves; Corinto (200-D-19) 12-13 fathoms, man- grove leaves; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-1-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell variable in shape due to situs, generally fairly thin, partly trans- lucent, smooth, radiately costate, or with irregular sculpture, often colored orange or yellowish-green, attached by a byssus which passes through a notch in the right valve; in the interior of the left valve there is a large scar below which there are two sub- equal scars, one just below the large upper scar, the other farther out and offset. A number of species described by Gray, such as Anomia alectus, A. fidenas, A. ha- millus, A. lampe, A. larbas, and A. pacilus, are now considered to be identical with A. peruviana. Anomia simplex Rochebrune is another synonym. Distribution: This is a common species and ranges from Monterey Bay, California, to Paita, Peru. It occurs between tides or in shallow water attached to rocks or other objects. It is also known to occur from Pliocene to Recent in Southern California, Lower California, Panama, and in northern South America. Genus Pododesmus Philippi. Pododesmus macrochismus Deshayes. Anomia macrochisma Deshayes, Rev. Zool. Soc. Cuvierienne, December, 1839, p. 359. 1946] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 69 “Kamtschatka.” — Deshayes, Guerin’s Mag. Zool., 1841, pi. 34. Placunanomia macrochisma Deshayes, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 11, Placunanomia, 1859, species 7, pi. 2, fig. 7. “Hab. Onalaska; Cuming. Kamtschatka; Deshayes.” Pododesmus macro schismus Deshayes, Grant and Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 241, pi. 12, figs. 3, 4a, 4b. Earlier records cited. Pliocene to Recent. Type Locality : Kamchatka. Range : Kamchatka to Cape San Lucas and Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California. Also to Japan. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-4, 5, 6, 30), 33-55 fathoms, mud, sand, weed; Arena Point area; Santa Inez Bay (141-D-1-4) 7-20 fathoms, sand, sandy mud, crushed shell, weed, calcareous algae. Description : Shell ovate, rather solid, somewhat pearly, ornamented by rude, ir- regular, radiating ribs; colored yellowish or greenish-white, inner surface green ; up- per valve with one large scar, sometimes striated, which is in contact with a smaller, lower, offset scar; lower valve with a large byssal orifice. Large specimens attain an altitude of about 100 mm. Pododesmus macrochismus differs from the generally more southern P. foliatus Bro- derip30, in the coarser ribbing and in that the color of the interior is green rather than brown. Distribution: This species occurs from Kamchatka to Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California and west to Japan. It occurs between tides or in shallow water attached to rocks or other objects. It is also known to occur from Pliocene to Recent in Cali- fornia. Genus Placunanomia Broderip. Placunanomia cumingii Broderip. Placunanomia cumingii Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, April 21, 1832, p. 29. “Hab. ad oras Americae Centralis. (Gulf of Dulce, Province of Costa Rico).” “Dredged from a muddy bottom, at a depth of eleven fathoms, attached to dead bivalve shells and dead coral.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 11, Placunanomia, 1859, species 3, pi. 1, figs. 3a, 3b. original locality cited. Type Locality: Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica, in 11 fathoms, attached to shells and corals on a muddy bottom. Range : Carmen Island, Gulf of California, to Ecuador. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Bank (136-D-5, 6, 30), 33-35 fathoms, sand, weed, 30 Placunanomia foliata Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lon - don , May 14, 1834, p. 2. “Hab. in sinu Guayaquil Colum- biae Occidentalis. (Isle of Muerte).” “Dredged up at- tached to a dead Pinna from a bottom of sandy mud, at the depth of eleven fathoms. “—Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 11, Placunanomia, August, 1859, species 5, pi. 1, fig. 5. Original locality cited. mud; Santa Inez Bay (141-D-1-4, also on shore), 7-20 fathoms, sand, sandy mud, crushed shell, weed, calcareous algae ; Arena Point area; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203- D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description: Shell smooth, somewhat pearly, folded into three or four subangular plications which extend about two-thirds the distance to the beaks; color olive-white, especially interiorly; right valve with sub- central adductor scar and above this the closed (in adult) byssal scar; two promin- ent elevated ridges converge at the cardinal margin of the valve, these fit into a cor- responding bipartite socket in the left valve ; left valve with prominent byssal and ad- ductor scars. Placunanomia plicata Tuomey and Holmes described from the Miocene of South Caro- lina and P. panamensis Olsson31 from the Pliocene of Panama are similar species. Distribution: This species is found occa- sionally in comparatively shallow water from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, and it may occur as far south as Peru. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of the Tres Marias Islands, Mexico, and of Ecuador, and in the Pleisto- cene of Peru. Superfamily Mytilacea. Family Mytilidae. Key to the genera of the Mytilidae. A. Teeth on anterior part of hinge ; beaks terminal or nearly so a. Shell with internal deck below beaks Sept if er aa. Shell without internal deck below beaks b. Shell not over 3 mm. from beak to base ; oval, with fine divaricate sculpture Crenella bb. Shell large, over 3 mm. from beak to base, c. Shell with crenellated margin posterior to the ligament; radial sculpture Brachidontes cc. Shell without crenellated margin posterior to the ligament Mytilus B. Without teeth on anterior part of hinge; beaks not terminal a. Shell subcylindrical or rhombic in cross-section b. Posterior end attenuated and wedge-shaped Lithophaga bb. Posterior end not wedged-shaped Botula 31 Placuanomia panamensis Olsson, Bull. Amer. Paleo., Vol. 27, No. 106, December 25, 1942, p. 183(31), pi. 14 (1), figs. 1, 4, 5. “Quebrada Rabo de Puerco,” Panama. Pliocene. 70 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 aa. Shell obliquely oblong; strong umbonal inflation and often compressed dorsally Volsella Genus Mytilus Linnaeus. Key to the subgenera of Mytilus. A. Anterior ventral margin strongly incurved forming a shelf in adult; no anterior adductor muscle scar Chloromya B. Anterior ventral margin not incurved to form a shelf; anterior adductor scar present Mytilus s. s. Subgenus Mytilus s.s. Mytilus IMytilusI californianus Conrad. Mytilus californianus Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 242, pi. 18, fig. 15. “Inhabits on rocks, near Sta. Diego and Sta. Barbara, as well as at Mon- terrey,” California. — I. S. Oldroyd, Stan- ford Univ. Publ. TJniv. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 66, pi. 27, fig. 2. Unalaska, Aleu- tian Islands, to Socorro Island, Mexico. Also Pliocene and Pleistocene of southern California. Type Locality. San Diego, California. [Stated to be the type locality by I. S. Old- royd, 1924, and accepted as such by the present writers.] Range: Unalaska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, to Socorro Island, Mexico. Collecting Station: Mexico: Middle San Benito Island, Lower California. Description: Shell large, thick ovately elongated, inflated; ventral margin nearly straight; ornamented by a few (sometimes a dozen) fairly broad, subdued radial ribs which occur on the median portion of the shell. Distribution: This species occurs com- monly from Alaska to Lower California, Mexico. It is found abundantly between tides attached to rocks or other objects. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of southern California. Subgenus Chloromya Morch. Mytilus I Chloromya I palliopunctatus Dunker. Mytilus palliopunctatus Dunker, in Car- penter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, December, 1855, p. 118. “Mazatlan,” Mexico. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Mytilus, 1857, species 19, pi. 5, fig. 19. Mazatlan. [Not the record “California,” but it does occur in Lower California.] Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: Magdalena Bay, Lower Califor- nia, to Corinto, Nicaragua. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Cape San Lucas, Lower California; Chamela Bay; Tenacatita Bay. Description: Shell elongately ovate, point- ed anteriorly and usually rubbed at various angles ; incurved along anterior ventral margin; periostracum dark, shell light pur- ple in color, and with very fine radial stria- tions; interior purple but white near the beak, and much of the surface finely punc- tate. Distribution: This species is known to occur from Lower California to Nicaragua. It occurs between tides attached to rocks or other objects. Genus Brachidontes Swainson. Key to the subgenera of Brachidontes. A. Dorsal margin angulated Brachidontes s.s. B. Dorsal margin rounded Hormomya Subgenus Hormomya Morch. Brachidontes I Hormomya) adamsianus Dunker. Mytilus adamsianus Dunker, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1856 (issued May 8, 1857), p. 360. “Hab. ad Isthmum Panamense (Cum- ing).”-— Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, My- tilus, January, 1858, species 55, pi. 11, fig. 55. Panama. Type Locality: Isthmus of Panama. Range : Santa Barbara, California, to Panama, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Station: Costa Rica: Piedra Blanca, beach. Description: Shell small for the genus, externally similar to Septifer bifurcatus; sloping steeply dorsally from the umbo; ornamented on the umbo by coarse radial bifurcating ribs and along the ventral mar- gin by finer ribs. The shape and ribbing of this species is extremely variable. It may be narrow or wide and the ribbing may be coarse or fine and in some specimens coarse radial ornamentation changes abruptly to fine. Mytilus stearnsi Pilsbry and Raymond32 was described from San Diego, California. There do not appear to be any constant characters by which the form from southern California can be distinguished from the form described as Mytilus adamsianus. There has been confusion regarding the identification of Brachidontes adamsianus and the species described as Mytilus multi- formis Carpenter; in fact, Carpenter (1864) believed the two were identical. Mytilus multiformis Carpenter33 was described from Mazatlan, Mexico, in 1855. A study of speci- mens from Mazatlan, as well as Carpenter’s original description has led us to consider Mytilus multiformis to be a distinct species 32 Mytilus stearnsi Pilsbry & Raymond, Nautilus, Vol. 12, No. 6, October, 1898, p. 70, pi. 4, figs. 1-3. Type from “San Diego,” California. 33 Mytilus multiformis Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, December, 1855, p. 118. “Mazatlan; jun. abundant, rare adult, among sea weeds on Chamae, Spondyli, Ostreae, Patellae, etc., or in the cavities of dead Lithophagi or Balani.” 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 71 characterized by its smaller size, Volsella- like shape, usually smooth umbos and with very fine ribbing. Furthermore it occurs in mats of moss on rocks while adamsianus usually occurs in crevices in rocks or on the under sides of rocks. Haas31 and Chace35 have recently discussed these two species. Distribution : Brachidontes ( Hormomya ) adamsianus occurs from southern Califor- nia to Panama and the Galapagos Islands. It is often found between tides occurring in crevices or attached to the under sides of rocks, where only the end of the shell is exposed to the waves. Genus Septifer Recluz. Septifer Recluz, Rev. Zool. Soc. Cuvieri- enne, 1848, Vol. 11, p. 277. — Stoliczka, Mem. Geol. Surv. India. Palaeont. Indica. Ser. 6, Cret. Fauna South. India, Vol. 3, 1871, pp. XXI, 366. “Type, S. bilocularis, Linn.”— Grant and Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 247. Type : Mytilus bilo- cularis Linnaeus. — Lamy, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 80, No. 3, September 1, 1936, p. 239. Type (designated by Stoliczka) : Septifer bilocularis Linnaeus [Syst. Nat., ed. 10, Vol. 1, 1768, p. 705. “Habitat in 0. Indico.” Illustrated by Chemnitz, Conchyl.-Cab., Bd. 8, 1785, p. 155, pi. 82, figs. 736a, 736b (as Mytilus nicobaricus ) and p. 157, pi. 82, fig. 737 (Nos. 1, 2, 3) (as “Varietas mytili Ni- cobarici viridescentis”) . Nicobar Islands. — Prashad, Siboga Exped., Monogr. 53c, Lamell., 1932, p. 69, pi. 2, figs. 21-24. East Indies.] The shell of Septifer may be separated from those of Mytilus or of Brachidontes by the presence of a small deck in the an- terior end of the shell just below the hinge. The genus Septifer has been recorded from upper Cretaceous to Recent. Lamy38 has given a discussion of a number of Recent species of Septifer. Septifer xetekl Hertlein and Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 1 and 2. Septifer cumingii Recluz, cited from west American localities. Not Septifer cumingii Recluz from the island of Annaa. Mytilus cumingianus cited from west American localities. Not Mytilus cumingi- anus Reeve. Description : Shell small, subtriangular in outline, inflated, expanded posteriorly, colored green; umbos small, anterior dorsal margin nearly straight, posterior margin rounded, the upper part broadly, the ventral part less so, ventral margin slightly im- 34 Haas, F., Nautilus, Vol. 56, No. 1, July, 1942, pp. 31-32.— Haas, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., Vol. 29, No. 1, 1943, pp. 16-17. 35 Chace, E. P., Nautilus , Vol. 56, No. 2, October, 1942, p. 43. 36 Lamy, E., Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 80, No. 3, 1936, PP. 239-252. pressed and gaping toward the anterior end, a light brown colored byssus projects through the opening ; the ventral part of the valve slopes steeply from the umbonal ridge but the dorsal part slopes more gently; surface of shell ornamented by fine radial ribs which in many cases become divari- cate toward the posterior, the ribs are finely decussated by impressed concentric lines of growth; a septum is present interiorly just below the beaks, and is nearly straight across at the free end; the margin of the shell is crenulated ; the interior of the shell is bluish colored or tinged with green. Length 6.8 mm., greatest height 4.1 mm., convexity (both valves) 3.5 mm. Holotype and two paratypes (Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Type Coll.) from off Taboga Is- land, Panama, in 25 fathoms, dredged by James Zetek. Paratype from Station 195-D-9, Port Guatulco, Mexico, dredged in 7 fathoms. Range : Gulf of California to Panama and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Station-. Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), in 7 fathoms, green sand and crushed shell. This species has been cited from west American localities under the name of Sep- tifer cumingii Recluz,37 a species originally described from “les cotes de File Annaa (pres le detroit de Panama), dans l’ocean Pacifique.” Reeve later described and illus- trated a species under the name of Mytilus cumingianus 38 and cited the locality as Panama, and indicated that the specimen was collected by Cuming. The citation of this locality by Reeve probably influenced authors in accepting the name Septifer cumingii for a west American species. E. A. Smith39 later considered the prob- lem of the identification of Septifer cum- ingii and stated that there was no reason to doubt the original locality of Recluz cited as the Island of Annaa, in Polynesia, and pointed out that Cuming collected at that island. He also pointed out that Reeve was mis- taken in his reference, orthography of the specific name, and the locality. After a com- parison of the type of Septifer cumingii with specimens of S. bilocularis Linnaeus, the type of the genus, he concluded that there were no grounds for separating them. After a consideration of the facts we have concluded that it is necessary to as- sign a new name to the west American form. The species is named in honor of Dr. James Zetek, Balboa, Canal Zone, Panama. 37 Septifer cumingii Recluz, Rec. Zool. Mag. Guerin , Ser. 2, Vol. 1, 1849. p. 132. 3S Mytilus cumingianus Recluz, MS., Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Mytilus, January, 1858, species 52, pi. 11, fig. 52. “Hab. Panama.” 39 Smith, E. A., Rept. Sci. Res. Voy. Challenger, Zool., Vol. 13, 1885, p. 271. 72 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Septifer zeteki resembles S. bilocularis, the type of the genus, but never attains the size of that species. It also somewhat re- sembles Septifer bryani Pilsbry,40 originally described from the Hawaiian Islands, but the ribs appear to be coarser and less nu- merous than those of the Hawaiian species. Genus Volsella Scopoli [r=Modiofus Lamarck]. Key to the subgenera of Volsella. A. Shell inflated, posterior dorsal area without zigzag markings Volsella s.s. B. Shell weakly inflated, narrow, posterior area with zigzag markings Amy g datum Subgenus Volsella s.s. Key to the species of Volsella s.s. A. Shell arcuate, narrow arciformis B. Shell not arcuate, broad a. Shell with raised concentric sculpture especially posteriorly guyanensis aa. Shell with fine equal concentric lines of growth b. Posterior end subquadrate salvadorica bb. Posterior end gently truncated and roundly attenuated capax Volsella IVolsellal arciformis Dali. Plate I, Figure 5. Modiolus arciformis Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 37, 1909, pp. 152, 258, pi. 28, fig. 2. “Huaquilla on the Ecuador border; ap- parently from a shellheap.” Type Locality : Huaquilla, Ecuador, ap- parently from a shellheap. Range: La Union, El Salvador, to Hua- quilla, Ecuador. Collecting Stations: El Salvador: La Union, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-16), 6 fath- oms, mud; Nicaragua: Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca. Description: Shell rather narrow and de- cidedly arcuate in outline after attaining a length of 40 mm. This feature is not pro- nounced in young specimens. A decided um- bonal ridge is present, due to the com- pressed character of the ventral part of the shell. The interior of the shell is pearly and of a purplish color. Distribution: The discovery of the occur- rence of this species in the Gulf of Fonseca, extends the known range north to El Sal- vador. Volsella IVolsellal capax Conrad. Modiola capax Conrad, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 242. “In- 40 See Dali, W. H., Bartsch, P., and Rehder, H. A., Bernice P. Bishop Mns., Bull. 153, July 25, 1938, p. 51, pi. 9, figs. 1-4. Cited from various localities in the Hawaiian Islands. habits marshes and muddy shores about Sta. Diego.” [California]. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Modiola, 1857, species 11, pi. 3, fig. 11. “Hab. Galapagos Islands; Cuming. California; Nuttall. Mazatlan; Carpenter.” Type Locality: San Diego, California, in marshes and on muddy shores. Range: Santa Cruz, California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, beach; Cape San Lucas, beach; Chamela Bay, beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker, beach; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya, beach. Description: This species is easily recog- nized in the southern fauna by the large, thick shell and by the brick red color which is often present on worn surfaces. Volsella capax differs from the generally more northern V. modiolus in possessing a heavier, more inflated shell which has a more depressed area between the umbos. Distribution: This species occurs quite commonly from southern California to Peru. Volsella IVolsellal guyanensis Lamarck. Modiola guyanensis Lamarck, Anim. s. Vert., Vol. 6, February- June, 1819, p. 112. “Habite les mers de la Guyane.” — Delessert, Rec. Coq. decrites par Lamarck et non en- core figurees, 1841, pi. 13, fig. 9. Original locality cited. Modiola brasiliensis Chemnitz, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Modiola, August, 1857, species 17, pi. 4, fig. 17, Guayaquil; pi. 6, fig. 31. Brazil. Type Locality : Guiana. Range: San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, and the Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru. Also from Trinidad to Brazil on the Atlantic coast. Collecting Stations: Nicaragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point; Isla Encantada, Co- rinto; Costa Rica: Ballenas Bay. Description: This handsome shell is or- namented by well developed raised concen- tric growth lines which are especially pro- nounced posteriorly. The anterior part of the shell is usually colored some shade of brown while the posterior part is green, blackish-green, or in some cases the entire shell may be colored brownish-black. Carpenter described “Modiola ? Brasili- ensis, var. mutabilis ”41 from Mazatlan, Mexico. He considered it as possibly repre- senting a rough water form of brasiliensis. The margins of this form were described as less straight and angular and the diagonal keel less impressed than that of the typical species. This subspecies is of doubtful value. 41 Modiola ? Brasiliensis, var. mutabilis Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, January, 1856, p. 122. “Mazatlan,** Mexico. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 73 Volsella guyanensis ( =Volsella brasilien- sis Chemnitz) is one of the species which occurs in both east and west American waters and there seems to be no positive method by which specimens from the two regions can be separated. A certain amount of variation might be expected in a species occurring over such a wide range. Distribution: This species has a wide dis- tribution. It occurs in shallow water from the Gulf of California to Peru and on the Atlantic coast from Trinidad to Brazil. Volsella l Volsella I salvadorica Hertlein and Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 7 and 11. Shell thin, subquadrate, moderately in- flated, smooth; hinge line almost straight, with the beaks at about one-fourth the dis- tance from the anterior end; beaks point- ing forward and almost resting on the hinge; dorsal margin nearly straight; ven- tral margin with a slight concavity in the middle ; anterior end rounded ; posterior end sloping obliquely from the dorsal margin and rounded at the dorsal and ventral mar- gins ; umbonal ridge well developed ; a slight convexity anterior to the ridge begins on the beaks and continues to the ventral mar- gin; the dorsal posterior part of the valve is subalate; color of exterior of shell grad- ing from light to chocolate brown, interior light purple and somewhat iridescent. Length 23.6 mm., height 13.9 mm., diameter (one valve) 5.8 mm. Holotype, left valve (Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Type Coll.), from Station 198-D-2, Lat. 13°27'20"N., Long. 89°19'20"W., dredg- ed in 14 fathoms (25 meters) off La Liber- tad, El Salvador. Paratype, right valve, from Station 199-D-6, Lat. 13°02'30"N., Long. 87°29'30"W., dredged in 4 fathoms (7.2 meters) off Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca, Nicaragua. One small specimen from Station 199-D-l, Lat. 13°08'N., Long. 87°43'W., dredged in 16 fathoms (29 meters), off Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca, El Salvador. Volsella salvadorica sp. nov. differs from V. capax in the straighter, longer hinge line, and much more quadrate shape. Subgenus Amygdalum Megerle von Miihlfeld. Key to the species of Amygdalum. A. Posterior end of shell evenly rounded, colored yellowish-white pallidula B. Posterior end of shell obliquely truncated, colored yellowish- green speciosa Volsella lAmygdaluml pallidula Dali. Modiolus ( Ipolitus Verrill var.) pallidu- lus Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 52, De- cember 27, 1916, p. 404. “Off San Luis Obispo Bay, in 77 fathoms.” Type Locality: Off San Luis Obispo Bay, California, in 77 fathoms. Range: Bodega Head, California, to Aca- pulco, Mexico. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Cedros Island (126-D-10, 12), 45-60 fath- oms, crushed shell, eel grass, mud. Description: Shell small, thin, brilliantly polished, a large translucent dorsal area with whitish colored zigzag reticulations, and a smaller, opaque, white ventral area. Volsella polita Verrill and Smith,42 from the Atlantic and V. sagittata Rehder43 from the Gulf of Mexico are similar species, as is V. peasei Newcomb44 from the Hawaiian Islands. Distribution: This species is known to occur from Bodega Head, California, to Acapulco, Mexico. It has been dredged usually in depths of 45 to 75 fathoms, or or even in deeper water. Volsella lAmygdaluml speciosa Dunker. Modiola speciosa Dunker in Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Modiola, October, 1857, spe- cies 35, pi. 7, fig. 35. “Hab. Tumbez, Peru; Cuming.” Type Locality: Tumbez, Peru. Range: Magdalena Bay, Lower Califor- nia, to Paita, Pei’u. Collecting Station: Nicaragua: Mony- penny Point, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-3, 4, 5), 6-7 fathoms, mud. Description: Shell elongate, slender, smooth; the periostracum of the anterior ventral region is light brown in color and the dorsal posterior portion is ornamented with fine dashes and zigzag brown lines which are separated upon a bright green ground color. The largest specimen in the present collection measures approximately 56.9 mm. in length. Compared to Volsella speciosa, V. tum- bezensis Pilsbry and Olsson,45 also described from Peru, is said to possess a smaller shell which is wider posteriorly. Distribution: Volsella speciosa is not a common species but is found occasionally from Magdalena Bay, Lower California, to Paita, Peru. 42 Modiola polita Verrill and Smith, Amer. Jour. Sci., Ser. 3, Vol. 20, November, 1880, p. 400. From Lat. 39°56' 30"N., Long. 70°59'45"W., in 238 fathoms.— Verrill, Trans. Connecticut Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, 1884, p. 281, pi. 30, fig. 12 (as Modiolaria polita). 43 Modiolus ( Amygdalum ) sagittatus Rehder, Nautilus, Vol. 48, No. 4, April, 1935, p. 127, pi. 7, figs. 11, 12. Type “from the Gulf of Mexico, off Cape San Bias, Florida.” Also from off Cape Florida. 44 Volsella ( Amygdalum ) peasei Newcomb, Dali, Bartsch and Rehder, Bernice P. Bishop Mus., Bull. 153, 1938, p. 45, pi. 8, figs. 11-14. Cited from various localities off the Hawaiian Islands, in 4 to 50 fathoms. 45 Modiolus ( Modiolus ) tumbezensis Pilsbry and Olsson, Nautilus, Vol. 49, No. 1, July, 1935, p. 16, pi. 1, fig. 5. “Beach at Puerto Pizarro, northern Peru.” 74 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5 Genus Botula Morch. Key to the subgenera of Botula. A. Beaks subterminal; posterior umbonal area rounded Botula s.s. B. Beaks between center and anterior end; posterior umbonal area angulated Adula Subgenus Adula H. & A. Adams. Botula I Adula I falcata Gould. Lithodomus falcatus Gould, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 4, November, 1851, p. 92. “Monterey, in indurated marly clay.”— Gould, Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., Vol. 6, October, 1853, p. 403, pi. 16, fig. 9. Original locality record cited. Botula falcata Gould, I. S. Oldroyd, Stan- ford TJniv. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 71, pi. 21, figs. 8, 9. Coos Bay, Oregon, to San Diego, California. Type Locality : Monterey Bay, California, in indurated marly clay. Range: Coos Bay, Oregon, to Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Collecting Station: Mexico: Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Description: Shell subcylindrical, falcate, fragile, beaks about one eighth the length from the anterior end; a strongly marked angle occurs from the beaks to the base of the posterior extremity ; ornamented by ver- tical wrinkles posteriorly, and these are somewhat divaricate anteriorly; periostra- cum thick, chestnut colored. The vertical sculpture, larger and more elongate valves, are characters which serve to separate Botula falcata from B. calif or- niensis Philippi. Distribution: The discovery of the occur- rence of Botula falcata at Cape San Lucas, Lower California, is an extension south- ward in the known range. It bores into rocks and attaches itself by a byssus to the sides of the burrow. Genies Lithophaga Bolten. Key to the subgenera of Lithophaga. A. Calcareous prolongations of shell crossed at posterior end Myoforceps B. Calcareous prolongations of shell not crossed at posterior end a. Calcareous incrustation of shell smooth Labis aa. Calcareous incrustation with divaricate plumose pattern posteriorly Diberus Subgenus Myoforceps Fischer. Lithophaga I Myoforceps I aristata Dillwyn. Mytilus aristatus Dillwyn, Descript. Cat. Rec. Shells, Vol. 1, 1817, p. 303. “Inhabits the coasts of Senegal burrowed in the shells of Balani. Adanson. In calcareous rocks. Sowerby.” Reference to Adanson, Hist. Nat. Senegal, 1757, p. 267, pi. 19, fig. 2; Encycl. Meth., pi. 221, fig. 8; Linn. Trans., Vol. 8, pi. 6, fig. 2. Lithophaga aristata Dillwyn, I. S. Old- royd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 73, pi. 39, fig. 2. La Jolla, California, to Peru. Also Atlantic. Type Locality: Coast of Senegal, Africa, in shells of Balani, also in calcareous rocks. Range: La Jolla, California, to Peru. Also in the Atlantic; world wide. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Punta Arena area; Pulmo Reef; Port Guatulco (195-D- 15), 1.5 fathoms, coral; Acapulco; Tangola- Tangola Bay, on beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker, on beach; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-4-15) , 5-40 fathoms, mud; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description: Shell subcylindrical, fairly straight, smooth, thin ; a whitish calcareous coating usually covers the yellowish perio- stracum at the posterior end and extends beyond the shell in two narrow beak-like prolongations which cross as in the blades of a pair of scissors. Lamy has discussed this species and its synonymy {Journ. de Con- chyl., Vol. 81, 1937, pp. 169-174). Distribution: This species is found from southern California to Peru, in holes which it has bored into rocks. It also occurs in the Atlantic and world wide in tropical seas. Dali recorded the species from the lower Miocene of Ballast Point, Tampa Bay, Flor- ida, and the present authors recorded its occurrence in the Pleistocene of the Gala- pagos Islands. Subgenus Labis Dali. Lithophaga ILabisI attenuata Deshayes. Modiola attenuata Deshayes, Lamarck’s Anim. s. Vert., Vol. 7, 1836, p. 28. “Hab- ite au Perou, au Chile, dans les pierres.” Ref. to “Lithodomus caudigerus var.,” Sow- erby, Gen. Shells, [Vol. 2, pi. 135] fig. 3. — Philippi, Abbild. u. Beschreib. Conchyl., Bd. 2, Heft 5, Modiola, October, 1846, p. 148 (2), tab. 1, fig. 6. “Patria: Litus Peruviae et Chili.” Lithophaga attenuata Deshayes, I. S. Old- royd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 73, pi. 39, fig. 10. Lower California. Type Locality : Peru and Chile, Range: San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, to Chile. Collecting Station: Costa Rica: Port Parker. Description: Shell characterized by its slender produced form. The beaks are ap- pressed, smooth, and the entire inner sur- face is hollow. This species is the type of the subgenus Labis Dali, which “has on each valve a semicylindrical smooth appendage of which the distal end is internally flat- tened and somewhat separated from the 1946] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 75 appendage of the opposite valve, the ends being rounded.” Distribution : This species has been cited as occurring as far south as southern Chile. We have not seen specimens from north of San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower California. Like others of the genus it bores into rocks. Subgenus Diberus Dali. Lithophaga I Diberus I plumules Hanley. Plate I, Figure 10. Lithodomus plumula Hanley, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, July, 1844, p. 17. “Hab. Pana- ma, in Spondyli.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 10, Lithodomus, 1857, species 23, pi. 4, fig. 23. Original locality cited. Modiola ( Lithodomus ) plumula Hanley, Hanley, Cat. Rec. Bivalve shells, pi. 24, fig. 23, 1856. [Not the record p. 240, “Philip- pines”]. Lithophagus calyculatus Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, January, 1856, p. 124. “Hab. — Mazatlan; 1 sp. in Spondylus calci- fer.” Type Locality : Panama, in Spondyli. Range: San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, to Peru. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Pulmo Reef, Arena Point, Lov/er California; Costa Rica: Port Parker; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description : The characteristic features of this species were mentioned by Hanley as follows: “The calcareous cellular coating of the umbonal ridge, resembling a ruffied feather in its arrangement, being composed of elevated thin ridges which slope ante- riorly and diverge from their point of junc- tion, one half to the anterior dorsal, the other to the ventral margin.” Carpenter’s description of Lithophaga ca- lyculata agrees exactly with that of Hanley for L. plumula and is therefore placed in the synonymy of Hanley’s species in the present paper. Specimens from San Diego and north to Duxbury Reef, Mendocino county, Califor- nia, which have been referred to Lithophaga plumula, usually differ from typical forms of that species in that the calcareous in- crustation usually lacks the definite arrow- head pattern of a central ridge from which lines point toward the vertex of the triangle of incrustation (see Plate I, Figures 8 and 9). For the California form we propose the subspecific name Lithophaga plumula kelseyi. (Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Type Coll.) from Loc. 5865 (C. A. S. Coll. H. Hemphill collector), San Diego, California. Distribution: Lithophaga plumula occurs fairly commonly at certain localities along the west coast from Mexico to Peru where it is found between tides in rocks into which it has bored. Genus Crenella Brown. Crenella divaricata d’Orbigny. Plate I, Figures 12 and 13. Nuculocardia divaricata d’Orbigny, in Sagra, Hist. Cuba, Moll., Vol. 2, 1845, p. 311, atlas, pi. 27, figs. 56, 57, 58, 59. “Se trouve dans presque toutes les Antilles; au moins l’avons-nous de la Martinique, de la Guadeloupe, de la Jama'fque et de Cuba.” — Chenu, Man. de Conchyl., Vol. 2, 1862, p. 154, fig. 754. Crenella divaricata d’Orbigny, Maury, Bull. Amer. Paleo., Vol. 10, Bull. 42, 1925, p. 247(95), pi. 29 (18), fig. 13. Springvale, Trinidad. Miocene. Type Locality: Cuba (here designated). Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and An- tilles also cited originally. Range : Guadalupe Island, off Lower Cali- fornia, Mexico, and the Gulf of California, to Ecuador. Also Atlantic, from North Caro- lina to Venezuela. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Man- zanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, green sand, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud. Description: Shell small, elongately oval in shape, colored yellowish-white, orna- mented by fine radial divaricate striations which are decussated by concentric sculp- ture; margins crenellated; a single strong crenellated denticle is present on the hinge. A study of the literature and of the mu- seum material available has led us to accept the conclusion of Dali that these tropical west American specimens can be referred to d’Orbigny’s species Crenella divaricata which was originally described from the Caribbean region. The species has been cited from various geologic formations back to the Miocene. Crenella ecuadoriana Pilsbry and Olsson,415 described from the Pliocene of Ecuador, appears to be identical except for the slight- ly larger size of the fossil form. Another name for the Recent species is Crenella inflata Carpenter,47 originally de- scribed from Cape San Lucas, Lower Cali- fornia. We have not noticed any occurrence of Crenella divaricata north of Mexico. Speci- mens which we have studied from southern California are referable to Crenella decus- sata Montagu and appear to be identical with specimens from England and from the 46 CreneUa ecuadoriana Pilsbry and Olsson, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 93, September 9, 1941, p. 55, pi. 18, figs. 2 and 3. “Canoa formation, Punta Blanca,” Ecuador, Pliocene. 47 ? Crenella inflata Carpenter, Ann and Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 3. Vol. 13, April, 1864, p. 313. “Cape St. Lucas,” Lower California. Reprint in Smithso-n. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, p. 211. Not Crenella inflata Muller, Holzapfel, Palaeontograph- ica, Bd. 35 (Moll. Aachner Kreide. Abt. 2), 1889, p. 220, pi. 25, figs. 17, 18. Cretaceous of Germany. [Originally described as Mytilus in flatus]. 76 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:5:1946] Atlantic coast of the United States. The shells of Crenella divaricata are more in- flated, more elongately oval in outline, and the hinge is more strongly developed in comparison with that of C. decussata. Crenella megas Dali48 described from Panama possesses a larger, thinner, deli- cately ornamented shell which is more pointed posteriorly in comparison with that of C. divaricata. Distribution: Crenella divaricata occurs fairly commonly in west American waters at depths of 5 to 50 fathoms from Guada- lupe Island, Mexico, to Ecuador, and along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to the West Indies. It has been recorded from Miocene to Recent in the Caribbean region and is at present known from Pliocene to Recent on the Pacific coast. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. Plate I. Fig. 1. Septifer zeteki Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Paratype, right valve, from Station 195-D-9, dredged in Lat. 15°44'28"N., Long. 96°07'51"W., off Port Guatulco, Mexico, in 7 fathoms (12.6 meters). Length (beak to base) 6 mm. P. 71. , Fig. 2. Septifer zeteki Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. View of the interior of the specimen shown in Figure 1. Fig. 3. Lima hemphilli Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, left valve, from Loc. 5955 (Calif. Acad. Sci.), San Diego, California, Henry Hemphill collector. Altitude 23 mm., length 16.4 mm. P. 66. Fig. 4. Lima hemphilli Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, right valve. View of interior of right valve of speci- men shown in Figure 3. Fig. 5. Volsella ( Volsella ) arciformis Dali. Hypotype, right valve, from Mony- penny Point, Nicaragua. Length 41 mm., greatest width approximately 16.5 mm. P. 72. Fig. 6. Pecten (Leptopqcten) velero biolleyi Hertlein & Strong, subsp. nov. Holo- type, right valve, from Station 203-D- 3, dredged in Lat. 10°55'45"N., Long. 85°49'05"W., near Port Parker, Costa Rica, in 12 fathoms (22 meters). Length 6.9 mm., altitude 6.6 mm. P. 60. Fig. 7. Volsella ( Volsella ) salvadorica Hert- lein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, left valve, from Station 198-D-2, dredged in Lat. 13°27'20"N., Long. 89°19'20" W., off La Libertad, El Salvador, in 14 fathoms (25 meters). Length 23.6 mm., height 13.9 mm. P. 73. Fig. 8. Lithophaga plumula kelseyi Hertlein & Strong, subsp. nov. Holotype, from Loc. 5865 (Calif. Acad. Sci.), San Diego, Calfornia, Henry Hemphill collector. Length 57.2 mm., greatest height approximately 14 mm. P. 75. 4S Crenella megas Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 24, March 31, 1902, p. 559. “Dredged at station 2795, in Panama Bay, at a depth of 33 fathoms, sand, bottom temperature 64 F.” — Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 26, 1903, p. 950, pi. 62, fig. 4. Fig. 9. Lithophaga plumula kelseyi Hertlein & Strong, subsp. nov. Side view of left valve of specimen shown in Figure 8. Fig. 10. Lithophaga ( Diberus ) plumula Han- ley. Hypotype, right valve, from Port Parker, Costa Rica. Length 48.2 mm., height 14 mm., convexity (both valves) 14.3 mm. View of exterior of right valve. P. 75. Fig. 11. Volsella ( Volsella ) salvadorica Hert- lein & Strong, sp. nov. View of in- terior of specimen shown in Figure 7. Fig. 12. Crenella divaricata d’Orbigny. Hypo- type, left valve, from Station 145- D-l, dredged in Lat. 26°52'N., Long. 111°53'W., Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, in 13 fathoms (24 meters). Height (beak to base) approximately 3 mm., length approx- imately 2 mm. P. 75. Fig. 13. Crenella divaricata d’Orbigny. View of the interior of the specimen shown in Figure 12. Fig. 14. Ostrea palmula Carpenter. View of interior of upper valve of holotype from Mazatlan, Mexico. Original measurements given as “Long. 2.3, lat. 1.6, alt. .54” poll. Carpenter at the time of descriptions of species in 1865 (Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 12 (Ser. 3, Vol. 5), April, 1865, p. 133 (footnote) . Reprint in Smithson. Mis- cell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, p. 301) stated that the unit “poll.” used in the descriptions was 2.53 cm. in length. Dr. Teng-Chien Yen who, while at the British Museum of Natural History, investigated this unit of measurement, stated that the length of a pollex is approximately 2 cm. This photograph was obtained from authorities of the British Mu- seum of Natural History by Dr. U. S. Grant, IV, who kindly permitted us to use it to illustrate the species. P. 55. Fig. 15. Plicatula spondylopsis Rochebrune. Hypotype, left valve, from the Gulf of California, without exact locality but probably from Arena Bank. Height (beak to base) approximately 52.6 mm., length approximately 38 mm., convexity (both valves) ap- proximately 25 mm. P. 63. Fig. 16. Plicatula spondylopsis Rochebrune. Hypotype, left valve, from station 136-D-26, dredged in Lat. 23°27'N., Long. 103°24'W., Gorda Bank, Gulf of California, in 45 fathoms (82 meters). Height (beak to base) 53.6 mm., length 40.5 mm. P. 63. Fig. 17. Dimya calif orniana Berry. Hypotype, left valve, from Station 137-D-2, dredged in Lat. 24°11'N., Long. 109° 59'W., Ceralbo Channel, Gulf of Cali- fornia, in 46 fathoms (84 meters). Length 10.8 mm., height (beak to base) 8.7 mm., convexity (one valve) approximately 1.8 mm. P. 65. All the specimens illustrated on this Plate are in the type collection of the Department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences. HERTLEIN & STRONG. PLATE I. MOLLUSKS FROM THE WEST COAST OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 77 6. Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes. I. The Behavior of Comet A Platypoecilus maculatus Gene in Xiphophorus hellerii. Myron Gordon.1 New York Aquarium, New York Zoological Society. (Plates I-III). The platyfish’s comet gene PCo was found in 1932 among the wild population of Platy- poecilus maculatus in a tiny pool within the bed of a tributary stream of the Rio Tonto in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. In 1939 two more populations containing the PCo gene were found in the Rio Jamapa, Veracruz, and in several of the Rio Papaloapan tribu- taries in Oaxaca. The comet is one of a galaxy of genes in the natural populations of the platyfish, the most variable verte- brate, with respect to color pattern poly- morphism, in North America. The comet gene PCo belongs to an autosomal series of seven, dominant, multiple alleles, which in- clude onespot, P°; moon, PM; moon complete with satellites, PMc; crescent, Pc; crescent complete, PCc; twinspot, PT ; and the uni- versal recessive +. During the study of this series of wild alleles, the comet-marked platyfish was mat- ed in some instances to members of its own wild population and then, in contrast, to a number of domesticated breeds of the same species. A comparison of the results of these two types of matings was quite startling and unexpected. An entirely new pattern was created, known popularly among fish fanciers as the black wagtail. It resembles the color scheme in the Himalayan rabbit and Siamese cat, in which the extremities are much darker than other parts of the body. Owing to the ease in which P. maculatus hybridizes with Xiphophorus hellerii, a mat- ing between a wild comet platyfish and a wild swordtail was attempted and accom- plished. As a result, the hybrids carrying the comet gene showed up with the same wag- tail response. By repeated backcrosses of the wagtail platy-swordtail hybrid to the swordtail, a stock was developed indistin- guishable from the X. hellerii configuration but containing the PCo gene of P. maculatus. The wagtail swordtail so produced is now 1 Aided in part by a grant from the Anna Fuller Fund and by the facilities of the American Museum of Natural History. well established in the trade devoted to aquarium fishes. Every step in the production of this new wagtail swordtail is known in this instance, and this will be described in detail. There are many colorful swordtails on the aquari- um fish market most of which, if all the facts were known, could be traced back to one or more wild platyfish genes introduced into the swordtail by the process of introgression. This type of hybridization is the basis, also, for the development of melanomas in platy- fish-swordtail combinations. Essentially the malignant tumors depend upon the interac- tions of the platyfish genes for macromelano- phores Sp or N in association with a num- ber of swordtail genes. With every backcross of the melanotic hybrid to the swordtail, the characteristic contours of the swordfish are more closely approached, while at the same time the severity of the melanoma is en- hanced. The process of introgression is often re- versed; that is, a few swordtail genes may modify the basic platyfish genes. This is probably the explanation for the wagtail platyfish and for a number of the brilliant red, black and other domesticated varieties of the platyfish. The Comet Pattern. The comet is a simple pattern in wild platyfish. It consists of two straight black lines, one on the upper and one on the lower border of the tail fin. These dual black streaks are not parallel but flare slightly in conforming to the broadening of the caudal fin. This has the appearance of a conven- tionalized comet’s train. A microscopic ex- amination of the black lines of the comet reveals that they are composed of hundreds of tiny pigmented cells or micromelano- phores concentrated along the upper and lower margins of the tail fin. The rest of the fin, in contrast, is transparent although there are scattered micromelanophores over all of it. The pigmented cells of the comet, 78 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [30: 6 of the tail fin proper, and of the body proper are similar morphologically. These micro- melanophores are similar, too, to the pig- mented cells which compose the other six patterns of the tail and caudal peduncle. When the micromelanophores are scattered, they produce an olive gray appearance ; when concentrated they produce a jet black effect. The Comet Reaction in Wild Populations. Two distinct geographical populations of P. maculatus containing the comet platy were tested. The Rio Tonto population belongs to the Rio Papaloapan drainage system and in this system the comet gene is present in 8% of all platyfish. The second group belongs to the Rio Jamapa system, being collected at Plaza de Agua near El Tejar, a few miles west of the city of Veracruz. This area marks the most northern limit of the species as far as known; here 5% of the platyfish population carry the gene PCo. The same spe- cies is known from two other great river systems, the Rio Coatzacoalcos and the Rio Usumacinta, but no comets have been re- ported, as yet, from them. An analysis of speciation in this fish by the use of pattern gene frequencies, including PCo, is being pre- pared by Gordon (1946a). In the paper just mentioned genetic evi- dence will be presented showing the relation of the PCo gene to the others of its allelic series. When a comet platy is mated to any other member of its wild population, their offspring will display the comet pattern un- changed, regardless of the presence of any of the other markings. Natural combinations SUCh as pCopO t pCopM > pCopMc^pCopC^pCopCo and PC°PT have been observed. In addition, single and duplex combinations have been seen with the sex-linked genes: Sp, Sr, Sd and N in more complex arrangements of pat- terns. However, no matter what other wild patterns a platyfish may have, the comet, if present, is visible and remains phenotypi- cally unchanged. The Comet Reaction in Domesticated Populations. When a wild platyfish carrying the comet gene was mated to several different domesti- cated breeds of the same species, the Fi hy- brids carrying PCo showed an entirely new phenotypic expression of it. When quite young the comet hybrids appeared in their conventional pattern, but as they continued their growth, the intensity of the black pig- mentation of the upper and lower margins of the tail fin spread to the intermediate regions of that fin. At the same time the dorsal, the anal, the ventral and even the pectoral fins became darker too. Finally when the hybrid fish reached maturity, the micromelano- phores in great concentrations blackened all the fins, and in addition they darkened the upper and lower jaws and the edges of the operculum. Expressing this reaction in short : all extremities were darkened. The re- sulting pattern is somewhat similar to the color scheme seen in Siamese cats, Himala- yan rabbits, great Dane dogs, Dorset sheep and others in which the exposed parts, the muzzle, the ears, the digitory areas and the tail are strikingly darker than the rest of the body. The action of the gene PCo for comet was apparently modified in Fj hybrids by a gene or genes contributed to the hybrid by the domesticated platyfish. The reaction of the comet with its modifier was first detected when the comet fishes of the Rio Papaloapan system were mated to the aquarium-bred variety known as the goldplaty. Later the same reaction was rediscovered when a wild comet platy from the Rio Jamapa was mated to several domesticated varieties. The Genetic Nature of the Comet Modifier. In P. maculatus, prior to the discovery of the PCo modifier gene, E, three linkage groups were known : a sex-linked group with seven dominant genes, an autosomal allelic series with seven dominant genes and an- other autosomal group containing the one “domesticated” recessive golden, st. This platy has 24 haploid chromosomes according to Ralston (1934) and Friedman and Gordon (1935). The following is an analysis of the genetic association of the E gene. The presentation of the following data and their analyses are not necessarily given in the chronological order in which the experiments were con- ducted. “Domesticated” 2 “Wild” $ 1. Drst±E + + Pc° + + st + E + + Pc° + In the above and succeeding formulae of genetic constitutions, Dr represents the gene for a red-dorsal fin, shown by Kosswig (1931) to be dominant and sex-linked. This was confirmed independently by Gordon (1931) who at one time used the symbol Rf for this gene. In domesticated females its chromosome associations are (Z )Dr (W)+. The recessive st represents few or no micromelanophores and the absence of these black cells reveals the many underlying xanthophores which give this fish variety its golden coloring. PCo represents the comet pattern and E refers to its specific modifier which, as will be seen, is present in most domesticated stocks in a homozygous state. The + refers to universal recessive of the allelic series and to the “neutral wild type.” Together with this first mating, two others may be presented and discussed at the same 1946] Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 79 time because in each case the female parents had the same genotypes, and the males, too, were for the most part similar genetically for the characters under analysis. The second male differed only in that the Pc° gene was associated with another one of the dominant alleles, the gene P° for onespot while the third male had the allele Pc for crescent as its PCo associate. Their genotypes are given below: Females Males 2. Dr st + E X + + PC° + -(- st + E + + P° + Females Males 3. Dr st + E X + + Pc° + -\- st -\- E + + P° + It is clear from the results indicated in Table I that the sex-linked factor Dr was transmitted from the mothers to all their sons in the conventional manner according to (Z )Dr (W) + chromosome sex-determin- ing mechanism. But Gordon (1946c) has in- dicated that the wild platyfish male has the XY chromosome arrangement. Thus it may seem from these experiments that among the Flf (X)+ (W) + and (Y) + (W)+ are female while (Z )Dr (X)+and (Z )Dr (Y) + are male. A further discussion of this phase of the problem in matings of “wild” and “domesticated” platyfish is treated in anoth- er paper by Gordon (1946b). All the F, of the three matings were olive gray, showing complete and uniform domi- nance of the “wild” St (or +) over the re- cessive “domesticated” golden gene st. The first “wild” male comet platy (1-38) was apparently homozygous for Pc° as all of the F, had this factor but its phenotype ex- pression modified by extensor gene E was changed into the wagtail pattern. The offspring of the second (1-39) and the third (1-40) males show that the pre- sumed modifier E acts on PCo but not on P° or Pc, and we have additional data at this time showing that E does not act on PCc, PM, PMc or PT, the remaining members of the series, and E has no discernible phenotype by itself. Only the combination PCo E pro- duced the wagtail reaction. Matings 1, 2 and 3, taken individually or together, clearly show that E is not sex- linked, for while Dr is transmitted from the mother to her sons only the wagtail reaction PCo E is visible in the sons and daughters. Further evidence of the autosomal nature of the PCo modifier may be seen in matings listed in Table II. In mating 4 the broods of two genetically similar females were pooled, and the observed results are appar- ently consistent with the theoretical values expected if E is considered independent of the two known autosomal factors in the mat- ing, PCo and St. Previous work (Gordon, 1927) has shown that the number of golden st is usually deficient, the deficiency being due to differential viability of st in contrast with the wild allele St. If E were linked to PCo we might have expected that the ratio be- tween PCo E and E would have been less than 3:1, since linkage, if it existed, would have been in the repulsion series; actually the number of PCo E was slightly greater than expected on the basis of a 3:1 ratio. The independence of E and PCo with re- spect to their linkage relations is clearly demonstrated in mating 5. Here approxi- mately equal numbers of modified comets PCo E, and non-comets, + E, (20:15) were found, whereas if E were linked with PCo, TABLE I. Mating No. 1 2 3 Culture No. 31 32 33 Pi Pedigree No. 9 9A1 93 80 Zoologica: Neiv York Zoological Society [30: 6 TABLE II. Mating 4 5 6 7 Culture No. 53 59 55 54 Pi Pedigree No. 9 31-1, 2 d 31-11 9 9A2-1 d 31-11 9 31-3, 4 d 12-11 9 53-1 d 53-11 Pi Phenotypes + +PCoE Dr+PCoE Dr st+E Dr+PCoE +PC°E + + + st P Co E st PCoE Fi Phenotypes 9 d 9 d 9 d 9 d Dr + PCo E 14 8 3 6 + + PCo E 13 12 4 14 11 Dr st PCo E 3 2 2 4 + st PCo E 2 1 1 14 18 Dr + Pc° 4 5 + + Pc° 4 3 11 8 Dr st PCo 1 0 + st PCo 0 1 4 6 Dr + + + 6 8 2 5 + + + + 3 2 4 28 24 Dr st + + 2 1 1 3 + st + + 1 0 0 8 8 Totals 53 43 17 18 53 43 26 32 y} values 12. 764 8.2 >67 1.4 17 0.2 37 then one might have expected only one PCo E in four individuals (1:3). Independence of these genes is fully substantiated by the re- sults of mating 6, where the male parent, being a “wild” individual and presumably homozygous recessive for the PCo modifier e, produced when mated to an Ft PCo E approxi- mately equal numbers of PCo E and PCo +. If PCo were closely linked to E, no PCo E would have been expected ; if linked but separated moderately, a few PCo E might have been expected as crossovers; but the data (25:19) indicate independence. The re- sults shown in mating 7, where golden wag- tails ( PCo E) were inbred, indicate a similar conclusion. The data presented in Table III indicate further evidence that domesticated stocks of P. maculatus carry E (the dominant modi- fier of PCo ), in a homozygous state. All four golden platyfish of culture 9A listed in Table II were of this type; and the spotted female, 8 Cl, and golden male, 9A21, listed in Table III, were homozygous for E too. In mating 8, the spotted female carried the pattern gene on its W chromosome, (Z) + (W )Sp. This accounts for the mother-to-daughter type of inheritance of the Sp gene. (Again although XY represents the f\ wild male (No. 1-39), in the Ft, XW and YW apparently determine femaleness and ZX and ZY determine male- ness). Again, E apparently has no effect on the phenotypic expression of the allele P°. Further consideration of the sex-linked factors Sp and Dr in linkage relations to E seem unnecessary. Additional data are avail- able of the linkage independence of E with respect to St and PCo. In matings listed un- der No. 9 representing broods 46, 47 and 48, there were 146 PCo E, 41 PCo +, and 55 ++. The theoretical expectancy if PCo and E are independent is as follows : 125 PCo E, 45 PCo +, and 60 ++, which is a significantly good fit. The X2 value in this mating results with regard to st, PCo and E is P = 31. The results of mating 9 show that it is not likely that E is linked to St for when PCo E was crossed with + PCo E, 12 were st PCo out of 242 offspring. On the basis of three independent factors 11.4 or 3/64 of the total were expected theoretically. All the other phenotypes appear in proportions ap- propriate to the theoretical values expected upon the same basis. Further confirmation of the independence of St, PCo and E is presented in the results from matings 10 and 11. If PCo and P° were linked to E, one ought not to get any PCo P° E in mating 11, yet 19 were observed; and 17 would be expected on the three independ- ent factor basis. If E were linked to St, no st PCo or PCo P° E would be expected, yet both types were present. The Distribution of the E Gene in Xiphophorin Species. Tests for the presence of the E gene in some of the wild xiphophorin species were 1946] Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 81 TABLE III. Mating No. 8 9 10 11 Culture No. 44 46-47-48 49 -50 51- -52 Pedigree No. 9 8C1 d 1-39 9 44-1,2.3 cf 44-11,12 9 44-4, 5 d 9A21 9 44-6, 7 d 44-13 Genotypes Sp st+E + +PCo+ +pc°E +pc°E +pc°E + +E +P° E _|_pco E ~j- st +E + +P° + st + + st + + st + + + +E st H — |- st + + F. Phenotypes 9 c? Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp. Sp+PCo E 7 0 + +PCoE 0 7 Sp+P° E 6 0 + +P° E 0 9 + PCo E 121 101.8 28 22.8 14 12.6 st PCo E 25 34.2 21 22.8 3 4.2 + pCo + 29 34.2 5 4.2 st PCo + 12 11.4 2 1.4 + + 42 45.4 24 22.8 15 16.8 st + 13 15.2 18 22.8 4 5.6 + pc° po E 17 12.6 st P Co P° E 2 4.2 + pcopo _|_ 2 4.2 St PCo po _j_ 1 1.4 + p° 20 16.8 st P° 5 5.6 Total 13 16 242 242.2 91 91.2 90 89.6 X2 values o bo - 12 7.1 63 1.2 65 5.583 made by mating wild comet-carrying P. maculatus to Xiphophorus hellerii, P. xiphi- dium and P. couchianus. Tests were made also in three domesticated varieties of the swordtail : the albino, the red, and the golden tuxedo. In Table IV the various interspecific mat- ings are listed. The first-generation hybrids between X. hellerii and P. maculatus are designated as XP. When this hybrid is back- crossed to X. hellerii, the offspring are in- dicated as XPX, and when XPX is back- crossed again to X. hellerii, their offspring are designated as XPXX. The XPXX hy- brids are not all alike, nor would they all pass as swordtails (see discussion). In 12 to 15, the results of crossing four wild P. maculatus comets, PCo, with two albinos, one red and one wild female X. hellerii, show that the E modifier was present in a homo- zygous state in all of the swordtails, since the wagtail reaction rather than the unmodi- fied comet pattern appeared in half of the hybrids. When the hybrids of mating 12 were inbred (mating 16), the number of wagtails ( PCo E), comets ( PCo ), and neu- trals ( + ) showed up approximately in the ratio of 9:3:4. This ratio represented the distribution of the three phenotypes in mat- ings 16 and 17, too. Summing matings 16 through 18, there were 70 PCo E, 15 PCo, and 37+, while the expected ratio was 68.4 PCo E, 23 PCo, and 30.4 +. This summary does not, of course, include a number of pre- sumably PCo E, PCo, and + in combination with the homozygous recessive ii for al- binism, because the melanin pigment in- hibitor i suppresses all melanic patterns. The fact that the albinos appear in far fewer numbers than the theoretical expectancy, has previously been noted by Gordon (1942). When the species hybrids were back- crossed to the swordtail in an effort to re- create the body configuration of the sword- tail and at the same time to retain the wag- tail pattern (matings 19 through 23, and 25) , all the domesticated and wild X. hellerii used proved to be homozygous for the E modifier in the backcross generation. When, however, the F, hybrid was backcrossed to a wild P. maculatus which introduced the non-modifier (mating 24), an 8 PCo E to 4 PCo to 10 + ratio was observed, and 5.5 to 5.5 to 11.0 ratio was expected on the basis of 1:1:2 ratio and 22 individuals. With each backcross of the wagtail platy- swordtail hybrid to the X. hellerii, the result- ing broods contains individuals that ap- proach the swordtail more perfectly in body type-, but there are many swordtail-platyfish TABLE IV. 82 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [30: 6 1946] Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 83 hybrids in the XPXX category that have many combinations of hereditary factors; some of them indeed may be compared to the Fj or XP. When a comet P. maculatus was mated with a P. xiphidium, the wagtail reaction was weakly evident. A similar P. maculatus mated with P. couchianus produced a more definite wagtail hybrid. Since one mating each was tried, the distribution of the E gene in xiphophorins other than X. hellerii is still incompletely known. DISCUSSION. The Conditions in Natural Populations. Wild swordtails are quite uniform with re- spect to color patterns whereas wild platyfish are extremely variable. In over 10,000 speci- mens of both species taken over their entire range in southern Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico and in British Honduras and Guate- mala, not a single hybrid was found, yet at eight localities in this range the two species may be found side by side. Some of the iso- lating mechanisms such as psychological and ecological have been suggested previously by Gordon (1943, 1946a) to account for lack of natural hybridization. In the laboratory or home aquaria these barriers to hybridization are easily overcome. In a historical account of the early domestication of these species Gordon (1934) has found that the platy was first imported, probably from the Rio Coatza- coalcos, in 1907, and the swordtail followed in 1909, propably from the same river. Only two years later, 1911, hybrids between the species were recorded by aquarists writing in the Blatter and in the Wochenschrift fur Aquarien und Terrarienkunde. At present the tropical-fish dealers’ cata- logues list a dozen or more color varieties of the swordtail, only one of which, the albino, may have definitely arisen by the process of mutation. The other domesticated varie- ties, including such types as golden, red, black, tuxedo, “montezuma helleri” and their combinations, may be traced to introgressive hybridization of the many individual types of platyfish with the swordtail. Since the wagtail swordtail was produced in the labora- tory, every step in its development has been recorded. Evidence of the origin of many other domesticated swordtails is now avail- able also and will be presented in a series of papers. The introgressive process is much clearer in the development of domesticated swordtails than in domesticated platyfish, but the same process has been going on in both. It seems to be clearest in the production of the wag- tail platy. Since wild P. maculatus do not carry the E factor and wild X. hellerii do, it is likely that E was transferred to domesti- cated platies during the many matings made between these species. An alternative suggestion may be made in accounting for the presence of the E factor in domesticated stocks. The early importa- tions of platyfish were probably made from the Rio Coatzacoalcos, according to the analysis made by Gordon (1946a). The PCo factor does not occur (as far as our data show) in the platyfish population of this river but the E factor may be present and it may have been transmitted in domesticated stocks generation after generation from 1907 to the present time. The former suggestion seems more plausible at this time. Modifying Factors and Quantitative Characters. From his analyses of natural fish hybrids and particularly from his laboratory studies of species hybrids in Mollienisia and related forms, Hubbs (1940) has become convinced that in species hybrids systematic charac- ters of fishes generally show blending inheri- tance and that simple Mendelian segregation very seldom results; and this seems to ap- ply to hybrids of subspecies and races. Hubbs finds that the characters which distinguish species and subspecies behave in hybridiza- tion experiments “in such strict conformance with the Galtonian scheme of inheritance that one can, for instance, compute rather precisely the number of dorsal rays in the final multiple hybrid by striking theoretical averages through the complex mating chart, starting only with the known average value of each form as it is introduced into the mul- tiple matings. Such characters as position of fins, form of body and coloration appear to show a similar type of inheritance.” Kosswig (1931-39) and Gordon (1931-37) have long held that multiple genetic factors may account for the striking modifications in coloration in species hybrids between a particular P. maculatus and X. hellerii. Gor- don (1937), for instance, suggested that the swordtail carries two sets of dominant modi- fying factors which act upon the spotting ( Sp ) gene of the platyfish. Sp is the gene that governs the development of specific pig- ment cells, the macromelanophores , which produce an irregular spotted pattern — a normal condition found in wild stocks as well as in domesticated ones. Thus the following formulae were used to represent the species : Swordtail X Platyfish ++ AA BB X SpSp ++ + + The first generation hybrids are all Sp+ A+ B+. The interaction of A and B with Sp produces a state of melanosis which fre- quently is so intense that it leads directly to the development of melanomas. The reality of these modifiers A and B may be evaluated in the two opposing types 84 [30: 6 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society fL of backcrosses, one to the platyfish, the other to the swordtail : Backcross of Fa hybrids. To the Platyfish Spotted platyfish X Melanotic hybrid Sp+ H — b ++ X Sp+ A+ B+ Backcross hybrids Normals Melanotic SpSp ++ ++ SpSp A+ B+ (2) Sp+ ++ ++ Sp+ A+ B+ (2) ++ A+ B+ SpSp A+ ++ (1) ++ A+ ++ Sp+ A+ ++ (1) ++ ++ B+ SpSp ++ B+ (1) ++ ++ ++ Sp+ ++ B+ (1) Backcross of Fj hybrids. To the Swordtail Melanotic hybrid X Normal swordtail Sp+ A+ B+ X ++ AA BB Backcross hybrids Normals Melanotic ++ AA BB Sp+ AA BB (4) ++ A+ BB Sp+ AA B+ (3) ++ AA B+ Sp+ A+ BB (3) ++ A+ B+ Sp+ A+ B+ (2) Assuming that each dominant intensifying factor of the swordtail has the value of one (1) the degree of melanosis, or shift of the normal spotted pigment pattern to an in- tense blackening, is indicated by the values within the parentheses : A or B equals 1, to- gether A and B equal 2, and so on. When the melanotic (Sp A B ) hybrid is backcrossed to the spotted platyfish (Np++), the darkest backcross hybrids are rarely blacker than their melanotic parent which have an intensity value of trvo (2) . There are four genotypic hybrids which have a melano- tic intensity value of one (1), while two spot- ted genotypes have the normal pattern ; these are listed under normals. In the backcross to the swordtail, the severity of melanosis is enhanced in some backcross hybrids owing to intensity factors which reach the value of four (4) in 12%% of the brood; the value of three (3) in 25 % ; and the value of two (2) in 12%%. Fifty per cent, or remainder of the brood are nor- mal, for they do not carry the essential Sp gene. When the backcross hybrid members of this brood are again backcrossed to the swordtail, the results depend unon the spe- cific genotype of the particular hybrid used. Hybrid Sp+ AA BB bv a ++ AA BB sword- tail produces black offspring essentially of the same intensity as its hybrid parent. Hy- brid Sp+ A A B+ by ++ A A BB swordtail produces two grades of melanotic offspring while hybrid Sp+ A+ B+ by a ++ AA BB swordtail produces three grades of melanotic offspring. In this analysis it has been as- sumed that A has the same value as B. If modifying factors A and B had different val- ues, or if there were more than two modi- fiers involved, far more divergent groups of hybrids might be expected. In some of the matings between two sword- tail species the degree of diversity in the coloration of various types of hybrids closely resembles, particularly in the first genera- tion, the type of “blending” mentioned for “good” systematic characters. It was found that when the wild spotted type of Xipho- phorus montezumae was mated with the wild X. hellerii, the degree of spotting in the hy- brids fell to about 50% of normal; but when the weakly spotted hybrid was backcrossed to X. hellerii, the backcross offspring had hardly any spots at all. (These statements are based on Gordon’s unpublished data.) Origin of Red Swordtail ; A Study in INTROGRESSION. The example given by Hubbs (1940) to il- lustrate the distinction “between the sys- tematic characters showing blending inher- itance on one hand and the phase characters with a simple genetic basis on the other,” concerns the origin of the red swordtail. (In- cidentally, this is another good example of introgressive hybridization under domestica- tion). According to Hubbs, “no red phase of the swordtail genus Xiphophorus [ hellerii ] has been taken in nature and none seems to have originated by mutation in captivity, but the red phase does occur in the related genus Platypoecilus [maculatus~\ , which hybridizes rather freely with Xiphophorus. The hybrids produced by mating a Xiphophorus with a red Platypoecilus are, in part, of an undiluted red, though intermediate in the ordinary systematic characters, such as form, number of rays, and structure of the gonopodium. Red hybrids mating back to Xiphophorus produce three-quarter hybrids of which, however, a certain proportion is red. One or two backcrossings then reconstruct the swordtail, in all respects other than the red clothing.” First the comments concerning the colora- tion of the wild swordtail and wild platyfish may be discussed because subsequent color responses in their hybrids depend upon the interaction of all the color and color modify- ing genes involved (and possibly some of these genes may be linked to those affecting systematic characters). The wild swordtail has some red coloring of its own: a strong row of erythrophores runs along its lateral line in a zigzagging pattern. Also many red patches of grouped red cells are scat- tered in the dorsal fin. The red zigzag row of chromatophores of the wild X. hellerii is subject to modification; for instance, it may be intensified in a species hybrid by 1946] Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 85 genes contributed to the hybrid by a non-red species, X. montezumae. Some wild platyfish may have light orange-red dorsal fins; some have brighter coloration about their throat and belly regions. But the reddest of the wild platyfish could not match the brilliant over-all red coloration of the commercially cultivated red platy. We must first explain the process bv which the domesticated red platy got so red. The detailed explanation cannot be given ade- quately on this occasion, but briefly stated, there has been a reciprocal interchange of modifying genes — an example of reciprocal introgressive hybridization. The red sword- tail has the red gene or genes of the platy- fish. Dr or Rt or both plus its own modifiers of Dr and Rt. The nrocess involved is essen- tially the same as that given for the Sp gene in this discussion. The brilliant red platyfish of the aauarist has the swordtail gene modi- fiers of Dr or Rt plus its own red genes. This has been attained by selection of the desir- able combination on the part of the fish fanciers. The fact that the red phase may have a number of genetic modifiers does not make it any less Mendelian in its mode of in- heritance. It does indicate that the red char- acteristic is as sensitive to quantitative ex- nression (which is the basis of the apparent blending inheritance) as characters that are often used in taxonomy. In actual practice many subspecies are more easily distinguished on the basis of their distinctive colorations or color patterns than bv slight average differences of body proportions or of skeletal elements. In the sneciation nrocess at the lowermost level of differentiation (and perhaps at somewhat hie-her levels as well) the evaluation of the patterns formed by pigment cells may be compared upon equal terms, at least, with patterns formed by bone, muscle or other groups of cells. Just as we find a number of genetical sys- tems controlling chromatic patterns in hy- brids (for instance, one factor for stippling, St; or for one-spot, 0; or for cresent com- plete. Cc: and for some others; two factors, Co and E for wagtail; three, for intense melanosis, and each dominant factor has a specific value, Sp A A BE, etc.) so other bodv structures may each have a special genetic basis and in addition there may be interac- tions between the genes in these restricted systems. In illustration of this latter point, Gerschler (1912). in studying the inherit- ance of the length of sword in swordtail- nlatvfish hvbrids, found that at least three dominant factors were required to account for the results he obtained : A A BB CC where A A have the value of 2. BB have the value of 4 and CC have the value of 6. In addition, Gerschler found that the platyfish carries dominant genes for some body features while the swordtail carries dominant genes for other groups of structures. Other Instances of Introgression in Domesticated Fishes. As indicated on several previous occasions, there are many good examples of introgres- sive hybridization in xiphophorin fishes — a complex of seven species. The papers of Koss- wig (1929,1937) and of his associate Breider (1937, 1938) contain detailed accounts of the behavior of specific genes of one species in the germ plasm of a related species. For the most part these are valid but many so- called X. hellerii genes such as Mo, Rb and Sn are all probably traceable to P. maculatus. Further discussion of these papers will be reserved for future occasions when related data on these specific color genes are pre- sented. One comment may be made at this time: certain patterns of the platyfish have become associated so completely with the swordtail body form, and have been modified so thoroughly in the process, that part of their platyfish origin was not suspected. This is particularly true of the “Mo” character of the swordtail (X. hellerii ) which now turns out to be due to the striped Sr pattern of wild platyfish. (This statement is based on un- published data on the mating of wild platy- fish of many different genotypes and wild swordtails.) Introgression in General. In his treatment of natural polymorphism in relation to geographical variation, Mayr (1942) discusses the apparent rapid spread of a black mutation from one population having a high concentration of that particu- lar mutation to other nearby populations where that mutation had been rare or absent. He states that this phenomenon, which looks like introgressive hybridization in geograph- ical races, may possibly be explained on the basis of the great phylogenetic antiquity of certain alleles in related groups and species. In commenting upon the introgressive pro- cess, Mayr regards it as theoretical and un- proved in animals. Anderson and Hubricht (1938) and other botanists have pointed out that introgressive hvbridization is more likely to occur in localities which have come under man’s management (or mismanage- ment) and in plants that may have escaped from cultivation. Dobzhanskv (1941) states that while it is impossible to appraise the evolutionary role of introgressive hybridiza- tion, it may, in some organisms, result in the emergence of superior genotypes. For exam- ple of introgression in animals he cites the work of Boettger and of Franz on mollusks and that of Blair on toads and states that this phenomenon appears to be much more common in plants than in animals. It occurs 86 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [30: 6 to me that if the origin of our domesticated animals were more precisely known many additional examples might be put forward in this group of organisms. Fishes and Cotton Plants. Genetic conditions somewhat similar to those reported in this paper for xiphophorin fishes may be found among the species of cottons, studies upon which have been under way for many years by Harland (1936, 1939) and associated workers of the Imperial Cot- ton Growing Corporation, Hutchinson, Silow and Stephens. By planned hybridization be- tween Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsu- tum and backcrossing of the hybrids to the original species, they have extracted hybrid compounds having predominantly the gene system of G. barbadense with a few genes of G. hirsutum, or conditions may be re- versed. In the practical application of genetic research, plant and animal breeders are con- stantly trying to combine the desirable fea- tures of one organism with those of another. In some instances a high yielding plant is subject to a specific disease. A search is made among its wild relatives to find a dis- ease-resistant strain and attempts are then made to combine the high yielding qualities of one with the disease-resisting qualities of the other. In effect, this, too, is introgres- sion — if it is shown that the traits combined have a hereditory basis and separate origins. Genes and the Rate of Development. Changes in developmental rates by regu- lation of the external temperatures during specific periods of embryonic growth have altered the attainment of the usual number of vertebrae (and possibly dorsal fin-ray counts) in fishes. Hubbs and others have discovered this phenomenon; recently Gab- riel (1944) has demonstrated it experiment- ally in developing Fundulus, and Gordon and Benzer (1945) have reviewed its significance in problems of speciation in xiphophorin fishes. Gabriel found that some strains of Fundulus were temperature labile, while oth- ers were genetically unalterable with regard to the number of vertebrae they attain. In this connection, the work of Ford and Huxley (1929) on the attainment of defini- tive eye colors in Gammarus is suggestive. (A comprehensive discussion on the subject has recently been presented by Huxley, 1944) . The eyes of the shrimp are usually black but mutants with eye colors of red, brown and dark brown are known. The eyes of the young stages of the normal shrimp are red but they gradually become darker. In the red-eyed mutant adult they never get darker; in other mutants they stop at the brown or darker stages. Huxley believes that genes produce their effect by influencing the rate of development of various substances involved in pigment formation. This inter- pretation may be applied to the possible manner in which the modifying genes A and B of X. hellerii act upon the Sp gene of P. maculatus to produce melanosis in the Fj. hybrids (Sp+ A+ B+) and to produce severe melanosis in the backcross (to X. hellerii) hybrids (Sp+ A A BB). In the lat- ter, the degree of melanosis which is usually attained by the Fj hybrid in adult life is at- tained, according to Gordon (1937), in the backcross hybrid on the day of birth. A re- versal of this trend may be seen in the in- hibitory action of X. hellerii factors on the macromelanophore gene of X. montezumae. The concept of the influence of genes on the rate of development has been used by Goldschmidt for the interpretation of sex at- tainment and other features. It may also apply, possibly, to vertebrae number, fin-ray count and other “taxonomic” characters. Summary. 1. The Mexican platyfish gene PCo, one of seven dominant, multiple, autosomal alleles, produces a simple comet-like pattern in the tail fin in wild Platypoecilus maculatus. Rep- resentatives of the comet gene PCo are found in natural populations of the platyfish in the Rio Jamapa and Rio Papaloapan but not in the Rio Coatacoalcos and the Rio Usuma- cinta. 2. When a “wild” P. maculatus carrying PCo is mated with “domesticated” platyfish or with “wild” Xiphophorus hellerii the phenotype of the hybrids show all the fins considerably darker, producing a new variety termed the wagtail. The modified effect of PCo from the comet to the wagtail is due to a specific factor E which has no visible effect of its own. E is autosomal and independent of the P°, PM, PMc, PCo, Pc, PCc, PT series and of st. 3. It is suggested that “domesticated” stock of P. maculatus acquired the E factor by a process of introgression. 4. The Platyfish gene PCo was transferred by hybridization to platyfish-swordtail hy- brids. By a series of backcross.es of the hy- brids to the swordtail, fish were bred having the configuration of Xiphophorus hellerii but containing PCo of Platypoecilus maculatus. This new variety is called the wagtail sword- tail among fish fanciers. The establishment of this new stock is an example of intro- gi'essive hybridization under conditions of domestication. Hybridization under natural conditions has not been known to take place. 5. The domesticated red swordtail of aquarists is considered and its origin is traced to “red” gene of P. maculatus modi- fied bv intensification by at least two X. hellerii genes. These effects resemble the be- havior of taxonomic characters in species crosses. Taxonomic characters at the lower- 1946] Gordon: Introgressive Hybridization in Domesticated Fishes 87 most levels, sub-species and perhaps species, are compared genetically with color pattern characters. 6. A number of genetic similarities and parallelisms of introgressive hybridization in cotton plants and xiphophorin fishes are indicated. References Cited. Anderson, E., and L. Hubricht. 1938. Hybridization in Tradescantia. The evidence for introgressive hybridiza- tion. Amer. Jour. Botany, 25 : 396-402. Breider, Hans, and R. Seelinger. 1938. Die Farbzellen der Gattungen Xipho- phorus und Platypoecilus und deren Bastard. Zeit. f. wissen. Zool., 151 : 243-285. Dobzhansky, Th. 1941. Genetics and the Origin of Species. 2nd Ed., New York, Colum. Univ. Press. Ford, E. E., and J. S. Huxley. 1929. Genetic rate factors in Gammarus. Arch. f. Entw. Mech., 117: 173. Friedman, H., and Myron Gordon. 1934. Chromosome numbers in xiphophorin fishes. Amer. Nat., 68: 446-455. Gabriel, M. L. 1944. Factors affecting the number and form of vertebrae in Fundulus heteroclitus. Jour. Exp. Zool., 95: 105-147. Gerschler, W. 1912. liber alternative Vererbung Kreuzung von Cyprinodontiden-Gattungen. Zeit. f. Induk. Abstamm. u. Vererb., 12: 73-96. Gordon, Myron. 1931. Hereditary basis of melanosis in hy- brid fishes. Amer. Jour. Cancer, 15: 1495-1523. 1937. The production of spontaneous mela- notic neoplasms in fishes by selective matings. Amer. Jour. Cancer, 30 : 362- 375. 1942. Mortality of albino embryos and aber- rant Mendelian ratios in certain broods of Xiphophorus hellerii. Zoologica, 27 : 73-74. 1943. Genetic studies of speciation in the swordtail-platyfish group and of the experimentally produced hybrids. Trans, of N. Y. Acad. Sci. Ser. II, 5: 63-71. 1946a. Speciation in fishes. Distribution in time and space of seven dominant multiple alleles in Platypoecilus maculatus. Advances in Genetics, 1 : (in press). 1946b. Interchanging genetic mechanisms for sex determination in fishes under domestication. Jour, of Heredity, 37 : (in press) . 1946c. Genetics of Platypoecilus maculatus IV. The sex determining mechanism in two wild populations of the Mexi- can platyfish. Genetics, 31: (in press) . Harland, S. C. 1936. The genetic conception of the species. Biol. Reviews, 11 : 83-112. 1939. Genetical studies in the Genus Gos- sypium and their relationship to evo- lutionai’y and taxonomic problems. Pro. 7th. Intern. Genetic. Congr., Edinburgh, 138-143. Hubbs, C. L. 1940. Speciation of fishes. Amer. Nat., 74: 198-211. Huxley, J. S. 1942. Evolution, The Modern Synthesis. New York, Harper & Brothers. Kosswig, Curt 1931. tiber Geschwulstbildungen bei Fisch- bartarden. Zeit. f. Induk. Abstamm. u. Vererb., 59: 61-76. 1939. Die Geschlechtsbestimmung in Kreuz- ungen zwischen Xiphophorus und Platypoecilus. Rev. Faculte Sci. VUni- ver. d’Istanbul, 4: (No. 1/2) 1-54. Mayr, Ernst 1942. Systematics and the Origin of Species. New York, Colum. Univ. Press. Ralston, E. M. 1934. A study of the chromosomes of Xipho- phorus, Platypoecilus and of Xipho- phorus-Platypoecilus hybrids during spermatogenesis. Journ. Morphology, 56: 423-433. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Plate I. Fig. 1. The wild color types in natural popu- lations. There are many pools in Mexico, particularly in the Rio Papaloapan drainage area, in which most or all of the color types shown here may be found living side by side. The first column represents the two forms of the swoi’dtail ( Xiphophorus hellerii). The up- per one represents a weakly spotted type which is very rare, occurring in wild populations in a frequency of less than one-half of one per cent. The second column represents the tail mark- ings of the platyfish (Platypoecilus maculatus) . These form a series of autosomal, dominant, multiple alleles. Reading from toil to bottom: one-spot, P°; twin-spot, PT ; single crescent, Pc; complete crescent, PCc; moon, PM; moon com- plete, PMc ■ and comet, Pc°. There is a universal recessive shown at the top of the next column, usually referred to as the + gene. Of all the seven dominant alleles, only the comet, PCo, re- acts to the presence of the E modifier. The third column shows, in addition to the universal recessive, on top, the five sex-linked patterns: striped-sided, spot-sided, spotted dor- 88 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [30: 6 sal, black-bottomed and the black-banded. These patterns are formed by macromelanophores. The series in the column to the left are formed by micromelanophores. The fourth column shows the three red col- ored varieties: the red-dorsal, the red anal-fin and the bleeding heart. These are sex-linked and are formed by erythrophores. Fig. 2. The Introgression of the Platyfish Gene Comet (Co) Into the Germ Plasm of the Sword- tail. The series of matings shown in this chart begins in the upper left hand corner. A wild swordtail ( Xiphophorus hellerii) is mated with a wild comet-marked platyfish ( Platypoecilus maculatus) . The mating of these distinct spe- cies is effective under conditions of domestica- tion in an aquarium where one female and one male are placed in a single container. Under conditions in nature, these two species, which are often found living side by side, apparently do not hybridize. In more than 10,000 specimens caught in nature, and examined, no hybrids were found between them. The “domesticated” hybrids are shown in the lower left. The comet pattern of the platyfish is transformed into the wagtail ; note the short- ening of the sword compared with its normal length in male wild swordtails shown elsewhere in the chart. There is a blend of body configu- rations and some color patterns in the hybrids. If one of the wagtail platyfish-swordtail hy- brids is selected and mated to a pure wild sword- tail male as indicated in the pair in the lower right hand corner, the body contours, the length of the tail and other features in some of the resulting offspring resemble that of the wild swordtail, but the wagtail pattern in their make- up is a sign of the fact that at least one gene, the comet gene (Co) of the platyfish, is present in the domesticated and reconstructed sword- tail. Thus the presence of a platyfish gene in the germ plasm of the swordtail is a result of introgressive hybridization. Plate II. Fig. 3. The Development of the Golden Wag- tail Platyfish. The golden wagtail platyfish was developed by mating a domesticated golden platyfish with a wild, gray-green comet. In the first generation all the offspring were gray-green, owing to the fact that the wild type gene St for micromelano- phores is dominant to the golden, or non-micro- melanophore type. The wagtail reaction is evi- dent in the Fi owing to the interaction of the wild comet gene (Co) with its modifier E. When the gray-green wagtail Fi are inbred, six pheno- types appear in the next generation. Reading down by columns, the column on the extreme left: gray, comet; gray; golden, comet. The sec- ond column: gray, wagtail; golden; golden, wagtail. The third and fourth columns represent the males and the number of phenotypes in them is the same as in the females just enumerated. When two golden wagtails are selected from the second generation offspring and mated, if by chance these individuals were homozygous for the comet (Co) and for the extensor of comet gene (E), then a pure breeding line of golden wagtail platyfish may be established as indicated in the chart. The presence of the modified gene E in domes- ticated platyfish may be explained by suggest- ing that E is found in natural populations of the related species, the swordtail ( Xiphophorus hellerii) , and it has infiltrated by introgressive hybridization into the germ plasm of the domes- ticated platyfish (Platypoecilus maculatus). Plate III. Fig. 4. The Early and the Perfected Wagtail Platyfish. In some of the early matings between the “wild” comet platyfish ( Platypoecilus macu- latus) with the “domesticated” strains, the red, black-spotted type of female was used. In some instances the R and Sp genes were carried by the W chromosomes, thus producing red, black- spotted daughters and recessive, gray sons. One of the spotted daughters and one of the gray males are shown in this plate facing to the right ; both of them carry the modified form of the comet pattern known as wagtail. The fish facing to the left was obtained by use of the golden domesticated strain and a wild comet platy. It represents one of the second genera- tion young, in which the color is bright yellow, but the fins are blackened by the interaction of the comet gene (Co) with a modifier, E, the extensor of the comet. The wagtail pigmentation reaction involves more than the deepening color of the fins: the snout and parts of the operculum are blackened by small melanophores. These pigmented cells are found in the integumentary tissues sur- rounding the region of the premaxillaries ; they are found in the tissues surrounding the region of the dentary and continue from this point caudally along a line formed by the ventral mar- gin of the articular, quadrate and preopercular; then the line forms an upwardly directed angle following the posterior margin of the preoper- cular. Photographs by S. C. Dunton. Fig. 5. Wagtail Swordtails. This pair of swordtails have all the external attributes of swordtails, Xiphophorus hellerii, except for the black coloring of the fins. This color pattern is the result of the interaction of a platyfish gene comet (Co) with a specific modifier (E) . These swordtails are the product of introgressive hybridization. In the course of their genetic history, a Platypoecilus maculatus gene, Co, has been incorporated into the germ plasm of the swordtail. Photographs by S. C. Dunton. iORDON. PLATE I. WILD COLOR TYPES CAUGHT IN THE SAME POOL IN MEXICO SWORDTAILS PLATYFI SH From Comet to, Wagtail Xiphophorus hellerii Platypoecilus maculatus , Comet Swordtail Wagtailis FIG. 2. INTROGRESSIVE HYBRIDIZATION IN DOMESTICATED FISHES. I. THE BEHAVIOR OF COMET-A PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS GENE IN XIPHOPHORUS HELLERII. iORDON. PLATE II. -► FIRST GENERATION SECOND MATING GRAY WAGTAILS GENERATION THIRD GENERATION GOLDEN WAGTAIL PLATYFISH FIG. 3. INTROGRESSIVE HYBRIDIZATION IN DOMESTICATED FISHES. I. THE BEHAVIOR OF COMET-A PLATYPOEC1LUS MACULATUS GENE IN XIPHOPHORUS HELLERII. DOMESTICATED GOLD PLATYFISH WILD GRAY COMET PLATYFISH SECOND DRIGINAL PARENTS MATING X ;ORDON. PLATE III. FIG. 4. FIG. 5. INTROGRESSIVE HYBRIDIZATION IN DOMESTICATED FISHES. 1. THE BEHAVIOR OF COMET-A PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS GENE IN X1PHOPHORUS HELLERII. Nigrelli & Gordon: Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes 89 7. Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes. I. Osteochondroma in the Jewelfish, Hemichromis bimaculatus.1 Ross F. Nigrelli & Myron Gordon. New York Aquarium, New York Zoological Society. Plates I-V ; Text-figures 1 & 2. Introduction. Only a few chondromas and related tu- mors have been reported, all in European- bred fishes. Fiebiger (1909) described a massive osteochondroma on a carp ( Cypri - nus) which grew into the cranial cavity, causing the brain to be compressed and laminated. Although no functional disturb- ances were noted in the live fish, Fiebiger reported that the olfactory lobes, certain cranial nerves and hypophysis were miss- ing. A chondroma, also in a carp, was re- ported and figured (credited to Muslow) by Plehn (1924). A longitudinal section of the head showed the tumor extending ventrally over the roof of the mouth and posteriorly against the brain, causing it to be deflected upward and at right angles to the brain stem. Thomas (1931), in his excellent review on fish tumors, recorded two cases described by Surbeck in 1917 and 1921. The first was an enchondroma which developed in a barbel ( Barbus ) as a bilobed structure between the maxilla and the right operculum. The second was a chondrofi- broma which was attached to the belly of a pike. This growth was a massive, pedicu- lated, saccular tumor larger than two fists and weighing 800 grams. No detailed histological or cytological descriptions were given of the tumors re- ported above. Neither was there any in- formation given as to the possible cause or causes of the growths. The present con- tribution is concerned with gross and his- tological descriptions of an osteochondroma on the operculum and adjacent structures of an aquarium-bred African jewelfish, Hemichromis bimaculatus. This fish was found among about 100 normal jewelfish in a 150 gallon aquarium in the Department of Animal Behavior of the American Mu- seum of Natural History. We are indebted to Dr. Lester R. Aronson for this specimen. 1 This work was supported in part by grants from the Anna Fuller Fund and The American Cancer Society, on the recommendation of the Committee on Growth of the National Research Council. Gross Description of the Tumor. When the tumor was first observed it ap- peared as a small swelling at the anterior edge of the right operculum. The growth was comparatively rapid, for within two months it attained the large size shown in Text-figure 1 and Plate I, Figure 1. The fish was a male and measured 52 mm. in standard length; the tumor mass measured 13 mm. long, 6 mm. at its widest part and from 3 to 4 mm. high. When examined with the low power binocular, the surface of the growth was more or less smooth and richly supplied with branches of the right first afferent artery (Text-figure 1). The struc- tures involved were the opercle, subopercle, peropercle, interopercle, brachiostegals, in- ferior parts of the maxillary and cheek bones. The anterior-most gill-raker of the first gill arch also had a smaller but sepa- rate cartilaginous nodule, which measured about 3 mm. in diameter. It was uncertain whether this separate growth arose de novo or whether some infiltration had taken place, either directly or through the blood stream. Histological Description of the Tumor. The tumor, together with the adjacent structures, was extirpated and pieces were fixed in Zenker’s. They were embedded in paraffin, sectioned at four microns and stained with iron-hematoxylin with and without eosin, Delafield’s hematoxylin with eosin, Mallory’s triple stain, Giemsa’s stain, and with methylene blue. The tumor was an osteochondroma, the major part of which consisted of hyalin cartilage arranged in a more or less irregu- lar pattern. (Plates I-V). The typical ar- rangement of cartilage cells with opposed surfaces was not evident. Some tranforma- tion into osteoid tissue had taken place (Plate II, Figure 6). The tissue was well supplied with nourishment from the nu- merous blood vessels which accompanied its fibrous stroma (Plate IV, Figure 9). The 90 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 7 Text-figure 1. Sketch of the ventral -lateral aspect of the head of the jewelfish showing the blood vessels on the surface of the osteo- chondroma. The main branch emerging from the branchial region is derived from the right first afferent artery. Enlarged about 4 X. intercellular substance was variable, being very dense in some areas and light in others (Plate I, Figure 3). In regions where the cartilage cells appeared to be dividing rapidly, there was little intercellular mate- rial and the isogenic groups of tumor cells were closer (Plate II, Figures 5 and 6). Both interstitial and appositional growth took place to form the tumor. The epithelium overlying the growth was still intact, slightly thickened in some areas, but otherwise normal in appearance (Plate I, Figure 2) . The corial layer was edematous and contained only a few melanophores. The thickened periosteum was basophilic (Plate I, Figure 2) while the subperiosteum was mainly acidophilic (Plate II, Figure 4). Numerous large and small, thin and thick walled blood vessels were present in the subperiosteal layer. The vessels, however, were never completely engorged and often contained granular debris. The transforma- tion of the cellular elements of the subpe- riosteum into typical chondrocytes at the periphei’y of the tumor was evident. Such cells were responsible for the appositional growth. In some l'egions the gradual transi- tion fi’om collagenous fibers, made up of spindle-shaped cells (fibroblasts), into car- tilage was visible (Plate IV, Figure 10). In other and more highly vascularized ai'eas the various cellular stages in bone formation wei’e found. The elements involved in the process were stellate-shaped (osteoblasts) which passed from the subperiosteal layer into the tumor mass. These cells (Text- figure 2, n; Plate V, Figures 11 and 12), interconnected by their dendritic pi'ocesses, foi-med a network. They laid down a hyalin- like gi’ound substance, which, however, was not calcified. (Such tissue is referred to as osteoid. In fishes osteoid tissue enters into the composition of scales and in other structures of the head, including the oper- culum) . The fully developed cartilage cells (Plate II, Figui'es 5 and 6) were irregular in shape, size and in their mass ari'angement. In some ai'eas the cells were large with clearly defined capsules and had a great deal of intei’cellular substance between them. In other ai’eas, particularly at the periphery of the tumor, the cells were smaller and iso- genic groups were more clearly separated from each other (Plate II, Figure 6). There was marked evidence of cellular activity (interstitial tissue growth), al- though no mitotic figures were noted. Many cells were binucleated (Text-figure 2, k) and in some cases two or even three cells were present within the same territorial matrix. Although the majority of cells were spherical many variations were found. Those toward the periphery of the tumor were more or less flattened in a plane paral- el with the surface. On the borderline of the cartilage and periosteum there were inter- mediate forms between the cartilage cells and the fibroblasts (Plate III, Figure 8). The body of the cartilage cells, in the fixed and stained sections, did not always fill the cartilage cavity which it occupied in the interstitial substance. A few cells had den- dritic processes (Text-figure 2, i; Plate IV, Figure 9) but whether or not these proc- esses extended into the interstitial sub- stance was not determined, although the indication was that they did. The nuclei of the mature chondrocytes were comparatively large and usually vesi- cular (Text-figure 2; Plates I-V). The cyto- plasm was granular and in the region sur- rounding the nucleus was denser and often contained minute vacuole-like structures which in some cells were small and numer- ous and in others larger and few (Plate II, Figure 5; Text-figure 2). These vacuoles were present in all preparations, regardless of fixative or stain used. It is believed that the presence of these vacuoles indicates the secretory activity of the cell, the con- tents of the vacuole passing into the inter- stitial area. Other cells contained compara- tively large concretions (chondrin?) (Text- figure 2, c) which stained similar to the intercellular material. Discussion. The osteochondroma of the jewelfish is strikingly similar histologically to compar- able growths in man (see Ewing, 1940). The cause of the tumor on the fish was not determined. It was the only abnormal speci- men in about a hundred of the same species 1946] Nigrelli & Gordon: Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes 91 Text-figure 2. Figures a-i inclusive are chondrocytes stained with Giemsa’s stain: a, e and f-i show different manifestations of the nucleus together with the vacuole-like structures around it; b, cell with basophilic staining granules which may be chromatin; c, cell with concretion (chondrin?) that stains like the intercellular substance. Figures k-n inclusive were stained with iron-hematoxylin: k, a typical chondrocyte; I, binucleate cell within the same capsule; m, cell with five vacuole-like structures in the region of the nucleus; n, cell with dense cytoplasm, containing many minute vacuole-like structures, surrounding the nucleus. Figure o, a group of osteoblast cells. Note the beginning of bone formation. About 800 X. 92 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31: 7 and strain that were kept in a 150 gallon aquarium at the Department of Animal Behavior of the American Museum of Natural History. In all other respects the fish appeared to be in good health; the gills and internal organs showed no obvious dis- turbances. There was no evidence that heredity, hormonal disturbance, nutritional deficiency, virus, bacteria or other plant and animal parasites were involved as possible causative agents of this osteochondroma. However, the tumor may have resulted from traumatic response following an injury to the fish’s operculum earlier in life. Perios- teum is readily capable of producing carti- lage whenever new formation of this tissue is required, and cartilaginous tumors might possibly arise from cells which produce bone by way of cartilage. Summary. A spontaneous osteochondroma on the right operculum and associated structures of a jewelfish, Hemichromis bimaculatus , was composed of irregularly arranged hya- lin cartilage and osteoid tissue. It was well supplied with blood vessels. Both interstitial and appositional cell growth were respon- sible for the increase in size of the tumor. The transformation of the cellular elements of the connective tissue in the subperiosteal region into chondrocytes at the periphery of the tumor was clearly evident. In several regions stellate-shaped cells (osteoblasts) passed into the mass of the tumor from the subperiosteal layer and formed a network around which hyalin-like osteoid material was deposited. The major part of the tumor consisted of hyalin cartilage. Cytological details of the chondrocytes were given. The causative agent of the osteochondroma was not determined but it may have resulted from a fractured operculum in early life. References. Ewing, James. 1940. Neoplastic Diseases. 4th Edition; 1160 pp., 581 illustrations. Philadel- phia and London. W. B. Saunders Co. Fiebiger, J. 1909. Ueber Hautgeschwiilste bei Fischen, nebst Bemerkungen fiber die Poken- krankheiten der Karpfen. Zeitschrf. f. Krebsforsch. 7 : 165. Plehn, M. 1924. Prakticum der Fischkrankheiten. 179 pp., 21 pis., 173 text-figures. Stutt- gart. E. Schweizerbart. Thomas, L. 1931. Les Tumeurs des Poissons (Etude Anatomique et Pathogenique). Assoe. Francaise pour L’Etude du Cancer. 20: 703. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Plate I. Fig. 1. Osteochondroma on the right side of the head of a live aquarium-bred male jewelfish, Hemichromis bimacu- latus. Enlarged about one-third. Pho- tograph by S. C. Dunton, New York Zoological Society. Fig. 2. Photomicrograph showing section of the osteochondroma taken through the operculum. Note the thickened band of periosteal (p) material grow- ing out from the surfaces of this structure. The epithelium (e) varies in thickness but otherwise is normal in appearance. The corial (c) layer is edematous and shows no melano- phores. The chondrocytes (Cc) show an irregular pattern and the amount of intercellular substance varies con- siderably in density. Delafield’s hema- toxylin-eosin. About 75 X. Fig. 3. Section stained with Giemsa’s. Note the varying density of intercellular material. P, Periosteum; i, intercellu- lar material. About 75 X. Plate II. Fig. 4. Section through the subperiosteal region showing blood vessels and fibrous material. Note the granular debris within the larger blood vessel. Mallory’s Triple stain. About 160 X. Fig. 5. A group of cells from the osteochon- droma. Vacuole-like cytoplasmic struc- tures are present similar to those shown in Text-figure 2. Giemsa’s stain. About 335 X. Fig. 6. Iron - hematoxylin treated section showing osteoid tissue staining black. Smaller isogenic groups of cartilage cells may be seen at the periphery. About 75 X. Plate III. Fig. 7. Note the variability in size and shape in the structure of the chondrocytes. Giemsa’s stain. 675 X. Fig. 8. Region of periosteum and subperios- teum. Transformation of the fibro- blastic-like cells into chondrocytes is taking place, producing growth by ap- position. Hematoxylin-eosin. 675 X. Plate IV. Fig. 9. Connective tissue layer extending into the tumor forming the support- ing stroma which provides the path- way for the blood vessels and other cellular elements. Giemsa’s stain. 675 X. Fig. 10. Periphery of tumor showing col- lagenous fibers with spindle-shaped cells. Note transformation into chon- drocytes. Giemsa’s stain. About 675 X. Plate V. Fig. 11. Osteoid tissue. Note the network of osteoblasts around the periphery of this tissue. Delafield’s hematoxylin. About 675 X. Fig. 12. Same as Figure 11, showing details of osteoid formation. Delafield’s hema- toxylin. About 675 X. NIGRELLI & GORDON. PLATE I. FIG. 2. FIG. 3. SPONTANEOUS NEOPLASMS IN FISHES. I. OSTEOCHONDROMA IN THE JEWELFISH, HEMICHROMIS B1MACULATUS. NIGRELLI & GORDON. PLATE II. SPONTANEOUS NEOPLASMS IN FISHES. I. OSTEOCHONDROMA IN THE JEWELFISH, HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS. ' NIGRELLI & GORDON. PLATE 111. SPONTANEOUS NEOPLASMS IN FISHES. I. OSTEOCHONDROMA IN THE JEWELFISH, HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS. NIGRELL1 & GORDON. PLATE IV. FIG. 10. FIG. 9. SPONTANEOUS NEOPLASMS IN FISHES. I. OSTEOCHONDROMA IN THE JEWELFISH, HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS. N1GRELLI & GORDON. PLATE V. FIG. 11. FIG. 12. SPONTANEOUS NEOPLASMS IN FISHES. I. OSTEOCHONDROMA IN THE JEWELFISH, HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS. ZOOLOGICA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 31 Part 3 Numbers 8-9 Published by the Society The Zoological Park, New York December 5, 1946 m to CONTENTS PAGE 8. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXV. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. By Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate I. 93 9. Effects of Sex Hormones on the Development of the Platyfish, Platypoecilus maculatus. By Herman Cohen. Plates I-V ; Text-figure 1 121 Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 93 8. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXV. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part IV.1 Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. California Academy of Sciences. (Plate I). [This is the thirty-fifth of a series of pap- ers dealing with the collections of the Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society made under the direction of William Beebe. The present paper is concerned with specimens taken on the Templeton Crocker Ex- pedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937-1938). For data on localities, dates, dredges, etc., refer to Zoologica, Vol. XXII. No. 2, pp. 33-46, and Vol. XXIII, No. 14, pp. 287-298.] Contents. Page Introduction 94 Class Pelecypoda 94 Order Anomalodesmacea 94 Superfamily Laternulacea 94 Family Periplomatidae 94 Genus Periploma Schumacher 94 Periploma carpenteri Dali 94 Periploma discus Stearns 94 Periploma stearnsii Dali 95 Periploma teevani Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 95 Family Thraciidae 95 Genus Thracia Leach in Blainville . 95 Thracia curta Conrad 95 Genus Cyathodonta Conrad 96 Cyathodonta dubiosa Dali 96 Cyathodonta lucasana Dali 96 Cyathodonta undulata Conrad 96 Family Pandoridae 96 Genus Pandora Hwass in Chemnitz 96 Subgenus Pandora s.s 97 Pandora ( Pandora ) uncifera Pilsbry & Lowe 97 Subgenus Kennerlia Carpenter 97 Pandora ( Kennerlia ) bilirata Conrad. . 97 Pandora ( Kennerlia ) convexa Dali. ... 97 Subgenus Clidiophora Carpenter 98 Pandora ( Clidiophora ) cristata Carpen- ter 98 Subgenus Foveadens Dali 98 Pandora ( Foveadens ) panamensis Dali. 98 Family Lyonsiidae 98 Genus Lyonsia Turton 98 Subgenus Lyonsia s.s 98 Lyonsia ( Lyonsia ) calif ornica Conrad. 98 Lyonsia ( Lyonsia ) gouldii Dali 98 Subgenus Entodesma Philippi 99 Lyonsia ( Entodesma ) inf lata Conrad. . 99 Superfamily Poromyacea 99 Family Poromyacidae 99 Genus Poromya Forbes 99 Subgenus Dermatomya Dali 99 Poromya ( Dermatomya ) tenuiconcha Dali 99 Family Cuspidariidae 100 Genus Cuspidaria Nardo 100 Subgenus Cuspidaria s.s 100 Cuspidaria ( Cuspidaria ) apodema Dali 100 Subgenus Cardiomya A. Adams 100 Cuspidaria ( Cardiomya ) dulcis Pilsbry & Lowe 100 Cuspidaria ( Cardiomya ) pectinata Car- penter 101 Genus Leiomya A. Adams 101 Subgenus Plectodon Carpenter 101 Leiomya ( Plectodon ) scabra Carpenter 101 1 Contribution No. 743, Department of Tropical Re- search, New York Zoological Society. Family Verticordiidae 102 Genus V erticordia S. Wood 102 Subgenus Trigonulina d’Orbigny 102 V erticordia ( Trigonulina ) ornata d’Orbigny 102 Order Teleodesmacea 102 Superfamily Astartacea 102 Family Crassatellitidae 102 Genus CrassatelHtes Kruger 102 Subgenus Hi/bolophus Stewart 102 Crassatellites ( Hybolophus ) digueti Lamy 102 Crassatellites ( Hybolophus ) gibbosus Sowerby 103 Genus Crassinella Guppy 103 Crassinella pacifica C. B. Adams 103 Crassinella pacifica mexicana Pilsbry & Lowe 104 Crassinella varians Carpenter 104 Superfamily Carditacea 104 Family Carditidae 104 Genus Cardita Bruguiere 104 Cardita cuvieri Broderip 105 Cardita grayi Dali 105 Cardita megastropha Gray 106 Cardita spurca Sowerby 106 Cardita tricolor Sowerby ....'. 106 Subgenus Car ditamer a Conrad 107 Cardita (Car ditamer a) ajfinis Sowerby. . 107 Cardita ( Carditamera ) radiata Sowerby. . 108 Superfamily Chamacea 108 Family Chamidae 108 Genus Chama Linnaeus 108 Chama echinata Broderip 108 Chama frondosa Broderip 109 Chama pellucida Sowerby 109 Chama sordida Broderip 109 Chama squamuligera Pilsbry & Lowe. ... 110 Genus Pseudochama Odhner 110 Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 110 Genus Echinochama Fischer Ill Echinochama calif ornica Dali Ill Superfamilv Lucinacea Ill Family Thyasiridae Ill Genus Thyasira Leach in Lamarck Ill Thyasira excavata Dali Ill Family Lucinidae Ill Genus Lucina Bruguiere 112 Subgenus Bellucina Dali 112 Lucina ( Bellucina ) cancellaris Philippi 112 Subgenus Caviling a Chavan 112 Lucina (Cavalinga) lampra Dali 112 Lucina ( Cavalinga ) lingualis Dali .... 113 Subgenus Here Gabb 113 Lucina (Here) excavata Carpenter ... . 113 Subgenus Lucinisca Dali 113 Lucina (Lucinisca) feiiestrata Hinds. . 113 Lucina (Lucinisca) liana Pilsbry 114 Lucina (Lucinisca) nuttalli Conrad... 114 Subgenus Lucinoma Dali 115 Lucina (Lucinoma) annulata Reeve .. . 115 Subgenus Miltha H. & A. Adams 115 Lucina (Miltha) xantusi Dali 115 Subgenus Parvilucina Dali 115 Lucina (Parvilucina) approximata Dali 115 Lucina (Parvilucina) mazatlanica Carpenter 116 Subgenus Pleurolucina Dali 116 Lucina (Pleurolucina) leucocymoides Lowe 116 Genus Anodontia Link 117 Anodontia edentuloides Verrill 117 Genus Codakia Scopoli 117 Codakia distinguenda Tryon 117 Genus Ctena Morch 118 Ctena chiquita Dali 118 94 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 Contents (continued) Ctena clarioncnsis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 118 Ctena clipper tonensis Bartsch & Rehder. . 118 Ctena mexicana Dali 119 Genus Divaricella von Martens 119 Divaricella lucasana Dali & Ochsner 119 Introduction This is the fourth of a series of papers dealing with collections of mollusks taken on the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expe- dition (1937-1938). The general plan of presentation followed in the present contri- bution is that mentioned in Part II of this series of papers2. Formal headings and keys are given only for the species collected by the Expeditions of 1936 and 1937-1938. Acknowledgment is due Dr. G. D. Hanna, Curator, department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences, for assist- ance and suggestions. Acknowledgment is also due Mr. A. G. Smith of Berkeley, Cali- fornia, Dr. A. Myra Keen of Stanford Uni- versity and Mr. George Willett of the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art for assistance in various ways. The preparation of most of the photographs by Mr. Frank L. Rogers is here acknowledged; his work was accomplished during the course of Federal Works Progress Adminis- tration Project Number 8569. We also wish to express our appreciation to Mr. Cecil Tose for the photographs of the new species of Periploma. CLASS PELECYPODA. Order Anomalodesmacea. Superfamily Laternulacea. Family Periplomatidae. Genus Periploma Schumacher. Key to the species of Periploma. A. Beaks central or nearer the posterior end a. Beaks nearly central discus aa. Beaks nearer the posterior end b. Shell orbicular stearnsii bb. Shell elongately oval teevani B. Beaks nearer the anterior end; rostrum only slightly marked off from the disk carpenteri Periploma carpenteri Dali. Periploma carpenteri Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 18, April 23, 1896, p. 20. Dredged “in 210 fathoms, mud, in the Gulf of Panama.” — Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 426, pi. 16, fig. 8. Same locality record as originally cited. Type Locality : Gulf of Panama, in 210 fathoms, mud. 2 Hertlein, L. G., and Strong, A. M. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXII. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part II. Zoologica, New York Zool. Soc., Vol. 28, Pt. 3, December 6, 1943, pp. 149-169, pi. 1. Range: La Union, El Salvador, to Pan- ama. Collecting Station: El Salvador: La Union, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-22), 3 fathoms, mud, mangrove leaves on bottom. Description: Shell suborbicular, thin, pearly, beaks slightly nearer the anterior end; surface ornamented by fine crowded granules which on some parts of the shell are arranged in extremely fine radial rows. The present specimen measures 21.5 mm. in length and 19 mm. in height. The more anteriorly situated beaks, the lack of or very fine radial arrangement of the crowded granules, larger pallial sinus and the fact that the rostrum is less distinctly marked off from the arch of the base, all serve to separate Periploma carpenteri from P. stearnsii Dali. It is possible that the specimen here re- ferred to Periploma carpenteri may be a young form of Periploma alta Adams,8 a species originally described from Panama, the type specimen of which has not been illustrated. Adams’ species is said to be similar to Periploma discus but differing in the outline of the posterior portion of the shell. Distribution: A single right valve of Periploma carpenteri was dredged in the Gulf of Fonseca. This furnishes an exten- sion northward of the known range of the species. Periploma discus Stearns. Periploma discus Stearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 13, September 16, 1890, p. 222, pi. 16, figs. 1 and 2. “San Pedro, Long Beach, etc., Los Angeles County, Cali- fornia.”— I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 82, pi. 43, figs. 1 and 3. San Pedro to San Diego, California. Type Locality: Long Beach, California (cited as type locality by I. S. Oldroyd and accepted as such by the present authors). Range: Monterey Bay, California, to La Union, El Salvador. Collecting Station: El Salvador: La Un- ion, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-ll), 5 fathoms, mud. Description: One small specimen measur- ing approximately 16 mm. from beak to base is in general features similar to Peri- ploma discus. It is slightly less circular in outline than adult specimens but this fea- ture seems to be characteristic of young forms of this species. A narrow and well marked rostrum is present. The valves are ornamented by fine granular sculpture which on some parts of the shell is arranged in fine radial rows. Pallial sinus short and rather narrow. 3 Anatina alta C. B. Adams, Ann . Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York, Vol. 5, July, 1852, pp. 518, 547 (separate pp. 294, 323). “Panama”. Periploma alta C. B. Adams, Pilsbry & Lowe, Nautilus, Vol 47, No. 3, 1934, p. 85. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 95 Distribution : The present record of Peri- ploma discus from the Gulf of Fonseca is an extension southward in the known range. Pilsbry and Lowe have cited the species from La Paz, Lower California, Mexico. It is known to occur north to Monterey Bay, California. Periploma stearnsii Dali. Periploma steai'nsii Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 18, April 23, 1896, p. 19. Dredged “in 24 fathoms, mud; off Point Fermin, at the head of the Gulf of California.” — Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 43, No. 6, 1908, p. 426, pi. 16, fig. 5. Original locality cited. Type Locality : Off Point Fermin, head of the Gulf of California, in 24 fathoms, mud. Range : Head of the Gulf of California to San Lucas Bay, Lower California. Collecting Station : Mexico: San Lucas Bay (135-D-2), 8-16 fathoms, sand. Description : Shell orbicular, thin, pearly, beaks nearer the posterior end; rostrum rather wide and well marked off by a groove ; surface ornamented by fine radial rows of granules separated from each other by a clear space. A right valve in the pres- ent collection measures approximately 34.8 mm. in length and 29.6 mm. in height. The shell of Periploma stearnsii differs from that of P. discus in the more com- pressed form, wider rostrum, wider pallial sinus, and in that the beaks are more posteriorly situated. Distribution : Periploma stearnsii hereto- fore has been known only from the head of the Gulf of California and the present rec- ord extends the known range south to Cape San Lucas Bay at the southern end of the Gulf of California. Periploma teevani Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 2 and 6. Shell elongately roundly oval, thin, fra- gile, pearly, valves gently convex and gap- ing posteriorly ; beaks nearer the posterior end, opisthogyrate, acutely pointed, fissured ; anterior dorsal margin gently rounded, sloping and merging into the rounded an- terior end, ventral margin gently rounded, posterior dorsal margin nearly straight sloping gently down to the subtruncated and nearly straight steeply sloping posterior end of the shell ; surface of shell covered by fine concentric lines of growth, the basal half sculptured by fine, weak, radial rows of pus- tules; on the rostrum these are developed into fine but strong dense closely spaced radial rows; a narrow shallow groove runs from the beak to the anterior basal margin ; internally the chondrophore is directed slightly anteriorly, and posteriorly is sup- ported by a thin rounded buttress; a litho- desma is present anterior to the chondro- phore ; faint radial lines show through on the interior of the shell; pallial sinus short (about one-fourth the length of the shell) not reaching a vertical with the hinge. Length, 23 mm.; height, 19 mm.; convexity (both valves), 10 mm. Holotype, from Station 196-D-19, Lat. 15°44'N., Long. 96°05'W., Tangola-Tangola Bay, Oaxaca, Mexico, dredged in 30 fathoms (55 meters), mud. Compared to Periploma planiuscula Sow- erby4, a species which ranges from Point Concepcion, California, to Negritos, Peru, the new species is comparatively higher in proportion to the length, the rostrum is shorter and wider and the shell is orna- mented by radial rows of pustules which in Sowerby’s species are irregularly arranged. These same characters serve to separate it fom Periploma venezuelana wiedenmayeri H. K. Hodson5 from the Miocene of Vene- zuela. This species is named for Mr. John Tee- Van, a member of the scientific staff on the Zaca during the eastern Pacific Expeditions. Family Thraciidae. Key to the genera of the Thraciidae. A. Shell ornamented by prominent oblique concentric undulations Cyathodonta B. Shell ornamented only by concentric lines of growth Thracia Genus Thracia Leach in Blainville. Thracia cur ta Conrad. Thracia curta Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 248, pi. 19, fig. 8. “Inhabits the coast of California, near Sta. Barbara.” — I. S. Oldroyd, Stan- ford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. I, 1924, p. 84, pi. 43, fig. 6. Icy Cape, Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, to San Diego, California. Type Locality: Near Santa Barbara, Cali- fornia. Range: Icy Cape, Alaska, to Punta Pe- nasco, Sonora, Mexico, in the Gulf of Cali- fornia, Mexico. To Ecuador (E. K. Jordan). Collecting Station: Mexico: SE. of Cedros Island, in channel (126-D-19), 25 fathoms, rocks, algae. Description: Shell roundly quadrate, an- terior and ventral margins rounded, poste- rior end truncated; on large specimens a distinct carina marks off the rostrum from the remainder of the shell. A specimen col- lected at San Diego, California, by Henry Hemphill measures 42 mm. in length. 4 Periploma planiuscula Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lon- don, October 25, 1834, p. 87. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam.” —Grant & Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 255, pi. 13, figs, la, lb. [Not all of the synonymy.] Pliocene to Recent. 5 Periploma venezuelana wiedenmayeri H. K. Hodson, Bull. Amer. Paleo., Vol. 16, No. 59, October 1, 1931, p. 7, pi. 1, figs. 3, 5, 7. From “2 kilometers south and 600 meters east of La Compana, District of Democracia, State of Falcon. (La Compana is 11.5 kilometers east and 2 kilo- meters south of Urumaco. )” Venezuela. Lower middle Miocene, 96 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 The shell of this species is more roundly quadrate in outline and the rostrum is much less expanded in comparison to that of Thracia trapezoides Conrad. Distribution: A single right valve of this species was dredged in the channel south- east of Cedros Island, Lower California. It has been recorded as occurring from Alaska to the Gulf of California and south to Ecua- dor. We have not seen specimens fi'om south of Cape Lucas, Lower California. Genus Cyathodonta Conrad. Key to the species of Cyathodonta. A. Shell ornamented by radiating rows of granules undulata B. Shell ornamented by granules arranged in irregular concentric lines a. Shell elongately ovate ; beaks decidedly nearer the posterior end lucasana aa. Shell higher; beaks only slightly nearer the posterior end dubiosa Cyathodonta dubiosa Dali. Cyathodonta dubiosa Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, November 27, 1915, p. 445. “Type locality, off La Paz.” Range: San Pedro to San Diego, California, and to La Paz, Lower California. — I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 86, pi. 9, fig. 5. Original locality records cited. Type Locality: Off La Paz, Lower Cali- fornia, Mexico. Range: San Pedro, California, to Cham- perico, Guatemala. Collecting Station: Guatemala: 7 miles W. of Champerico (197-D-2), 14 fathoms, mud. Description: The specimen which is here referred to Cyathodonta dubiosa differs from C. undulata in the character of orna- mentation pointed out by Dali, “the granu- lation is in somewhat irregular concentric lines and not radially distributed.” It mea- sures 19.8 mm. in length and 16 mm. in height. Distribution: A single left valve of Cya- thodonta dubiosa was dredged off Cham- perico, Guatemala, in 14 fathoms. The spe- cies has also been reported as occurring in the Pleistocene of Lower California and Panama. Cyathodonta lucasana Dali. Plate I, Figures 4 and 9. Cyathodonta lucasana Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, November 27, 1915, p. 445. “Type locality, Cape St. Lucas, Lower California, Xantus.” Type Locality: Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Mexico. Range : La Paz, Lower California, to Port Guatulco, Mexico, Collecting Station: Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, green sand, crushed shell. Description: A single left valve in the present collection dredged off Port Gua- tulco, Mexico, is identified as Cyathodonta lucasana Dali. It is elongately ovate in shape, the anterior end the longer. The pli- cations are few and sparse. In the original description of the species Dali stated that no granulation was perceptible on the type specimen which was 7.5 mm. long and 5 mm. high. The present specimen shows only fine granulation toward the base at that size but after attaining a height of 8 mm. shows well developed irregular concentric granu- lations. It measures: length, 21 mm.; height, 14 mm.; convexity (one valve), 3.4 mm. Distribution: The discovery of the oc- currence of this species at Port Guatulco, Mexico, is an extension southward of the known range. Cyathodonta undulata Conrad. Cyathodonta undulata Conrad, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 4, 1849, p. 156. [Title of article states “Shells from the coasts of Lower California and Peru”]. Thracia plicata Deshayes, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 12, Thracia, November, 1859, species 7, pi. 2, figs. 7b, 7c. California. [Not Thracia plicata Deshayes, Reeve, pi. 2, fig. 7a]. Type Locality : East coast of Lower Cali- fornia, (here designated as type locality). Peru also cited originally. Range: Gulf of California to Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-15), 40 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Santa Inez Bay (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; anchorage 1 mile south of San Do- mingo Point, Concepcion Bay; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-4, 7), V2-2 fathoms, man- grove leaves; Costa Rica: Golfito, Gulf of Dulce. Description: Shell elongate, ornamented by concentric ripples and by fine rows of granules radiating from the umbos. It at- tains a length of 50 mm. or more. Cyathodonta magnifica Jonas, from the east coast of Honduras, is a similar species. Distribution: Cyathodonta undulata has been recorded from a number of localities from the Gulf of California to Peru. It also has been reported from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Lower California, and from the Pleistocene of southern California and Panama. Family Pandoridae. Genus Pandora Hwass in Chemnitz. Winckworth6 has recently presented rea- sons for abandoning the genus name Pan- dora in favor of Calpodium Bolten7. The 6 Winckworth, R., Jour. Conch., Vol. 20, No. 2, 1934, pp. 52-53. 7 Bolten, J. F., Mus. Bolt., Pt. 2, 1798, p. 166. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 97 latter name was proposed for C. albidum Bolten, in the synonymy of which was in- cluded Tellina inaequivalvis with a refer- ence to Chemnitz, Conchyl.-Cab., Vol. 6, pi. 11, figs. 106a, b, c, d \_=Tellina inaequivalvis Gmelin], Calpodium is thus certainly avail- able if Pandora is considered to be invalid. We have hesitated to make this change until it is certain that the well known name Pandora must be abandoned. Key to the subgenera of Pandora. A. Right valve with 2 cardinal teeth a. Left valve with 1 tooth or none b. Lithodesma present Kennerlia bb. Lithodesma absent Pandora s.s. aa. Left valve with 3 cardinal teeth Foveadens B. Right valve with 3 cardinal teeth Clidioph ora Subgenus Pandora s. s. Pandora I Pandora) uncifera Pilsbry & Lowe. Pandora uncifera Pilsbry & Lowe, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 84, May 21, 1932, p. 104, pi. 17, figs. 17, 18, 19. “Acapulco, 20 fathoms, type loc.,” also from Manzanillo, Mexico, in 20 fathoms. Type Locality : Acapulco, Mexico, in 20 fathoms. Range-. Gorda Banks off Cape San Lucas, Lower California, to Port Parker, Costa Rica. Collecting Stations : Mexico: Gorda Banks (150-D-?) ; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 . fathoms, green sand, crushed shell ; Tangola- Tangola Bay (196-D-6, 7, 14, 15) 5-7 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description: Shell elongate, small, of about the same size and general features of Pandora brevifrons Sowerby8 but propor- tionately shorter. Furthermore the anterior dorsal margin of the shell is hooked, a fea- ture entirely lacking in the species described by Sowerby. Length about 12.5 mm. Distribution : Pandora uncifera was dredged abundantly off Port Guatulco, Mexi- co, in 7 fathoms. The present records of the species north to Gorda Banks in the Gulf of California and south to Port Parker, Costa Rica, are extensions of the known range. Subgenus Kennerlia Carpenter. Key to the species of Kennerlia. A. Outline elongated; anterior area of left valve set off by an impressed line bilirata 8 Pandora brevifrons Sowerby. Proc. Zool. Soc. London. September 25, 1835, p. 93. “Hab. apod Panamam." “Ob- tained from a sandy bottom, at tbe depth of ten fathoms.” —Sowerby, Spec. Conch., Vol. 1, Pt. 2, 1855, Pandora, pi. [not numbered], figs. 25, 26. —Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 19, Pandora, 1874, species 12, pi. 2, fig. 12, “Hab.— ?” B. Outline semicircular; anterior area of left valve not, or only weakly, set off by an impressed line convexa Pandora I Kennerlia) bilirata Conrad. Pandora bilirata Conrad, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1855, p. 267. Cali- fornia.— Conrad, U. S. Pac. R. R. Repts., Vol. 6, 1857, Geol. Rept., p. 73, pi. 5, fig. 25. “Santa Barbara, Cal.” Pandora ( Kennerlia ) bicarinata Carpen- ter, Arnold, Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci., Vol. 3, 1903, p. 123, pi. 18 fig. 2. Lower San Pedro series of Deadman Island, San Pedro, Cali- fornia, Pleistocene. Also Recent. Pandora ( Kennerlia ) bilirata Conrad, I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, No. 1, 1924, p. 89, pi. 53, figs. 8 and 9. Range, Forrester Island, Alaska, to Point Abreojos, Lower Califor- nia. Type Locality. California. Range: Drier Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska, to Point Abreojos, Lower Califor- nia. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-10, 12), 45-60 fathoms, crushed shell, eel grass, mud. Description : Right valve concave, left convex; anterior margin contracted in the middle, base convex; posterior end trun- cated; left valve with two carinated ribs radiating dorsally from the beak to the posterior margin, also ornamented by a few very fine and rather widely spaced raised lines extending to the ventral margin poste- rior to the anterior contraction. Length about 16 mm. Distribution: This species is often dredg- ed on muddy or on fine sandy bottoms from Alaska to Lower California. Pandora I Kennerlia I convexa Dali. Plate I, Figure 5. Kennerlyia convexa Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, November 27, 1915, p. 449. “Type locality, Ballenas Lagoon, Lower California, in 48 fathoms.” Type Locality: Ballenas Lagoon, Lower California, in 48 fathoms. Range : Ballenas Lagoon to Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Mexico. Collecting Station: Mexico: Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Description: The single specimen in the present collection referred to Pandora con- vexa is approximately 13.5 mm. in length as compared to the unfigured type of the species which was 21 mm. long. Compared to P. bilirata Conrad the shell of Dali’s species is more semicircular in outline and the anterior area of the left valve is less distinctly set off by an impressed line. Distribution: The present record of Pan- dora convexa at Cape San Lucas, Lower California, is an extension south of the known range of the species. 98 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:8 Subgenus Clidlophora Carpenter. Pandora ICIidiophora) crisfata Carpenter. Clidiophora cristata Carpenter, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, November 22, 1864, p. 597. “Hab. in sinu Californiensi.” Pandora cristata Carpenter, Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 19, Pandora, 1874, species 1, pi. 1, fig. 1. “Hab.— ?” Type Locality: Gulf of California. Range : Gulf of California to La Libertad, El Salvador. Collecting Stations : Guatemala : 7 miles west of Champerico (197-D-l, 2), 18-14 fathoms, mud; El Salvador: La Libertad (198-D-l, 2), 13-14 fathoms, mud. Description : The shell of this species may be distinguished from that of other similar forms of the genus by the presence of tri- angular serrations along the anterior dor- sal margin. A large specimen measures ap- proximately 26 mm. in length. Distribution: The discovery of the oc- currence of Pandora cristata as far south as La Libertad, El Salvador, is an extension of the known range of the species. Subgenus Foveadens Dali. Pandora l Foveadens) panamensis Dali. Foveadens panamensis Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, November 27, 1915, p. 451. “Type locality, beach at Old Panama.” Type Locality: Old Panama, on beach. Range: El Salvador to Panama. Collecting Station: El Salvador: Mean- guera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell. Description: A single somewhat worn right valve dredged in the Gulf of Fonseca off El Salvador seems to fit the description given by Dali for Pandora panamensis. This flat, white, pearly valve is slightly con- centrically undulated, and possesses two diverging teeth and a low ridge extending from the apex of the hinge to the anterior adductor scar. Length, 33.5 mm. Distribution: The present record of this species in the Gulf of Fonseca is an exten- sion north of the known range. Family Lyonsiidae. Genus Lyonsia Turton. Key to the subgenera of Lyonsia. A. Shell regular, not distorted; radial sculpture Lyonsia s.s. B. Shell irregular, distorted; smooth Entodesma Subgenus Lyonsia s. s. Key to the species of Lyonsia s.s. A. Umbos inflated; shell often arcuate calif ornica B. Umbos only slightly inflated; shell smaller, less arcuate gouldii Lyonsia (Lyons ial calif ornica Conrad. Lyonsia calif ornica Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 248, pi. 19, fig. 20 [erroneously cited in text as fig. 21]. “Inhabits the coast of California, near Sta. Barbara.” — I. S. Oldroyd, Stan- ford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 91, pi. 27, fig. 3. Type locality cited. Range, Puget Sound to Todos Santos Bay, Lower California. Type Locality: Near Santa Barbara, Cali- fornia. Range: Southeastern Alaska (Lat. 56°N.) to Lat. 24°S., Lower California. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ce- dros Island (126-D-4), in 40 fathoms, mud. Description: Shell elongate, thin, pearly, usually more or less arcuate, umbos inflated, ornamented by fine radial sculpture. Fresh specimens are always more or less covered with adhering sand grains. The subspecies Lyonsia calif ornica harol- di Dali, a generally larger shell from central California, is not arcuate and is nearly cy- lindrical in form. Lyonsia calif ornica ne- siotes Dali from southern California pos- sesses a small, thin shell in which the beaks are much nearer the anterior end than in the typical species. Distribution: A single specimen of Ly- onsia calif ornica was dredged in the channel east of Cedros Island, Lower California, in 40 fathoms. It is commonly found in the waters off California but is much less com- monly found off Lower California. Lyonsia [Lyonsia I gouldii Dali. Osteodesma nitidum Gould, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., Vol. 6, April, 1852, p. 390, pi. 15, fig. 6. “Inhabits Santa Barbara.” Lyonsia gouldii Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, November 27, 1915, p. 453. “San Francisco Bay, California, and south to Point Abreojos, Lower California.” New name for Osteodesma [ Lyonsia ] nitidum Gould, 1851, not Mya [ =Lyonsia\ nitida Fabricus, 1798. Type Locality: Santa Barbara, California. Range: San Francisco Bay, California, to Acapulco, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Off Cedros Island; E. of Cedros Island (126-D-4), in 40 fathoms, mud; Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description: Shell small, slender, pearly, umbos gently convex, ornamented by fine raised radial lines, posterior end truncated. Length about 16 mm. The shell of Lyonsia gouldii is smaller, less arcuate in outline, and the umbos are much less inflated than those of L. cali- fornica. Distribution: Lyonsia gouldii is said to range north to San Francisco Bay, Califor- nia, but apparently it occurs more commonly 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 99 farther south off San Diego, California, and in west Mexican waters. Subgenus Entodesma Philippi. Lyonsia I Entodesma I inflata Conrad. L {yonsia']. inflata Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 248, pi. 19, fig. 10. “Inhabits Guayaquil.” — I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 93. Type locality cited. Range, in sponges from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Type Locality : Guayaquil, Ecuador. Range: Vancouver Island, British Colum- bia, to Guayaquil, Ecuador (Dali). Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (144-D-2), 2V2 fathoms, mud, crushed shell. Description: Shell irregularly oval in shape, smooth, attaining a length of about 20 mm. ; anterior end short. There is some doubt as to whether inflata is the correct specific name to apply to the present specimens. They agree quite well with the general features of Lyonsia inflata shown in the original figure, but possess a more angulated anterior margin. In com- paring Lyonsia ( Entodesma ) chilense Phil- ippi with L. ( E .) inflata, Dali9 stated that “these mollusks are nestlers” but in the dis- cussion of L. inflata he stated that it is “usually found living in sponges or the mass of compound ascidians, and they differ from the rock nestlers in their polished smooth surface and normal shape.” Lyonsia diaphana Carpenter10 was orig- inally described from Mazatlan, Mexico. In an early paper Dali* 11 stated that Carpenter’s specimens appeared to be quite different from the original figure of L. inflata given by Conrad but in a later paper (1915) he considered L. diaphana to be a young form of Conrad’s species. The illustration of “Mytilimeria” diaphana given by Sowerby12 is similar in general characters to that of the original figure of Lyonsia inflata ex- cept that it is narrower and more elongated. We have not seen convincing evidence that the specimens from the Gulf of California really differ from the more southern forms, hence we have applied the earlier name pro- posed by Conrad. Distribution: Lyonsia inflata has been re- corded as occurring from Forrester Island, Alaska, to Ecuador. The more northern part of the range may perhaps be open to ques- tion but the present record from the Gulf 9 Dali, W. H., Proc. V. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 49, 1915, p. 455. 10 Lyonsia ( Osteodesma ) diaphana Carpenter, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, February 5, 1856, p. 228. “Hab. Mazat- lan.” 11 Dali, W. H., Amer. Jour. Conch., Vol. 7, Pt. 2, 1871, p. 143. 12 Sowerby, G. B., Conch. Icon., Vol. 20, Mytilimeria , 1875, species 2, pi. 1, fig. 2. “California.” of California would appear to be well within the range of the species. Superfamily Poromyacea. Family Poromyacidae. Genus Poromya Forbes. Poromya Forbes, 13th Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci., (Cork, 1843), (issued 1844), pp. 143, 191. Sole species, Poromya anatinoides Forbes. “Asia Minor, Cyclades.” Type (by monotypy) : Poromya anati- noides Forbes \=Corbula granulata Nyst & Westendorp. See illustration by Chenu, Man. de Conchyl., Vol. 2, 1862, p. 49, fig. 206]. Shell small, ovate, subequilateral; sculp- tui'e of fine granules in radial series; hinge of right valve with a strong cardinal tooth in front of a wide chondrophore; hinge of the left valve with a small cardinal tooth behind and above the chondrophore. Questimya Iredale13 is a similar genus. Subgenus Dermatomya Dali. Dermatomya Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 18, May 20, 1889, pp. 448, 452. Sole species, Poromya ( Dermatomya ) mactroi- des Dali. Type (by original designation) : Poromya ( Dermatomya ) mactroides Dali. Illustrated in Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 12, 1889, p. 291, pi. 8, fig. 8. West coast of Patagonia, in 122, 348 and 449 fathoms. Also off the coast of Ecuador. The shell of Dermatomya differs from typical Poromya in the absence of super- ficial granulations, in the presence of a deep and strong pallial sinus, and in that the hinge is very coarse and strong. Poromya I Dermatomya) tenui concha Dali. Poromya ( Dermatomya ) tenuiconcha Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 45, June 11, 1913, p. 596. “In deep water off Monterey Bay, California.” Dermatomya tenuiconcha Dali, Dali, U. S. Nat. Mtis., Bull. 112, 1921, p. 27, pi. 3, fig. 10. Alaska Peninsula to Coronado Islands, in deep water [ Dermatomya used as a sub- genus of Poromya ]. Type Locality: Off Monterey, California, in deep water. Range: Alaska Peninsula to off San Jose Point, Lower California (Lat. 31° 25' N.) Collecting Station : Mexico : 5 miles W. of San Jose Point, Lower California (175-D- 1), 45 fathoms, slabs of slaty rock. Description: Shell small, thin, smooth, subtrigonal, umbos inflated, anterior end rounded, posterior end roundly truncated, 13 Questimya Iredale, Rec. Austral Mus., Vol. 17, No. 9, June 27, 1930, pp. 389, 406. “Type Poromya undosa Hedley and Petterd,” Rec. Austral Mus., Vol. 6, No. 3, June 19, 1906, p. 224, pi. 38, figs. 16, 17. “Two odd valves from two hundred and fifty fathoms, and fragments of larger specimens from three hundred fathoms,” off Sydney, Australia. 100 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 the area set off by a low angulation anterior to which is a shallow groove; interior pearly; hinge of left valve with a small in- ternal resilium on an inconspicuous oblique chondrophore, and immediately in front of this a small notch; fitting into this is a pro- jecting denticle on the opposite valve. The present specimen measures approximately: length, 11.9 mm.; width, 9.8 mm.; convex- ity (both valves), 7.6 mm. The shell of Poromya tenuiconcha differs from that of P. trosti Strong & Hertlein, in the more trigonal form and in that the posterior margin is more distinctly trun- cated. Distribution : A single specimen of this species was dredged in 45 fathoms west of San Jose Point, Lower California. Family Cuspidariidae. Key to the genera and subgenera of the Cuspidariidae. A. Hinge with a posterior lateral tooth in right valve a. Surface smooth or with faint concentric sculpture Cuspidaria s. s. aa. Surface with radial ribs Cardiomya B. Hinge with both posterior and anterior lateral tooth in right valve a. Surface granulated Plectodon aa. Surface smooth (or with concentric growth lines only) Leiomya Genus Cuspidaria Nardo. Subgenus Cuspidaria s. s. Cuspidaria ICuspidariai apodema Dali. Cuspidaria apodema Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 52, No. 2188, December 27, 1916, p. 407. “Station 2859, southwest of Sitka Bay, Alaska, in 1,569 fathoms.” — Dali, U. S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 112, 1921, p. 28. Off Sitka, Alaska, and south to Panama Bay, in deep water. Type Locality: Southwest of Sitka, Alaska, in 1,569 fathoms. Range: Sitka, Alaska, to Panama Bay, in deep water. Collecting Station: Mexico: Cape San Lu- cas, Lower California. Description: Shell small, white, umbos in- flated, beaks about 5 mm. from the anterior end, hinge line nearly straight; anterior end rounding into the semicircular base which is suddenly constricted posteriorly at the ros- trum; smooth except for incremental lines and wrinkles on the dorsal side of the ros- trum. A single worn specimen from Cape San Lucas, Lower California, in the present col- lection, approximately 12.6 mm. long and 7.5 mm. high, appears to be referable to Cuspidaria apodema. Dali stated that his species is similar to C. obesa Loven, an At- lantic species. Our specimen does resemble somewhat the illustration of that species given by Sars14. Possibly the specimen from Cape San Lucas could be a worn valve of Cuspidaria panamensis Dali15 but the smaller size and rather straight hinge line agree more nearly with Dali’s description of C. apodema. Dali mentioned that the rostrum of C. panamen- sis is short and somewhat recurved and that the ligamentary nymph is very large and tooth like. Distribution: Only a single valve of this species was taken by the expedition at Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Subgenus Cardiomya A. Adams. Key to the species of Cardiomya. A. Right valve with about 8 ribs, these are partly twinned on the left valve dulcis B. Right and left valves with about 12 to 15 ribs pectinata Cuspidaria ICardiomyal dulcis Pilsbry & Lowe. Cuspidaria ( Cardiomya ) dulcis Pilsbry & Lowe, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 84, May 21, 1932, p. 104, pi. 17, figs. 20, 21, 22. “Mexico: Acapulco, in about 20 fathoms,” type. Also San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Type Locality : Acapulco, Mexico, in about 20 fathoms. Range : Punta Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, to Taboga Island, Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Cape San Lucas; Santa Inez Bay, Lower California (145-D-1,3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Port Guatulco (195-D-19), 17 fathoms, green mud, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l,3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell. Description: Shell small, right valve orna- mented by about 8 radiating, high, narrow ribs ; on the left valve these are partly twinned; two weak radial threads occur on the rostrum but are often lacking on empty shells. Length about 8 mm. The shell of Cuspidaria dulcis appears to differ from that of C. costata Sowerby16 in the twinning of the ribs on the left valve and in the possession of two radial threads on the rostrum. Neither of these features is See Neaera obesa Loven, Sars, Moll. Reg. Arct. Norvegiae, 1878, p. 86, pi. 6, figs. 4a, b, c. 15 Cuspidaria panamensis Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 432, pi. 16, fig. 2. “U. S. S. ‘Albatross,* station 3394, in the Gulf of Panama, in 511 fathoms, mud, bottom temperature, 41°. 8 F. U. S. N. M. 122,937.** 16 Anatina costata Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, October 25, 1834, p. 87. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam.” “A single specimen was found in sandy mud at a depth of six fathoms.** 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 101 mentioned in the original description of Sowerby’s species. Distribution: This species occurs from the Gulf of California to Panama. In the present collection it is represented most abundantly by specimens from Port Parker, Costa Rica, in 14 fathoms. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower California. Cuspidaria (Cardiomyal pectinata Carpenter. Neaera pectinata Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1863 (issued August, 1864), pp. 602, 637. Puget Sound; Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara Islands, Cali- fornia. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 88, 123. — Carpenter, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 17, 1865, p. 54. “Hab. In sinu Pugetiano.” Also “apud insulam catalinam et Sanct. Barbaram adul- tam piscavit Cooper.” — Arnold, Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci., Vol. 3, 1903, p. 181, pi. 18, fig. 11. Lower San Pedro Series at Deadman Island, San Pedro, California, Pleistocene. Type Locality: Puget Sound, Washington (cited as type locality by I. S. Oldroyd, 1924, and accepted as such by the present authors ) . Range: Puget Sound to [?] Panama. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-12), 45 fathoms, crushed shell and mud. Description: Shell with about 12 to 15 sharp radiating ribs which vary in size. The rostrum was originally described as lacking radial sculpture; this feature however, ap- pears to be variable. Length about 8 to 11 mm. The type of this species appears to have come from Puget Sound. Carpenter con- sidered shells from Santa Catalina Island, California, to be identical with those from Puget Sound. Specimens from Puget Sound in the collection at Stanford University are fully twice as large as those from off Cali- fornia. Other than size there is no apparent difference. The ribs vary considerably, de- pending on the size of the shell. Cuspidaria calif ornica Dali,17 described from Catalina Island, California, was de- scribed as differing from C. pectinata in possessing a smaller and proportionally longer and less inflated shell, with more numerous ribs, and straighter rostrum which is ornamented with two strong radi- ating lirae. In a series of specimens the characters enumerated seem variable and it seems likely that C. calif ornica is hardly more than a subspecies of C. pectinata. Distribution: Cuspidaria pectinata Car- penter has been reported as ranging from Cuspidaria ( Cardiomya ) calif ornica Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6. September, 1886, p. 296 (footnote). “Habitat. Catalina Island, California, dredged in 16 fms., mud; Dali, and previously Cooper, who con- founded it, following Carpenter, with pectinata.>y Puget Sound to Panama. The specimens in the present collection, dredged east of Ced- ros Island, appear to be referable to Car- penter’s species but we have not seen speci- mens from more southern localities. Genus Leiomya A. Adams. Leiomya A. Adams, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 3, Vol. 13, 1864 [prior to April], p. 208. Sole species, Leiomya adunca Gould. Type (by monotypy) : Leiomya adunca Gould [ —Neaera adunca Gould, Proc. Bos- ton Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 8, March, 1861, p. 24. “Inhabits Kagosima Bay, sandy mud, 12- 15 fathoms.”] A posterior and an anterior lateral tooth are present in the right valve of Leiomya, whereas in Cuspidaria only a posterior lat- eral tooth is present. Subgenus Plectodon Carpenter. Plectodon Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci., for 1863 (issued August, 1864), pp. 611, 638. Sole species, Plectodon scaber Carpenter. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 97, 124.— Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6, 1886, p. 299. Type (by monotypy) : Plectodon scaber Carpenter. Dali (1886) described the differences be- tween Plectodon and Leiomya as follows: “It differs in the insertion of the cartilage behind and under the beaks, instead of on the hinge-margin or in a fossette; in hav- ing, rather than a true tooth upon the mar- gin, a tooth-like prominence formed by the spiral twisting under the beaks of the hinge- margin itself, upon and over which, in P. scaber, there is a minute external ligament; lastly in Plectodon there is a granulated sur- face much as in Poromya.” Dali regarded Plectodon as “a mere section of Leiomya.” We have not seen specimens of Leiomya adunca, the type of Leiomya, for comparison with L. scabra, but the differ- ences in the hinge and exterior ornamenta- tion described for the two has led us, at least for the present, to retain Plectodon as a subgenus of Leiomya. Leiomya I Plectodon) scabra Carpenter. Plectodon scaber Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1863 (issued August, 1864), pp. 611, 638. “Cat. Is.; 2 similar valves, 40-60 fm.” Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 97, 124. — Carpenter, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Vol. 3, 1865, p. 207. Hab. Catalina Island, Cali- fornia, in 40-60 fathoms. Leiomya scabra Carpenter, I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 103, pi. 54, fig. 10 [not fig. 4 as cited]. “Type locality, Catalina Island in 40-60 fathoms.” Range, Puget Sound to San Diego, California. 102 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 Type Locality: Catalina Island, Cali- fornia, in 40-60 fathoms. Range: Catalina Island, California, to Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower Cali- fornia. Collecting Stations : Mexico : East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-10, 12), 45-60 fathoms, crushed shell, eel grass, mud; Cape San Lucas; Arena Bank (136-D-22), 45 fathoms, mud; Santa Inez Bay (147-D-2), 60 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell. Description: Shell elongate, rostrate, cov- ered by fine pustules giving the effect of a granular surface; color dingy white, um- bonal area pink. Length about 24 mm. Leiomya ( Plectodon ) granulata Dali18 de- scribed from the Caribbean is a similar species. “Cuspidaria ( Plectodon ) cf. granu- lata Dali” has been cited by Gardner from the Shoal River formation, lower Miocene of Florida. Distribution: The records of the occur- ence of Leiomya ( Plectodon ) scabra in Mexican waters is an extension south of the known range of the species. Family Verticordiidae. Genus Verticordia S. Wood. Subgenus Trigonulina d’Orbigny. Verticordia (Trigonulina! ornata d’Orbigny. Plate 1, Figure 7. Trigonulina ornata d’Orbigny, in Sagra, Hist. Phys. Polit. et Nat. Cuba, Moll., Vol. 2, 1846, p. 292, pi. 27, figs. 30-33. “Nous l’avons decouverte dans le sable de la Jamai- que.” — Ghenu, Man. de Conchyl., Vol. 2, 1862, p. 169, fig. 843. Verticordia ornata d’Orbigny, H. & A. Adams, Gen. Rec. Shells, Vol. 2, 1858, p. 532, pi. 124, figs. 2, 2a. — I. S. Oldroyd, Stan- ford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 103, pi. 54, figs. 15, 16, 17, 18. San Pedro, California. Range, Catalina Is- land, California, to Panama Bay. Also Japan and the Antilles. Type Locality: Jamaica, in sand. Range : Monterey Bay, California, to Panama. Also eastern America from Rhode Island to Jamaica and Barbados, Bermuda, and St. Helena. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand;' Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description: Shell small, nacreous, with about 8 or 9 prominent radial ribs on the anterior two-thirds of the shell. The average length is about 4 mm. Distribution: This species occurs on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America. 18 Leiomya ( Plectodon ) granulata Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 9, 1881, p. 111.— Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6, 1886, p. 300, pi. 3, fig. 8. Off Sombrero, in 54 and 72 fathoms ; off Barbados, in 76 and 100 fathoms ; off Dominica, in 118 fathoms. It is known from Monterey Bay, California, to Panama on the Pacific coast. It also has been reported from the Pleistocene of Cali- fornia. Order Teleodesmacea. Superfamily Astartacea. Family Crassatellitidae. Key to the genera and subgenera of the Crassatellitidae. A. Shell large (over 10 mm. in height) ; thick a. Margin crenulated Crassatellites s.s.w aa. Margin smooth Hybolophus B. Shell small (less than 10 mm. in height) ; thin Crassinella Genus Crassatellites Kruger. Subgenus Hybolophus Stewart. Key to the species of Hybolophus. A. Posterior end of shell pointed gibbosa B. Posterior end of shell truncated ..digueti Crassatellites ( Hybolophus! digueti Lamy. Crassatella undulata Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, June 5, 1832, p. 56. “Hab. ad Puerto Portrero, Americae Centralis.” “Dredged from sandy mud in eleven fath- oms water.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Crassatella, 1843, species 2, pi. 1, figs. 2a, 2b. Original locality cited. Not Crassatella undulata Lamarck, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris), Vol. 6, 1805, p. 408. Not Crassatella undulata Say, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 4, 1842, p. 142, pi. 11, fig. 2 (a, b). Crassatella digueti Lamy, Journ. de Con- chyl., Vol. 62, No. 4, February 15, 1917, p. 217. “He Ceralbo,” Gulf of California. New name for Crassatella undulata Sowerby, not Crassatella undulata Lamarck. Crassatellites laronus E. K. Jordan, Nau- tilus, Vol. 46, No. 1, July, 1932 ,p. 9. “Near salt works at San Jose Island, Gulf of Cali- fornia.”— E. K. Jordan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford Univ., Vol. 1, No. 4, 1936, p. 124, pi. 17, figs. 6, 7. Type locality cited. Also Angeles Bay, Lower California; Gulf of California and Central America. Also Mag- dalena Bay, Lower California, Pleistocene. Type Locality: Puerto Potrero, Costa Rica, in 11 fathoms, sandy mud. Range: Gulf of California to Gorgona Island, Colombia. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Bank (136-D-30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, green sand, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description: The shell of Crassatellites digueti may be easily separated from that of C. gibbosa, the only other species of the 19 Not represented in the present collection. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 103 genus living in west American waters, by the less rostrate form and by the truncated posterior end. A large specimen from the Gulf of California in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences measures 92 mm. in length. Distribution: Shells of Crassatellites di- gueti were dredged at depths of 7, 12 and 35 fathoms. The species is known to occur from the Gulf of California to Colombia. It also occurs in the Pleistocene of Magda- lena Bay, Lower California. Crassatellites I Hybolophusl gibbosus Sowerby. Crassatella gibbosa Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, June 5, 1832, p. 56. “Hab. ad oras Americae Meridionalis. (St. Elena and Xipixapi).” “Dredged from sandy mud in eleven fathoms water.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Crassatella, 1843, species 1, pi. 1, figs, la, lb. Original locality cited. Crassatillites rudis Li, Bull. Geol. Soc. China, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1930 [received at library of California Academy of Sciences May 2, 1931], p. 257, pi. 3, fig. 16. Dredged in Panama Bay. “Horizon : Gatun forma- tion.” [=Crassatellites gibbosus Sowerby. See Pilsbry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Set. Philadel- phia, Vol. 83, 1931, p. 429, pi. 41, figs. 9, 10.] Type Locality : Santa Elena and Xipixapi, Ecuador, in 11 fathoms, sandy mud. Range : Gulf of California to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l, 3), 29-35 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weeds; Gorda Banks (150-D- 23), 45 fathoms, sand, calcareous algae; Chamela Bay (182-D-2), 12 fathoms, sand, algae; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-17), 23 fathoms, mud; El Salvador: La Libertad (198-D-l, 2), 13-14 fathoms, mud; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud; 14 mi. S. X E. of Judas Point (214-D-l, 4), 42-61 fathoms, mud, rocks. Description: Shell elongately trigonal, the posterior end rostrate and pointed ; early part of shell flattened and ornamented by concentric wrinkles. The posterior end of the shell of this species is narrower and more pointed than that of C. digueti. Speci- mens dredged off western Mexico measure 51 mm. in length. Distribution: Crassatellites gibbosus was dredged at several localities from depths of 12 to 61 fathoms, mostly on sandy or shelly mud bottoms. It is known to occur from the Gulf of California to Peru and is also known to occur in the Pliocene of Costa Rica, and in the Pleistocene of Panama and Magdalena Bay, Lower California. Genus Crassinella Guppy. Key to the species of Crassinella. A. Shell with usually 8-12 concentric ribs a. Anterior dorsal margin strongly concave pacifica aa. Anterior dorsal margin weakly concave mexicana B. Shell with usually more than 12 concentric ribs which are finer and closer; shell smaller varians Crassinella pacitica C. B. Adams. Gouldia pacifica C. B. Adams, Ann. Ly- ceum, Nat. Hist. New York, Vol. 5, July, 1852, pp. 499, 545, (separate pp. 275, 321). “Panama.” — H. & A. Adams, Gen. Rec. Shells, Vol. 2, 1858, p. 484, pi. 115, figs. 7a, 7b. Type Locality : Panama. Range : Gulf of California to Panama. Collectmg Stations : Mexico : Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; El Salvador: Meanguera Is- land, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fath- oms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto, beach drift; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, shelly mud, crushed shell. Description: Shell subtriangular, but with the ventral margin well excurved : the color varying in different specimens from dingy white to pale brown, often tinged with red about the beaks, with some narrow rays of brown, and rarely with short irregular lines of brown; with eight to twelve stout sub- equal concentric ridges; sometimes radially striated; beaks very acute and closely ap- proximate; posterior area moderately de- pressed; lunule defined by a well impressed line, rising at the margin of the valves; margin of the interior not crenulate. It is closely allied to G. parva Ad. Length, .22 inch; height, .19 inch; breadth, .09 inch (C. B. Adams) . The type specimens of Crassinella paci- fica have never been illustrated. H. & A. Adams give figures of the species but whether the specimen represented was from the type lot is not known. Specimens from the Gulf of California to Panama seem to agree with Adams’ description. They also bear out Carpenter’s conclusion that the West Indian C. guadalupensis d’Orbigny,20 which species according to Lamy is identi- cal with C. parva C. B. Adams (1845), is “the exact analogue of Gouldia pacifica.” He also added that C. martinicensis d’Orbigny is intermediate between C. pacifica and C. varians. The specific name pacifica is the earliest name available for specimens of the genus Crassinella found at Panama and it appears applicable to shells north to the Gulf of Cali- fornia. When a large series is examined it is apparent that there is so much variation in the size, shape, and amount of ribbing, 20 Crassatella guadalupensis d’Orbigny, in Sagra, Hist. Cuba, Moll., Vol. 2, 1845, p. 289, Atlas, pi. 27, figs. 24. 25, 26. 104 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:8 that we are inclined to question whether more than one species, or at most one spe- cies and a subspecies, occurs in this region. Distribution-. Specimens of Crassinella pacifica were collected on the beach and dredged abundantly at depths of 7 to 16 fathoms, from Port Guatulco, Mexico, to Port Parker, Costa Rica. This species has also been reported as occuring in the Plio- cene of Ecuador. Crassinella pacifica mexie ana Pilsbry & Lowe. Crassinella mexicana Pilsbry & Lowe, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 84, May 21, 1932, p. 103, pi. 14, figs. 8, 9. “Mex- ico: Guaymas, in about 20 fathoms (Lowe).” Type Locality : Guaymas, Mexico, in about 20 fathoms. Range : Cedros Island to the Gulf of Cali- fornia. Collecting Station: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island, Lower California (126-D-12), 45 fathoms, crushed shell and mud. Description: According to Pilsbry & Lowe Crassinella mexicana is very similar to C. pacifica C. B. Adams but “it differs chiefly by being relatively high and short, the pos- terior and anterior dorsal margins meeting in a smaller angle.” Externally there are about 12 concentric ribs. The measurements given for the type were: length, 3.4 mm.; height, 3.3 mm.; diameter, 1.8 mm. There appears to be but few if any con- stant characters by which this form differs from the variable C. pacifica. The large size and less concave anterior dorsal margin may be distinguishing characters but it is not at all certain that these can be relied upon to separate the form mexicana as a distinct species or subspecies. Specimens dredged by the expedition east of Cedros Island resemble so closely the illustrations of Crassinella mexicana given by Pilsbry & Lowe that we have assigned the shells to that form which we consider to be a subspecies of C. pacifica, at least until more is known regarding the relationship between it and the type specimens of C. pa- cifica. Distribution: The discovery of the pres- ence of this form off Cedros Island in 45 fathoms is an extension north of the known range. Crassinella varians Carpenter. Gouldia varians Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, October, 1855, p. 83. “Mazatlan.” See also pp. 86 (footnote), 549. Crassatella pacifica C. B. Adams, var. varians Carpenter, Lamy, Journ. de Con- chyl., Vol. 62, No. 4, 1917, p. 248. Bay of La Paz, Lower California, and Panama. Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: Gulf of California to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Nicaragua: Corinto (200- D-19), 12-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves. Description: “It has the general size and appearance of Astarte triangularis.” “It has concentric ribs either near the umbo, all over the shell, or not at all.” “Even in its most ribbed form, it differs from G. pacifica in being very much smaller, not so flat, with umbos more spirally projecting, and with the anterior dorsal margin less concave, as well as in having the ribs small- er, and closer.” (Carpenter). As indicated by the specific name varians and by Carpenter’s discussion, this is a very variable form. Specimens from the Gulf of California and south to Panama show great variation and certain ones could be picked out which could be assigned to C. varians, C. pacifica or C. pacifica mexi- cana. In the absence of any illustration of Carpenter’s type and in view of the known variation of specimens of Crassinella from Mazatlan, the type locality of C. varians, and from Panama, the type locality of C. pacifica, the present authors question whether two distinct species exist in that region. Apparently the chief characters which Carpenter relied upon to separate C. varians from C. pacifica were: the smaller size, more numerous and more closely spaced ribs and less concave anterior dorsal margin. Some specimens from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California and others from Corinto, Nicaragua, seem to answer that description and have been referred to C. varians. They bear some resemblance to C. goldbaumi E. K. Jordan21 from the Pleistocene of Mag- dalena Bay, Lower California, but we are inclined to refer them to Carpenter’s spe- cies. Crassinella haylocki Pilsbry & Olsson22 from the Pliocene of Ecuador appears to be a similar form, as does Crassinella quin- tinensis Manger23 from the Pleistocene of San Quintin Bay, Lower California. Distribution: The distribution of this species appears to be the same as that of Crassinella pacifica; that is, the Gulf of California to Panama. Superfamily Carditacea. Family Carditidae. Genus C ardita Bruguiere. Key to the species of Cardita. 21 Crassinella goldbaumi E. K. Jordan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford TJniv., Vol. 1, No. 4, November 13, 1936, p. 126, pi. 18, figs. 4, 5. Magdalena Bay, Lower California, Pleistocene. 22 Crassinella haylocki Pilsbry & Olsson, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 93, September 9, 1941, p. 57, pi. 18, figs. 7, 8. “Canoa formation, Punta Blanca.” Ecua- dor, Pliocene. 23 Crassinella quintinensis Manger, Johns Hopkins Studies in Geol., No. 11, 1934, p. 298, pi. 21, figs. 1, 2. “San Quintin Bay, Lower California.” Pleistocene. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 105 A. Shell high, quadrate or trigonal; hinge without distinct anterior lateral tooth (genus) Cardita a. Shell roundly trigonal in outline b. Shell large, very thick, ribs broad and rounded megastropha bb. Shell small (15-20 mm. long), ribs narrow and bearing a row of pustules spurca aa. Shell subquadrate in outline c. Posterior end broadly rounded grayi cc. Posterior end obliquely truncated d. Dorsal area offset: inter- spaces between ribs narrow cuvieri dd. Dorsal area not offset; dorsal slope steep; inter- spaces two-thirds to three- fourths as wide as the ribs tricolor B. Shell laterally elongated; hinge with a distinct anterior lateral tooth (subgenus) Carditamera a. Posterior ventral and dorsal margins nearly parallel; spines on early portion of posterior ribs affinis aa. Posterior ventral and dorsal margins not parallel; spines only on rib next to posterior dorsal margin radiata Cardita cuvieri Broderip. V enericardia crassicostata Sowerby, Cat. Shells Tankerville, Ap., 1825, p. IV. [No locality cited]. — Hanley, Cat. Rec. Bivalve Shells, 1856, p. 129, pi. 17, fig. 56. Not Cardita crassicostata Lamarck, 1819. Cardita cuvieri Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, June 5, 1832, p. 55. “Hab. in Sinu Fonseca, Americae Centralis.” “Dredged from sandy mud in eleven fathoms water, about seven miles from the shore.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 24, pi. 5, fig. 24. Original locality cited. Also “Acapulco.” Cardita varia Broderip, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, pi. 5, fig. 25b [not 25a], Cardita michelini Valenciennes, Voy. Venus, Zool., 1846, pi. 22, fig. 5 [two figs.]. [No locality cited.] Type Locality: Gulf of Fonseca, Central America, in 11 fathoms, sandy mud. Range : Gulf of California to Zorritos, Peru. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Ceralbo Is- land, Gulf of California; Port Angeles; Port Guatulco; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description: Shell large (attaining a length of 66 mm.), subquadrate in outline, thick, dorsal area strongly set off from re- mainder of valve; ornamented by about 14 broad, square, nodulous ribs which are separated by very narrow channelled inter- spaces ; about a half dozen smaller ribs occur on the dorsal area; color reddish or orange brown. The subquadrate shape and square ribs easily serve to separate this species from C. megastropha which possesses a rounded trigonal shell with rounded ribs. The closer set ribs and offset dorsal area are charac- ters which assist in separating Cardita cuvieri from C. tricolor. Venericardia hadra Dali, the type of Glyptactis Stewart, and V enericardia himerta Dali, described from the lower Miocene of Florida, are somewhat similar to C. cuvieri. Cardita umbonata Sowerby, described from Sierra Leone, West Africa, is said to be similar in form to C. cuvieri. Distribution: Specimens of Cardita cuvi- eri in the present collection were collected on the beaches in the Gulf of California, along the mainland of western Mexico, and at Gorgona Island, Colombia. The species is known to occur from the Gulf of Cali- fornia to Peru. It also is known to occur in the Pleistocene of Oaxaca, Mexico, and Ecuador. Cardita grayi Dali. Cardita crassa G. B. Sowerby I, Zool. Beechey’s Voy., 1839, p. 152, pi. 42, fig. 4 [two figures], “Inhab. Found at Acapulco.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 34, pi. 7, fig. 34. Original locality cited. Not Cardita crassa Lamarck, 1819. Cardita grayi Dali, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 54, January 20, 1903, p. 706. “Cape St. Lucas, the Gulf of California and south to Panama and the Galapagos Islands.” New name for Cardita crassa Gray,” not C. crassa Lamarck. Type Locality: Acapulco, Mexico. Range: Gulf of California to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Chamela Bay, beach ; Port Guatulco, beach ; Tangola- Tangola Bay, beach. Description: Shell trapezoidal, inflated, posterior dorsal margin broadly rounded; a broad shallow depression occurs from the beak to the base slightly anterior to the center; ornamented by 15 or 16 fairly broad rounded ribs which are separated by much narrower interspaces. A large speci- men measures 33 mm. in length and 28 mm. in height. The rounded posterior portion of the shell, rounded ribs, broad sulcus and less strongly developed central cardinal tooth, easily separate Cardita grayi from C. tri- color Sowerby. 106 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:8 A. M. Keen has pointed out that in so far as the hinge is concerned this species might well be referred to the genus Beguina Bolten (see Min. Conch. Club South. Calif., No. 39, September, 1944, p. 12). Distribution : A few specimens of this species were collected on the beaches of Mexico. It ranges south to Ecuador. Cardita meg astropha Gray. Venericardia meg astropha Gray, Ann. Phil., Neiv Ser., Vol. 25, February, 1825, p. 137, two figs. p. 138. [Not the locality “New Holland?”] — Lamy, Journ. de Con- chyl., Vol. 66, No. 4, 1922, p. 294, two text figs. p. 296. Lower California; Acapulco, Mexico. Venericardia flammea Michelin, Mag. de Zool., Vol. 1, 1831, Moll., pi. 6. [Locality unknown], Cardita tumida Broderip, P>oc. Zool, Soc. London, June 5, 1832, p. 56. “Hab. ad Amer- icae Centralis et Meridionalis oras.” “Found in a young state at Puerto Portrero, at a depth of eleven fathoms, in fine sand and gravel; and in a full-grown state at the Isle of Plata, in coral sand, at the depth of seventeen fathoms.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 26, pi. 5, fig. 26. Original locality cited. Cardita varia Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, June 5, 1832, p. 56. “Hab. ad in- sulas Gallapagos.” “Dredged in fine sand at the depth of six fathoms.”— Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 25, pi. 5, fig. 25a [not 25b], Original locality cited. Type Locality : La Plata Island, Ecuador, in 17 fathoms, coral sand (here designated as type locality). [“New Holland?” origi- nally cited]. Range-. Gulf of California to La Plata Island, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; Ceral- bo channel, Gulf of California (137-D-3), 46 fathoms, rock; Ceralbo Island, beach; 3 mi. off Pyramid Rock, Clarion Island (163-D-2), 55 fathoms, rock, coral; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; Santa Cruz Bay; Costa Rica: Port Parker, beach; Colombia: Gorgona Island, beach. Description: Shell roundly trigonal with prominent curved beaks, ornamented by about 12 broad, rounded, often somewhat nodulous ribs, and additional finer ones which occur along the gently offset dorsal area; the ribs nearly merge one into the other at their bases but often they are separated by a shallow incised line; color usually brownish-red flecked with white or yellowish spots. A large specimen from Gorgona Island, Colombia, measures 54 mm. in altitude. The shell of Cardita megastropha is easily separated from that of C. cuvieri by the more trigonal form, more projecting beaks, and broad rounded ribs. Venericardia terryi Olsson from the Miocene of Costa Rica and V. terryi brassica Maury from the Miocene of Trinidad are similar forms. Distribution: Specimens of Cardita me- gastropha in the present collection were dredged from depths of 7 to 55 fathoms, and empty shells were found on beaches. The species is known to occur from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and the Gala- pagos Islands. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Lower Cali- fornia. Cardita spurca Sowerby. Carita spurca Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1832 (issued March 13, 1833), p. 195. “Hab. ad oras Peruviae.” “Dredged among coarse sand and gravel, in from six to ten fathoms, at Iquiqui, in Peru.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 32, pi. 7, fig. 32. Original locality cited. Type Locality : Iquique, Chile, in 6 to 10 fathoms, sand and gravel. Range: Mazatlan, Mexico, to Chile and Straits of Magellan. Collecting Station: Mexico: Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand. Description: Shell small, ovately oblong, anterior margin rounded, posterior dorsal area subangulated; ornamented by about 18 nodulous, radiating ribs; shell white or with brown spots, covered by an olivaceous periostracum; interiorly the dorsal area just beneath the beaks is often colored pink. The specimens in the present collection agree so perfectly with the descriptions and illustrations of Cardita spurca that we have assigned them to that species. One of the largest specimens measures approximately 18 mm. in length and 16 mm. in height. Cardita velutina E. A. Smith from Chile and the Strait of Magellan is a somewhat similar species. Distribution: Cardita spurca is here re- corded for the first time from west Mexican waters. It has previously been reported from Peru, Chile, and south to the Straits of Magellan. If our specimens are really C. spurca, it has a long range. We have not seen specimens of the species from Chile and hence some doubt exists as to the iden- tity of the present specimens from off Mexico. Cardita tricolor Sowerby. Cardita tricolor Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1832 (issued March 13, 1833), p. 194. “Hab. America Centrali.” “Found among sand and mud, at a depth of ten fathoms, in the Bay of Guayaquil.” — Lamy, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 66, No. 3, 1922, p. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 107 248. [Lower] California; Guaymas; Acapul- co; Panama. Cardita laticostata Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1832 (issued March 13, 1833), p. 195. “Hab. America Centrali (Guacomayo).” “Found in sand, at a depth of from six to twelve fathoms, at St. Elena, Panama, and Real Llejos.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 36, pi. 7, figs. 36a, 36b, 36c. Cardita laticostata Sowerby var. B, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 36, pi. 7, fig. 36d. [Ref. to Cardita tricolor ]. Original locality records of C. tricolor cited. Cardita arcella Valenciennes, Voy. Venus, Zool., Atlas, 1846, pi. 22, fig. 1 (two figures) . Cardita reeveana Clessin, Martini-Chem- nitz Conchyl.-Cab., Bd. 10, Abt. 1, Cardi- tacea, 1888, p. 37, pi. 13, figs. 1 and 2 [not pi. 15, figs. 6 and 7], Type Locality : Bay of Guayaquil, Ecua- dor, in 10 fathoms, sand and mud. Range : Gulf of California, to Paita, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-15), 1.5 fathoms, coral; Santa Cruz Bay, beach ; Guatemala : 7 miles west of Champerico (197-D-l, 2), 14 fathoms, mud; Nicaragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point, beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker, beach; Piedra Blanca Bay (200-D-l, 10), 2-6 fathoms, rocks, sand, algae; Panama: Isla Parida, beach; Bahia Honda, beach. Description: Shell fairly large, thick, subquadrate, ornamented by about 22 or 23 high, square ribs, of these 5 or 6 on the steeply sloping posterior margin are much smaller; ribs crossed by strong raised lines; periostracum black or brownish colored with raised concentric lines, sometimes with bands of bluish-white. The color varies, the anterior and posterior portions or in some cases concentric bands may be orange col- ored. A large specimen in the collection from Port Parker, Costa Rica, measures ap- proximately 60 mm. in length and 52 mm. in height. A study of a series of specimens reveals that there are no constant characters which can be relied upon to separate Cardita tri- color from C. laticostata. The specific name tricolor has page priority over that of lati- costata and for that reason we have ac- cepted Lamy’s choice of that name for the species. Large shells of Cardita tricolor are some- what similar to those of C. cuvieri but can be easily separated from that species by the narrower ribs, wider interspaces, flatter umbos, and by the steeply sloping posterior area. Heilprin compared Cardita serricosta from the Tampa Silex beds of Florida with C. laticostata. Cardita tricolor bears some resemblance to C. floridana Conrad of the Caribbean region, but the posterior area of the west American form slopes more steeply and it lacks the strong lateral teeth of the Floridan species. Other than the cardinals, the hinge of C. tricolor has only what Dali referred to as a lunular pustule. Distribution: Specimens of Cardita tri- color in the present collection were found on beaches and dredged at depths of 1.5 to 14 fathoms. The species is known to occur from the Gulf of California to Peru. It also has been recorded as occurring in the Plio- cene of Costa Rica and in the Pleistocene of the Tres Marias Islands. Subgenus Co rditamera Conrad. Cardita ICarditamera i offinis Sowerby. Cardita affinis Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1832 (issued March 13, 1833), p. 195. “Hab. in America Meridionali.” “Dredged from sandy mud, at a depth of from six to twelve fathoms, in the Bay of Montejo and Gulf of Nocoiya.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 6, pi. 1, fig. 6. [No locality cited]. Type Locality: Bay of Montijo, Panama, in 6 to 12 fathoms, sandy mud, (here se- lected as type locality). Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, also cited originally. Range : Pequena Bay, Lower California, to the Gulf of California and south to Santa Elena, Ecuador. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California; Cape San Lucas, Lower California; Chamela Bay; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; Guatemala: 7 mi. W. of Champerico (197-D-2), 14 fathoms, mud; El Salvador: La Union, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-22), 3 fathoms, mud, mangrove leaves; Nicaragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point, beach; Corinto (200-D-2), 5.3 fath- oms, mangrove leaves; San Juan del Sur, beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l), 15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell; Port Culebra, beach; Culebra Bay, beach; Piedra Blanca, beach ; Golfito, Gulf of Duke, beach. Description: Shell elongately rectangular in shape, anterior end projecting and round- ed, basal margin and posterior dorsal mar- gin nearly parallel, posterior end rounded or obliquely truncated, posterior umbonal area angulated or rounded; ornamented by about 15 ribs, the anterior ones flattened and lacking scales and in some cases more crowded, while those on the posterior por- tion of the valves are convex, squamose on young specimens but later become smooth or bear a varying number of scattered scales. The shell is colored brownish-white anter- iorly and olive brown posteriorly; interiorly the posterior dorsal area is brown as is the anterior dorsal margin ; the remainder is white. Length often less than 50 mm. The smaller size, more scaly and spinose character of the posterior ribs and often 108 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:8 more contracted anterior end, seem to be about the only differences between Cardita affinis and its subspecies calif ornica.24, The subspecies attains a much larger size (a large specimen from the Gulf of Calfiornia measures 82 mm. in length), the anterior end is broader with the ribs less crowded, and the posterior ribs almost or entirely lack spines, but in a large series there ap- pears to be complete gradation between this form and C. affinis. The subspecies C. affinis calif ornica is restricted to a more northern range and is particularly abund- ant in the Gulf of California. This appears to be the form illustrated by Reeve25 as Car- dita pectunculus. Cardita gracilis Shuttleworth of the Caribbean region is similar to C. affinis. Distribution : Cardita affinis was collected at many localities from the Gulf of Cali- fornia to Costa Rica, on beaches and dredged at depths of 3 to 15 fathoms. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay, Lower California, and of Oaxaca, Mexico. Cardita ICarditameral radiata Sowerby. Cardita radiata Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1832 (issued March 13, 1833), p. 195. “Hab. ad Salango, Columbiae Occi- dentals, et ad Panamam.” “Found in muddy sand at from six to twelve fathoms.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, 1843, species 5, pi. 1, fig. 5a [not fig. 5b], Original locality cited. Lazaria radiata Sowerby, H. & A. Adams, Gen. Rec. Shells, Vol. 2, 1858, p. 489, pi. 116, figs. 4, 4a. Lazaria observa Morch, Malakozool. Blat- ter, Bd. 7, 1861, p. 199. (Proposed for Reeve’s pi. 1, fig. 5a). “Puntarenas.” Costa Rica. Type Locality: Salango, Ecuador, in 6 to 12 fathoms, sandy mud (here selected as type locality). Panama also cited originally. Range : San Juanico, Lower California (Stearns) ; Petatlan Bay, Mexico, to Negri- tos, Peru. Collecting Stations: Nicaragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point, beach; Corinto (200- D-10, 16, 19), 4-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Descrivtion : The shell of Cardita radiata is somewhat similar to that of C. affinis but the ribs numbering about 17 are but little reduced anteriorly and scales occur only on the rib just below the posterior dorsal mar- 24 Cardita calif ornica Deshayes, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1852 (issued May 23, 1854), p. 100. “Hab. Gulf of Cali- fornia.” 25 Cardita pectunculus Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 1, Cardita, June, 1843, species 4, pi. 1, fig. 4. [Not the record “Madagascar”.] — Mabille, Bull. Soc. Philomath. Paris, Ser 8, Vol. 7, 1895, p. 74. Gulf of California ; Lower California ; coasts of Central America. gin. The posterior end of C. radiata is more elongated, becomes gradually narrower and is usually somewhat pointed, and the two ribs at the posterior ventral margin are often projecting somewhat farther than the others. The color pattern of C. radiata is more spotted in effect, the ground color is yellowish-brown and on this are dark spots or narrow bands. The hinge of C. radiata is weaker and the left anterior cardinal tooth slopes much less steeply anteriorly than does that of C. affinis. Distribution: Specimens of Cardita radi- ata in the present collection were found on beaches and dredged at depths of 4-13 fath- oms, but not as abundantly as C. affinis. Superfamily Chamacea. Family Chamidae. Key to the genera of the Chamidae. A. Nearly equivalve; with lunule; regular radial rows of long spines Echinochama B. Usually not equivalve; without lunule; concentric scaly laminae or spines a. Beaks turned to the right Chama aa. Beaks turned to the left Pseudochama Genus Chama Linnaeus. Key to the species of Chama. A. Interior of adult shell entirely white a. Shell with concentric lamellae or dense spines b. Shell large ; concentric scaly lamellae ; exterior white and rose pellucid a bb. Shell small, rounded ; dense short white spines squamuligera aa. Shell with irregularly scattered spines; color pink sordida B. Interior of adult shell dark red, purple or partly white a. Hinge bright coral red echinata aa. Hinge white; exterior with radially striated, expanded, frondose lamellae frondosa Chama echinata Broderip. Chama echinata Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1834 (issued April 3, 1835), p. 150. “Hab. in America Centrali. (Puerto Portrero).” “Found at low water attached to rocks.” — Broderip, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lon- don, Vol. 1, 1835, p. 305, pi. 39, figs. 5-7. — - Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, 1847, species 35, pi. 7, fig. 35. Original locality cited. Chama coralloides Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, December, 1846, species 18, pi. 4, fig. 18. “Hab. Porto Portrero, Central America (found attached to rocks at low water) ; Cuming.” 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 109 Type Locality : Puerto Potrero, Costa Rica, attached to rocks at low water. Range : Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, and the Gulf of California to Paita, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Gallito Point at entrance to Concepcion Bay, E. coast of Lower California; Port Guatulco; Nica- ragua: Isla Cardon, Corinto. Description : The purple interior and the bright coral red color of the hinge are characteristic features of the shell of this species. Distribution : Chama echinata is com- monly found attached to rocks at low tide along the west Mexican coast. It ranges south to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. It has also been reported from the Pleistocene of Oaxaca, Mexico. Chama frondosa Broderip. Chama frondosa Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1834 (issued April 3, 1835), p. 148. “Hab. ad Insulam Platam Co- lumbiae Occidentalis.” “Dredged up from a rock of coral, to which it was adhering, at a depth of seventeen fathoms.” — Bro- derip, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, Vol. 1, 1835, p. 302, pi. 38, figs. 1, 2. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, 1846, species 1, pi. 1, fig. la. Original locality cited. Type Locality: Island of La Plata, Ecua- dor, in 17 fathoms, attached to coral. Range: Gulf of California to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (143-D-l), 29 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell, weeds. Description: The shell of Chama fron- dosa is ornamented by striated frondose laminae each of which, when perfect, is shaped like a broad fan-shaped leaf. The exterior is usually of a beautiful saffron color while most of the interior is white with purplish colored finely denticulated margins. A single specimen in the present collec- tion from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California appears to have grown without attachment of any kind. The subspecies Chama frondosa mexicana Carpenter has shorter, less frondose, more numerous and irregularly distributed lamel- lae and the exterior is colored purplish-red as is the margin of the interior. It is the form represented on Reeve’s plate 1, figure lb. It occurs commonly along the west coast of Mexico and ranges from Magdalena Bay, Lower California, and the Gulf of California to Panama and the Galapagos Islands. This subspecies attains a large size and is often so covered by marine growths that the orig- inal sculpture is not visible. Distribution: Chama frondosa occurs from the Gulf of California to Ecuador but it appears to be much less commonly found in the northern part of its range. We have not seen specimens from the west coast of Lower California north of Cape San Lucas. It also occurs in the Pliocene of Lower Cali- fornia. Chama pellueida Sowerby. Chama pellueida Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1834 (issued April 3, 1835), p. 149. “Hab. ad Peruviam. (Iquiqui).” “Dredged up attached to stones, Mytili, and turbinated shells, at a depth varying from nine to eleven fathoms, from a bottom of coarse sand, and also found under stones at low water mark.” — Broderip, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, Vol. 1, 1835, p. 302, pi. 38, fig. 3. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, 1847, species 32, pi. 6, fig. 32. Original lo- cality cited. Type Locality: Iquique, Chile, in 9 to 11 fathoms, attached to stones and Mytili; also under stones at low water mark. Range: Oregon (Lat. 44° N.), to Mejil- lones and Cobija, Chile, and Juan Fernandez Island. Collecting Station: Mexico: Off Cedros Island, Lower California. Description: Shell translucent, exteriorly white or waxy white rayed with rosy streaks; spines irregular in size; interior white, margin very finely denticulated. The spines of Chama pellueida are not ex- panded, frondose and striated as are those of C. frondosa. Distribution: Chama pellueida was dredged by the expedition off Cedros Island, Lower California. It has been recorded as occurring from Oregon to Chile but we have not seen specimens from south of Cedros Island. It occurs fairly commonly along the coast of southern California. It has also been recorded as occuring from upper Mio- cene to Recent in California. Chama sordida Broderip. Chama sordida Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, for 1834 (issued April 3, 1835), p. 151. “Hab. in America Centrali. (Isle of Cuna).” “Dredged up from a depth of eighteen fathoms, attached to rocks.” — Bro- derip, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, Vol. 1, 1835, p. 309, pi. 39, figs. 8 and 9. Original locality cited. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, 1847, species 23, pi. 5 fig. 23. Original lo- cality cited. Type Locality: Island of Cuna, Central America, in 18 fathoms, attached to rocks. [We have not noticed any South American island of this name in the atlases which we have consulted. There is, however, an island of “Cano” in the Gulf of Nicoya and another island of the same name in the Gulf of Dulce.] 110 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:8 Range : Carmen Island, Gulf of Califor- nia, to Gorgona Island, Colombia. Collecting Station : Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-13), 45 fathoms, mud, Area con- glomerate. Description : Shell of moderate size, lower valve deeply concave, upper valve gently con- vex, ornamented by short, sparse, irregu- larly scattered spines and by fine radial sculpture, color pale coral-red; interior white with finely crenulated margins. The short sharp rugosity in the hinge is finely serrated on some specimens. The original description mentions that the shell of this species varies much according to its age. The present specimen measures approxi- mately 36.5 mm. from beak to base, and the convexity (both valves), 25.5 mm. Apparently the record of Chama iostoma Conrad cited by Tomlin26 from Gorgona Island, Colombia, can be referred to Chama sordida. Conrad’s species was originally de- scribed from Hawaii. Distribution : The present record is the second of Chama sordida from the Gulf of California. It occurs south to Colombia but is not a common species. Chama squamuligera Pilsbry & Lowe. Chama spinosa Broderip cited by authors from West American waters. Not Chama spinosa Broderip, 1835. Chama squamuligera Pilsbry & Lowe, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 84, May 21, 1932, p. 103, pi. 14, fig. 10. “Nicar- agua: San Juan del Sur,” type. Also, Man- zanillo, Tres Marias, Cape San Lucas, and Mazatlan, Mexico. Type Locality : San Juan del Sur, Nicar- agua. Range : San Martin Island, Lower Cali- fornia, to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Port Gua- tulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; also on beach; Tangola-Tan- gola Bay. Description: Shell small, round, both valves moderately arched, the lower more so, attached by nearly one half of the sur- face of the lower valve; whitish colored; sculpture consisting of dense, small, pro- jecting scales which are more or less united into irregularly concentric frills. Interior white, margin fringed with scales, ex- tremely finely crenulated and on large speci- mens granulose. Usually not over 20 mm. in altitude but sometimes specimens attain a height of 30 mm. from beak to base. The shell of Chama squamuligera is very similar to that of the species described by Broderip as Chama spinosa from Lord Tomlin, J. R. leB., Jour. Conch., Vol. 18, No. 7, May, 1928, p. 193. “Gorgona Is. on shore, common living; dead shells from Albemarle Is.” Hood’s Island, a species referred by Lamy to C. asperella Lamarck. The white interior makes it possible to easily separate Chama squamulig era from the young of C. echinata in which the interior is brightly colored purple and the hinge red. Young specimens of Chama pellucida are more strongly and less densely spinose, often colored some shade of rose, and the margin has not the same granulose character as that of C. squamuligera. Distribution : A few specimens of Chama squamulig era in the present collection were dredged in 7 fathoms at Port Guatulco, Mexico, and others were collected on the beach at Tangola-Tangola Bay, Mexico. It occurs south to the Galapagos Islands and has been recorded from the Pleistocene of Maria Magdalena Island, Tres Marias group. Genus Pseudochama Odhner. Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 1, 3, 8 and 10. Shell ovately circular; color light yellow- ish-brown exteriorly; lower valve gently convex, beaks turned to the left, orna- mented by rather appressed lamellae, which develop one strong and one weak row of scales toward the posterior margin ; in- terior white, margin denticulate, one tooth on hinge; upper valve moderately inflated, ornamented similar to lower valve but with two well developed rows of scales ; posterior to the scales the shell is ornamented only by the edges of close-set concentric lamellae; the concentric lamellae and scales on both valves are ornamented by radiating striae; interior white, margin denticulated. Length, 40.5 mm.; height, 46 mm.; convexity (both valves), approximately 30 mm. Holotype, from Station 184-D-l, dredged in 25 fath- oms (45 meters), Lat. 19° 03' 45" N., Long. 104° 20' 45" W., off Manzanillo, Mexico. A paratype was collected by Fred Baker in 1921 at Puerto Ballandra, Carmen Island, in the Gulf of California. Pseudochama saavedrai n. sp. seems to possess characters which separate it from all described west American species. The white interior of the shell, denticulate mar- gin, and two radial rows of scales on the upper valve are characteristic features. The new species resembles Pseudochama pana- mensis Reeve27 but the upper valve is more inflated and is ornamented by stronger con- centric sculpture as well as by two radial 27 Chama panamensis Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 4, Chama, January, 1847, species 45, pi. 8, fig:. 45. “Hab. Panama (attached to stones) ; Cuming.”— Clessin, Mar- tini-Chemnitz Conchyl.-Cab., Bd. 10, Abt. 1, Chama, 1889, p. 32, pi. 13, fig. 5.— Lamy, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 71, No. 4, 1928, p. 330. Panama and La Paz. Pseudochama panamensis Reeve, Pilsbry & Lowe, Nautilus, Vol. 47, No. 3, 1934 p. 84. Panama. 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 111 rows of lamellae on the posterior half of the shell in comparison to the rudely fimbri- ated sculpture of Reeve’s species. Further- more Reeve stated that the margin of P. panamensis is smooth while in the new species it is denticulated. This species is named for Alvaro de Saav- edra Ceron28 who had charge of the first ship built on the west American coast and sailed from a west American port across the Pa- cific Ocean. Genus Echmochama Fischer. Echinochama californica Dali. E chinochama californica Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 26, July 10, 1903, p. 950, pi. 62, fig. 5. “From off Cerros Island, Lower California, in 25 fathoms.” — Dali, Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., Vol. 3, Pt. 6, Oct- ober, 1903, p. 1404, 1406 (in text). Lower California. Type Locality. Off Cedros Island, Lower California, Mexico, in 25 fathoms. Range : Cedros Island, Lower California, to Coiba Island, Panama. Collecting Station: Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-3), 12 fathoms, shelly mud. Description : Shell roundly trigonal, beaks turned to the left; a depressed lunular area present; color yellowish-white; about 20 to 21 ribs ornamented by long hollow spines ; between the ribs there is a criss-cross gran- ular sculpture ; interior white, border finely crenulated; hinge rugosity serrated. Speci- mens attain an altitude of at least 40 mm. from beak to base. E chinochama californica is similar to E. arcinella Linnaeus, a Caribbean species, but has larger, flatter and more quadrate valves, the beaks are less prominent, the lunule is less depressed and the ribs are more numerous and the spines are longer. Accord- ing to Dali & Simpson the east American species is usually detached before it be- comes adult. The same appears to be true of E. californica. Distribution: Two specimens of Echino- chama californica were collected by the ex- pedition. One was dredged in 12 fathoms at Port Parker, Costa Rica, and the other was without locality information. The species is known to occur from Cedros Island and the Gulf of California to Panama. Superfamily Lucinacea. Family Thyasiridae. Genus Thyasira Leach in Lamarck. T hyasira excavata Dali. Thyasira excavata Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 790, 818, pi. 39, figs. 12, 15. “Dredged by the U. S. 28 Regarding this voyage by Alvaro de Saavedra Cer6n, see I. S. Wright, Geogr. Rev., Vol. 29, No. 3, July, 1939, pp. 472-482, 1 fig. [map]. Fish Commission in the Gulf of California, between San Marcos Island and Guaymas, in 1,005 fathoms; bottom temperature, 37°. 6 F. Also off Tillamook, on the coast of Oregon, in 786 fathoms, mud; bottom tem- perature, 37.3 F.” Type Locality: Between San Marcos Is- land and Guaymas, in the Gulf of California, in 1,005 fathoms. Range : Tillamook, Oregon, to the Gulf of California, in 43 to 1,005 fathoms. Collecting Station: Mexico: Arena Bank, Gulf of California (136-D-20, 22), 43-45 fathoms, mud. Description : This species is markedly characterized by the deeply excavated and sharply bounded escutcheon and lunule, in which respect it is not closely approached by any other (Dali). In each valve there are three sharp and two or three obscure radial ridges. Two specimens in the collection from Arena Bank show the rather deeply exca- vated lunule and escutcheon and radial ridges mentioned as characteristic of Thy- asira excavata. The larger of the two measures approximately 9.3 mm. in altitude. Wilckens20 mentioned that Thyasira town- sendi White from the Cretaceous of the Antarctic region possesses a lunule similar to that of T. excavata. Thyasira tomeana Dali described from Chile bears some resemblance to T. exca- vata but differs somewhat in shape, is not as deeply furrowed posteriorly, and lacks strong radial ridges. Distribution: The present specimens of Thysira excavata from the Gulf of Cali- fornia appear to be the first found since those mentioned in the original descrip- tion. According to Dali the species occurs to depths of 1,005 fathoms in the Gulf of California and ranges north to Oregon. Family Lucinidae. Key to the genera and subgenera of the Lucinidae. A. Hinge with teeth a. Sculpture divaricate Divaricella aa. Sculpture not divaricate b. Hinge with cardinal teeth, laterals absent c. Valves equally convex; strong concentric lamellae Lucinoma cc. Valves unequally convex; concentric sculpture of growth lines only Miltha bb. Hinge with both cardinal and lateral teeth 29 Thyasira townsendi White, Wilckens, Wiss. Ergeb. Schwed. Siidpolar Exped. 1901-1903, Bd. 3, Lief. 12, 1910, p. 53, pi. 2, figs. 31a-c; pi. 3, fig. 1. Snow Hill, Seymour island, Antarctica, Cretaceous. 112 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 d. Surface with concentric sculpture only e. Shell globose; lunule deeply impressed Here ee. Shell compressed, obliquely elongate Cavilinga dd. Surface with concentric and radial sculpture f. Radiating ribs divaricate Ctena ff. Radiating ribs not divaricate g. Shell large, thick, anterior lateral close to cardinals Codalcia gg. Shell smaller, thinner, anterior lateral not close to cardinals h. Radial sculpture of 1 to 3 very broad ribs . Pleurolucina hh. Radial sculpture of 10 or more ribs i. Radial and con- centric sculpture about equal, strong j. Sculpture with spines; many radial ribs Lucinisca jj. Sculpture without spines; usually 10 to 12 ribs Bellucina ii. Radial and con- centric sculpture unequal, feeble Parvilucina B. Hinge without teeth Anodontia Genus Lucina Bruguiere. Subgenus Bellucina Dali. Lucina IBellucinal cancellaris Philippi. Lucina cancellaris Philippi, Zeit. f. Mala- kozool., February, 1846, p. 21. “Patria: Maz- atlan”. Mexico. Phacoides ( Bellucina ) cancellaris Phil- ippi, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, pp. 814, 829, pi. 39 fig. 11. “Cerros Island, west of Lower California, and south to the Gulf and to Panama, in 5 to 30 fath- oms.” Type Locality. Mazatlan, Mexico. Range-. Cedros Island, Lower California, and the Gulf of California to Panama, in 4 to 40 fathoms. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Tenacatita Bay (183-D-3), 40 fathoms, sandy mud; Manzanillo (184-D- 2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; El Salvador: Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199- D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12- 15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud. Description : Shell small, obliquely round- ly trigonal, number of ribs variable, but usually there are from 10 to 12 fairly broad, radial ribs which are wider than the inter- spaces and are crossed by weaker concen- tric sculpture forming a cancellated pat- tern. Large specimens attain a height of 6 mm. Lucina amianta Dali, which occurs from North Carolina to Brazil, and L. tuomeyi Dali from the upper Miocene of Florida, are similar species. Distribution: Lucina cancellaris was dredged at a number of localities from depths of 4 to 40 fathoms, from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California, where it was quite abundant, to Port Parker, Costa Rica. It also occurs in the Pleistocene of Magda- lena Bay, Lower California, Maria Magda- lena Island of the Tres Marias group and in the Pliocene of Ecuador. Subgenus Cavilinga Chavan. Key to the species of Cavilinga. A. Shell longer than high lampra B. Shell with length and height about equal lingualis Lucina l Cavilinga I lampra Dali. Phacoides ( Cavilucina ) lamprus Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Yol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 811, 827, pi. 39, fig. 9. Type local- ity, “La Paz, Lower California.” Lucina lampra Dali, E. K. Jordan, Con- trib. Dept. Geol. Stanford Univ., Vol. 1. No. 4, 1936, p. 130. Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, Pleistocene. Also Gulf of California, Recent. Type Locality : La Paz, Lower California. Range : Gulf of California, to Santa Cruz Bay, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Cape San Lucas, beach; Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Port Guatulco (195- D-2, 6), 3 fathoms, sand, algae, crushed shell, also on beach; Santa Cruz Bay, beach. Description: Shell of Dosinioid form, nearly orbicular, rather thick; beaks sub- central, lunule small, excavated, and nearly equally divided between the two valves; a broad shallow flexuosity is present along the posterior dorsal area but is sometimes nearly obsolete; sculpture of fine, low, rather sharp, concentric threads with occasional well marked sulci; microscopic radial stria- tions sometimes present; internal margins 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 113 very finely crenulated in perfect specimens; color of shell white, yellow or pink. The largest specimens in the collection are about 21 mm. in length. E. K. Jordan pointed out that the lunule in Lucina lampra is usually equally divided between the two valves, while in L. cali- fornica it is chiefly in the right valve. Lu- cina lampra is more circular in outline than the similar species L. prolongata Carpenter or L. lingualis Carpenter. Jordan also pointed out that the shell of L. lampra is longer than high, in L. lingualis the two dimensions are about equal, while that of L. prolongata is higher than long and pronouncedly oblique. The color of Lucina lampra varies from white to yellow or pink. All other species of the genus from the west coast are usually pure white. Distribution : Specimens of Lucina lam- pra, most of them empty shells, were col- lected by the expedition at several locali- ties from Cape San Lucas to Santa Cruz Bay, Mexico, on the beach and dredged to a depth of 30 fathoms. The discovery of the occurence of this species at Santa Cruz Bay, Mexico, is an extension south of the known range. It also has been recorded as occurring in the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower California. Lucina (Cavilingal lingualis Carpenter. Lucina lingualis Carpenter, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 3, Vol. 13, April, 1864, p. 313. Cape St. Lucas. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, p. 211.— E. K. Jordan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford Univ., Vol. 1, 1936, p. 131. Magdalena Bay, Lower California, Pleistocene. Gulf of California to Acapulco, Mexico, Recent. Phacoides ( Cavilucina ) lingualis Carpen- ter, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 827, pi. 39, fig. 7. Gulf of California. Type Locality : Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Range: Magdalena Bay to the Gulf of California and south to Acapulco, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico; Cape San Lucas, beach; San Lucas Bay (135-D-25), 7 fathoms, sand; Santa Inez Bay (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description : The shell of this species resembles that of Lucina lampra but is higher and somewhat produced below; the height and length are about equal. A large right valve of this species from Magdalena Bay, Lower California, in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences, meas- ures 13 mm. in height. Distribution: Specimens of Lucina lin- gualis were collected by the expedition on the beach at Cape San Lucas and dredged at depths of 4-13 fathoms in the Gulf of California. It has been reported to range south to Acapulco and as occurring in the Pleistocene at Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia. Subgenus Here Gabb. Lucina I Here I excavata Carpenter. Lucina excavata Carpenter, Cat. Mazat- lan Shells, November, 1855, p. 98. “Mazat- lan.” Phacoides (Here) richthofeni Gabb, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, pp. 810, 827, pi. 40, figs. 7 and 9. Catalina Is- land to the Gulf of California, in 16 to 66 fathoms. Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range : San Pedro, California, to Mazat- lan, Mexico, in 16 to 66 fathoms. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (142-D-3, 4), 40-50 fathoms, sand, weed, (146-D-l), 35 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell; Gorda Banks (150- D-6) 60 fathoms, muddy sand, rocks. Description: Shell globose, inflated; or- namented by concentric ridges and a deeply depressed lunule. A specimen from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California meas- ures approximately 23.5 mm. in altitude. Lucina {Here) iduna Olsson from the Miocene of Peru has been compared to L. excavata. Distribution: A few specimens of Lucina excavata were dredged at depths of 35 to 60 fathoms, from Cape San Lucas to Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California. It has also been recorded occurring as a fossil in California as far back as the middle Mio- cene. Subgenus Lucinisca Dali. Key to the species of Lucinisca. A. About 18 major ribs liana B. More than 18 major ribs a. Ribs equal, regularly spaced . . .nuttalli aa. Ribs unequal, not regularly spaced, shell flatter fenestrata Lucina I Lucinisca! fenestrata Hinds. Lucina fenestrata Hinds, Zool. Voy. Sul- phur, Moll., Pt. 3, 1844 [January, 1845, on cover of Pt. 3], p. 66, pi. 19, fig. 2. “Inhab. Monte Christi ; San Bias. In seven to four- teen fathoms.” Lucina (Lucinisca) fenestrata Hinds, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 811. Lower California to Panama (and Tum- bez, Peru?). [Not Lucina muricata men- tioned in the text]. Type Locality: Montechristi, Ecuador, in 7 to 14 fathoms (here designated as type locality). San Bias, Mexico, also cited orig- inally. Range: Cedros Island, Lower California, and the Gulf of California, to Salinas, Ecua- dor. Peru (Dali; Carpenter). Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of 114 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 Cedros Island (126-D-2), 38 fathoms, mud; Arena Bank (136-D-15), 40 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l, 2, 3, 4), 25-35 fathoms sand, weed, rocks. Description-. Shell resembling that of Lu- cina nuttalli but much larger. One valve in the present collection measures 44 mm. in altitude. The narrow elongate lunule ap- pears to be about equally divided between the two valves. The sculpture is coarser and more l'asp-like, the radial ribs are more unequal, smaller, and wider spaced in pro- portion to the size of the shell than are those of L. nuttalli. The major ribs of L. fenestrata are greater in number, finer, and more closely spaced than are those of L. liana Pilsbry. Lucina ( Lucinisca ) fausta Pilsbry & Olsson30 from the Pliocene of Ecuador is a similar species. Distribution: A number of specimens of Lucina fenestrata were dredged east of Cedros Island, on Arena Bank and in Santa Inez Bay at depths of 25 to 40 fathoms. It is much less commonly taken than the some- what similar species L. nuttalli. Lucina ILuciniscal liana Pilsbry. Lucina muricata Chemnitz, Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, June, 1850, species 46, pi. 8, fig. 46. “Hab. Tumbez, Peru (in soft mud at a depth of eleven fathoms) ; Cuming.” Not Lucina muricata Chemnitz, 1795. An east American species. Phacoides ( Lucinisca ) hispaniolana Maury, Li, Bull. Geol. Soc. China, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1930 [received at the library of the California Academy of Sciences May 2, 1931], p. 258, pi. 3, fig. 20. “Gatun Stage, Port Limon, Costa Rica.” “Gatun forma- tion.” Dredged in the Bay of Panama. Not Phacoides ( Lucinisca ) hispaniolana Maury 1917. Santo Domingo, Miocene. Phacoides ( Lucinisca ) liana Pilsbry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 83, November 13, 1931, p. 435, pi. 41, fig. 3. “Panama Bay, a mile out in 10-40 ft.” [Rec- tification of the record cited by Li], Type Locality: Panama Bay, 1 mile out, in 10-40 feet. Range : Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, to Tumbez, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-15, 22), 40-45 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l), 29 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weed; Port Guatulco (195-D-2), 3 fathoms, sand; Gua- temala: 7 mi. W. of Champerico (197-D-l, 2), 14 fathoms, mud; El Salvador: La Lib- ertad (198-D-l, 2), 13-14 fathoms, mud; Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D- 1), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; 30 Lucina ( Lucinisca ) fausta Pilsbry & Olsson, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia , Vol. 93, September 9, 1941, p. 58, pi. 17, figs. 3, 6. “Canoa formation, Punta Blanca.” Ecuador, Pliocene, Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-l), 35 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell rounded, white; the upper anterior area ornamented by a few irregular ribs, the upper posterior area with 3 or 4 radial ribs followed by about the same number in a shallow groove, the re- mainder of the shell ornamented by about 18 major slightly wavy ribs between which there are smaller riblets, usually one or two toward the anterior end and 3 along the ventral margin; ribs and riblets or- namented by projecting points or scales where the ribs are crossed by rather widely spaced, thin concentric ridges. Hinge sim- ilar to L. muricata. Large specimens attain a length of 19.5 mm. The unequal size between the major and minor ribs is a character which easily serves to separate Lucina liana from L. nuttalli centrifuga Dali. The major ribs of L. liana are much less numerous than those of L. fenestrata Hinds. Lucina roigi Maury from the Pliocene of Trinidad is another species of the L. muricata group to which L. liana belongs. Distribution: The discovery of the occur- ence of Lucina liana in the Gulf of Cali- fornia is an extension north of the known range of the species. It also has been re- corded as occurring in the Pliocene of Pan- ama and Ecuador. Lucina I Lucinisca I nuttalli Conrad. Lucina nuttalli Conrad, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, 1837, p. 255, pi. 20, fig. 2. “Inhabits California.” Lucina ( Myrtea ) nuttallii Conrad, Grant & Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 288, pi. 14, figs. 4a, 4b, 18. Earlier records cited. Upper Miocene to Recent. Type Locality: California. Range : Santa Barbara, California, to Manzanillo, and the Tres Marias Islands, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-22), 45 fathoms, mud; Santa Inez Bay (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Tenacatita Bay (183-D-3), 15 fathoms, sand; Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand. Description: Shell orbicular, ornamented by even, strong, cancellate sculpture; the ribs are nearly equal in strength but there are some finer ones interspersed ; ribs more widely spaced toward the anterior and posterior margins. The lunule usually lies chiefly in the left valve. Large specimens attain a height of 25 mm. The subspecies Lucina nuttalli centrifuga Dali, a form with widely spaced concentric lamellae described from the Gulf of Califor- nia, intergrades completely with specimens of L. nuttalli from that region. The sub- 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 115 species has not been reported outside the Gulf of California except as a fossil in southern California. Distribution: Lucina nuttalli occurs com- monly from southern California to the Gulf of California. The present record of the species from Manzanillo, Mexico, is an ex- tension south of the known range. It is also known to occur from upper Miocene to Recent in California. Subgenus Lucinoma Dali. Lucina (Lucinoma) annulate Reeve. Lucina annulata Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, May, 1850, species 17, pi. 4, fig. 17. “Hab. California?” Phacoides annulatus Reeve, I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 126, pi. 33, figs. 5a, 5b. Port Althorp, Alaska, to the Coronado Islands, Lower California. Also upper Miocene, Plio- cene and Pleistocene of California. Type Locality: California. Range: Port Althorp, Alaska, to Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower Calfiornia. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-2, 9, 12), 38-56 fathoms, crushed shell, eel grass, mud; Santa Inez Bay (142-D-4), 40-50 fathoms, sand. Description: Shell suborbicular, often large, posterior dorsal margin straight; posterior sulcus slight; ornamented by fair- ly regular, sharp, raised concentric lamel- lae between which there are a number of low concentric threads; cardinal teeth well developed, lateral teeth weak. The largest specimen in the present col- lection is about 26 mm. in altitude and appears to be typical of the species. Large specimens of Lucina annulata attain an altitude of 55 mm. Distribution: The present records of Lu- cina annulata from off Cedros Island and from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of Cali- fornia furnish an extension south of the known range of the species. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of California. Subgenus Miltha H. & A. Adams. Lucina (Miltha I xantusi Dali. Plate I, Figure 13. Phacoides ( Miltha ) xantusi Dali, Nau- tilus, Vol. 18, No. 10, February, 1905, p. 111. “Cape St. Lucas.” Lower California. Type Locality: Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Range : Gulf of California. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Cape San Lucas; Arena Bank (136-D-5), 33 fath- oms, sand, weed. Description: Shell large, ovately rounded, produced ventrally, rather flat, right valve more convex than the left; ornamentation consists of concentric lines of growth and radial striae; posterior sulcus present, or- namented by one radial ridge; lunule chiefly in the right valve, depressed; two cardinal teeth, the right anterior and left posterior tooth bifid; ligamental groove, long, posterior; muscle scars, especially the anterior one, large; inner surface of valve scatteringly pitted; margin smooth. The specimen from Arena Bank meas- ures 68 mm. in length, 71.2 mm. in height, and convexity (both valves), 23 mm. This is almost the same size as the type specimen described by Dali. Young specimens are rounder in outline. This species is very close to Lucina ( Miltha ) joannis Dali de- scribed from the Pliocene of Lower Cali- fornia. According to Dali the margin of the lunule of L. joannis is more deeply in- folded, the shell heavier, more elongately oval and about one-fourth smaller than that of L. xantusi. The measurements given for L. xantusi are 71 mm. in height and 65 mm. in width as compared to 55 mm. in height and 51 mm. in width for L. joan- nis. These measurements do not indicate that the shell of L. joannis is more elongate in proportion to the width as compared to that of L. xantusi. The illustration given by Hanna31 of a fossil shell from Imperial County, California, which he referred to L. xantusi, represents a rather round form which may perhaps be referable to L. joannis. Lucina CMiltha) childreni Gray from Brazil is a similar species and there are other similar forms which occur in the late Tertiary of the Caribbean region. Distribution: Lucina ( Miltha ) xantusi is a rare species. The two specimens taken on the expedition from the southern part of the Gulf of California from Cape San Lucas and Arena Bank are from the same region where it has been found previously by collectors. Subgenus Parvilucina Dali. Key to the species of Parvilucina. A. Concentric lamellae strong and dense ; lunule deep mazatlanica B. Concentric lamellae weaker; lunule shallower approximata Lucina ( Parvilucina) approximata Dali. Phacoides ( Parvilucina ) approximatus Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 813, 828, pi. 39 fig. 4. “From the Gulf of California, in 26 fathoms, sand.” Also cited from Catalina Island, California, and south to Panama, in 5 to 40 fathoms. Lucina ( Myrtea ) tenuisculpta Carpenter 31 Phacoides xantusi Dali, Hanna, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 14, No. 18, 1926, p. 475, pi. 28, fig. 7, pi. 29, fig. 1. Coyote Mountain, Imperial County, California, Pliocene. 116 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 var. approximata Dali, Grant & Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 289, pi. 14, figs. 8a, 8b. Earlier records cited. Pleistocene and Recent. Type Locality : Gulf of California, in 26 fathoms, sand. Range : Monterey, California, to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-12), 45 fathoms, crushed shell, mud; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-19, also beach ) , 12-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves ; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3, also beach), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud. Description: Shell small, usually not ex- ceeding 6 mm. in length, nearly equilateral, tumid, lunule lanceolate in shape and de- pressed; sculpture of numerous fine radial ribs separated by narrow interspaces, radial sculpture absent on the dorsal areas, ribs crossed by distant elevated concentric lines which are feebly lamellose on the dorsal areas; margin crenulated. The measure- ments given for the type specimen of this species were, length, 6.3 mm. ; height, 6.5 mm. The shell of Lucina approximate is very similar to that of the generally more northern L. tenuisculpta but is smaller, more delicate, has stronger radial sculp- ture and lacks the right anterior cardinal tooth of the northern form. The radial l'ibbing tends to become obsolete in the northern part of its range and the two species are scarcely separable in southern California. Lucina crenella Dali from the Atlantic coast is a similar species. Distribution: Lucina approximata occurs fairly abundantly from southern California to Panama. It was dredged abundantly off Cedros Island and was taken by the expedi- tion as far south as Costa Rica. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of south- ern California and Lower California. Lucina IParvilucinal mazatlanica Carpenter. Lucina mazatlanica. Carpenter, Cat. Maz- atlan Shells, November, 1855, p. 99. “Mazat- lan,” Mexico.— E. K. Jordan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford Univ., Vol. 1, No. 4, 1936, p. 130. Magdalena Bay, Lower California, Pleistocene. Recent in the Gulf of Cali- fornia. Phacoides (Here) mazatlanicus Carpen- ter, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 811. Mazatlan. Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: Gulf of California to Panama. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, E. coast of Lower California (145-D- 1, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description: Shell small, tumid, nearly equilateral; lunule rather large and de- pressed; sculpture of numerous fine, rounded riblets separated by narrow inter- spaces, weak or absent on the early part of the shell; concentric sculpture of elevated laminae which are very dense on the early part of the shell but are less pronounced on later stages; basal margin crenulated. Lucina mazatlanica resembles L. approxi- mata Dali and L. tenuisculpta Dali but av- erage specimens (about 4.5 mm. in length) are smaller than either of these species. The lunule appears to be deeper and the con- centric lamellae stronger and denser in comparison to young forms of L. approxi- mata. There is doubt regarding the exact iden- tification of Lucina mazatlantica because, as mentioned by Dali (1901) “Carpenter’s specimens are so small that it is difficult to be certain about them,” furthermore, no illustrations of them have been published. Dali thought the species might be allied to L. som.brerensis, a Caribbean species. In the original description of Lucina sombreren- sis32 no mention was made of any radial sculpture on that species. Carpenter defi- nitely mentioned radial sculpture on L. mazatlanica which would seem to place it near L. approximata Dali. Distribution: Specimens referred to Lu- cina mazatlanica were dredged in 4 to 13 fathoms in Santa Inez Bay, in the Gulf of California. It also has been reported as occumng in the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower California. Subgenus Pleurolucina Dali. Lucina I Pleurolucina) leucocymoides Lowe. Phacoides ( Pleurolucina ) leucocymoides Lowe, Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 8, No. 6, March 21, 1935, p. 17 pi. 1, fig. 4. “Tres Marias” Islands, (type). Also from Carmen Island in 20 fathoms, and Angel de la Guardia, in 20 fathoms, Gulf of California. Type Locality: Tres Marias Islands, Mex- ico. Range: Angel de la Guardia Island, Gulf of California, to Manzanillo, and Tres Ma- rias Islands, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-15, 22, 23), 40-45 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, sand; Santa Inez Bay (142- D-3, 4), 40-50 fathoms, sand, weed, also (147-D-2), 60 fathoms, mud crushed shell; Gorda Banks (150-D-9), 50-60 fathoms, muddy sand; Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand. Description: Shell with a single wide costa which occupies the entire middle half 32 Lucina sombrerensis Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6, September, 1886, p. 264. “Off Sombrero in 72 fms., two valves; West Florida, 50 fms., one small valve.”— Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 12, 1889, p. 263, pi. 14, fig. 13. Off Cape Florida, in 84 to 85 fathoms, sand and mud. “Also in the Gulf of Mexico and off Som- brero Island, West Indies, by the Blake, in 50 to 72 fathoms.” 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 117 of the shell and is bounded on either side by a channeled groove; concentric sculp- ture of reflexed concentric lirae; lunule large, heart-shaped, equally divided between each valve, shallowly depressed. The shell of adult specimens is quite thick. Hinge with two cardinals and divided laterals. Inner margin finely crenulated. The shell of this species attains a height of 20 mm. Lucina leucocyma Dali of the Atlantic coast is a similar species. Lucina undatoides Hertlein & Strong (. Lu- cina undata Carpenter33, not L. undata La- marck) is ornamented by three or four broad costae, and by finer concentric sculp- ture, and the shell is longer and less con- vex than that of L. leucocymoides. Distribution : The present record of the occurrence of Lucina leucocymoides at Man- zanillo, Mexico, is an extension south of the known range of the species. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Albemarle Island, Galapagos group, where it was found by Professor Nicolas Reformatsky. Genus Anodontia Link. Anodontia edentuloides Verrill. Loripes edentuloides Verrill, Amer. Jour. Sci., Ser. 2, Vol. 49 (whole No. 99), No. 146, March, 1870, p. 226. “La Paz, — J. Pedersen. One specimen.” Lucina edentidoides Verrill, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 802. Mag- dalena Bay, Lower California and the Gulf of California. Anodontia edentuloides Verrill, Grant & Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., A^ol. 1, 1931, p. 292. Earlier records cited. Plio- cene and Recent. Type Locality: La Paz, Lower California. Range: San Clemente Island, California (Dali), and Cedros Island, Lower Califor- nia, to the Gulf of California, and south to Tenacatita Bay, Mexico. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-2), 38 fathoms, mud; Arena Bank (136-D-4, 13, 14, 20, 22), 43-55 fathoms, mud, Area conglomerate; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l, 2, 3, 4, 5), 18-35 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell, weed, sand; Tena- catita Bay (183-D-3), 40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell subglobose, beaks sub- central, ornamented by irregular lines of growth and submicroscopic radial striae; hinge without teeth. The largest specimen taken by the expedition measures approxi- mately 43 mm. in length but the species attains a larger size. 33 Lucina undata Carpenter, Proc. Zool. Soc. London , 1865, p. 279. “Hab. Gulf of California (teste Rowell).” Not Lucina undata Lamarck, 1819. Due to the fact that the combination of names Lucina undata proposed by Carpenter had already been used by Lamarck, the name Lucina undatoides was proposed by Hertlein & Strong for the species described by Carpenter ( Nautilus , Vol. 58, No. 3, January, 1945, p. 105). Young shells about 10 mm. in length, from Arena Bank, have two cardinals and one lateral tooth in the left valve and one cardinal and one lateral in the right valve. Apparently these teeth become covered as growth proceeds. Exteriorly these young shells are sculptured by concentric lines of growth and fine radial striation exactly as in large specimens of Anodontia edentu- loides. These features as well as the exact shape of that species have led us to refer these young shells to Verrill’s species. The shell of Anodontia edentidoides is very similar to A. chrysostoma (Meuschen) Philippi, a Caribbean species, but the beaks are more centrally located on the west American shell which also appears to be slightly more elongated in pi’oportion to the height. Distribution: Specimens of this species were found off Cedros Island, in the southern part of the Gulf of California, and at Tena- catita Bay. The present record of the occur- rence of the species at Tenacatita Bay, Mexico, is an extension south of the known range. It has also been recorded from the Pliocene of Imperial County, California. Genus Co dakia Scopoli. Codakia distinguenda Tryon. Lucina ( Codakia ) distinguenda Tryon, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 24, September 3, 1872, p. 130, pi. 6, fig. 3. “Gulf of California.” Codakia colpoica Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 801, 821, pi. 41, fig. 4. “Gulf of California.” Type Locality: Gulf of California. Range : Magdalena Bay, Lower California, and the Gulf of California to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Ceralbo Is- land, beach; Port Guatulco (195-D-10, also beach), 4 fathoms, gravelly sand, crushed shell, coral; Costa Rica: Port Parker, beach; Panama: Bahia Honda, beach. Description: Shell large, orbicular, thick, white exteriorly, interiorly reddish colored around the margin and hinge and cream colored in the central part of the valve; ornamented exteriorly by many narrow fairly regular, radial ribs; lunule small, de- pressed, mostly confined to the right valve. A large specimen from the Gulf of Cali- fornia measures 140 mm. in length. The shell of this species is very similar to that of the east American Codakia orbi- cularis Linnaeus, but the valves of the west American species are more depressed, the posterior dorsal area is straighter and long- er, the inner margin of the hinge is usually reddish colored and the exterior is usually tinted faintly pinkish-white rather than the usually pure white of C. orbicularis. A study of a series of specimens suggests that there is little to separate the form 118 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8 described as C. pinchoti Pilsbry & Lowe34 from C. distinguenda or from C. recta Dali & Ochsner which was originally described from the Pliocene of the Galapagos Islands. Distribution: Codakia distinguenda oc- curs fairly commonly in the Gulf of Califor- nia and 15 valves were taken by the expedi- tion at Ceralbo Island. It was also collected at Costa Rica and Panama. It is also known to occur from Pliocene to Recent in the Gulf of California region. Genus Ctena Morch. Key to the species of Ctena. A. Radial sculpture present on dorsal areas a. Radial sculpture much heavier than the concentric b. Ribs fine, numerous mexicana bb. Ribs coarse, less numerous galapagana 33 aa. Radial sculpture only slightly heavier than or equal with the concentric c. Transversely oval or sub- circular; anterior end broadly rounded clippertonensis cc. Obliquely 'transversely ovate ; anterior end narrower clarionensis B. Radial sculpture not present on dorsal areas chiquita Ctena chiquita Dali. Codakia ( Jagonia ) chiquita Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 801, 823, pi. 39, fig. 1. “On the west side of the lower end of the peninsula of Lower California, nearly abreast of La Paz, in 66 fathoms.” Type Locality : Off the west coast of Lower California, nearly abreast of La Paz, in 66 fathoms. Range : West coast of Lower California in about Lat. 24°18'N., and the Gulf of Cali- fornia to La Libertad, El Salvador. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Manzanillo (184-D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Santa Cruz Bay, beach; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-6, 7), 6-7 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; El Salvador: La Libertad (198-D-2), 14 fathoms, mud. Description: Shell small, suborbicular, flattish, color yellowish-white, sculpture of fine nearly obsolete radial threads which often bifurcate toward the ventral margin, less prominent on the middle of the valves and absent along the dorsal margin, radials crossed by regular, concentric, crowded threads ; lunule small, depressed, nearly 3,4 Codakia pinchoti Pilsbry & Lowe, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 84, May 21, 1932, p. 103, pi. 14, figs. 1 and 2. “Panama City, on the reef off ‘French Plaza’.” 85 Mot represented in the present collection. equally divided between the two valves. A large specimen from off Lower California measures 13.5 mm. in length. The shell of Ctena chiquita is less elon- gate, and the radial sculpture is finer than that of C. mexicana Dali and is lacking on the dorsal areas. Distribution: The present record of Ctena chiquita from La Libertad, El Salvador, is an extension southward of the known range of the species. It has not been recorded pre- viously from south of the Gulf of California. Ctena clarionensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 11, 12 and 14. Shell small, solid, plump, obliquely ovately quadrate, with the beaks nearer the poste- rior end; without posterior or anterior areas; sculptured with many, fine, close, rounded threads which are notched by some- what wider spaced radial lines, giving the whole surface a finely beaded appearance; lunule narrow, moderately long, well im- pressed, equally divided between the two valves; growth stages distinctly marked, particularly the last three; interior with the muscle scars distinct, about equal in size; interior basal margin with fine radial ridges extending to the pallial line; car- dinal teeth small, the right valve with a strong, distant anterior lateral and a small- er, closer, posterior lateral tooth ; left valve with a weak posterior cardinal and a low projection which may represent a broken anterior cardinal, one small anterior lateral and socket and one posterior lateral and socket present ; above each socket there is a faint lateral. The type measures : longi- tudinal diameter, 13.8 mm. ; vertical diam- eter, 12.5 mm.; convexity (both valves), 8.2 mm. Holotype, from Sulphur Bay, Clarion Is- land, collected by the Templeton Crocker Expedition of the New York Zoological Society. The unique type is white with the ante- rior end and posterior edge dark reddish- brown but this color may be a stain. The new species resembles Ctena clippertonensis Bartsch & Rehder36 described from Clipper- ton Island, but the present species is more oblique in outline, the anterior end is nar- rower and the sculpture is coarser. The new species has much finer sculpture than C. mexicana Dali. Ctena clippertonensis Bartsch & Rehder. Ctena clippertonensis Bartsch & Rehder, Smithson. Miscell. Coll., Vol. 98, No. 10, (Publ. 3535), June 13, 1939, p. 13, pi. 3, figs. 3tJ Ctena clippertonensis Bartsch & Rehder, Smithson. Miscell. Coll., Vol. 98, No. 10, (Publ. 3535), June 13, 1939, p. 13, pi. 3, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. “It was collected on Clip- perton Island, on rocks to the south of the landing place.*’ 1946] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 119 1-5. “It was collected on Clipperton Island, on rocks to the south of the landing place.” Type Locality : Clipperton Island, on rocks. Range : Maria Madre Island, Mexico, to Hannibal Bank, Panama, and Clipperton Is- land. Collecting Station: Panama: Hannibal Bank (Sta. 224), 35-40 fathoms, rocks, dead coral, mud, sand, shells, algae. Description: Left valve, white, trans- versely oval to subcircular, moderately in- flated, beaks back of the center; ends broadly rounded; ornamented by fine radial riblets crossed by concentric lamellae of nearly equal strength which give the ribs a nodulose char- acter; lunule, well defined, narrow, elongate- ly lanceolate; hinge with an anterior cardinal and a smaller grooved posterior cardinal tooth, lateral teeth paired, the larger pointed one of each pair occurs on the inside and the smaller one near the margin. The present specimen measures : length, 15.2 mm.; height, 13.8 mm.; convexity (one valve), 3.8 mm. The broadly rounded anterior end of the present specimen as well as its other char- acters appear to be those of Ctena clipper- tonensis Bartsch & Rehder. Distribution: A single left valve of this species was dredged by the expedition on Hannibal Bank, Panama, in 35-40 fathoms. This is an extension south of the known range of the species. Ctena mexicana Dali. Codakia ( Jagonia ) mexicana Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, August 22, 1901, pp. 801, 822, pi. 40, fig. 6. “Gulf of Califor- nia” (figured specimen). Range cited as Gulf of California to Panama and Guaco- mayo. Lucina ( Jagonia ) mexicana Dali, Lamy, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 65, No. 3, 1921, p. 253. Colombia; Lower California. Type Locality: Gulf of California. Range: Gulf of California, to Santa Elena, Ecuador. Galapagos Islands (Tom- lin ) . Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-l), 45 fathoms, mud, Area conglom- erates; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l), 29 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell, weed; also (145- D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; also beach; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-ll, 19), 8-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell. Description: Shell small, usually some- what elongated, ornamented by numerous well developed but fairly fine radial ribs which usually bifurcate toward the ventral margin; these are decussated by fine fairly regular concentric threads; lunule lanceo- late moderately depressed. A large specimen measures 22 mm. in length and 19.4 mm. in height. The shell of Ctena mexicana is quite simi- lar to that of the east American C. imbri- catula C. B. Adams but the sculpture of the west American form is generally a little finer and more regular and the lunule is a little longer and less deeply impressed. The ribbing of the species in this group is variable. Distribution: This species was collected by the expedition at various localities from the Gulf of California to Costa Rica. It occurs South to Panama and Ecuador. It has been cited as occurring in the Pleisto- cene of Magdalena Bay and the Tres Marias Islands. Genus Divaricella von Martens. Divaricella lucasana Dali & Ochsner. Lucina eburnea Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, June, 1850, species 49, pi. 8, fig. 49. “St. Elena, West Columbia and Panama (in sandy mud at a depth of eleven fath- oms) ; Cuming.” Not Lucina eburnea Andrzejowski, Des- hayes, Bull Soc. Geol. France, Ser. 1, Vol. 6, 1835, p. 321. Miocene of Poland. [ Nomen nudum ] . Divaricella lucasana Dali & Ochsner, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 17, No. 4, June 22, 1928, p. 122, pi. 2, figs. 17, 21, 24. “1 % miles northeast of Vilamil, Albemarle Island, Galapagos Group. Probably Pleistocene.” New name for Lucina eburnea Reeve, not L. eburnea Deshayes, 1835. Divaricella columbiensis Lamy, Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat. Paris, Ser. 2, Vol. 6, No. 5, October, 1934, p. 433. Colombia. New name for Lucina eburnea Reeve, not Venus ebur- nea Gmelin, 1790 (which = Codakia ( Jago- nia)1 jagon Adanson) ; not Lucina eburnea Andrzejowski, Deshayes, 1835; not Loripes eburnea Conrad, 1847. Type Locality: l1/^ miles northeast of Vil- amil, Albemarle Island, Galapagos Islands, Pleistocene. Of Lucina eburnea Reeve, Santa Elena, Ecuador, in 11 fathoms, sandy mud (here designated as type locality). Panama also cited originally. Range: Magdalena Bay, and the Gulf of California, to Mancora, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Cape San Lucas, beach; Arena Point area, beach; San- ta Inez Bay (143-D-l), 29 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weed, also (144-D-2), 2% fathoms, sand, weed, rocks, also (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Manzanillo (184- D-2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Port Gua- tulco (195-D-2), 3 fathoms, sand; Nicar- agua: Corinto (200-D-17, 19), 7-13 fathoms, sand, mangrove leaves, also beach. Description: Shell round, nearly equilat- eral, inflated, with divaricate sculpture. 120 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:8:1946] Shells of the species attain a height of 25 mm. The name Divaricella lucasana was pro- posed by Dali & Ochsner because of the cita- tion of Lucina eburnea Andrzejowski by Deshayes. So far as we have been able to ascertain the name cited by Deshayes is a nomen nudum and if the species was not formally described it does not invalidate the use of the same combination of names by Reeve. However, Lamy (1931) also consid- ered Reeve’s species to be nomenclatorially invalid and proposed a new name for it. Whether or not Reeve’s name must be aban- doned appeal's to be open to question. We have, at least for the present, used the name applied to the species by Dali & Ochsner. Dali proposed the name Divaricella per - parvula for Lucina pisum Philippi, 1850, not L. pisum Sowerby, 1837. According to Dali Divaricella perparvula differs from D. ebur- nea [= lucasana ] in that it possesses a smal- ler shell which is ornamented by weaker external sculpture. There is variation in the size of the shell and in the sculpture of Divaricella lucasana and it seems doubtful whether two distinct species of Divaricella occur in this region. Divaricella quadrisulcata d’Orbigny, which occurs in the Caribbean region, is a similar species. Distribution : Divaricella lucasana was taken by the expedition at various localities from Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of Cali- fornia to Nicaragua, on the beach and at depths of 2% to 30 fathoms. It was found abundantly on the beach at Cape San Lucas and at Corinto, Nicaragua. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of the Gulf of California region and in the Pleistocene of Oaxaca, Mexico, and the Gal- apagos Islands. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. Fig. 1. Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, left valve, from Station 184-D-l, dredged in Lat. 19° 03' 45" N„ Long. 104° 20' 45" W., off Manzanillo, Mexico, in 25 fathoms (45 meters). Approximately natural size. View of the interior. P. 110. Fig. 2. Periploma teevani Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, right valve, from Station 196-D-19, dredged in Lat. 15° 44' N., Lon. 96° 05' W., Tangola-Tan- gola Bay, Oaxaca, Mexico, in 30 fath- oms (55 meters). Length, 23 mm.; height, 19 mm. View of the exterior. P. 95. Fig. 3. Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype. View of the exterior of the specimen shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. Cyathodonta lucasana Dali. Hypotype, left valve, from Station 195-D-9, dredged in Lat. 15° 44' 28" N., Long. 96° 07' 51" W., Port Guatulco, Mexico, in 7 fathoms (12.6 meters). Length, 21 mm.; height, 14 mm.; convexity (one valve), 3.4 mm. P. 96. Fig. 5. Pandora ( Kennerlia ) convexa Dali. Hypotype, left valve, from Cape San Lucas, Lower California, Mexico. Length, approximately 13.4 mm., height, 8.2 mm.; convexity (both valves, 2.5 mm. P. 97. Fig. 6. Periploma teevani Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype. View of the interior of the left valve of the specimen shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7. Verticordia ornata d’Orbigny. Hypo- type, right valve, from Station 203- D-3, dredged in Lat. 10° 55' 45" N., Long. 85° 49' 05" W., Port Parker, Costa Rica, in 12 fathoms (22 meters). Length, approximately 3.2 mm.; height, approximately 3 mm. P. 102. Fig. 8. Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype. View of the interior of the right valve of the speci- men shown in Fig. 1. Length, 40.5 mm. ; height, 46 mm. This specimen is attached to the shell of a gastropod shown in the upper left part of the figure. Fig. 9. Cyathodonta lucasana Dali. Hypo- type. View of the exterior of the speci- men shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 10. Pseudochama saavedrai Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype. View of the exterior of the specimen shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 11. Ctena clarionensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, right valve, from Sulphur Bay, Clarion Island, Revilla- gigedo Islands, Mexico. Length, 13.8 mm., height, 12.5 mm. P. 118. Fig. 12. Ctena clarionensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype, right valve. View of the exterior of the specimen shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13. Lucina (Miltha) xantusi Dali. Hypo- type, right valve, from Station 136- D-5, dredged in Lat. 23° 31' N., Long. 109° 27' 30" W., Arena Bank, southern part of the Gulf of California, in 33 fathoms (60 meters). Length, 68 mm.; height, 71.2; convexity (both valves), 23 mm. P. 115. Fig. 14. Ctena clarionensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Holotype. View of the interior of the left valve of the specimen shown in Figs. 11 and 12. All the specimens illustrated on this plate are in the type collection of the Department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences. HERTLEIN & STRONG. PLATE I. * - f&$g| MOLLUSKS FROM THE WEST COAST OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. i Cohen: Effect of Sex Hormones on the Platyfish 121 9. Effects of Sex Hormones on the Development of the Platyfish, Platypoecilus maculatus . Herman Cohen2 Department of Biology, Washington Square College of Arts and Sciences, New York University. (Plates I-V ; Text-figure 1). In a discussion of the relation of genic and endocrine factors in sex determination Dan- forth (1939) used the term genic to refer in a general way to the influences emanating from the nucleus and dependent upon its genetic constitution. To the term environ- mental he referred all influences reaching a cell from beyond the limits of its own cyto- plasm. He suggested that hormones and or- ganizers even when of autogenous derivation belong to the environmental group. However, he distinguished between the internal and external environmental agents depending on whether or not they normally arise within the individual. In an effort to evaluate the part played by the environmental agents determining sex it is desirable to use an organism in which the genetical mechanism for sex determination and the embryological history of the germ cells are known. In the domesticated stocks of the Mexican viviparous platyfish, Platy- poecilus maculatus Bellamy (1922, 1928), Gordon (1927, 1937), Fraser and Gordon (1929) and others showed that the chromo- somal regulation of sex may be expressed by the formula: WZ = female, ZZ = male. The history of the platyfish germ cells from their earliest appearance in the 1.2 millimeter em- bryos through their post-embryonic devel- opment and adult stages were described in great detail by Wolf (1931). He pointed out that definitive ovaries and definitive testes were distinguishable on the day of the platy- fish’s birth. The present study is concerned with the effects of the synthetic steroid, pregnenino- lone upon immature, but genetically deter- mined female platyfish and the effects of the estrogenic substance alpha-estradiol benzo- ate on immature, but genetically determined male platyfish. Utilizing the genetic sex de- termining mechanism, we sexed the platyfish within two weeks after birth and applied the hormonal chemicals to the fish at this early age. This paper will describe, but only in a 1 Aided by the staff and facilities of the New York Aquarium, New York Zoological Society. - Present address : E. R. Squibb and Co., New Brunswick, N. J. preliminary manner, the effects of the hor- mones on the developing gonad, skeleton, and sexual behavior. Grobstein (1940, 1942) had previously used the platyfish in studying the effects of testosterone proprionate on the normal and regenerating anal fins of adults. The experimental results reported in the present report are based upon the work of Cohen (1942). Hormonal regulation of development in poeciliid teleosts, other than Platypoecilus maculatus, were studied by Berkowitz (1937, 1938, 1940), Eversole (1939) and Scott (1941, 1944), all of whom used the guppy, Lebistes reticulatus; Turner (1941, 1942) used Gambusia affinis; and Regnier (1937, 1938), Baldwin and Goldin (1940), Witschi and Crown (1940), Noble and Borne (1940) studied the swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii. Much of this and other work was summarized and discussed broadly by Witschi (1939, 1942). Material and Methods" The genetic method used to sex immature Platypoecilus maculatus for these studies was as follows : a black-spotted female of the domesticated stock, heterozygous for the pigmentation pattern, ( W ) + ( Z ) Sp, was mated to an unspotted, recessive male. (Z) + (Z) +. They produced black-spotted sons (Z) + (Z )Sp, and unspotted daughters (W) + (Z)+, see Text-figure 1. The spotted pattern which is made up of clusters of large melanophores was recognized readily within a week of the fish’s birth. Fraser and Gordon (1929) indicated that crossing-over of the sex chromosomes oc- curred at the rate of about one per cent and this value has been recorded by other geneti- cists. Thus any error in sex determination, due to genetic factors, could not have been of any consequence. Furthermore, only two instances of complete and functional sex re- versals have been reported during 24 years of genetic work with these fish (Gordon, 1946). 3 The hormones used in these studies were kindly sup- plied by Dr. Erwin Schwenk of the Schering Corporation, Bloomfield, New Jersey. 122 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31:9 Text-fig. 1. The genetic method that was used to sex immature domesticated Platypoecilus maculatus. A black-spotted female of the do- mesticated stock, heterozygous for the spotted pattern, was mated to an unspotted, recessive male. These are shown on the top line. They pro- duced black-spotted sons and unspotted daugh- ters, as shown on the second line. The spotted pattern may be recognized on the day of birth of the fish or within a week thereafter. (After Gordon, 1932). Fifteen immature but genetically deter- mined males were treated with one milligram of crystalline alpha-estradiol benzoate once a week; nineteen immature but genetically determined females were treated with five milligrams of the synthetic steroid pregneni- nolone once a week. Thirty-one fish were used as controls. The fish were kept in water, temperature at approximately 25°C., in three gallon glass aquaria, six animals to each tank. The hormonal substances were given to the fish beginning at an age of two weeks. Some of the animals were treated for eight weeks while others were given the hormones for twelve weeks, and still others received treatment for a maximum of twenty weeks. The fish swallowed many of the crystals as they fell through the water. Some of the crys- tals might have dissolved partially in the water and affected the fish directly. All the fish were fed similarly with com- mercial fishfoods, dried shrimp, dried liver and occasionally they were given live tubi- fex worms. At the conclusion of the experi- ments the animals were fixed in Bouin’s picro-formol fluid; the fish were measured, dissected, their gonads removed, sectioned and prepared for microscopical examination by staining with Harris’ hematoxylin alum and eosin. When gonopodia were induced, these organs were removed and mounted for study in balsam or glycerin. Experimental Results 1. Effect of alpha-estradiol benzoate on gonads of immature , genetic male platyfish. In the untreated, control males, the testes were found to be fused and relatively large. The sperm duct epithelial cells were cuboidal, the spermatophores were abundant and all the other stages in spermatogenesis were found. In the estrogen-treated males, the gonads were small, compact and appeared bi- partite, the two lobes being separated by a membrane. The cells of the sperm duct epi- thelium were columnar; the interstitial tis- sue was profuse ; a number of large ova were seen but spermatophores and spermatids were absent. The testicular elements that remained were spermatogonia. The general picture seen was one of a radical modifica- tion of development of the testes. As the treatment was continued the effects instead of continuing along the lines of greater modification, changed slightly in the direc- tion of the controls. Thus after 20 weeks of treatment, the gonads were found to contain some spermatophores and none of them con- tained ova. 2. Effect of pregneninolone on gonads of immature, genetic female platyfish. In the untreated, control females, the ovaries were fairly large, containing many oocytes and ova; the latter had abundant yolk material. In the pregneninolone-treated females, the ovaries were markedly changed ; they were small and contained only a few oocytes. Mature ova with their usual com- plement of yolk were entirely wanting. The modified ovaries appeared definitely degen- erate. With continuing treatment, up to 20 weeks, the conditions of gonadal degenera- tion were maintained. Within a single modi- fied ovary a structure resembling a sperm duct was discovered (Fig. 8). 3. Effect of sex hormones on certain skele- tal elements. (a) Gonopodium, the modified anal fin. In genetic males in which the testes had been modified by estrogenic substance to a point where no mature sperms or secondary spermatocytes were present, the anal fins were not transformed. However, in those fish where the treatment with estrogens did not completely inhibit spermatogenesis and mature sperm were present, perfect gonopo- dia were found. Genetic females treated with pregnenino- lone for only two weeks developed gonopodia which, however, were aberrant in form. Simi- lar abnormalities were described by Grob- stein (1942) when he treated adult females with testosterone after removing their anal fins. ( b ) Gonopodial Suspensorium. Pregneninolone-treated females in which gonopodia were developed moved these fins just as normal males moved their gono- podia. Histological preparations of the in- ternal skeletons of the modified females re- vealed that they had developed typical, male- like gonopodial suspensoria. The gonapo- physes were well developed and the connec- tions between these and the gonactinosts were present. The gonopodial muscle was strongly developed. The induced skeletal ele- ments conformed to the descriptions of the species by Langer (1913) and by Gordon and Benzer (1945). Turner (1942) reported 1946] Cohen: Effect of Sex Hormones on the Platyfish 123 Table J. Effect of Alpha-estradiol Benzoate on Gonads of Developing Male Platyfish. Estrogen Control Estrogen Control Estrogen Control No. 4 4 5 5 6 5 Age 2 Weeks 2 Weeks 2 Weeks 2 Weeks 2 Weeks 2 Weeks Duration 8 Weeks 8 Weeks 12 Weeks 12 Weeks 20 Weeks 20 Weeks Gross Gonad Small, bipartite, compact Loose, fused Small, bipartite, compact (fig. 3) Large, loose, fused (fig. 1) Small, bipartite, compact Large, loose, fused Sperm Duct Epithelium Columnar Low, cuboidal Columnar Low cuboidal almost squamous Columnar Low cuboidal Interstitial Tissue Profuse Scant Profuse (fig- 4) Scant (fig. 2) Profuse Scant Presence of Ova Large ova (fig. 5) Absent Absent Absent Absent Absent Spermato- phores Absent Profuse Absent Profuse (fig. 1) Few Profuse Spermatids Absent Present Absent Present Few Few Physiologi- cal Status Inhibited Active Inhibited Highly active Slightly active Highly active similar results in treating female Gambusia, while Scott (1944) obtained them in Le- bistes. (c) Caudal fin rays. In females treated with pregneninolone the shortening of the 7th, 8th and 9th caudal fin rays, and the lengthening of the 6th fin ray were induced. These changes produced a tiny sword-like extension on the tail fin, a feature which is characteristic of a related species, Platypoecilus xiphidium. In normal P. maculatus the caudal fins were symmetri- cal; in addition, the fin rays are strong and their terminal elements bifurcate at least once. The fin rays of treated females were not bifurcate at their tips and they were of a smaller dimension than those of the normal animals (Figs. 10, 11, 12). 4. Effect of sex hormones on total body size and form. The females treated with androgens ap- proached the body form and size of normal males (Table III) . The males treated with es- trogens resembled normal females. The values for body form were determined by dividing the value of their body length (not including tail fin ; this is the standard length) by the value of their body widtR (measured from the base of anterior margin of the dorsal fin to the mid-point between the origins of the pelvic fins). Normal female platyfish exceeded the males in standard length. The treated fe- males showed the generalized effects of the androgens by their relatively smaller size. On the other hand, the estrogen-treated males attained a size greater than did their controls. These results confirmed those ob- tained by Scott (1944) in Lebistes. 5. Effects of sex hormones on sexual be- havior. Masculinized females when placed in an aquarium with normal females were aggres- sive, pursued the normal females, thrust their gonopodia toward them and attempted to copulate with them. Males feminized by treatment with estro- gens for seven weeks when placed in an aquarium with normal females made no at- tempt to pursue or mate with them. Later when the normal females were removed and were replaced with normal males, the normal males pursued the feminized males and at- tempted to mate with them. These observa- tions were carried out two or three times a week for a period of a month. Table II. Effects of Pregneninolone on Gonads of Developing Female Platyfish. No. of 9 Duration of Experiment Size of Gonad Oocytes Ova Yolk Deposition Physiological Status Treated 19 5-20 Weeks Very small (fig. 7) Very few present Absent Inhibited Inhibited (fig. 9) Control 19 5-20 Weeks Large (fig. 6) Many present Present Active Active 124 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31:9 Table III. Form Index1. Alpha-estradiol Benzoate-treated Males Pregneninolone-treated Females Length Width Length Width Cm. Cm. Form Index Cm. Cm. Form Index 1.95 .65 3.0 1.55 .45 3.4 2.2 .70 3.14 1.9 .50 3.8 2.4 .85 2.8 2.05 .65 3.18 2.35 .80 2.9 1.3 .40 3.25 2.3 .70 3.2 1.9 .50 3.80 1.9 .70 2.7 1.4 .40 3.50 1.7 .60 2.8 1.4 .40 3.50 2.2 .80 2.75 1.55 .45 3.40 1.75 .60 2.9 1.50 .45 3.33 1.85 .70 2.6 1.40 .40 3.50 Mean 2.90 t = 6.7 Mean 3.50 P < 0.001 Normal Males Normal Females 1.75 .50 3.50 2.1 .74 2.8 2.20 .60 3.67 2.1 .75 2.8 1.73 .45 3.80 2.1 .75 2.8 1.75 .50 3.50 1.8 .70 2.56 1.75 .50 3.50 2.55 .85 3.00 1.73 .45 3.80 2.6 .90 2.90 1.75 .45 3.50 2.6 .90 2.90 Mean 3.61 c-t- oo Mean 2.82 P < 0.001 11 The data on form index differences in males and females were treated according to the methods described by Simpson and Roe in Quantitative Zoology (1939:210-211) for the comparison of the means of two small samples. The data are significant. Discussion The newly born platyfish is about 6.5 mm. long. At this stage, according to Wolf (1931) who traced the history of their germ cells, sex differentiation has already oc- curred. In the immature female, the paired gonads are fused medially; the germ cells have multiplied, spread throughout the body of the gland and enlarged to two or three times their original size. A number of stroma cells surround them, forming oocytes, and this is the first indication of follicle forma- tion. When pregneninolone is applied to two- week-old fishes, apparently oogenesis is in- hibited beyond oocyte development for no ova were found after 5, 8, 11 and 20 weeks of treatment; in one female a sperm duct-like structure was found. The gonads of the con- trol fish contained all stages of oogenesis in- cluding yolk-filled ripe ova. These results were similar, for the most part, to work on female swordtails and guppies. The work of Vivian (1939) and Matthews (1939), who hypophsectomized Fundulus fe- males and found that maturation of the pri- mary oocytes was suppressed, and the work of Hasler, Meyer and Field (1939) on induc- ing trout to spawn prematurely with the aid of pituitary glands of the carp, are sugges- tive of the possibility that the pituitary func- tion in female platyfish was inhibited by the application of pregneninolone. This appears likely for not only were the oogenesis proc- esses interrupted in treated platyfish, but the larger size of the normal female was never reached by pregneninolene-treated females. In the early postnatal male platyfish Wolf found that the germ cells are pushed out to the periphery of the gland, so that the center of the embryonic testis is occupied by stroma cells only, and this condition he reported is similar to the one found in Xiphophorus hellerii. The stroma cells cluster to form a duct which is destined to be the sperm duct. In slightly older fish (9 to 12 mm.) Wolf found that the gonads are united and parti- ally fused, but even the mature testis shows its bilateral origin in its bilobed contour, but it is not bipartite. In the normal 16 mm. or late juvenile testis, spermatocytes only are present; indeed, at this stage there seems to be a great deal of degeneration of the sex cells in the normal fish. This degeneration is attributed to the rapid proliferation of the germ cells with an inadequate blood supply for all of them. Wolf is convinced, however, that this degeneration of some germ cells has no significance in the history of the germ cells. In the definitive adult gonad, in Platy- poecilus and in Xiphophorus, Wolf found no seminiferous tubules. Acini form from pre- existing acini at the periphery of the testis, which in turn are descended from the pri- mordial germ cells, and as they form they are Cohen: Effect of Sex Hormones on the Platyfish 125 1946] pushed in toward the center of the testis, i Wolf is emphatic in his belief that neither the peritoneal covering of the testis, the stroma cells, nor the cells of the sperm duct I transform into sex cells. The generalized effects of treating gene- tically determined male platyfish with alpha- estradiol benzoate was the suppression of spermatogenesis beyond the spermatocyte stages and in the induction of ovo-testes in some instances. In males treated for 8 weeks large ova were found; in males treated for 12 weeks a few small oocytes were found, while in males treated for 20 weeks no oocytes or ova were seen. This indicates a lessening of effectiveness of the estrogen. In the early stages of the treatment an insuf- ficient testicular secretion may have been overruled by the applied estrogen; in more mature males the normal testicular secretion may have been sufficient. The generalized inhibitory effects of normal testicular devel- opment by estrogens have been reported in the swordtail and guppy. However, the ex- periments of Crown (1941) described briefly by Witschi (1942) show that many Xipho- phorus females may become masculinized by estrone, too. Their ovaries regress, the anal fin transforms incompletely into a gono- podium and the sword characteristic of the male tail fin begins to form. One might wish that the genetic sex determining mechanism in the swordtail was as clear as that in the platyfish. Nevertheless, we have one confir- matory fact to add in this connection. We had a gravid female platyfish which produced a brood under normal conditions. It was then subjected to alpha-estradiol benzoate treat- ment for three months ; at frequent intervals it was allowed the company of a fertile male platy under normal conditions. After the three month period, the treatment was dis- continued. While under the influence of the estrogen, it did not produce any further broods, but after the fourth month, six weeks after the treatment was over, it had another brood. In this instance the estrogenic hor- mones may have affected the sperm adversely within the oviduct, or they may have pre- vented oogenesis. Gardner and Pfieffer (1945) reviewed the subject of the influences of estrogens and androgens on the skeletal systems of higher vertebrates, but gave only passing attention to fishes. Grobstein (1941) found that gono- podia regenerated in place of normal anal fins in female platyfish when subjected to testosterone treatment, and similar results were found in Gambusia by Turner (1941, 1944) and in Mollienisia by Cummings (1943). The gonopodium articulates with a com- plex internal skeletal and muscular mech- anism which makes possible the movement of the copulatory fin. The hemal spines of the first three caudal vertebrae become modi- fied into gonapophyses and the anterior in- terhemal spines become modified into a series of fused gonactinosts ; in addition, a powerful gonopodial muscle is developed in normal adult male platyfish. The skeletal gonopodial suspensorial elements in the male platyfish were first described by Langer (1913) and more recently in a comparative way by Gordon and Benzer (1945). Similar gonopodial suspensorial elements were in- duced in treating young females with preg- neninolone. This androgen also modified the structures of the caudal fin, the most inter- esting effect being the induction of a tiny sword in female Platypoecilus maculatus which is taxonomically diagnostic of Platy- poecilus xiphidium. This feature was dis- cussed previously by Gordon, Cohen and Nigrelli (1943). In addition, we have found a specific effect of androgens in suppressing the tertiary bifurcation of the caudal fin rays and in reducing the calibre of the rays. Berkowitz (1938) showed that estrogens increased the si-ze of Lebistes males be- yond that usually attained by them, and Eversole (1941) found that androgens re- duce the size attained by female guppies. In our experiment, these general results were confirmed in the platyfish. In addition, the body contour characteristic of the normal female was induced in estrogen-treated males and that of the male was obtained in preg- neninolone-treated females. Gerschler (1914) and Bellamy (1922) measured platyfish and found that the greatest depth divided into the standard length produced the body index value of 2.7 in both sexes, but Chambers (unpublished) found that females had a greater depth than the males, and our figures are in line with those of Chambers (1935). Noble and Borne (1940), showed that androgens would elevate the rank of an in- dividual swordtail in the social hierarchy of a group living under aquarium conditions. Androgen treatment caused female guppies to act like males in their great sexual drive, according to Eversole (1940, 1941). The dif- ference in the sexual behavior in Lebistes is great; the females (according to Breder and Coates, 1935) show no l'esponse whatever, while the males are ceaseless in their court- ship activities. Braddock (1945) found that a social hier- archy is present in a group of platyfish. We found that the behavior patterns in platy- fish may be reversed completely by the treat- ment of females with pregneninolone and the treatment of males with alpha-estradiol ben- zoate, and this is in line with the results of others working with many species of fishes and other vertebrates. In summarizing the work on hormonal reg- ulation of development in lower vertebrates, Witschi (1942) claimed that sex hormones 126 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:9 have relatively little to do with primary sex differentiation, and that the inductor sub- stances, which play their roles at earlier stages of the ontogenetic process than sex hormones, belong to a separate class of chem- ical materials. It appears then in order to tackle this general problem of the influence and nature of the internal and external en- vironmental agents in sex-determination, it is desirable to know accurately and in ad- vance the genetic sex of an individual before treatment. For this purpose the platyfish, Platypoecilus maculatus, and their sex-linked characters might provide the suitable test animals. Summary. Alpha-estradiol benzoate suppressed spermatogenesis but stimulated the develop- ment of connective and interstitial tissues in genetic, immature male Platypoecilus macu- latus. The transformation of the anal fins into gonopodia was prevented. Young males treated for 8 to 12 weeks showed ova in ovo-testes ; males treated 20 weeks showed no ova and indicated a falling off of the inhibit- ing effects of the estrogen. Pregneninolone suppressed oogenesis and yolk formation in genetic, immature female platyfish. The effects did not diminish in ani- mals treated for 20 weeks; on the contrary, the ovaries showed greater degeneration. The following male-like characters appeared ; gonopodia, elements of the gonopodial sus- pensorium : gonapophyses and gonactinosts. In addition, tiny sword-like extensions ap- peared in the caudal fins. Bifurcations of the fin rays did not proceed beyond the primary stage. Immature females treated with pregnen- inolone developed a body index and body size characteristic of normal males, while imma- ture males treated with alpha-estradiol ben- zoate developed the body index and body size characteristic of normal females. Pregneninolone-treated females developed courtship behavior patterns characteristic of males; they became aggressive; pursued and thrust their gonopodia toward and attempted to copulate with normal mature females. Estrogen-treated males behaved like fe- males; they lost their aggressiveness and normal males pursued them. None of the sex- ually reversed males or females were fertile. The use of genetic methods for the de- termination of the genic sex of the imma- ture animal was suggested as a desirable tool in evaluating the effects of the environmental agents like sex hormones on sexual develop- ment. References Baldwin, F. M., and Goldin, H. S. 1939. Effect of testosterone proprionate on the female Xiphophorus helleri. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 42:813. Bellamy, A. W. 1922. Breeding experiments with the vivi- parous teleosts Xiphophorus helleri and Platypoecilus maculatus. Anat. Rec., 23:98. 1928. Bionomic studies on certain teleosts (Poeciliinae) . II. Color pattern inheri- tance and sex in Platypoecilus macula- tus. Genetics, 13:226. Berkowitz, P. 1937. Effect of estrogenic substances in Le- bistes reticulatus. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 36:416. 1938. Effect of estrogenic substances in Le- bistes reticulatus. Anat. Rec., 71:161. 1941a. The response of fish ( Lebistes reticu- latus) to mammalian gonadotropins. J. Exp. Zool, 86:247. 1941b. Effect of estrogenic substances in the fish (Lebistes reticulatus). J. Exp. Zool., 87-233. Breder, C. M. and C. W. Coates 1935. Sex recognition in the guppy, Lebistes reticulatus. Zoologica, 19:187. Braddock, J. C. 1945. Some aspects of the dominance-subor- dination relationships in Platypoecilus maculatus. Phys. Zool., 18:176. Chambers, V. M. 1935. A statistical investigation of Platy- poecilus. Cornell Univ. Library, Ith- aca. Cohen, Herman 1942. Effects of androgens and estrogens on Platypoecilus maculatus. Master’s Thesis in Washington Square College Library, New York Univ., New York. Cummings, J. B. 1943. Quantitative studies on the induction of Gonopodia in females of Mollienisia latipinna. J. Exp. Zool., 94:351. Danforth, C. H. 1939. The interrelation of genic and endo- crine factors in sex. Sex and Internal Secretions, 2nd Edition, Baltimore. Williams and Wilkins. Eversole, W. J. 1939. Effects of androgens upon the fish Lebistes reticulatus. Endo., 25:328. 1941. Effect of pregneninolone and related steroids on sexual development in fish Lebistes reticulatus. Endo., 28:603. Fraser, A. C., and Myron Gordon. 1929. The genetics of Platypoecilus. II. The linkage of two sex-linked characters. Genetics, 14:160. Gardner, W. V., and C. A. Pfieffer. 1945. Influence of estrogens and androgens on the skeletal system. Physiol. Re- views, 23:139. Gerschler, M. W. 1914. liber alternative Vererbung bei Kre- uzung von Cyprinodontiden-Gattan- gen. Ztsch. f. Ind. Abstam. u. vererb, 12:73. 1946] Cohen: Effect of Sex Hormones on the Platyfish 127 Gordon, M. 1927. The genetics of a viviparous top-min- now Platypoecilus ; the inheritance of two kinds of melanophores. Genetics, 12:253. 1932. The scientific value of small aquarium fishes. N. F. Zool. Soc. Bull., 35:10. 1946. Interchanging genetic mechanisms for sex determination in fishes under do- mestication. Journal of Heredity (in press) . , AND P. BENZER. 1945. Sexual dimorphism in the skeletal ele- ments of the gonopodial suspensoria in xiphophorin fishes. Zoologica, 30:57. , H. Cohen and R. F. Nxgrelli. 1943. A hormone produced taxonomic char- acter in Platypoecilus maculatus diag- nostic of P. xiphidium. Amer. Nat., 77:569. Grobstein, C. 1940. Endocrine and developmental studies of gonopod differentiation in certain poeciliid fishes. I. The structure and development of the gonopod in P. mac- ulatus. U. Calif. Publ. Zool., 47:1. 1941. Effect of testosterone proprionate on the regenerating anal fin of adult Platypoecilus maculatus females. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 45:484. 1942. Endocrine and developmental studies of gonopod differentiation in certain poeciliid fishes. II. Effect of testos- terone proprionate on the normal and regenerating anal fin of adult Platy- poecilus maculatus females. J. Exp. Zodl., 89:305. Hasler, A. D., R. K. Meyer and H. M. Field. 1939. Spawning induced prematurely in trout with the aid of pituitary glands of the carp. Endo., 25:978. L anger, W. F. 1913. Beitrage ziir Morphologie der vivipa- ren Cyprinodontiden. Morph. Jahrb., 47:193. Matthews, S. 1939. Relationship between the pituitary gland and the gonads in Fundulus. Bio. Bull., 76:241. Noble, G. K. and R. Borne. 1940. Effects of sex hormones on the social hierarchy of Xiphophorus helleri. Anat. Rec., 78:147. Regnier, M. 1937. Action des hormones sexualles sur l’inversion du sex chez Xiphophorus helleri. C. r. Acad. Sci. Paris, 205:451. 1938. Contribution a l’etude de la sexualite des Cyprinodontes vivipares. Bull. Biol. Fr. et Belg., 72:385. Scott, J. 1941. The effect of steroid hormones upon the skeleton of Lebistes reticulatus. Anat. Rec., 81 :90. 1944. The effects of steroids on the skeleton of Lebistes reticulatus. Zoologica, 29:49. Turner, C. L. 1941. Gonopodial characteristics produced in the anal fins of females of Gambusia affinis affinis by treatment with ethy- nyl testosterone. Bio. Bull., 80:371. 1942. Morphogenesis of the gonopodial sus- pensorium in Gambusia affinis and the induction of the male suspensorial characters in the female by andro- genic hormones. J. Exp. Zool., 91:167.’ Vivien, J-H. 1939. Relations hypophyso - genitales chez quelques teleosteens et selacians. C. r. Soc. Biol., 131:1222. Witschi, Emil. 1939. Modification of the development of sex, in lower vertebrates and in mammals. Sex and Internal Secretions, 2nd Ed., Baltimoi’e. Williams and Wilkins. 1942. Hormonal regulation of development in lower vertebrates. Symposia in Quan- titative Biology (Cold Spring Har- bor) 10:145. , and E. W. Crown. 1937. Hormones and sex determination in fishes and in frogs. Anat. Rec., 70:121. Wolf, L. E. 1931. History of the germ cells in the vivi- parous teleost P. maculatus. J. Morph. Physiol., 52:115. 128 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:9:1946] EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES Plate I. Fig. 1. Testis of Normal Male, 12 Weeks Old. This normal testis is fused with no evidence of an earlier developmental bipartite gonad. All stages of sperma- togenesis including many spermato- phores (Sp) are represented. The interstitial tissue is scant; the gonad as a whole is loosely constructed. 100 X. Fig. 2. Testis of Normal Male, 12 Weeks Old. This is same as above but under greater magnification. The deeply staining ring-like structures are spermato- phores (Sp) containing mature sperms, ripe and ready for ejaculation. The spermatids and other stages of sper- matogenesis (Sr) are represented by the lighter-staining roundish masses. 440X. Fig. 3. Testis of Estrogen-treated Male, 12 Weeks Old. This testis of a treated male shows the bipartite structure (P to P) . Spermatogenesis has only proceeded to the stage of formation of spermatogonia and spermatocytes (Sr). Spermatids, mature sperms and spermatophores are wanting. 100 X. Plate II. Fig. 4. Testis of Estrogen-treated Male, 12 Weeks Old. This is the same as Fig. 3 but under greater magnification. The testis is compact with a greater amount of interstitial tissue (N) than is found in an untreated male. Sper- matogonia and spermatocytes (Sr) are the prevailing germinal elements. 440 X. Fig. 5. Ovo-testis of Estrogen-treated Male, 8 Weeks Old. An oocyte (O) is present in the upper left portion of the figure. The interstitial tissue is profuse throughout the gonad. 440 X. Plate III. Fig. 6. Ovary of Normal Female, 8 Weeks Old. The ovary is large and occupies the greater portion of the abdominal cav- ity. The ova (ov) are well developed and well filled with yolk (F). The smaller circular masses are oocytes (o). In sectioning the ovary, the yolk within the ova fragments. 100 X. Fig. 7. Ovary of Pregneninolone-treated Fe- male, 8 Weeks Old. The ovary is very small and compact; compare this fig- ure with Fig. 6 which is reproduced at the same magnification. The dom- inant germinal elements present are oocytes (o). No yolk is present. 100 X. Fig. 8. Ovary of Pregneninolone-treated Fe- male, 8 Weeks Old. This ovary is shown under higher magnification. It is a tubular structure which resembles a testicular sperm duct (Sd) . Oocytes (o) are found throughout. 100 X. Fig. 9. Abdominal Region of a Pregnenino- lone-treated Female, 11 Weeks Old. The ovary is represented by a few scattered oocytes (o) and these ger- minal elements do not contain yolk. Portions of the intestine (i) are shown. 100X. Plate IV. Fig. 10. Caudal Fin Rays of Normal Female. The fin rays near their origin have a greater diameter than those shown below. At their terminal points shown here, the fin rays show a secondary (2) bifurcation. The primary (1) bi- furcation may be seen through the center of the figure. The dots represent the micromelanophores. 5X. Fig. 11. Caudal Fin Rays of a Pregneninolone- treated Female. The fin rays have a narrower diameter than those of the normal shown above. The rays show only a primary (1) bifurcation. Owing to the shortening of the 7th, 8th and 9th fin rays and a lengthening of the 6th, a tiny sword-like strutcure was induced (S) , a feature which resembles the “sword” of a related species, Platy- poecilus xiphidium. See Fig. 12. 5X. Plate V. Fig. 12. The Platy fishes: Platypoecilus macu- latus and xiphidium. The male P. maculatus is on the left and the female is on the lower right. P. xiphidium male is on the upper right. Note the short “sword” in P. xiphidium male. The fin rays of all the fishes have pri- mary and secondary bifurcations. The male P. maculatus has no “sword”. In this paper it has been shown that a “sword” may be induced in female P. maculatus by the application of the androgenic substance, pregneninolone. COHEN. PLATE 1. FIG. 3 EFFECTS OF SEX HORMONES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLATYFISH, PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS. COHEN. PLATE II. FIG. 5. EFFECTS OF SEX HORMONES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLATYFISH, PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS. COHEN. PLATE III. FIG. 8. FIG. 9. EFFECTS OF SEX HORMONES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLATYFISH, PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS. COHEN. PLATE IV. FIG. 10. EFFECTS OF SEX HORMONES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLATYFISH, PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS. OHEN. PLATE V. EFFECTS OF SEX HORMONES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLATYFISH, PLATYPOECILUS MACULATUS. • DC O ZOOLOGICA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 31 Part 4 Numbers 10-13 Published by the Society The Zoological Park, New York February 21, 1947 CONTENTS PAGE 10. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVI. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part V. By Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. Plate 1 129 11. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVII. Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes. By William Beebe & Jocelyn Crane. Plates I-III; Text-figures 1-19 151 12. Spontaneous Neoplasms in Fishes. II. Fibro-carcinoma-like Growth in the Stomach of Borophryne apogon,. A Deep-sea Cera- tioid Fish. By Ross F. Nigrelli. Plates I-IV 183 13. Studies on the Genus Hirudinella, Giant Trematodes of Scom- briform Fishes. By Ross F. Nigrelli & Horace W. Stunkard. Plates I-VIII 185 Index to Volume 31 197 Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 129 10. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVI. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part V.1 Leo George Hertlein & A. M. Strong. California Academy of Sciences. (Plate I). [This is the thirty-sixth of a series of papers dealing with the collections of the Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society made under the direction of William Beebe. The present paper is concerned with specimens taken on the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937-1938). For data on lo- calities, dates, dredges, etc., refer to Zoologica, Vol. XXII, No. 2, pp. 33-46, and Vol. XXIII, No. 14, pp. 287-298.] Contents. Page Introduction 129 Superfamily Lucinacea 130 Family UnguLnidae 130 Genus Taras Risso 130 Subgenus Taras s.s 130 Taras (Taras) inezensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov 130 Taras (Taras) orbellus Gould 130 Taras (Taras) subquadratus Carpenter ... . 130 Subgenus Felaniella Dali 131 Taras (Felaniella) obliquus Philippi 131 Taras (Felaniella) sericatus Reeve 131 Subgenus Phlyctiderma Dali 132 Taras (Phlyctiderma) semiru g o sus Dali ... . 132 Superfamily Leptonacea 132 Family Leptonidae 132 Genus Erycina Lamarck 132 Erycina colpoica Dali 132 Genus Kellia Turton 133 Kelia sub orbicularis Montagu 133 Genus Aligena Lea 133 Aligena cokeri Dali 134 Aligena nucea Dali 134 Genus Rochefortia Velain 134 Rochefortia chalcedonica Carpenter 134 Rochefortia subquadra ta Carpenter 135 Genus Pseudopythina Fischer 135 Pseudopythina chacei Dali 135 Genus Lasaea Brown 135 Lasaea petitiana Recluz 136 Genus So'eccirdia Conrad 136 Solecardia eburnea Conrad 136 Family Soortellidae 137 Genus Basterotia Mayer in Hornes 137 Basterotia peninsularis Jordan 137 Genus Sportella Deshayes 137 Sportella stearnsii Dali 137 Suoerfamily Cardiacea 138 Family Cardiidae 138 Genus Cardium Lmnaeus 138 Subgenus Lophocardium Fischer 138 Cardium ( Lovhocardium) annettae Dali.... 138 Subgenus Pavyridea Swainson 139 Cardium (Papyridea) a spersum Sowerby .. 139 Subgenus Phlonocardia Stewart 140 Cardium ( Phlogocardia) belcheri Broderip & Sowerby 140 Subgenus Americardia Stewart 140 Cardium (Americardia) biangulatum Brod- erin & Sowerby 140 Cardium l Americardia) guanacastense Hert- lein & Strong, so. nov 140 Subgen”s ( Nemocardium ' Meek 141 Cardium ( Nemocardium ) centifilosum Carpenter 141 Subgenus Mierocardium TVrele 142 Cardium ( Mirrnrardbim) pazianum Dali.. 1^2 Subgenus Mexicardia Stewart 142 1 Contribution No. 744, Department of Tropical Research, New York Zoological Society. Cardium ( Mexicardia ) procerum Sowerby 142 Subgenus Trigoniocardia Dali.... 143 Cardium (Trigoniocardia) graniferum Broderio & Sowerby 143 Cardium (Trigoniocardia) obovale Sowerby 144 Subgenus Laevicardium Swainson 144 Cardium (Laevicardium) clarionense Hert- lein & Strong, sp. nov 144 Cardium (Laevicardium) e'atum Sowerby. 145 Cardium (Laevicardium) elenense Sowerby 145 Cardium (Laevicardium) elenense apicinum Carpenter 146 Subgenus Dinocardium Dali 146 Cardium (Dinocardium) robustum Solander 146 Subgenus Trachy cardium Morch 147 Cardium ( Trachucardium ) consors Sowerby 147 Subgenus Acrosteriqma Dali 147 Cardium (Acrosterigma) pristipleura Dali 147 Subgenus D^llocardia Stewart 147 Cardium (Dallocardia) senticosum Sowerby 147 Superfamily Cyrenacea 148 Family Corbiculidae 148 Genus Polymesoda Rafinesque 148 Polymesoda anomala Deshayes 148 Polymesoda recluzii Prime 148 Introduction. This is the fifth of a series of papers deal- ing with collections of mollusks taken on the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937- 1938). The general plan of presentation fol- lowed in the present contribution is that mentioned in Part II of this series of papers2. Formal headings and keys are given only for the species collected by the Expedi- tions of 1936 and 1937-38. Occasionally addi- tional species are included in the keys for convenience but in such cases it is indicated which ones do not occur in the present collections. Acknowledgment is due Dr. G. D. Hanna, Curator, Department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences, and Mr. A. G. Smith, Berkeley, California, for their assistance and suggestions. Acknowledg- ment is especially due Dr. A. Myra Keen, Stanford University, California, for assist- ance in the identification of some of the species of Leptonidae and for suggestions regarding the classification of the Cardiidae. The preparation of the photographs by Mr. Frank L. Rogers is here acknowledged: his work was accompb'shed during the course of Federal Works Progress Administration Project Number 8569. 2 Hertlein, L. G., and Strong, A. M. Eastern Pacific Exoeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXII. Mollusks from the West Coast of Mexico and Central America. Part II. Zoo'ogica, New York Zool. Soc., Vol. 28, Pt. 3, December 6, 1943, pp. 149-168, pi. 1. 130 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:10 Superfamily Lucinacea. Family Ungulinidae [ = Diplodontidae | . Genus Taras Risso. Key to the subgenera of Taras. A. Sculpture concentric only a. Subglobose, nearly equilateral; white Taras s.s. aa. Compressed, inequilateral; a dark periostracum usually present Felaniella B. Sculpture concentric, also punctate, pustulate or subreticulate Phlyctiderma Subgenus Taras s.s. Key to the species of Taras s.s. A. Shell globose a. Shell thick orbellus aa. Shell thin ine-ensis B. Shell subquadrate; thin subquach atns Taras (Toros) fnezensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 1 and 4. Shell a right valve, inflated, umbos pro- jecting, anterior dorsal margin broadly rounded, posterior dorsal margin sloping obliquely, ventral half of margin suborbicu- lar; hinge with anterior cardinal tooth and a posterior cardinal wide and strongly bifid on end and on top but not completely bifid in center. Length, 18.4 mm.; height, 16.9 mm.; convexity (one valve), 8 mm. Holotype, right valve from collecting sta- tion 146-D-l, Lat. 26° 54' 20" N., Long. 111° 48' 45" W., Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, dredged in 35 fathoms (64 meters), Templeton Crocker Expedition, 1936. A small specimen of this species was dredged at Tenacatita Bay, Mexico, by the Templeton Crocker Expedition in 1932. This new species differs from Taras or- bellus Gould in the thinner shell, more strongly projecting beaks and umbos, the more steeply sloping dorsal margin, and in the character of the broad posterior cardinal tooth which is very strongly bifid, giving the appearance of two teeth. The posterior dorsal margin of the shell of Taras inezensis is less projecting than that of T. artemidis Dali3 in which it is not only more projecting but subtruncate or very obliquely rounded. Taras f Taras I orbellus Gould. Lucina orbella Gould, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 4, November, 1851, p. 90. “San Diego, Lieut. Green.” — Gould. Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., Vol. 6, 1853, p. 395, pi. 15, fig. 3. “From San Diego. Lieut. Green. Santa Barbara. Col. Jewett.” 3 Divlodonta ( Felaniella ) artemidis D*».ll, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 37. November 24, 1909, pp. 156, 263, pi. 28, fi<7. 8. “On the ‘inside’ or lagoon beach at Capon, in the sand.” Peru. Diplodonta orbella Gould, I. S. Oldroyd, Stanford Univ. Publ. Univ. Ser. Geol. Sci., Vol. 1, 1924, p. 124, pi. 6, figs. 5 and 6. Type Locality cited. Range, Pribiloff Islands, Alaska, to the Gulf of California. Type Locality. San Diego, California. Range : Pribiloff Islands, Alaska, to the Gulf of California. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-10), 60 fathoms, crusKed shell and eel grass; Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description : The globose shell and the centrally situated inconspicuous beaks are characters which serve to separate Taras orbellus from other species of the genus in west American waters This species some- times forms a nest of sand cemented by mu- cus so that the shell is wholly concealed. Distribution : Specimens of Taras orbellus in the present collection were dredged at depths of 4-60 fathoms, on a bottom of sand, crushed shell and eel grass. The species ranges from Alaska to the Gulf of Cali- fornia and also has been recorded from Miocene to Recent in western North Amer- ica. Taras ITarasI subquadratus Carpenter. Plate I, Figure 11. Diplodonta subquadrata Carpenter, Proc. Zool. Soc. London for 1855 (issued February 5, 1856), p. 230. “Mazatlan.” Recent. — Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat, Mus., Vol 23, 1901, p. 795. Catalina Island, California, south to Pan- ama, in 16 to 36 fathoms.— Soot-Ryen, Nyt Mag. Naturvid., Bd. 70 (Medd. Fra. Zool. Mus. Oslo, No. 27), 1932, p. 319, pi. 1, fig. 2. Floreana (Charles) Island, Galapagos Is- lands, Recent. Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, to Gorgona Island, Colombia, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Arena Bank (136-D-30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; Ce- ralbo Channel (137-D-3), 46 fathoms, rock; Santa Inez Bay (143-D-l), 29 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weed, (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fath- oms, sand (146-D-l), 35 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Gorda Banks (150-D-2, 24), 60-75 fathoms, sand, calcareous algae; Cape San Lucas, Lower California; 3 mi. off Pyr- amid Rock, Clarion Island (163-D-2), 55 fathoms, rock, coral; El Salvador: La Union, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-12), 5 fathoms, mud; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-1-3, 16), 2-7 fathoms, mangrove leaves; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud; Port Culebra (206-D-l, 2, 3), 14 fathoms, sandy mud. ~ Description: The shell of Taras subquad- ratus is thinner, much more compressed and quadrate in form than that of T. orbellus. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 131 The cardinal teeth are less sloping than are those of T. orbellus, in which species they are more nearly parallel to the hinge line. The angularity of the outline of the shell of T. sub quadratics is more pronounced in large shells. The largest specimen in the collec- tion measures : length, 29 mm. ; height, 25 mm.; convexity (one valve), 7.6 mm. Distribution-. Specimens of this species were dredged at depths of 2 to 75 fathoms. The greatest number of specimens was dredged off Port Parker, Costa Rica, in 12 fathoms. The species has been l’ecorded from the Pleistocene of San Quintin, Lower California. Subgenus Felaniella Dali. Key to the species of Felaniella. A. Shell large, wide sericatus B. Shell small, narrow obliquus Taras l Felaniella) obliquus Philippi. Diplodonta obliqua Philippi, Zeitschr. f. Malakozool., Jahrg. 3, February, 1846, p. 20. “Patria: Mazatlan.” Not Lucina obliqua Philippi, 1850. Lucina calculus Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina , August, 1850, species 68, pi. 11, fig. 68. “Hab. Gulf of Nicoiya (dredged from among coarse sand at a depth of from ten to thirteen fathoms) ; Cuming.” Diplodonta ( Felaniella ) obliqua Philippi, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 796. Cape San Lucas, Lower California, to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Type Locality : Mazatlan, Mexico. Range: Cape San Lucas, Lower Cali- fornia, to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Collecting Station: Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-10, 11, 16, 19), 4-13 fathoms, man- grove leaves, sand. Description: Shell small, narrow, oblique, rather compressed, polished, white. The shell of this species differs from other west American species of the genus in the narrower, oblique form. It differs from Lucina prolongata Carpenter, which it somewhat resembles in shape, in possessing a thinner shell, and in lacking the depressed lunule which is present on Carpenter’s species. Taras ( Felaniella ) minor Dali from the Bowden Miocene of Jamaica is a somewhat similar species. Distribution: Specimens of Taras obli- quus were dredged by the Expedition in 4 to 13 fathoms off Corinto, Nicaragua, on a bottom of sand and mangrove leaves. Taras I Felaniella! sericatus Reeve. Plate I, Figure 10. Lucina sericata Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, June, 1850, species 55, pi. 9, fig. 55. “Hab. — ?” — Adams & Reeve, Voy. Sama- rang, Moll., 1848 (issued 1850), p. 80, pi. 24, fig. 6, [not the locality “Hab. Philippine Archipelago.”] Lucina cornea Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, June, 1850, species 25, pi. 9, fig. 25. “Hab. Gulf of Nicoiya (in coarse sand at a depth of from ten to thirteen fathoms) ; Cuming.” Lucina nitens Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 6, Lucina, June, 1850, species 50, pi. 9, fig. 50. “Hab. Isle of Muerte, Bay of Guayaquil (in sandy mud at a depth of about eleven fath- oms) ; Cuming.” Diplodonta (Felaniella) sericata Reeve, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 798. Lower California to Panama. Taras parilis (Conrad) variety sericatus (Reeve), Grant & Gale, Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, 1931, p. 295, pi. 14, figs. 12a, 12b. Earlier records cited. Pleisto- cene and Recent. Type Locality: Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica (here designated as type locality). No locality originally cited. Range: Monterey Bay, California (Burch) ; San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, to Guayaquil, Ecuador. [We have not seen specimens from north of San Ig- nacio Lagoon, Lower California.] Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Chamela Bay; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-10, 11, 16, 17, 19, also beach) 4-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, sand; Costa Rica: Culebra Bay; Golfito, Gulf of Dulce; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-l- 5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell thin, compressed, higher than long, obliquely produced posteriorly; semi-pellucid, white, covered by a pale- olive colored periostracum. A large specimen measures approximately 22 mm. from beak to base. Large specimens of Taras sericatus are thicker and more quadrate in outline than juvenile forms. The shell of this species is much wider and larger than that of Taras obliquus. Taras candeanus d’Orbigny, which occurs in the Caribbean region, is a similar species. The name Lucina sericata was originally proposed by Reeve for a specimen the local- ity of which was unknown. Later Adams & Reeve referred to the species and gave the locality as the Philippine Islands. Hidalgo4 later cited the species from the Philippine Islands and referred it to the genus Lucina. If this generic allocation is correct it would appear that the species inferred to by Hi- dalVo is a different one from that described by Reeve which is a “Diplodonta," as pointed out by Lamy. Carpenter, Dali, Lamy and others have considered Reeve's species to be a west American shell. An additional reason for accepting this conclusion is that at least 4 Hidalgo, -T. O., rip t. Mol. Test. Filioinas. Rev. R. Acad. Cievc. Madrid, Vol. 3, 1905, p. 11. See also Lamy, E., Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 65, No. 4, 1921, p. 376. 132 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:10 three other species cited by Adams & Reeve from the East Indian region are now known to occur in tropical west American waters. These include “Artemis” dunkeri Philippi, cited from “Eastern Seas,” and Conus bor- neensis, cited from Borneo, but which is now thought to be identical with Conus arcuatus Sowerby, a west American species. After a consideration of the facts relating to Lucina sericata we have, at least for the present, accepted it as the earliest name for the west American species discussed here. The names Lucina cornea Reeve and Lucina nitens Reeve were also applied to the same species as L. sericata Reeve. Distribution'. Specimens of this species were collected on the beach and dredged at depths of 4-40 fathoms from off westei’n Mexico and Central America. It occurs south to Ecuador. We have not seen specimens from north of San Ignacio Lagoon, Lower California. It is known to occur in the Pleis- tocene of southern California and Lower California. Subgenus Phlyctiderma Dali. Taras l Phlyctiderma) semirugosus Dali. Diplodonta semiaspera, ? Phil., Carpen- ter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, November, 1855, p. 102. Mazatlan. Also other localities. Not Diplodonta semiaspera Philippi, 1836. Diplodonta ( Phlyctiderma ) semirugosa Dali, Jour. Conch., Vol. 9, No. 8, October 1, 1899, p. 246. “Range. Gulf of California.” — Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 796. Gulf of California to Panama. Type Locality. Gulf of California. Range : Gulf of California to Panama. Collecting Stations'. El Salvador: Mean- guera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; La Union, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-12L 5 fath- oms, mud; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-10, 17), 7-10 fathoms, mangrove leaves, sand; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 3). 12- 15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D- 1-10), 4-10 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell. Description : Shell subrounded, moder- ately inflated, somewhat expanded anter- iorly and posteriorly ; in some specimens the posterior area is set off bv a faint depres- sion; surface ornamented by fine concentric sculpture and the entire surface is finely punctate. One of the largest specimens measures approximately 15 mm. (beak to base). The smaller size, finer sculpture and more externally placed ligament are characters which serve to separate the shell of this species from that of Taras caelatus Reeve* * 5. 5 Lucina caelata Reeve, Conch. Icon.. Vol. 6. Larina, June, 1850, species 27, pi. 6. figs. 27a, 27b. “Hab. Inland of Muerte, Bay of Guayaquil (dredged from a depth of about eleven fathoms) ; Cuming.** A specimen of Reeve’s species was collected by the senior author at Sihuatanejo Bay, Mexico. Taras semiasperus Philippi, a West Indian species, is said to be less globose and to possess somewhat different sculpture than that of T. semirugosus. Carpenter described a shell from Mazatlan under the name of “Diplodonta ? semiaspera, var. discrepans”6. According to Dali (1901), this is an indeterminable form and a pen- cil sketch of it made by Carpenter some- what resembles a young Taras orbellus. Distribution : Specimens of Taras semiru- gosus were dredged by the expedition from El Salvador to Costa Rica at depths of 5 to 16 fathoms. Superfamily Leptonacea. Family Leptonidae. Key to the genera of the Leptonidae. A. Shell punctate; pallial line crenulated a. Adductor impressions lying entirely within the pallial line Solecardia aa. Adductor impressions not lying entirely within the pallial line Bor nia7 B. Shell not punctate a. Shell equilateral or nearly so b. Inflated; 1 cardinal tooth in right and 2 in left valve Kellia bb. Compressed ; 1 cardinal tooth in each valve Pseudopythina aa. Shell inequilateral c. Right valve with cardinal teeth d. Lateral teeth present e. 2 anterior laterals in left valve; shell minute; hinge large Lasaea ee. 1 anterior lateral in left valve Erycina dd. Lateral teeth lacking Aligena cc. Right valve without cardinal teeth Rochefortia Genus Erycina Lamarck. Erycina colpoica Dali. Erycina colpoica Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 45, No. 2002, June 11, 1913, p. 593. “Beach at the head of the Gulf of Cali- fornia.”— Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 66, Art. 17, 1925, p. 16, pi. 27, fig. 2. “Gulf of California.” Type Locality. Beach at the head of the Gulf of California. <5 Diplodonta ? semiaspera, var. discrepans Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, November, 1855, p. 103. “Hab.— Mazatlan ; 1 sp. in burrow from Chama.” See also Dali, W. H.. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 797. 7 Not represented in the present collection. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 133 Range : Gulf of California to Corinto, Nicaragua. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; Nicar- agua: Corinto (200-D-19), 12-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, also on beach. Description : Shell small, white, equivalve, very inequilateral, the anterior end much the longer and somewhat expanded, poster- ior shorter and smaller, both rounded; the dorsal and basal margins slightly arcuate, subparallel; surface sculptured only with concentric incremental lines, covered with a thin, pale yellowish periostracum; beaks low, inconspicuous, valves rather com- pressed; interior polished, hinge formula lo.01.olo ol.10.lol; chondrophore very narrow, oblique, and posteriorly directed. Length of shell, 10; of anterior part, 8.1; height, 6; di- ameter, 3.5 mm. (Dali). Most of the specimens in the present col- lection measure about 6-8 mm. in length. Some show a tinge of salmon-yellow colora- tion. Distribution : This species was dredged in Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California and was taken quite abundantly at Corinto, Nicaragua, in beach drift and at a depth of 12-13 fathoms. A few specimens, apparently the same species, were taken off Poi't Gua- tulco, Mexico, in 7 fathoms. The present record of occurrence at Corinto is an ex- tension south of the known range of the species. Genus Kellia Turton. Kellia suborbicularis Montagu. Mya suborbicularis Montagu, Test. Brit., Pt. 1, 1803, p. 39. “In hard lime-stone at Plymouth.’’ Also “sometimes dredged up in Salcomb-bay” ; Pt. 2, 1803, p. 564; Suppl., 1808, pi. 26, fig. 6. Kellia suborbicularis Montagu, Forbes & Hanley, Hist. Brit. Moll., Vol. 2, 1849, p. 87, Vol. 1, pi. 0, figs. 4, 4a (animal), pi. 18, figs. 9, 9a, 9b, 1848. Various localities cited in northern Europe and south to the Medi- terranean. [For dates of issue of this work see A. Reynell, Proc. Malacol. Soc. London, Vol. 13, 1918, pp. 25-26].— H. & A. Adams, Gen. Rec. Moll., Vol. 3, 1858, pi. 114, figs. 8, 8a, 8b, 8c. Type Locality: Plymouth, England (cited as type locality by I. S. Oldroyd, 1924, and accepted as such by the present authors). Also cited originally from Salcomb Bay, England. Range: Sitka, Alaska, to Peru. Also Atlantic. Collecting Station: Mexico: Port Guatulco (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, green sand, crushed shell. Description: Shell small, thin, suborbicu- lar or roundly subquadrate; ornamented by concentric lines of growth. There appears to be no method by which the shells in the present collection can be separated with certainty from the European Kellia suborbicularis and we have therefore referred them to that species. One specimen is quite round and is similar to the figures of Kellia biocculta de Folin8 but the hinge agrees with K. suborbicularis rather than with the species described by de Folin. Distribution: A few specimens of Kellia suborbicularis were dredged by the Expedi- tion at Port Guatulco, Mexico, in 7 fathoms. It has been cited as ranging south to Peru. It also has been recorded as occurring in the Pliocene and Pleistocene of western North America and from Miocene to Recent in Europe. At the present time the species occurs from Alaska to Peru, and in the north and south Atlantic and is said to occur in other regions. Genus Aligena Lea. Burch* 11 has discussed and illustrated sev- eral west American species of Aligena. Or- cutt10 cited “Aligena cooperi Dali” from Magdalena Bay, Lower California, but so far as we know this is a nomen nudum. Ali- gena pisum Dali11, was described from the Strait of Magellan in 61 fathoms. Key12 to the species of Aligena. A. Shell with a median radial constriction cokeri B. Shell without a median radial constriction a. Anterior portion of shell sloping steeply down cerritensis 13 aa. Anterior portion of shell broadly rounded b. Posterior portion of shell rounded, sloping gently down; left valve with a tooth nucea bb. Posterior portion of shell nearly straight, sloping abruptly down; left valve edentulous redondoensisyi H Erycina ( Kellia ) biocculta de Folin, Les Meleagrini- coles, (Havre), 1867, p. 21, pi. 3, figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Cited on p. 9 as from “environs des Negritos” or “iles aux Perles dans la baie de Panama”. — de Folin, Fonds de la Mer, Vol. 1, 1867-1871, p. 8 (as Erycina biocculta ). “La baie de Panama.” 9 Burch, T. A Survey of the West American Aligenas with a description of a new species. Nautilus, Vol. 65, No. 2, October, 1941, pp. 48-51, 1 pi. 10 Orcutt, C. R., West American Sci.t Vol. 21, No. 6 (Whole No. 169), May, 1919, p. 39. 11 Alif/ena pisum Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.t Vol. 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 413. “U.S.S. ‘Albatross’, station 2778, Magellan Strait, in 61 fathoms, mud, bottom tem- perature 48°F. U. S. N. Mus. 110,715.” 12 Adapted from T. Burch. 13 Not represented in the present collection. 134 Zoological New York Zoological Society [31:10 Aligena cokeri Dali. Aligena cokeri Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 37, No. 1704, November 24, 1909, p. 155, pi. 28, figs. 5 and 6. “Attached to worm tubes thrown upon the beach of the lagoon at Capon, Peru. The worms live in the beach.” — T. Burch, Nautilus, Vol. 55, No. 2, October, 1941, p. 49. Original record cited. Type Locality. Capon, Peru, beach of the lagoon, attached to worm tubes. Range : Punta Penasco, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Capon, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D- 16, 19), 4-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, also on beach. Description : Shell small, white, thin, fragile, roundly quadrate; a wide shallow radial furrow is present on the medial por- tion of the shell; beaks high, tumid, closely adjacent, slightly anteriorly directed and situated somewhat anteriorly; sculpture of concentric incremental lines and little ele- vated concentric threads; hinge edentulous, a small callosity present in front of the liga- ment; pallial line entire. A large speci- men measures approximately: length, 9.5 mm.; height, 8 mm.; convexity (one valve), 4 mm. The shell of this species is similar to that of Aligena aequata Conrad from the Mio- cene of Virginia. The presence of a medial radial furrow on A. cokeri easily serves to separate it from other west American spe- cies of Aligena. The present specimens ap- pear to be identical with the shell fi'om the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, which was identified as A. nucea by E. K. Jordan. Distribution: Two small valves of this species were dredged in Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California, and three valves were dredged by the Expedition at Corinto, Nic- aragua, in 4 to 13 fathoms. This is an ex- tension north of the known range of the species. Aligena nucea Dali. Aligena nucea Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 45, No. 2002, June 11, 1913, p. 597. “Gulf of California.” — Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 66, Art. 17, 1925, p. 2, pi. 28, fig. 2. “Gulf of California.” — -T. Burch, Nau- tilus, Vol. 55, No. 2, 1941, p. 49, pi. 4, figs. 3 and 4. Original locality cited. Type Locality: Gulf of California. Range: Punta Penasco, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Corinto, Nicaragua. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Nicaragua: Corinto, beach. Description: Shell small, white, rather solid, ovate, slightly inequilateral, moder- ately inflated; surface rather rude, with ir- regular, rather coarse incremental lines; beaks full, somewhat posterior, the anterior end of the shell shorter; interior porcellan- ous, the muscular scars unusually large, the pallial line irregular, entire; hinge with a long, strong, narrow chondrophore, a small pustular projection in front of it, as usual in the genus. Length of shell, 4.0; of an- terior portion, 1.75; height, 3.0; diameter, 2.2 mm. (Original description). The gently sloping posterior portion of the shell and the presence of a tooth in the left valve of this species are characters which serve to separate it from A. redondo- ensis T. Burch, dredged off Redondo Beach, California, in which the posterior margin slopes abruptly down and the hinge of the left valve is edentulous. Distribution: Two single valves of this species were dredged in Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California in 4-13 fathoms and one valve was taken on the beach at Corinto, Nicaragua. This is an extension south of the known range of this species. Genus Rocheforfia Velain. Key to the species of Rochefortia. A. Shell oval; diaphanous chalcedonica B. Shell subquadrate; opaque; umbos appressed subquadrata Rochefortia chalcedonica Carpenter. ? Montacuta chalcedonica Cai'penter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, April, 1857, p. 531. “Hab. — -Mazatlan ; 1 valve off frond of Murex nigritus; L’pool Col.” Mysella ■ chalcedonica Carpenter, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, No. 1177, 1899, p. 881. Mazatlan. Type Locality: Mazatlan, Mexico, on Mu- rex nigritus. Range: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Mazatlan, Mexico. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description: “?M. t. tenuissima, interdum opaca, interdum diaphana, castanea; ovali, marginibus regulariter excurvatis, umbone prominente; nitente, sed striulis tenuissi- mis, et concentricis, et radiantibus; valva altera dent. card. post, elongato, ant. evan- escente, lat. nullis; altera. ...” “Long. .02, lat. .028, alt. .006.” (Original description). The type of this species has never been figured but Carpenter’s description fits the present specimens rather well. The thin, chalcedonic shell, as indicated by its specific name, is a characteristic feature of this species. Distribution: A few single valves, here referred to this species, were dredged by the expedition in Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California, in 4-13 fathoms. This is the first record of the occurrence of this species outside of the type locality. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 135 Rochefortia subquadrata Carpenter. IMontacuta subquadrata Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, December, 1855, p. 113. “Hab. — Mazatlan; off Chamae, extremely rare; L’pool Col.” ?Mysella subquadrata Carpenter, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, No. 1177, 1899, p. 881. Mazatlan. Type Locality : Mazatlan, Mexico, off Chamae. Range : Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Mazatlan, Mexico. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description: “M. t. oblonga, subquadrata, solidiore, flavescente seu cinerea; sulcis con- centricis, creberrimis, rotundatis; umboni- bus appressis, lunula excavata; valva altera dent. card, uno, inter fossas duas, dent. lat. longis, prominentibus; valva altera dent, card, uno, elongato, prope marginem, fossa una, lata; dent. lat. subobsoletis.” “Long. .1, lat. .13, alt. .03.” (Original description). A left valve in the present collection agrees well with Carpenter’s description of “IMontacuta subquadrata.” The subquad- rate outline, appressed umbos and excavated lunule mentioned by Carpenter are notice- able on the pi-esent specimen. Carpenter mentioned that “Outside it resembles in miniature some of the oval Oolitic Astar- tidae.” Distribution: One left valve of this spe- cies was dredged by the Expedition in Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California, in 4-13 fath- oms. This is the first record of the occur- rence of this species outside the type lo- cality. Genus Pseudopythina Fischer. Pseudopythina Fischer in Monterosato, Nom. Gen. e Spec. Medit. (Palermo), 1884, p. 17. Sole species cited, “P. Mac-Andreivi, Fischer ( Kellia ) — Journ. Conchyl. 1867, p. 194, t. 9, f. 1 (Coste del Portogallo) .” Also ‘‘Pythina sp., M’Andrew — Rep. 1856 (Faro). Gibilterra (Hidalgo).” — Fischer, Man. de Conchyl., 1887, p. 1026. Sole species, “P. Mac-Anclrewi, Fischer.” — Dali, Trans. Wag- ner Free Inst. Sci., Vol. 3, Pt. 5, December, 1900, p. 1142. Type, Kellia MacAndrewi Fischer. Type (by monotypy) : Pseudo pythina mac- andrewi Fischer \— Kellia Mac-Andrewi Fischer, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 15, 1867. p. 194, pi. 9, fig. 1. “Hab. Nord de l’Espagne; bassin d’Arcachon (Gironde)”]. Description: West American shells re- ferred to this genus are elliptical, subquad- rangular or trapezoidal in outline, some- what compressed, often slightly flattened medially, and possess 1 cardinal tooth in each valve. The type species of the genus is said to possess 2 cardinal teeth in each valve. Pseudopythina chacei Dali. Erycina chacei Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 52, No. 2183, December 27, 1916, p. 410. “Station 4343, off the South Coronado Island, in 155 fathoms.” Pseudopythina chacei Dali, Keen in Burch, Min. Conch. Club South. Calif., No. 40, Oct- ober, 1944, p. 17, figs. pp. 12 and 18. Santa Rosa Island, California, to South Coronado Island, Mexico. Type Locality : Off South Coronado Island, Mexico, in 155 fathoms. Range: Santa Rosa Island, California, to Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand. Description: Shell small, compressed, rounded-quadrate ; nearly equilateral, the anterior end slightly shorter; beaks low, pustular, minute; dorsal margin nearly straight, basal margin gently arcuate; sur- face finely concentrically striate, whitish un- der a pale ashy penostracum, both ends nearly evenly rounded, hinge very feeble. Length, 5.3; height, 3.5; diameter, 1.8 mm. (Original description). Two small left valves in the present col- lection agree well with Dali’s description of “ Erycina ” chacei. A comparison of these specimens with a photograph of the type of Dali’s species and with a drawing of the hinge in the possession of Dr. A. M. Keen, reveals only slight differences between these and the present shells. We have therefore, at least for the present, referred the specimens to Dali’s species. Judging from the description alone, it is possible tfiat the present specimens may be referable to the species described as Mon- tacuta elliptica Carpenter14 described from Mazatlan, Mexico. The type of that species has never been illustrated and we are un- certain whether or not our specimens could be referred to it. Distribution: Two single valves of this species were dredged in Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California, in 4-13 fathoms. This is an extension south of the known range of the species. Genus Losoea Leach in Brown. A. M. Keen15 has discussed the genus Lasaea and cited the Recent species refer- able to it. Key to the species of Lasaea. A. Anterior dorsal margin broadly rounded ; umbos very tumid; subquadrate 14 Montacuta ellijjtica Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, December, 1855, p. 113. “Hab.— Mazatlan ; off Chama and Spondylus, extremely rare; L’pool Col.” —Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, 1899, p. 881 (as Mysella elliptica). Mazatlan. 15 Keen, A. M. New Pelecypod species of the genera Lasaea and Crassinella. Proc. Malacol. Soc. London , Vol. 23, Pt. 1, March 16, 1938, pp. 18-32, 1 pi. See also cor- rections in Vol. 23, Pt. 4, March 15, 1939, p. 252. 136 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:10 a. Anterior end evenly rounded cistula 15a aa. Anterior end slightly obliquely rounded petitiana B. Anterior dorsal margin sloping obliquely; umbos less tumid; shell more elongate subviridis 15a Lasaea petitiana Recluz. Poronia petitiana Recluz, Rev. Zool. Soc. Cuvierienne, Vol. 6, 1843, p. 175. “Hab. Callao de Lima, ou elie ne parait pas rare.” Lasaea petitiana Recluz, Keen, Proc. Mala- col. Soc. London, Vol. 23, Pt. 1, March 16, 1938, pp. 19, 22. Original record cited. Type Locality : Callao, Peru. Range: Atacama, Chile, to the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Station : Ecuador: Tower Is- land, Galapagos Islands, shore. Description: “Testa ovata seu ovato-tri- gona, convexo-depressa, inaequilatera, antice producta, albido-rosea, transversim substri- ata; apicibus parvis, vix antice flexis utro- que latere dentibusque roseo-pictis; fovea ligamentali latiuscula; marginibus valvarum acutiusculis.” “Long. 2y2 mill., larg. 3 mill., conv., 2 mill.” (Original description). The minute, inflated, subquadrate, often reddish-tinted shell of this species is much like that of Lasaea cistula Keen19 described from Halfmoon Bay, California, but the an- terior dorsal margin appears to slope a little more obliquely. Compared to L. subviridis Dali, the anterior dorsal margin of the present species slopes much less steeply and the umbos are more tumid, as in L. cistula. Some of the largest specimens in the present collection are 2.5-2.75 mm. in length. The exact synonymy and range of this species are uncertain. Dali17 considered it to be identical with Kellia miliaris Philippi 18 which was described from the Strait of Ma- gellan. Haas19 stated that specimens which he identified as Lasaea miliaris Philippi from Peru are hardly separable from L. cis- tula Keen. Lasaea macrodon Stempell20 was described from Juan Fernandez Island. Distribution: Several specimens in the present collection, apparently referable to 15a Not represented in the present collection. 1G Lasaea cistula Keen, Proc. Malacol. Soc. London, Vol. 23, Pt. 1, March 16, 1938, p. 25, pi. 2, figs. 7-9. “Type locality.— Moss Beach, Half Moon Bay, California— Sect. 4, T. 5 S., R. 6 W., Mount Diablo Meridian.” 17 Dali, W. H., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 37, 1909, p. 264. 18 Kellia miliaris Philippi, Archiv f. Naturgesch ., Jahrg. 11, Bd. 1, 1845, p. 51. “Patria Fretum Magellanicum, Eagle Bay, frequens.”— Philippi, Reise durch die Wueste Atacama (Eduard Anton : Halle) , 1860, p. 175, pi. 7, figs, a [cited as d on pi.], b, c. Indicated as ranging from Cobija to the Strait of Magellan. 19 Haas, F., Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol 29, No. 1, 1943, p. 17. With Mytilus granulatus from rocks at Chincha Norte Island, Peru. 20 Lasaea macrodon Stempell, Zool. Jahrb., Suppl. Bd. 5. Fauna Chilensis, Bd. 2, December 20, 1899, p. 231, figs. 16, 17. “3 Exemplare aus der Bahia Padres auf Juan Fernan- dez.” this species, were collected, probably by William Beebe, on Tower Island, Galapagos Islands, in 1925. Although not a part of the present collections of the Expeditions of the Zaca, the species is recorded here for con- venience of reference. The exact range of this species is uncertain. Dali recorded it as ranging south to the Strait of Magellan. The present shells appear to belong to the species cited by the present authors under the name of Lasaea rubra from the Pleisto- cene of the Galapagos Islands. Genus Solecardia Conrad. Solecardia eburnea Conrad. Solecardia eburnea Conrad, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 4, 1849, p. 155. Described under the title “Shells are from the coasts of Lower California and Peru.” — Conrad, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, Vol. 1, 1850, p. 279, pi. 39, fig. 1. Local- ity same as in preceding reference.— Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, 1899, pp. 875, 879, 884. “Cape St. Lucas to Panama.” Not Scintilla eburnea Morch, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 24, No. 4, 1876, p. 373. “Hab. Saint-Thomas,” dredged. Renamed Solecar- dia morchi Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, June 26, 1899, p. 884. Scintilla cumingii Deshayes, Proc. Zool. Soc. London for 1855 (issued January 5, 1856), p. 173. “Hab. ad littora Panamensia.” — Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 19, Scintilla, 1874, species 3, pi. 1, figs. 3a, 3b. Panama. Type Locality : Lower California. Range: Punta Penasco, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Panama. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (144-D-2), 2Vfe fathoms, sand, weed, rocks. Description: Shell ovately oblong, thin, punctate; hinge with 2 diverging teeth and a linear oblique cartilage pit between ; pallial line entire. “In this singular bivalve the pallial impression shows no junction with the adductor impressions, but joins the ex- tremities of the cardinal plate. The muscular impressions are as distinct on the exterior as on the interior” (Conrad). A specimen in the present collection meas- ures: length, 21.2 mm.; height, 14.3 mm. The large size of the shell, for the family, and the close radial rows of fine pits on the outer surface, are very distinctive features of this species. It is the type of the genus Solecardia. Wood21 mentioned a similarity between Kellia ambigua Nyst from the Crag Plio- cene of England and Solecardia eburnea Conrad. Some of the Hawaiian species originally referred to Solecardia have been placed in 21 Kellia ambigua Nyst, Wood, Palaeontogr. Soc., Vol. 4, Mon. Crag Moll., Pt. 2, No. 1, Bivalves, for 1850 (issued June, 1851), p. 120. Tab. 12, figs. 11a, lib. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 137 the genus N esobornia Dali, Bartsch & Reh- der, 1938, the type of which is Solecardia ovata Gould. Distribution: A single valve of Solecardia eburnea was dredged by the Expedition in Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California. It has been recorded as ranging south to Panama. Family Sportellidae. Key to the genera of the Sportellidae. A. Left valve with one cardinal tooth Basterotia B. Left valve with two cardinal teeth Sportella Genus Basterotia Mayer in Hornes. Harlea Gray, Synop. Brit. Mus., 1842, p. 78. [No species citeaj. See E. A. Smitn, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, April 1, 1890, p. 303. Eucharis Recluz, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 1, 1850, p. 164. Type, Corbuta quadrata ninds. — Fischer, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 34, No. 3, 1886, p. 198. Not Eucharis Latreille, 1804. Basterotia Hbrnes, Verhandl. k. k. Zool.- Bot. Gesell. Wien, Bd. 9, 1859, Abh. p. 71. Basterotia corbuloides Hbrnes cited and illustrated. [ Corbula quadrata (as illus- trated by Reeve, pi. 5, tig. 40) was men- tioned as a similar species but it was not definitely referred to the genus Basterotia J. Not Basterotia Bayle in Jousseaume, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, Vol. 9, 1884, p. 95. Gastro- poda. Type (by Monotypy): Basterotia corbu- loides Hbrnes, Verhandl. k. k. Zool.-Bot. Ge- sell. Wien, Bd. 9, 1859, p. 71, [three figs.]. “Wiener Becken.” See also Hbrnes, Abhandl. k. k. Geol. Reichsanst., Bd. 4, 18 <0, p. 40, pi. 3, figs, lla-g. Various localities cited in Vienna Basin, Austria. Miocene. The species originally described as Ani- sodonta peninsulare by E. K. Jordan, from the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower California, has been found among beach shells along the west coast of the tropical Americas. The species appears to be refer- able to the genus Basterotia Mayer in Hbrnes which is known from Miocene to Recent. Species living in the present seas have been described from the south Atlantic, Caribbean, and western Pacific. The west coast of Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Gala- pagos Islands can now be added to the rec- ords of the distribution of the genus. Lamy22 has cited the species referred to this genus. Basterotia peninsularis Jordan. Anisodonta peninsulare E. K. Jordan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford Univ., Vol. 1, 22 Lamy, E. Note sur le genre Basterotia Mayer, 1859 [Mollusques Lamellibranches], Comp. Rend. Congrbs des Soc. Savantes, Paris, 1925, pp. 503-508, 1 fig. in text. No. 4, November 13, 1936, p. 147, pi. 18, figs. 11, 12. “Magdalena Bay, Lower California.” “Pleistocene.” Type Locality : Magdalena Bay, Lower California. Pleistocene. Range : Port Guatuleo, Mexico, to Corinto, Nicaragua, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Port Gua- tuleo (195-D-9), 7 fathoms, gr. sand, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto, beach drift. Description: Shell subquadrate, thin; um- bos gently rounded, a broadly rounded shoul- der on the posterior portion of the shell; anterior end short; a prominent cardinal tooth which is separated from the resilium pit by a distinct notch. Length, 15 mm.; height, 10.6 mm.; convexity of left valve, 4 mm. (Jordan). A right valve in the present collection measures approximately : length, 13 mm. ; height, 8 mm.; convexity (one valve), 3 mm. Distribution: One fairly large valve of this species was found in the beach drift at Corinto, Nicaragua. Another very small valve also referred to this species was dredged in 7 fathoms at Port Guatuleo, Mexico. This is the first record of the oc- currence of the species living in west Amer- ican waters. Heretofore it has been known to occur only in the Pleistocene of Magda- lena Bay, Lower California. Specimens ap- parently referable to this species were col- lected by Professor Nicholas Reformatsky in the Pleistocene of Albemarle Island, Galapagos group. Dr. A. M. Keen of Stan- ford University, called our attention to the fact that this species also occurs in the Re- cent fauna of the Galapagos Islands. Genus Sportella Deshayes. Sportella Deshayes, Descript. Anim. s. Vert. bas. Paris, Vol. 1, 1858, p. 593. Type, Psammotea dubia Deshayes. — Dali, Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., Vol. 3, Pt. 5, 1900, p. 1125. Type, Psammotea dubia Deshayes. [On p. 1125 as Psammobia dubia Deshayes]. Type (by original designation) : Psammo- tea dubia Deshayes, Descript. Coq. Fos. env. Paris, Vol. 1, 1824, p. 76, pi. 10, figs. 13, 14. “Localite : Parnes, C. G.” Shell oblong, transverse, smooth, flat- tened, subequilateral, closed, margins simple and sharp. Hinge narrow bearing two un- equal teeth diverging in the left valve, a single simple one in right valve. Muscular impressions large, oval, nearly equal. Pal- lial impression simple. Ligament external [translation from Deshayes, 1858], Sportella stearnsii Dali. Sportella stearnsii Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 21, No. 1177, June, 1899, p. 885, pi. 87, figs. 9, 12. “Gulf of California, exact locality unknown.” 138 Zoologica: Neiv York Zoological Society [31:10 Type Locality. Gulf of California. Range : Gulf of California to Corinto, Nic- aragua, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-1-3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D- 17), 7-10 fathoms, sand, also in beach drift. Description: Shell of moderate size for the genus, inequilateral, not very convex, white, with an almost imperceptible yellowish epi- dermis; anterior dorsal margin nearly straight, the base parallel with it, the ends bluntly rounded ; surface nearly smooth, with faint incremental lines and microscopic sag- rination ; teeth normal, strong, the posterior cardinal prominent, vertical; ligament strong, external, on a nymph ; resilium well developed, its area of attachment thickened; posterior adductor scar rounded, unusually large. Lon. 13.5, alt. 10, diam. 5 mm. (Dali). A right valve from Corinto, Nicaragua, measures approximately: length, 14 mm.; height, 8.8 mm.; convexity (one valve), 3 mm. Distribution: One valve of this species was dredged in Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of Cali- fornia, three single valves were found in the beach drift and one left valve was dredged in 7-10 fathoms at Corinto, Nicaragua. The oc- currence here recorded from Corinto, as well as that from the Galapagos Islands, repre- sents an extension south of the known range of this species. Superfamily Cardiacea. Family Cardiidae. A paper dealing with the nomenclature of the superspecific units of this family has been published by A. M. Keen23. Genus Cardium Linnaeus. Key to the subgenera24 of Cardium. A. Shell decidedly longer than high a. Two distinct areas of sculpture; no lateral teeth Lophocardium aa. Without distinct areas of sculpture; lateral teeth present Papyridea B. Shell decidedly higher than long, or round a. Shell nearly smooth Laevicardium aa. Shell strongly sculptured b. Posterior area set off with strong concentric or scaly sculpture c. All ribs and interspaces on pos- terior area crossed by strong concentric laminae Nemocardium cc. Various ribs on posterior area with strong scales only Microcardium 23 Keen, A. M. Nomenclatural Units of the Pelecypod Family Cardiidae. Bull. Mus. Roy. Hist. Nat. Belgique, Tome 13, No. 7, March, 1937, pp. 1-22. 24 The subgenus Dinocardium has been omitted from this key because it is believed that it does not occur in the west American fauna. bb. Posterior area not set off with strong concentric or scaly sculp- ture d. Umbos abruptly angulated pos- teriorly ; posterior margin trun- cated e. Ribs beaded ; anterior later- als crowded against cardi- nals; shell small Trig onio car dia ee. Ribs with fine concentric imbrications; cardinals symetrically spaced between anterior and posterior lat- erals Americardia dd. Umbos rounded or roundly angled posteriorly f. Ribs broad, flattish ; smooth on top g. Very convex; ribs with- out scales Mexicardia gg. Gently convex ; central ribs fringed with scales on anterior and poste- rior sides; elongate Acrosterigma ff. Ribs narrow, well elevated; central ribs with scales or nodes on posterior side, h. Central ribs with scales on posterior side and arching over top Trachy cardium hh. Central ribs with a ser- rate ridge or nodes on posterior side only or nodes on both sides i. Central ribs with an elevated serrate ridge on posterior side Phlogocardia ii. Central ribs with di- agonal nodes on pos- terior (and on some specimens also, to a lesser degree, on an- terior) side Dallocardia Subgenus Lophocardium Fischer. Cardium I Lophocardium) annettae Dali. Plate I, Figures 3, 8 and 13. Cardium ( Lophocardium ) annettae Dali, Nautilus, Vol. 3, No. 2, June, 1889, p. 13. “Dredged in 25 fathoms off the coast of Lower California, near Cerros Island.” Lophocardium annettae Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 12, 1889 (issued March 7, 1890), p. 264, pi. 10, fig. 4. “Hab.— Coast of Lower California at station 2828 in north 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 139 latitude 24° 11' and west longitude 109° 55' in 10 fathoms; fragments were collected at Stations 2823 and 2826, in 8 to 27 fathoms, shelly bottom, within a few miles of the preceding and also in material dredged near San Clemente Island in 25 fathoms.” Protocardia ( Lophocardium ) annettae Dali, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 392. Gulf of California, 6 to 24 fathoms. Type Locality : Off the coast of Lower California, near Cedros Island, in 25 fathoms. Range-. San Clemente Island, California, to Port Culebra, Costa Rica. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Ced- ros Island ; Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of Cali- fornia (143-D-2, 4), 25-30 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, sand; Port Guatulco (195-D- 21), 18 fathoms, mud; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 2, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly sand and mud, algae; Port Culebra (206-D-l, 2, 3), 14 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell elongated, thin, fragile, gaping posteriorly; color salmon pink to almost white, the color deepest on the pos- terior area; a raised radial lamina fringed with periostracum separates about five- sixths of the shell from the posterior area; the surface of this anterior area is finely reticulated; flat, little elevated, radial ribs become very weak and can be observed only with magnification on the anterior end, the radial sculpture is crossed by fine raised irregular concentric laminae; the posterior area is ornamented by well developed radials crossed by somewhat irregular laminae which are sparser and higher than the rad- ials and much higher than on the anterior area; two pointed cardinal teeth are present in the right valve and one in the left but lateral teeth are absent; periostracum light brown in color. The largest specimen in the present collection is 46.8 mm. long and 38.7 mm. high. A study of the series available suggests that there are not two species of this re- markable group of shells in the area, and were it not for Broderip’s statement re- garding cumingii that the lamina separat- ing the posterior part of the shell from the remainder is Mactra- like, we would feel that the name annettae should be relegated to the synonymy of Cardium cumingii25. L. C. Smith20 discussed both species and stated that the lamina on C. cumingii is not made of shelly material. Dali stated that the bounding ridge of the 25 Cardium cumingii Broderip, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 82. “Hab. in America Centrali. (Gulf of Dulce).” “It was obtained from sandy mud, at a depth of twelve fathoms.”— Reev^e, Condi. Icon., Vol. 2, Caraium, 1844, species 59, pi. 12, fig. 59. Original locality cited. 26 Smith, L. C., Mus. Comp. Zool., Occ. Papers on Moll., No. 4, July 30, 1945, p. 31-32. type of C. annettae is notched and fringed with periostracum and much less prominent than that of C. cumingii. Specimens from as far south as Costa Rica show some variation in the height and character of the lamina and it is not certain that the specific name annettae can be retained for a form distinct from C. cumingii. Distribution: Specimens of Cardium an- nettae were dredged at depths of 12 to 30 fathoms from Cedros Island to Costa Rica. It was not found abundantly at any locality and in some localities specimens of this fragile shell were broken into pieces. Subgenus P apyridea Swainson. Cardium l Papyridea I aspersum Sowerby. Cardium aspersum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 85. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam et ad Montem Christe.” “Found in sandy mud at seven fathoms depth.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 2, 1840?, pi. 48, fig. 15, January, 1834. St. Elena. — Reeve, Conch. Syst., Vol. 1, 1841, p. 99, pi. 75, fig. 15. Type Locality: Santa Elena, Ecuador (here designated as type locality). Monte- christi also cited originally. Range: Manuela Lagoon, Lower Cali- fornia, and the Gulf of California, to Lo- bitos, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Southeast of Cedros Island (126-D-19), 25 fathoms, rocks, algae; Cape San Lucas; Santa Inez Bay, Guff of California (141-D-2), 10-15 fathoms, sand, weed; Port Guatulco; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-19), mangrove leaves; Panama: Hannibal Banks. Description: Shell elongately oval, sub- equilateral, gaping; mottled with reddish- brown and light colored areas; ribs numer- ous, the anterior ones finer and crenulated, the central ones flattened, the posterior ones coarser and ornamented with short spines; the ends of the ribs form a serrated margin posteriorly. Cardium aspersum is very similar to the Atlantic species C. spinosum Meuschen but the form from the eastern Pacific appears to have flatter ribs and less posterior elon- gation. The form described by Verrill as Papyridea bullata var. calif ornica27 has not been illustrated but is probably identical with the species described by Sowerby. Distribution: Cardium aspersum was col- lected on beaches and dredged at depths of 10 to 25 fathoms from Cedros Island to Panama. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, of Oaxaca, Mexico, and the Gala- pagos Islands. 27 Papyridea bu'lata Sw. var. calif ornica Verrill, Amer. Jour. Sci., Ser. 2, Vol. 49, March, 1870, p. 225. “La Paz.” 140 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:10 Subgenus Phlogocardia Stewart. Cardium I Phlogocardia I belcheri Broderip & Sowerby. Cardium belcheri Broderip & Sowerby, Zool. Jour., Vol. 4, January, 1829, p. 366, pi. 9, fig. 3. “Hab. in Oceano Pacifico.” Dredged “to the northward of Isabella Island, at the entrance to the Gulf of California, in 15 fathoms.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Card- ium, Cat., p. 3, No. 41, 1840?. “Coast of California and Panuma” [Panama], — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 5, pi. 1, fig. 5. “Hab. California and Panama; Belcher.” Type Locality: North of Isabel Island, Mexico, at the entrance to the Gulf of Cali- fornia, in 15 fathoms. Range : Cedros Island, Lower California, and the Gulf of California, to Panama. Collecting Stations : Mexico : East of Ced- ros Island (126-D-2), 38 fathoms, mud; Arena Bank, Gulf of California (136-D-15), 40 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Santa Inez Bay (141-D-1-4), 7-20 fathoms, sand, crushed shell, calcareous algae, weed, (142- D-2), 30-35 fathoms, muddy sand, crushed shell, (143-D-1-5), 18-30 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, sand, weed; Costa Rica: 14 miles S.E. of Judas Point (214-D-1-4), 42-61 fathoms, mud, shell, rocks; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-1-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell elongately oval from beak to base, inflated ; ornamented by about 24 triangular ribs which, on the posterior side, are surmounted by a narrow, serrated ridge. A large specimen measures approxi- mately 53 mm. in altitude. Cardium stiriatum Brown & Pilsbry from the Miocene of Panama, and C. stiriatum leonense Mansfield from the upper Miocene of Florida, are forms similar to C. belcheri. Other species of this group occur in the late Tertiary of the Caribbean region. Distribution: Cardium belcheri was dredged at several localities between Ced- ros Island, Lower California, and Panama, at depths of 7 to 61 fathoms. Subgenus Americardia Stewart. Key to the species of Americardia. A. About 28 fairly broad, flat ribs; interior with brownish-red areas biangulatum B. About 30 narrow ribs; interior white guanacastense Cardium I Americardia! biangulatum Broderip & Sowerby. Cardium biangulatum Broderip & Sower- by, Zool. Jour., Vol. 4, January, 1829, p. 367. “Hab.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 7, 1840?, pi. 46, fig. 2, issued between July 19, 1833, and January, 1834. “St. Elena, Mr. Cuming.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 29, pi. 6, fig. 29. “Hab. St. Elena and Isle of Plata, West Columbia (found in coral sand at the depth of seventeen fathoms) ; Cuming.” Type Locality : Santa Elena, Ecuador (here designated as type locality). No lo- cality cited originally but Santa Elena cited with first illustration of the species. Range : Catalina Island, California, to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Collecting Stations: Mexico: East of Cedros Island (126-D-2), 38 fathoms, mud; Santa Inez Bay (142-D-1-4), 30-50 fath- oms, sand, crushed shell, muddy sand, weed, calcareous algae, (143-D-l), 29 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weeds, (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand, also at San Domingo Point and Monument Station; coast of Lower California; Arena Point; Cape San Lucas; Port Angeles; Port Guatulco (195- D-9, 10, also on shore), 4-7 fathoms, gray sand, crushed shell; Santa Cruz Bay; Tan- gola-Tangola Bay (196-D-6, 7, 14, 15), 5-7 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-19), 12-13 fathoms, man- grove leaves; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203- D-l, 3, also on shore), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-4-15) , 4-40 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell; Golfito, Gulf of Dulce. Description: Shell inflated, umbos abrupt- ly angulated posteriorly, posterior end con- cavely flexed and truncated; ribs fairly broad, flattened, about 27-28 in number; color of exterior light brown with reddish- brown spots, interior white tinged with red- dish-brown areas. The shell of this species is proportion- ately broader, the ribs fewer and broader, and the interior is partially colored reddish- brown in comparison to that of C. guan- acastense, which is white. Cardium medium of the Caribbean region is similar in shape but has more numerous and narrower ribs. Distribution : Cardium biangulatum was collected at many localities from Cedros Island, Lower California, to Costa Rica, on beaches and dredged at depths of 4 to 50 fathoms. The largest number of specimens was found at Corinto, Nicaragua. The spe- cies is known to occur from Pliocene to Recent in the Gulf of California region and in the Pleistocene of the San Pedro region in southern California. Cardium I Americardia! guanacastense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Cardium planicostatum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 83. “Hab. ad oras Americae Centralis. (Guaco- mayo).” “Found in fine sand, at a depth of thirteen fathoms.” — Sowerby, Conch. II- 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 141 lustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 7, 1840?, pi. 50, fig. 25, February, 1834. “Guacomayo. Mr. Cuming.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Card- ium, 1844, species 31, pi. 6, fig. 31. Original locality cited. Not Cardium planicostatum Sedgwick & Murchison, 1829. Cardium ( Fragum ) magnificum (De- shayes MS) in Carpenter, Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 390. Lower California to Paita, Peru, in 10 to 13 fath- oms. Not Cardium magnificum Deshayes in Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1856 (issued 1857), p. 187. “Is. Plata, St. Elena,” coral sand, in 17 fathoms. Reference to Plate 6, fig. 29 of Reeve [which repre- sents Cardium biangulatum Broderip & Sowerby], Type Locality: Culebra Bay, Costa Rica. Range : Off San Jose del Cabo, Lower California, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Station: Costa Rica: Culebra Bay. Description: Shell somewhat cordate, the beaks somewhat attenuated, rounded an- teriorly, truncated posteriorly, umbos angu- lated posteriorly and sloping abruptly down- ward, the median portion of the posterior area concave; sculptured with about 30 nar- row, flat-topped ribs of which about 20 occur anterior to the posterior umbonal angulation and about 10 posterior to it, ribs and interspaces crossed by fine concen- tric imbrications; hinge with 2 cardinals, the anterior the larger, and 2 laterals which are double in the left valve; exterior yellow- ish-white and pinkish and with somewhat irregularly concentric blotches of brown, the interior white. The type measures: height (beak to base), 25 mm.; length, ap- proximately, 22 mm. Another specimen, a right valve, measures: height, 46 mm.: length, 36 mm. Holotype, left valve, in Calif. Acad. Sci. Paleo. Type Coll., from Culebra Bay, Prov- ince of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. A right valve, somewhat worn, also was collected at the type locality. The shell of this species is in general shape similar to that of Cardium biangu- latum but it is proportionately higher and narrower, has about 30 radial ribs which are narrower, and the interior is white rather than with reddish-brown areas. The first citation of Cardium magnificum was by Carpenter (1857, p. 187) who stated “ Cardium biangulatum [= magnifi- cum, Desh.]” with a reference to Reeve’s plate 6, figure 29, which represents C. bian- gulatum. Carpenter did not make any addi- tional statement regarding Cardium mag- nificum in any subsequent publication. Dali, 1901, stated regarding C. magnificum “This is Cardium planicostatum Sowerby, 1833, not of Sedgwick and Murchison, 1829.” He also stated that Carpenter was mistaken in referring Deshayes’ species to Cardium medium. Dali apparently referred to Car- penter’s statement (1863, p. 364; 1864, p. 552. See Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 38, 201) that a specimen identi- fied by C. B. Adams as C. planicostatum Sowerby “may be a worn valve of Hemicar- dia biangulata, but more resembles a ballast specimen of the W. Indian H. media.” It seems reasonable to suppose that De- shayes intended to propose the specific name magnificum to replace the preoccupied name planicostatum of Sowerby. However, accord- ing to the rules of nomenclature, the name Cardium magnificum must be relegated to the synonymy of Cardium biangulatum. Sowerby’s combination of names, Cardium planicostatum, had been used earlier by Sedgwick & Murchison ; therefore a new name is required for Cardium planicostatum of Sowerby and the name Cardium guana- castense based upon a type from Culebra Bay, Costa Rica, is here proposed. Cardium arrestum Dali from the Caloosa- hatchie Pliocene of Florida is a similar species. Distribution: Two specimens of this species were collected by the Expedition at Culebra Bay, Costa Rica. The northernmost locality represented by specimens in the collection of the California Academy of Sci- ences is that of shells collected by the Tem- pleton Crocker Expedition in 1932 off Mex- ico in Lat. 23° 03' N., Long. 109° 31' to 109° 36' W. The species also has been re- corded as occurring in the Pliocene of Costa Rica, and in the Pleistocene of Ecuador. Subgenus Nemocardium Meek. Cardium t Nemocardium I centifilosum Carpenter. Cardium var. centifilosum Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1863 (issued August, 1864), p. 611. “Cat. Is., 30-40 fm.,” p. 642. Santa Barbara Islands. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, pp. 97, 128. Cardium ( Protocardium ) centifilosum Carpenter, Packard, Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool.. Vol. 14, No. 2, 1918, p. 267, pi. 20, figs. 2a. 2b, 2c, 2d. Dredged in 40 and 46 fathoms on a bottom of fine dark green sand off the Farallon Islands, California. Type Locality: Catalina Island, California, 30-40 fathoms. Range: Farallon Islands, California, to Abreojos Point, Lower California. Collecting Station: Mexico: Cedros Is- land (126-D-3, 6, 10, 12, 15), 40-60 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, eel grass. Description: Shell small, roundly trigonal, ornamented by numerous fine radial ribs, the posterior ribs are coarser and are 142 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:10 crossed by raised concentric lamellae. Av- erage specimens in the present collection measure approximately 15 mm. in height. Cardium centifilosum richardsoni Whit- eaves, a northern form of this species, is generally a little larger and more coarsely sculptured. Distribution : Cardium . centifilosum was found in five dredge hauls in the channel east of Cedros Island, Lower California, from depths of 40-60 fathoms. The species has also been recorded from the Pliocene and questionably from the Miocene of Cali- fornia. Subgenus Microcardium Thiele. Cardium I Microcardium) pazianum Dali. Plate I, Figures 9, 12, 15 and 16. Protocardia paziana Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 52, December 27, 1916, p. 412. “Off La Paz, Gulf of California, in 10 fath- oms.” Type Locality. Off La Paz, Lower Cali- fornia, in 10 fathoms. Range: Cedros Island, Lower California, to Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California, to Panama. Collecting Stations : East of Cedros Island (126-D-10), 60 fathoms, crushed shell, eel grass; Arena Bank, Gulf of California ( 136- D-22, 24, 26, 29, 31), 35-70 fathoms, mud, Area conglomerate, sand, crushed shell, rock, weed, calcareous algae; Santa Inez Bay (141-D-2), 10-15 fathoms, sand, weed, (142- D-2), 30-35 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell, (146-D-l), 35 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, (147-D-2), 60 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Gorda Banks (150-D-8, 9), 40-60 fathoms, muddy sand; Manzanillo, (184-D- 2), 30 fathoms, gravelly sand; Costa Rica; Port Parker (203-D-l, 3), 12-15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell, shelly mud; 14 mi. S. E. of Judas Point (214-D-1-4), mud, shell, rocks; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221- D-l-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description : Shell small, thin, rounded, posteriorly somewhat obliquely produced and subtruncated; the anterior area ornamented by about 40 fine ribs which are finely nodul- ous where the concentric ci’osses the radial sculpture; posterior area with about 22 ribs which are minutely scaled, but interspersed in this series there are five or six with com- paratively large scales; the color of the shell is yellowish-white, some specimens en- tirely so, but many are ornamented by vivid red and orange interiorly toward the hinge and occasionally there is exteriorly a nar- row concentric band which is tinged with this color. A large specimen measures ap- proximately 15.2 mm. in length and 15 mm. in height. This species is very close to “ Protocardia ” panamensis Dali28, a Panamanian species, which was described as possessing a shorter shell with about 33 ribs and the interior whitish and polished. No mention was made at the time of description of any orange red color on the shell. From the illustration given by Dali there seems to be little to separate the two species except color. How- ever, the coloration is variable and there is often variability in the proportion of length to height in the shells of Cardium and fur- thermore the presence of C. pazianum as far south as Panama leads us to doubt whether C. pazianum is really distinct from P. pana- mensis. We have for the present retained the name pazianum because of the color, the greater length in proportion to height, and because we have but one somewhat im- perfect specimen from Panama for compari- son, but even it shows a faint trace of pink above the hinge line. Cardium ( Microcard- ium) peramabile Dali29, the type of Micro- cardium and its subspecies tinctum Dali30, are similar to the two west American spe- cies here mentioned. Distribution: This species was dredged from east of Cedros Island, Mexico, to the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama, at depths of 10-70 fathoms. Subgenus Mexicardia Stewart. Cardium I Mexicardia) procerum Sowei'by. Cardium procerum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 83. “Hab. in America Centrali. (Real Llejos).” “Found in coarse sand in from four to six fathoms water.” — -Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Card- ium, 1844, species 51, pi. 10, fig. 51. Orig- inal locality cited. Cardium laticostatum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 85. “Hab. in Sinu Xipixapi.” “Found in sandy mud at the depth of eleven fathoms.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 1, 1840?, pi. 51, fig. 30, February, 1834. “Xip- ixapi, West Colombia. Mr. Cuming.” Cardium panamense Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 85. “Hab. ad Panamam.” “Found in sandy mud at a depth of ten fathoms.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 56, pi. 11, fig. 56. Original locality cited. Cardium subelangatum “Reeve,” Valen- ciennes, Zool. Voy. Venus, 1846, Atlas, pi. 17, fig. 2. 2S Protocardia panamensis Dali, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vo). 43, No. 6, October, 1908, p. 415, pi. 18, fig. 1. “Gulf of Panama, in 182 fathoms, mud.” 29 Cardium ( Fulvia ) peramabilis Dali, BiCl. Mus. Comp. Zocl., Vol. 9, No. 2, 1881, p. 132. Various localities cited, Si^sbee, 119 fathoms, Barbados, 100 fathoms ; off Sombrero, 54-72 fathoms ; west of Florida. 50 fathoms, etc.— Dali, Bui. Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. 12, No. 6, 1886, p. 269, pi. 4, fig. 7. 30 See Microcardium tinctum Dali, McLean, Mem. Soc. Cubana Hist. Nat.. Vol. 13, No. 3, 1939, p. 173. pi. 26, figs. 5 and 6. Key West, Florida, and the West Indies, in 7 to 100 fathoms. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 143 Cardium rotundatum Carpenter, Rept. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1856 (issued 1857), pp. 247, 307. Mazatlan, Mexico; Gulf of California. — Carpenter, Cat. Mazatlan Shells, April, 1857, p. 531. “Mazatlan: ex- tremely rare, off Spondylus.” Cardium eudoxia Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 52, No. 2183, December 27, 1916, p. 412. “Station 3020 Gulf of California, in 7 fathoms.” — Keen, Min. Conch. Club South. Calif., No. 41, November, 1944, p. 25. “The holotype, from the Gulf of California, is a young Trachy cardium ( Mexicardia ) pro- cerum.” Cardium parvulum Li, Bull. Geol. Soc. China, Vol. 9, No. 3, October, 1930, p. 259, pi. 3, fig. 22. Panama Bay. “Probably Re- cent.” Type Locality : Real Llejos [near Corinto], Nicaragua, in 4 to 6 fathoms, sand. Range: Lagoon Head (Lat. 28° 15' N., Long. 114° 07' W.), Lower California, to Lobos Islands, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, on beach, also at Monument Station; Banderas Bay; Chamela Bay; Tenacatita Bay; Santa Cruz Bay; Guatemala: 7 mi. W. of Champerico (197-D-2), 14 fathoms, mud; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-l, 3, 11, 19), 2-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, also on beach, and at Isla Encantada; San Juan del Sur; Costa Rica: Port Parker; Port Cule- bra; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-l- 10), 4-10 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; Gol- fito, Gulf of Dulce; Panama: Isla Parida; Bahia Honda. Description: Shell elongately trigonal, somewhat oblique posteriorly, 22 to 25 smooth, fiattish-topped, radial ribs, these are not strongly developed on the anterior slope of the shell but the posterior margin is ser- rated due to the projecting ends of the ribs which interlock with the opposite valve ; ex- ternally brownish colored with a tendency toward yellowish or whitish colored concen- tric areas. In the young stages up to about 35 mm. in length the shell is longer in proportion to the height while in the more adult stages the height is much greater than the length. The ribs are rounded in the younger stages up to 10 or 15 mm. in length but they grad- ually become broader, subtriangular and flatter and are separated by narrow and fairly deep interspaces. The rather consid- erable variation in shape during the growth has led to descriptions of this species under several different names, such as Cardium laticostatum Sowerby, which name was based on a young rounded stage of C. pro- cerum. Large specimens of this species at- tain a height of more than 80 mm. Distribution: Cardium procerum occurs commonly from the Gulf of California to Peru. It was collected from the Gulf of California to Panama on the beaches and dredged at depths of 2 to 14 fathoms. The largest number of specimens of this species found at any locality was in the beach drift at Corinto, Nicaragua. The species is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of south- ern California, Lower California, Costa Rica and Panama, and in the Pliocene and Pleis- tocene of Ecuador. Subgenus Trigoniocardla Dali. Key to the species of Trigoniocardia. A. Shell subtrigonal; about 18 strongly noded ribs granif erum B. Shell subovate; about 21 finely noded ribs obovale Cardium ITrlgoniocardial granif erum Broderip & Sowerby. Cardium granif erum Broderip & Sower- by, Zool. Jour., Vol. 4, January, 1829, p. 367. “Hab. ad littora Oceani Pacifici.” “Dug from a depth of about 6 inches in the mud of the Estaro de Mazatlan.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, , Cat., p. 3, 1840?, pi. 49, fig. 17, January, 1834. “Pacific Ocean. Mr. Cuming.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 43, pi. 8, fig. 43. “Hab. Gulf, of Nicoya, Central America; and Xipixapi, West Columbia; Cuming.” Type Locality : Mazatlan, Mexico, in about 6 inches, mud. Range: Gulf of California, to Zorritos, Peru. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California (145-D-l, 3), 4-13 fathoms, sand; San Domingo Point; Port Guatulco (195-D-19, 21), 17-18 fathoms, mud, crushed shell; El Salvador: Mean- guera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms, sand, mud, crushed shell; Nic- aragua: Corinto (200-D-3, 10, 17, 19), 2-13 fathoms mangrove leaves, sand, also on beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l), 15 fathoms, sandy mud, crushed shell; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-1-10), 4-10 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell; Golfito Bay, Gulf of Dulce (218) ; Panama: Bahia Honda (222). Description: Shell small, subtrigonal, there are about a dozen rather widely spaced, elevated, triangular, finely noded ribs followed by about 6 to 8 finer, closely spaced, noded ribs which occur on the steeply sloping posterior area; the inter- spaces are marked by deep narrow, trans- verse grooves. A large specimen measures approximately 15 mm. in altitude. Reeve has mentioned the Trigonia- like appearance of this shell. Cardium haitense Sowerby from the Mio- cene of the Caribbean region is a similar species. Distribution: Specimens of Cardium 144 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:10 graniferum were collected at various locali- ties from the Gulf of California to Panama on beaches and dredged at depths of 4 to 18 fathoms. The largest number of specimens was found in the beach drift at Corinto, Nicaragua. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Magdalena Bay, Lower Cali- fornia, and Panama and in the Pliocene of Ecuador. A fossil form cited as “Cardium ( Fragum ) aff. graniferum Broderip”31 has been recorded from Barbados Island. Cardium ITrigoniocardial obo vale Sowerby. Cardium obovale Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 84. “Hab. ad oras Americae Meridionalis. (Xipixapi).” “Found in sandy mud at eleven fathoms depth.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 7, 1840?, pi. 46, fig. 4, issued between July 19, 1833, and January, 1834. “Xipix- api. Mr. Cuming.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1845, species 117, pi. 21, fig. 117. Original locality cited. — Hertlein, Bull. South. Calif. Acad. Sci., Vol. 33, Pt. 2, May-August (issued August 31), 1934, p. 62, pi. 21, fig. 14. Maria Magdalena Island, Tres Marias group, Mexico, Pleistocene. Type Locality : Xipixapi (Jipijapa), Ec- uador, in 11 fathoms, sandy mud. Range : Magdalena Bav, Lower California, and the Gulf of California to Salinas, Ecuador. Collecting Stations: Mexico: San Lucas Bay (135-D-2), 8-16 fathoms, sand; 17 mi. S. E. of Acapulco (189-D-3), 13 fathoms, mud; Guatemala: 7 mi. W. of Chamnerico (197-D-l, 2), 14 fathoms, mud; El Salva- dor: La Libertad (198-D-l, 2), 13-14 fath- oms, mud; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-10, 11, 16, 19, 20-26), 1.5-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, sand, also on beach; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D-1-5), 35-40 fathoms, sand, mud. Description: Shell small, subovate, obh'que, fairly convex and peaked, ornamented by about 21 finely noded radial ribs, those an- teriorly and posteriorly somewhat broadly and asymmetrically triangular, those along the posterior umbonal ridge higher and rounded, those on the posterior area, about 8 in number, flatter, narrower and closer together than those on the anterior area; interspaces transversely grooved. A large specimen in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences from near Isabel Island, west Mexico, measures, approxi- mately, 20.5 mm. in altitude, 14 mm. in length, convexity (one valve) 8 mm. Cardium ovuloides Reeve32, described without information as to the locality, ap- 31 Cardium ( Fragum ) aff. graniferum Broderip, Treeht- mann, Geol. Man., Vol. 70 (Whole No. 823), 1933, p. 35. Fossil at Gun Hill, Barbados. 32 Cardium ovu'oides Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Car- dium, March, 1845, species 126, pi. 22, fig. 126. “Hab.— 7” pears to be similar to C. obovale but was described as possessing sculpture similar to that of C. graniferum. Cardium ( Trigonio - cardia) cabopasadum Pilsbry & Olsson33 from the Pliocene of Ecuador and Cardium ( Trigoniocardia ) spielceri Hanna & Israel- sky from the upper Miocene of Ecuador and Pliocene of Peru are other species of the C. obovale group. Distribution: Specimens of Cardium obo- vale were collected from Cape San Lucas Bay, Lower California, to the Gulf of Chiri- qui, Panama, on the beach and dredged at depths of 1.5 to 40 fathoms. The largest number found at any one locality was west of Champerico, Guatemala, in 14 fathoms on a muddy bottom. This species is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of the Tres Marias Islands, and in the Pliocene of Panama and Ecuador. Subgenus Laevieardium Swainson. Key to the species of Laevieardium.. A. Shell large, very convex; radially grooved elatum B. Shell small, more compressed, oblique; smooth or with very fine nearly obsolete ribbing a. Elongately trigonal; interior spotted, banded or entirely reddish-brown b. Interior entirely reddish-brown or with concentric bands elenense bb. Interior with reddish-brown spots; shell broader apicinum aa. Elongately oblique ; interior white with a yellow patch under the umbos clarionense Cardium I Laevieardium! clarionense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Plate I, Figures 5, 6, 7 and 14. Shell very obliquely ovate, rather com- pressed, pointed at the beaks, very slightly gaping at the sides; smooth over most of the surface but with fine radial sculpture along the basal margin and at the edges of the resting stages, internally with the basal and the lower half of the anterior margin finely serrated; there is also a nar- row posterior area defined by a slight angle exteriorly but scarcely visible internal’y; exterior light yellowish, variously maculated and spotted with brown, internally with a large yellow patch extending from the beaks to the middle of the shell, a broad white band along the margins ; lateral teeth strong, cardinal teeth small, two in the left valve, one in the right. The type measures: maximum vertical diameter, 31.4 mm.; max- 33 Car (Hum ( Trigoniocardia ) cabop^sodum Pilsbrv & Olsson, Proc. Acad. Not. Sc{. Philadelphia, Vol. 93, Sep- tember 9, 1941, n. 59, pi. 12, figs. 6, 7. “Jama formation, Puerto Jama.” Ecuador, Pliocene. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 145 imum longitudinal diameter, 23.9 mm.; convexity (both valves), 16.5 mm. Holotype, (California Academy of Sci- ences Paleo. Type Coll.), from Station 163- D-2, dredged 3 miles off Pyramid Rock, south of Clarion Island, Lat. 18° 19' N., Long. 114° 45' W., in 55 fathoms (100 meters), rock and coral bottom. Two com- plete specimens and three odd valves were dredged at the same locality. Additional specimens were dredged as follows: one valve at Arena Bank (136-D-15), 40 fath- oms, mud, crushed shell; one valve at Arena Bank (136-D-28), 85 fathoms, muddy sand; one specimen in Ceralbo Channel (137-D-l), 46 fathoms, rock; one specimen at Santa Inez Bay (143-D-3), 35 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, and two specimens from the same locality but without further informa- tion. Range : Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Clarion Island, Revillagigedo group. This species resembles in many ways the young of Cardium datum Sowerby of the same size but is much more oblique and more compressed. It differs from Cardium elenense Sowerby in the larger size, more oblique shape and in the coloration, particu- larly the large internal yellow patch. The largest single specimen of the new species measures: maximum vertical diameter, 41 mm.; maximum longitudinal diameter, 32 mm. Cardium I Laevicardium I elatum Sowerby. Cardium elatum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 84. “Hab. ad Guaymas in Sinu Californiensi.” “Found in sandy mud at low water.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium., Cat., p. 5, 1840?, pi. 46, fig. 3, issued between July 19, 1833 and January, 1834. “California.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 41, pi. 8, fig. 41. “Hab. Bay of California (found on mud-banks at low water) .” Type Locality : Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, in the Gulf of California, at low water, in sandy mud. Range : San Pedro, California, to Panama. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Monument Station ; 1 mile south of San Domingo Point, Concepcion Bay; Ban- deras Bay. Description : Shell large, oval, somewhat oblique, very ventricose, yellow, with a thin brownish periostracum ; surface ornamented by numerous shallow radiating grooves, but the anterior and posterior margins are smooth ; ventral margin serrated and inter- locking. This is the largest Recent species of Card- ium known. A large specimen from San Diego, California, in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences measures approximately 170 mm. in altitude and Lowe has mentioned a specimen slightly larger (5Y2 inches long) from the Gulf of Cali- fornia. Distribution: This species was taken in Santa Inez Bay in the Gulf of California, and at Banderas Bay, Mexico. It has been re- corded as occurring south to Panama but we have not seen specimens from south of Tenacatita Bay, west Mexico. It is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of south- ern California and Lower California and in the archaeologic ruins and middens of south- western United States. Cardium I Laevicardium I elenense Sowerby. Cardium elenense Sowerby, Conch. Il- lustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 6 (elenensis) , 8 (elenense) , No. 73, 1840?, pi. 181, fig. 58, issued between June, 1839, and 1841. “St. Elena.” [Shaw (Proc. Malacol. Soc. London, Vol. 8, 1909, p. 340) cited the date of issue of the Catalogue of Cardium in Conch. Il- lustr., as “Cardium. Cat., pp. 1-8, with part 184? 1840?.” Tomlin, 1928, cited the Conch. Illustr., as the earliest reference to the present species]. — Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London for 1840 (issued May, 1841), p. 109. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam. H. Cuming le- git.” Ref. to Conch. Illustr., fig. 58. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1845, species 104, pi. 20, fig. 104. “Hab. St. Elena, West Columbia (found in sandy mud at the depth of seven fathoms) ; Cuming.” — E. K. Jor- dan, Contrib. Dept. Geol. Stanford LJniv., Vol. 1, No. 4, 1936, p. 134. Magdalena Bay, Santa Margarita Island and San Ignacio La- goon, Lower California, Pleistocene. Recent, Gulf of California. Type Locality: Santa Elena, Ecuador. Range: Magdalena Bay and the Gulf of California, to Salinas, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Gulf of California; Arena Bank (136-D-6, 30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed; Santa Inez Bay (141- D-2), 10-15 fathoms, sand, weed, (142-D-4), 40-50 fathoms, sand, (143-D-l), 29 fathoms, mud, crushed shell, weed, (144-D-2), 2Vfe fathoms, sand, weed, rocks, (145-D-l), 13 fathoms, sand, also 1 mile off San Domingo Point, Concepcion Bay; Arena Point Area; San Lucas Bay, off west beach; Cape San Lucas; Port Guatulco (195-D-l, 2, 3, 6, 7, 13, 19), 2.5-17 fathoms, sand, algae, crushed shell, rocks, green mud; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-14), 5 fathoms, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Corinto (200-D-3, 17, 19), 2-13 fathoms, mangrove leaves, sand, also on beach; Costa Rica: Port Parker (203-D-l, 2, 3. 4-15), 1-15 fathoms, sandy mud. crushed shed, shelly mud, algae, gravel, rocks, coral; Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213-D-l-lO) , 4-10 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell; Gol- fito, Gulf of Dulce (218-D-8), 6 fathoms, 146 Zoologicn : New York Zoological Society [31:10 mangrove leaves, mud, shells; Panama: Bahia Honda (222), 3-11 fathoms, rocks, coral, shells, green mud, leaves. Description : Shell thin, smooth, oval, gently inflated, externally colored reddish- yellow and brown, with brown or purple dots, interiorly with reddish-brown bands or, in some specimens, almost completely reddish-brown. Weathered specimens usu- ally show the presence of fine radial sculp- ture. Height about 20 mm. Cardium elenense is very similar to the subspecies C. elenense apicinum Carpenter but appears to be narrower in form and is exteriorly ornamented by more color of yel- low with reddish-brown bands on the beaks and the interior is more completely colored reddish-brown or with concentric bands rather than spotted and blotched as in C. elenense apicinum. Cardium elenense is sim- ilar to the generally more northern C. sub- striatum Conrad, from southern California, but is smaller and is colored reddish-brown exteriorly while Conrad’s species never shows more than obscure markings upon a yellowish-gray background. A number of species of this group occur both Recent and fossil in the Caribbean region. Distribution: Cardium elenense was col- lected at many localities from the Gulf of California to Panama, on the beach and at depths of 1 to 50 fathoms. The largest num- ber of specimens, approximately 200, were dredged in Santa Inez Bay in 13 fathoms on a sandy bottom. The species has also been cited as occurring in the Pleistocene of Lower California, the Tres Marias Islands and Panama, and in the Pliocene of Ecuador. Cardium (Laevicardium) elenense apicinum Carpenter. Levicardium apicinum. Carpenter, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 3, Vol. 13, April, 1864, p. 313. Cape St. Lucas, Lower California. Reprint in Smithson. Miscell. Coll., No. 252, 1872, p. 211. See also pp. 23, 104, 261 (as Liocardium apicinum ). Cardium ( Liocardium ) apicinum Carpen- ter, Stearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 17, 1894, p. 151. Boca de las Piedras; Mulege Bay; Cape San Lucas; Mazatlan. Cardium. apicinum Carpenter, Strong and Hanna, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. 19, No. 3, 1930, p. 15. Maria Madre Island, Tres Marias Islands. Type Locality. Cape San Lucas, Lower California. Range : Gulf of California to Isla Grande, West Mexico, and probably to Peru. Collecting Station : Mexico; Arena Bank (136-D-30), 35 fathoms, sand, weed. Description: The form described as Card- ium apicinum by Carpenter appears to inter- grade with C. elenense Sowerby but some of the northern specimens appear to be sep- arable as a subspecies. They are broader with more spotted coloring both exteriorly and interiorly. Specimens of C. elenense from Santa Elena, Ecuador, are externally more yellowish in color with reddish-brown con- centric bands on the beaks and the interior is almost completely dark reddish-brown or with concentric bands of this color. Distribution: Specimens of this sub- species were dredged by the Expedition on Arena Bank, in 35 fathoms, on a sand and weed bottom. Subgenus Dinocardium Dali. Cardium I Dinocardium! robustum Solander. Cardium magnum Born, Mus. Caes. Vind., 1780, p. 46, pi. 3, fig. 5. “Habitat ad Jamai- cam, Linnaeus.” — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 20, pi. 4, fig. 20. “Hab. Gulf of Mexico.” Not Cardium magnum Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1758, p. 680. “Habitat ad Ja- maicam.” Cardium robustum Solander, Cat. Port- land Mus., 1786, p. 58, No. 1358, p. 162, No. 3517. “A large and fine Cardium robustum, S. from Florida, very scarce — Lister, 328. 165.” Cardium ( Dinocardium ) robustum So- lander, McLean, Mem. Soc. Cubana Hist. Nat., Vol. 13, No. 3, June, 1939, p. 163, pi. 24, figs. 10-11. Virginia to Belize, British Honduras and in the West Indies south to Jamaica. Type Locality : Florida. Range: Virginia to Belize, British Hon- duras, and in the West Indies south to Jamaica. Collecting Station: Mexico: Santa Inez Bay, Gulf of California. Description: One valve of Cardium ro- bustum was collected at Santa Inez Bay. This is a Caribbean species and has not been recorded as occurring in the Gulf of California. The specimen was probably brought to the Gulf of California by some adventitious means. It is interesting to note that this species has been reported by Brand34 as occurring in archaeologic ruins and middens of southwest United States along with other undoubted east American shells. The shape, ribbing and color of the specimen is typical and agrees perfectly with specimens in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences which were collected in Florida by Henry Hemphill. Distribution: Cardium robustum is a Car- ibbean species and occurs in that region from Virginia to British Honduras and in the West Indies to Jamaica. It has also been 34 Brand, D. D., Yearbook Assoc. Pac. Coast Geogr., Vol. 4, 1938, p. 5. 1947] Hertlein & Strong: Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 147 reported from upper Miocene to Recent in that region. Subgenus Trachycardium Morch. Cardium ( Trachycardium I consors Sowerby. Cardium consors Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 85. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam et ad Guacamayo.” “Col- lected in sandy mud at from six to eleven fathoms.” — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Card- ium, Cat., p. 3, 1840?, pi. 47, fig. 8, issued between July 19, 1833, and January, 1834. Original locality cited. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1845, species 86, pi. 17, fig. 86. Original locality cited. Type Locality: Santa Elena, Ecuador, in 6 to 11 fathoms, sandy mud (here desig- nated as type locality) . “Guacamayo” also cited originally. Range: Gulf of California to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Collecting Stations : Mexico : Arena Point (136-D-32), 42 fathoms, sand; Ceralbo Is- land ; Santa Inez Bay, and at Monument Sta- tion; Chamela Bay (182-D-l), 8 fathoms, sand, algae; Sihuatanejo Bay; Port Gua- tulco (195-D-2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 19) 2-17 fath- oms, sand, crushed shell, algae, green sand, green mud, also on beach ; Tangola-Tangola Bay (196-D-6, 7, 8, 14, 15), 5-9 fathoms, sand, crushed shell; Costa Rica: Port Parker; Golfito; Panama: Bahia Honda. Description: Shell elongately oval, very convex, thick, somewhat oblique and gaping posteriorly; ornamented by about 30 to 34 strong, elevated, radial ribs which bear strong, close-set squamose imbrications which are compressly flattened on the pos- terior side, extend over the top, but are ab- sent on the anterior side of the ribs ; colored yellowish-white stained with brown espe- cially on the posterior portion, the interior colored reddish-purple with white along the margins. Large shells attain a height of about 75 mm. A variety of this species said to be more elongated and with the imbrications rather distant from each other was named laxum by Dali35. Cardium isocardia Linnaeus, which occurs in the Caribbean region, is similar to C. consors, as is C. emmonsi Con- rad in the Pliocene of North Carolina. Distribution: Cardium consors was col- lected at a number of localities from the Gulf of California to Panama on the beach and dredged at depths of 2 to 24 fathoms. It occurs commonly in that region. It is also known to occur in the Pliocene and Pleisto- cene of the Gulf of California region, and has been cited from the Quaternary of Manta, Ecuador. 35 Dali, W. H., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., Vol. 23, No. 1214, January, 1901, p. 389. Gulf of California. Subgenus Acrosterigma Dali. Cardium I Acrosterigma) pristipleura Dali. Cardium maculosum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 85. “Hab. ad Insulas Tres Marias, in Sinu Cali- forniensi.” “Found on the sands.” Not Cardium maculosum Wood, 1815. Cardium maculatum Sowerby, Conch. Il- lustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 4, 1840?, pi. 49, fig. 18, January, 1834. “California.” New name for Cardium maculosum Sowerby, not C. maculosum Wood. — Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1844, species 58, pi. 11, fig. 58. “Hab. Island of Tres Marias, Gulf of Mexico.” Not Cardium maculatum Gmelin, 1792. Cardium ( Trachycardium ) pristipleura Dali, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 23, 1901, p. 389. “Range: Gulf of California (La Paz) and west coast of Middle America.” A new name for Cardium macidosum Sowerby, 1833, not C. maculosum Wood, 1815. Card- ium maculatum “Reeve” not C. maculatum Gmelin. Cardium ( Trachycardium ) hornelli Tom- lin, Jour. Conch., Vol. 18, No. 7, May, 1928, p. 194. “Gorgona” Island, Colombia, on shore. A new name for Cardium macidosum Sowerby, not C. maculosum Wood; C. macu- latum Sowerby, not C. maculatum Gmelin. Type Locality: Tres Marias Islands, west Mexico, on the sands. Range: Gulf of California to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Ceralbo Is- land, Gulf of California; Port Guatulco (195-D-6, 18), 3-6 fathoms, sand, algae, crushed shell; Tangola-Tangola Bay, on beach; Panama: Bahia Honda; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description: Shell elongately obliquely ovate, gently convex; ornamented by 34 to 39 flattened, laterally imbricated ribs ; col- ored exteriorly whitish-yellow and reddish- brown, the interior white. Height about 60- 70 mm. Distribution: Specimens of this species were collected from west Mexico to Colom- bia, on the beach and dredged at depths of 3-6 fathoms, usually only one or two speci- mens at a locality. Subgenus Dailocardia Stewart. Cardium (Dailocardia) senticosum Sowerby. Cardium senticosum Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, September 8, 1833, p. 84. “Hab. ad Sanctam Elenam, Americae Meridion- alis.” “Found in sandy mud at from six to twelve fathoms depth. — Sowerby, Conch. Illustr., Cardium, Cat., p. 3, 1840?, pi. 47, fig. 10, issued between July 19, 1833, and January, 1834. “St. Elena.” Cardium rastrum Reeve, Conch. Icon., Vol. 2, Cardium, 1845, species 82, pi. 16, fig. 82. 148 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:10 “Hab. — ?.” Referred to Cardium senticosum in errata. Type Locality : Santa Elena, Ecuador, in 6 to 12 fathoms, sandy mud. Range : West coast of Lower California in about Lat. 24° N., and the Gulf of Cali- fornia, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations: Mexico: Port Gua- tulco (195-D-7, 14), 4-4.5 fathoms, rocks, coral; Guatemala: 7 mi. W. of Champerico ( 197-D-l, 2) , 14 fathoms, mud ; El Salvador : La Libertad (198-D-l, 2), 13-14 fathoms, mud ; Meanguera Island, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-l), 16 fathoms sand, mud, crushed shell; Nicaragua: Potosi and Monypenny Point, Gulf of Fonseca (199-D-6), 4 fath- oms, mud; Corinto (200-D-10, 11, 19), 7-13 fathoms, sand, mangrove leaves; Costa Rica: Cedro Island, Gulf of Nicoya (213- D-l-10), 4-10 fathoms, mud, sand, crushed shell; Jasper Island; Golfito Bay, Gulf of Dulce; Panama: Gulf of Chiriqui (221-D- 1-5), 35-40 fathoms, sandy mud. Description: Shell rounded, gently con- vex, ornamented with 36 to 39 ribs which in their earlier stages are subtriangular but later become subrounded; the ribs bear obliquely projecting scale-like imbrications which toward the ventral margin develop into oblique nodes; on the central ribs the nodes are strongly developed on the pos- terior side, although on some specimens, they are also present, but to a lesser degree, on the anterior side ; on the anterior ribs nodes may be present on top or on the anterior side while on the posterior ribs they are strongly developed on the posterior side; exteriorly the color is brownish-white and banded or spotted with reddish-brown or purple, interiorly the portion under the um- bones is usually reddish-purple; the re- mainder, and sometimes all of the shell, is white. The shell attains an altitude of 40 mm. Some specimens from off Guatemala in 14 fathoms on a muddy bottom are thinner and less colored than the other specimens. Cardium muricatum Linnaeus from the western Atlantic is a similar species. Moricke has considered Cardium auca d’Orbigny from the Tertiary of Chile to be a subspecies of C. senticosum. We have not seen specimens of the fossil form from Chile. Distribution: Specimens of Cardium sen- ticosum were collected from West Mexico to Panama, on the beach and dredged from depths of 4 to 40 fathoms, mostly on muddy bottoms. The largest number of specimens was taken off Meanguera Island in the Gulf of Fonseca in 16 fathoms. This species is also known to occur in the Pleistocene of Maria Magdalena Island, Tres Marias group, also Panama and Ecuador. Superfamily Cyrenacea. Family Corbiculidae. Genus Polymesoda Rafinesque. A monograph of the American Corbiculi- dae by Prime30 is very useful as an aid in the identification of the American species of Polymesoda. Key to the species of Polymesoda. A. Posteriorly attenuated and pointed anomala B. Posteriorly subrounded and slightly truncated recluzii Polymesoda anomala Deshayes. Cyrena anomala Deshayes, Proc. Zool. Soc. London for 1854 (issued January 10, 1855), p. 21. “Hab. Bay of Caraccas; Peru.” — Deshayes, Cat. Conch. Bivalve Shells Brit. Mus., Pt. 2, 1854, p. 257. “Hab. Sinus Carac- casensis et ad oras Peruvianas. Coll Cum- ing.”— Prime, Smithson. Miscell. Coll., Yol. 7, Article 5, No. 145, 1865, p. 30, fig. 24. “Hab. South America in Peru. (Cabinets of Cuming and Prime.)” — Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 20, Cyrena, 1878, species 109, pi. 19, fig. 109. “Hab. Bay of Caraccas.” Cyrena peruviana Deshayes, Cat. Conch. Bivalve Shells Brit. Mus., Pt. 2, 1854, p. 259. “Hab. Tumbez in littore Peruviano. Coll. Cuming.” Type Locality: Bay of Caraccas, Ecuador (here designated as type locality). Peru also cited originally. Range: Corinto, Nicaragua, to Tumbez, Peru. Collecting Stations: Nicaragua: Corinto, Castanones peninsular lagoon, also Isla En- cantada; Colombia: Gorgona Island. Description: Shell subtrigonal, thin, um- bos inflated, anterior end rounded, ventral margin evenly rounded, posterior end at- tenuated and pointed, umbos with a carina posteriorly from which the shell slopes steeply to the margin; periostracum olive green in color and raised in crenulated, con- centric lamellae; hinge area narrow; the hinge area, also the interior of the shell under the umbos, is purple, the remainder white. Distribution: The present record of this species from Corinto, Nicaragua, is an ex- tension north of the known range. It occurs in brackish water. Polymesoda recluzii Prime. Cyrena cordiformis Recluz, Journ. de Conchyl., Vol. 4, December, 1853, p. 251, pi. 7, fig. 9. [No locality cited]. — Deshayes, Cat. Conch. Bivalve Shells Brit. Mus., Pt. 2, 3f5 Prime, T. Monograph of the American Corbiculidae. Smithson. Miscell. Coll., Vol. 7, Article 5, No. 145, Decem- ber, 1865, pp. I-XI, 1-80, 86 figs, in text. 1947] Hertlein & Strong : Mollusks of Mexico and Central America 149 1854, p. 259. “Hab. — ?” — Sowerby, Conch. Icon., Vol. 20, Cyrena, 1878, species 27, pi. 8, figs. 27a, 27b. “Payta, Peru.” Not Cyrena cordiformis Deshayes, Diet. Class. Hist. Nat., Vermes, 1824, p. 290. Cyrena recluzii Prime, Smithson. Miscell. Coll., Vol. 7, Article 5, No. 145 (Mon. Amer. Corbiculidae) , December, 1865, p. 24, fig. 19. “Hab. Central America. (Cabinet of Cuming.)” Polymesoda inflata var. cordiformis Re- cluz, von Martens, Biol. Centrali-Americana, (Land and Freshwater Moll.), October, 1900, p. 549. “Hab. ?Central America.” Type Locality : Central America. Range : Puntarenas, Costa Rica, to Paita, Peru. Collecting Stations : Costa Rica: Punt- arenas; Puntarenas Lagoon; Ballenas Bay, Gulf of Nicoya. Description : Shell subtrigonal, heart- shaped, inflated, moderately thick; posterior angulation present, a gentle depressed or flattened area posterior to the angulation ; exteriorly covered with a dark olive green periostracum raised in irregular concentric lamellae; hinge with three cardinals and two right laterals, interior purple near the pos- terior margin, also small patches on pos- terior part of hinge and below beaks, the re- mainder white tinged with purple bands showing through from the other side. “ Cyrena ” maratima C. B. Adams was con- sidered to be identical with Polymesoda re- cluzii by von Martens. He also pointed out that P. recluzii differs from P. panamensis Prime37 in that the shell is more angulated posteriorly below the furrow. Both P. re- cluzii (cited as cordiformis) and P. pana- mensis were considered by von Martens to be only varieties of P. inflata Philippi, a species in which it appears that the shell lacks a distinct posterior furrow. Poly- mesoda isocardioides Deshayes is very sim- ilar to P. recluzii but according to Prime it possesses a thinner shell, narrower hinge margin and smaller teeth. Distribution: A few specimens of Poly- mesoda recluzii were collected by the Expedi- tion at Puntarenas and at Ballenas Bay in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica. It occurs in brackish water and ranges south to Peru. 37 Not to be confused with Cyrenoida panamensis Pilsbry & Zetek, Nautilus, Vol. 45, No. 2, October, 1931, p. 69, pi. 3, fig. 4. “Near Panama City/’ 150 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31:11:1947] EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. Plate I. Fig. 1. Taras (Taras) inezensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Hoiotype, right valve, from Station 146-D-l, Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, Mex- ico. Lat 26° 54' 20" N., Long. 111° 48' 45" W., dredged in 35 fathoms (64 meters). Length, 18.4 mm.; height, 16.9 mm. P. 130. Fig. 2. Chama sordida Broderip. Hypotype, lower valve, from Station 136-D-13, Arena Bank, Gulf of California, Lat. 23° 29' N., Long. 109° 24 ' W., dredged in 45 fathoms (82 meters). Height, 44 mm. (including Area shell [shown on upper portion of figure] to which the Chama is attached). This species was discussed in Zoo- logica, New York Zool. Soc., Vol. 31(8) :109. Fig. 3. Cardium ( Lophocardium ) annettae Dali. Hypotype, left valve, from Sta- tion 143-D-2, Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, Lat. 26° 58' N., Long. 111° 56' 30" W., dredged in 30 fathoms (55 meters). Length, 41 mm.; height, 35.5 mm. P. 138. Fig. 4. Taras (Taras) inezensis Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. View of the interior of the specimen shown in Figure 1. Fig. 5. Cardium (Laevicardium) clarionense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Hoiotype, left valve, from Station 163-D-2, 3 miles off Pyramid Rock, Clarion Island. Lat. 18° 19' N., Long. 114° 45' W., dredged in 55 fathoms (100 meters). Length, 23.9 mm.; height, 31.4 mm. View of the interior. P. 144. Fig. 6. Cardium (Laevicardium) clarionense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Hoiotype, left valve. View of the exterior of the specimen shown in Figure 5. Fig. 7. Cardium (Laevicardium) clarionense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Hoiotype. View of the exterior of the right valve. Fig. 8. Cardium (Lophocardium) annettae Dali. Hypotype, left valve, from Sta- tion 143-D-4, Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, Lat. 26° 55' N., Long. 111° 54' W., dredged in 25 fathoms (46 meters). Lengtn, 26.5 mm.; height, 22.3 mm. View of the exterior. P. 138. Fig. 9. Cardium (Microcar dium) pazianum Dali. Hypo-ype, right valve, from Sta- tion 141-D-z , Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, Lat. 27° 01' N., Long. 111° 58' 30" W., dredged in 10-15 fathoms (18-21 meters). Length, 15 mm.; height, 14 mm. View of the exterior. P. 142. Fig. 10. Taras (Felaniella) sericatus Reeve. Hypotype, right valve, from Chamela Bay, Mexico. Length, 22.6 mm.; height, 22 mm. View of the exterior. P. 131. Fig. 11. Taras (Taras) suhquadratus Carpen- ter. Hypotype, right valve, from Sta- tion 163-D-2, 3 miles off Pyramid Rock, Clarion Island, Lat. 18° 19' N., Long. 114° 45' W., dredged in 55 fath- oms (100 meters). View of the ex- terior. Length, 29 mm. ; height, 25 mm. This is an unusually large specimen of this species. P. 130. Fig. 12. Cardium (Micro car dium) pazianum Dali. Hypotype, left valve of speci- men shown in Figure 9. Fig. 13. Cardium (Lophocardium) annettae Dali. View of the interior of the speci- men shown in Figure 3. Fig. 14. Cardium (Laevicardium) clarionense Hertlein & Strong, sp. nov. Paratype, right valve, from Station 143-D-3, Santa Inez Bay, east coast of Lower California, Lat. 26° 57' N., Long. 111° 56' W., dredged in 35 fathoms (64 meters). Height, 41 mm. View of the interior. P. 144. Fig. 15. Cardium (Microcardium) pazianum Dali. Umbonal view of specimens shown in Figures 9 and 12. Fig. 16. Cardium (Microcardium) pazianum Dali. View of the interior of the speci- men shown in Figure 9. All the specimens illustrated on this plate are in the type collection of the Department of Paleontology of the California Academy of Sciences. hertlein a STRONG. PLATE I. • ■ MOLLUSKS FROM THE WEST COAST OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 151 11. Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society. XXXVII. Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes1. William Beebe & Jocelyn Crane. Department of Tropical Research, New York Zoological Society. (Plates I-III. Text-figures 1-19.) [This is the thirty-seventh of a series of pa- pers dealing with the collections of the Eastern Pacific Expeditions of the New York Zoological Society made under the direction of William Beebe. The present paper is concerned with specimens taken on the Arcturus Oceano- graphic Expedition (1925), the Templeton Crocker Expedition (1936) and the Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition (1937-1938). For data on localities, dates, nets, etc., refer to Zoologica, Vol. VIII, No. 1, pp. 1-22; Vol. XXII, No. 2, pp. 33-46; and Vol. XXIII, No. 14, pp. 287-298.] Contents. page Introduction 151 Family Melanocetidae 152 Melanocetus jerox Regan 152 Melanocetus johnsoni Gunther 152 Melanocetus megalodontis sp. nov 152 Melanocetus niger Regan 153 Xenoceratias nudus sp. nov 155 Family Himantolophidae 155 H imantolophus azurlucens sp. nov 155 Family Oneirodidae 158 Chaenophryne parviconus Regan & Trewavas. . . . 158 Dolopichthys luetkeni Regan 159 Dolopichthys implumis Regan & Trewavas 160 Dolopichthys pullatus Regan & Trewavas 161 Dolopichthys allector Garman 161 Dolopichthys atratus Regan & Trewavas 162 Genus T remat orhynchus 162 Trematorhynchus adipatus sp. nov 163 Trematorhynchus moderatus sp. nov 164 Trematorhynchus multilamellatus sp. nov 165 Trematorhynchus mulliradiatus sp. nov 166 Trematorhynchus paucilamellatus sp. nov 166 Family Gigantactinidae 167 Gigantactis perlatus sp. nov 167 Family Ceratiidae 168 Cryptosparas normani Regan & Trewavas 168 Mancalias uranoscopus (Murray) 169 Family Linophrynidae 170 Acentrophryne flongidens Regan 170 Borophryne apogon Regan 171 Linophryne arcturi (Beebe) 173 Linophryne quinqueramosus sp. nov 174 Aceratias spp 176 Bibliography 180 Introduction. The twenty-four species discussed in this paper include ten forms apparently new. In addition, a group of ten free-swimming linophrynid males are referred to Aceratias spp. because the inadequacy of present knowledge makes further division too tenta- tive to be practicable. Rather, it seems more profitable to treat the group as a unit, sug- gesting the use of various hitherto unused characters as indices of either growth stages or specific distinctions. 1 Contribution No. 745, Department of Tropical Research, New York Zoological Society. With the possible exception of several Dolopichthys, the only specimens young enough to be referable to post-larvae and young adolescents are a few of these Acera- tias. The indications of youth are very simi- lar to those found in corresponding stages of other deep-sea fish previously studied (See especially Zoologica, Vol. XVI, No. 1, 1933, general discussion; and Zoologica, Vol. XXIV, No. 6, 1939, Melanostomiatids) . The post-larvae are distinguished by the general character of imperfectly differentiated pec- torals and/or the remains of larval finfolds and by the persistence of apparently larval teeth. Typically male ceratioid characters of this stage are great inflation of the dermal envelope, almost normal eyes and small nos- trils. Adolescence is distinguished by the gen- eral characters of disappearance of true fin- folds and complete differentiation of pec- torals, and by the male ceratioid characters of reduced inflation, eyes gradually revolving forward and down, expansion of nostrils, and the beginning of gonad growth. The majority of the ceratioids in this paper, as usual in deep-sea fish collections, are transitional adolescents. That is, they are in the long period of pre-adult growth where practically adult appearance has been as- sumed, but with immaturity shown intern- ally by the small size of the gonads and, in the case of males of parasitic families, by the non-degenerate digestive organs. Only two attached males were taken, each found on a large Borophryne apogon. Since both sexes of one pair were found to be very immature internally, attachment obviously cannot strictly speaking be called an indication of adulthood. We wish to emphasize here the necessity of examining the internal organs of cera- tioids, in order that growth characters may eventually be properly distinguished from those of taxonomic importance. The field notes on color and luminescence were all made by the senior author on freshly caught specimens, only a few minutes after their removal from the net. In some cases, always specially mentioned in the text, the fish were still living. 152 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 11 Family Melanocetidae. Melanocetus ferox Regan, 1926. Reference : Melanocetus ferox Regan, 1926, p. 33, pi. ix, fig. 1 ; Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 52, text-fig. 75. Range : Eastern Pacific ; Gulf of Panama. The present specimens are the first taken outside the Gulf. Specimens Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expeditions: Two specimens, from 300 and 500 fathoms, off Costa Rica and Galapagos Islands, respectively; lengths 33.5 (22+ 11.5) mm. and 23.5 (15+8.5) mm.; young transitional adolescents. Color (living specimens) : Smaller brown- ish-black, larger pale brown; all fins, eye sockets, gill openings and illicium stem color- less to grayish-white ; bulb black in smaller, dark blue in larger; envelope and distal, conical projection translucent white in smaller, translucent and colorless in larger. Luminescence : The illicium bulb of the smaller fish gave off two weak flashes of whitish light in the dark room, when a few drops of weak formalin were added to the water. Both fishes died within a few min- utes of capture. Measurements : 23.5 mm. specimen : man- dible 9.9 mm.; interorbital width 3.8; post- orbital width 9.6 ; illicium length 6.4 ; longest fang 1.6. 33.5 mm. specimen: mandible 16.5 mm.; interorbital width 4.8; postorbital width 7.8 ; illicium length 9 ; longest fang 2.5. Fins: Pectoral 19; dorsal 15; anal 4. Remarks : These young fish, both of which are smaller than any of the three previously taken, differ from the latter chiefly in the teeth, which, as was to be expected, are weaker and smaller in the jaws and lacking on the vomer. It is interesting that the 23.5 mm. specimen had the pigment more highly developed than the 33.5 mm. example; in other respects, however, the larger was the more advanced. Study Material: Cat. No. 6338; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Sta. 86 T-8; 16 miles S.W. of Narborough I., Galapagos (0°42' N. Lat., 91°47' W. Long.) ; 500 fath- oms; June 12, 1925; length 23.5 (15+8.5) mm. Cat. No. 28,489; Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition ; Sta. 219 T-l ; 25 miles W X N of Pt. Burica, Costa Rica (8°08' N. Lat., 83°17' W. Long.); 300 fathoms; March 10, 1938; length 33.5 (22+11.5) mm. Melanocetus johnsoni Gunther, 1864. Ref erences: Melanocetus johnsoni Gunther, 1864, p. 301, pi. xxv ; Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 50, figs. 72, 73. Range: North Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The present specimen ex- tends the known Pacific range about 2,160 miles to the east. Specimen Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expeditions: One specimen, Cat. No. 28,628; Station 227 T-l, Eastern Pacific Zaca Expe- dition; 20 miles southwest of Morro de Puercos, Panama (7°0' N. Lat., 80°40' W. Long.) ; 500 fathoms; March 21, 1938; length 46 (31+15) mm.; transitional adolescent with ovaries feebly developed. Color (fresh specimen) : Body brownish- black; fins white; illicium stem pigmented light brown, increasingly darker up to and around bulb; crest above bulb white with distal tubercle pigmented brown ; peritoneum jet black. Measurements: Illicium 12.5 mm.; man- dible 21; interorbital width 5.6; postorbital head width 13. Fins: Pectoral 20; dorsal 15; anal 4. Food: Well digested, small myctophids. Remarks: This specimen agrees perfectly with those of similar size described by Regan & Trewavas (1932). Melanocetus megalodontis sp. nov. ( Text-fig. 1). Type. (The unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 25,791 ; Templeton Crocker Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 165 T-3; May 17, 1936; 500 fathoms; 145 miles north of Clarion Island (20° 36' N. Lat., 115° 07' W. Long.) ; total length 38.5 (27+11.5) mm. ; a transitional adolescent with small ovaries. Description. With the characteristics of the genus. Color (fresh specimen) : Dark brownish- black; all fins and stem of illicium colorless; major illicium bulb blue-black, its trans- lucent envelope and minor bulb colorless; peritoneum jet black. Measurements and Proportions: Total length 38.5 (27+11.5) mm.; illicium length 13.5 (in length 2.9 or 35%) ; lower jaw 13 (in length 3.0 or 33.8%) ; postorbital width of head 9.1 (in length 4.2 or 23.6%) ; inter- orbital width 4.4 (in postorbital width of head 2.07 or 14.2% of length) ; length long- est fang 5 (in interorbital width .88 or 13% of length ) . Illicium: From the anterior distal portion of the major, pigmented bulb arises a much smaller bulb, round and unpigmented. Both bulbs are enclosed in a translucent envelope which is distinctly compressed longitudin- ally, arising considerably below major bulb, and projecting well beyond it anteriorly, dorsally and posteriorly, although it is stretched tightly over the distal half of the minor bulb; it shows no trace of distal pig- mentation. Behind the minor bulb the envel- ope gives rise to two minute flaps, facing 1947] Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 153 Text-fig. 1. Melanocetus megalodontis, holotype. A, Dentition. Depressible teeth un- shaded. B, Illicium. anteriorly, side by side ; the posterior part of the envelope shows several asymmetrically placed ribs or wrinkles not due to post mortem shrinkage. Teeth: In each half of the upper jaw are 3 large fangs, the third longest, inserted near the inner margin of the jaw. External to these is a series of about 16 to 20 smaller teeth, including 4 or 5 which are moderately enlarged, the remainder being minute. In each half of the lower jaw are 4 or 5 fangs, the second of which is enormous, and 8 or 9 small teeth, most of them minute. Vomer with 4 teeth close together. Four pharyngeal teeth on each side. Fins : Pectoral 19; dorsal 15; anal 14; caudal 10. Food: Three scarlet-eyed euphausiids, packed together, each 25 mm. long. All have been identified by Dr. H. J. Hansen as male Euphausia eximia. Behavior : The fish lived for two hours after which we preserved it. In the dark room we caught a fairly strong orange gleam, given forth three times, but could not be sure the illicium was the source. It swam actively but slowly about, with alternate movements of the pectorals. When the caudal moved from side to side it wagged the whole fish. When the gill opening closed the lower part remained immovable, the upper portion pressing down obliquely, leaving much of the lower half wide open. The position in life was exactly like Brauer’s old illustration of Melanocetus krechi (1906, Taf. 15, fig. 3). Discussion. This proposed new species differs from all the others as follows : in the character of the illicium ; in the great length and robustness of the fangs, the length of the largest being greater than the interorbital width; and in the shortness of the lower jaw, which in spite of the small size of the specimen is only about a third of the total length. The fish clearly belongs in the long-fanged group in the key given by Regan & Trewavas (1932, p. 49), and, among these, is perhaps most closely related to M. murrayi on the one hand and to M. ferox on the other. Melanocetus niger Regan, 1925. References: Melanocetus niger Regan, 1925, p. 565; Regan. 1926, p. 33, plate VIII, fig. 1 ; Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 53, fig. 76B. Range : Eastern Pacific : Gulf of Panama and 500 miles to the west near Cocos Island. The present specimens are the first to be taken outside the Gulf. 154 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 11 c Text-fig. 2. Xenoceratias nudus, holotype. A, lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, dorsal view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. Specimens Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expeditions : Four specimens, from 500 to 833 fathoms, off Gulf of Panama and Cocos Island, one adult, length 113 (85+28) mm.; three transitional adolescents 72 (52+20) mm., 23 (14+9) mm. and 20 (13+7) mm. Color in Life : 72 mm. fish : black, fins col- orless except for pale pigment on the caudal ; illicium stem dark brown, the luminous bulb black on the proximal three-fourths, trans- lucent white at the tip, enclosing a small, opaque black organ. 1947] Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 155 Counts and Measurements : The 113 mm. specimen is the largest recorded, and shows the following details of counts and size: Dorsal fin 14, anal 4, pectoral 20; length 113 (85+28) mm., maxillary 40, mandible 42, mouth width 61, illicium 30, postorbital 23, interorbital 15, longest tooth 4. Ovaries: Typical of the ceratiid. 113 mm. specimen: ovaries dorsal, one considei'ably behind the other, much foliated, enclosed in lightly pigmented membrane ; length 10 mm., anterior breadth 6 mm., tapering posteriorly, little compressed; eggs minute, closely packed, all about the same size; ovaries too small to be considered in breeding condition, though much better developed than in 72 mm. specimen. 72 mm. specimen : Ovaries parallel, poste- rior, between bladder and end of intestine, as in Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 15, fig. 22, of a young specimen. In the present example, however, they are relatively larger, as long as bladder; length 3.5 mm., maximum breadth 1 mm. Food : The 23 mm. specimen contained two entire copepods. Study Material : Cat. No. 5889 (KOH No. 18) 2 : Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Station 74 PT2 ; 60 miles south of Cocos Is- land (4° 50' N. Lat., 87° W. Long.) ; 600 fathoms; May 25, 1925; length 20 (13+7) mm. Cat. No. 6332: Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Station 74 T76; same locality; 500 fathoms ; June 3, 1925; length 23 (14+9) mm. Cat. No. 6414 (KOH 34) : Arcturus Ocean- ographic Expedition: Station 74 OT3; same locality; 833 fathoms; May 29, 1925; length 72 (52+20) mm. Cat. No. 28,642: Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition; Station 228 Tl: 52 miles SE X E of Cape Mala, Panama (7° N. Lat., 79° 16' W. Long.); 500 fathoms; March 25, 1938; length 113 (85+28) mm. Xenoceratlas nudus sp. nov. (Text-fig. 2). Type. (The unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 28,402; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 210T-8 ; Feb. 27, 1938 ; 500 fathoms ; 20 miles south of Cape Blanco, Costa Rica (9° 12' N. Lat., 85° 10' W. Long.) ; total length 31.4 (21.4+10) mm., a transitional adolescent with moderately developed testicles (meas- uring about 3.5 X 2.4 mm. in length and breadth) . 2 Owing to catalogue confusion between regular and KOH numbers, this specimen was erroneously recorded as No. 6552 from Station 113, T35, 600 fathoms, in Hudson Gorge, Atlantic Ocean (Zoologica, VIII, No. 1, 1929, p. 18). Description. With the characteristics of the genus. Skin unpigmented, naked, slightly inflated. Depth of body in standard length 2.7. Snout moder- ately long, obliquely descending. Rostrum sharply defined, with a median series of rudi- mentary spinules, consisting of two minute ones anteriorly and, behind these, several subdermal ones clearly visible by substage lighting, indicated externally only by the pushing of the skin into minute serrations. Tip of rostrum with 10 curved denticles in an irregularly double series; denticles in front of lower jaw in the three series charac- teristic of the genus, although the posterior members of the median group are not sepa- rated from those of the lateral groups; the counts are as follows: left lateral 5, median 9 (three anterior followed by three pairs behind one another with several posterior in- dividuals still subdermal), right lateral 4. Median prominence opposed to rostral den- ticles; lateral prominences erect, outside an- terior ends of premaxillaries ; premaxillary about reaching vertical from anterior of eye. Anterior nostril small, round on a separately inflated prominence; posterior nostril well separated from it and from eye ; irregularly oval, its vertical diameter about twice that of anterior nostril and about equal to that of eye ; 17 olfactory lamellae, the most dorsal one being very small, only the upper ones ex- posed. Testicles only partially developed, about 7 mm. in length. Dorsal 14 or 15; anal 4 ; pectoral about 18 ; caudal 9. Aff inities : Close to X. longirostris Regan & Trewavas, 1932, the only other member of the genus recorded from the Pacific. The proposed new species differs chiefly in the lack of body spinules and in the rudimentary condition of those on top of the rostrum. There are minor differences in the relative size of the nostrils, in the larger number both of lamellae, and of the denticles in front of lower jaw. All of these may prove to be merely growth characters and individual variation, but in view of the number of spe- cies of Melanocetus recorded from the East- ern Pacific area, it seems desirable to record the species as distinct. Family Himantolophidae. Himantolophus aiuriucens sp. nov. (Plate I, Figs. 1, 2; Text-figs. 3, 4). Type. (The unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 28,641; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition; Station 228, T-l (7° N. Lat., 79° 16' W. Long.) ; 52 miles SE X E of Cape Mala, Pan- ama; 500 fathoms; March 25, 1938; total length 123 (98+25) mm. 156 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 11 Text-fig. 3. Himantolophus azurlucens, holotype. A, Freshly caught specimen, lateral view. B, Preserved specimen, showing distortion. Description. With the characteristics of the genus. Color.: Jet black, paling to smoky gray in groove under illicium, and down the back to dorsal fin; also on flattened belly from chin to anal fin. All fin rays black, webs trans- parent. See additional color under Lumin- escence. Luminescence : Body with conspicuous, sharp, sparsely scattered spines. Three of these, two on the left and one on the right upper posterior back, have luminous tur- quoise blue bases. A patch, not a spine, of the same color on upper, and another on lower base of peduncle ; five luminous-based spines in a loose group on belly in front of anal fin ; a triangular patch at anterior base of anal fin; others on the upper and lower caudal rays and on the anterior anal ray. In day- light all are brilliant turquoise blue, and in 1947] Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 157 the darkroom we got pale blue luminescence from several of the spine bases and from two of the patches. In the dead preserved fish all trace of blue color is lost, the areas being distinguishable only by a slightly paler color of the tissue. Much of the illi- cium and its tentacles and many of the snout and chin papillae were distinguishable as pale grayish-white in the dark, and sev- eral times before the fish expired we de- tected flashes of yellow light, possibly from the facial papillae and illicium stem, but strongly from the swollen distal end of the illicium club, at the base of the tentacles. Cephalic Papillae: Upper lips, snout and Text-fig. 4. Himantolophus azurlucens, holotype. A, Preserved specimen, anterior view. B, Illicium. base of illicium covered with a mass of rounded, tumid papillae of varying size, in- creasing in size as they approach the mouth. A few of these on the upper lip are pale gray. A second compact, swollen patch on lower lip vei'y conspicuous, pinkish or fleshy white in daylight. Surrounding the periphery is a narrow zone of smaller papillae of a neutral gray. Illicium : The large, complex illicium lies normally on and partly in the groove scoooped out of the back. At least six or eight times, while the fish was swimming in a dish of iced water, the illicium was brought forward so far that the terminal tentacle overhung the mouth, well in advance of it. ( We say tentacle because originally there were two, but when the fish was taken out of the net it had lost three-fourths of one tentacle. This was later found in the glass jar at the end of the net) . The main illicium stem is thick, black for about a fifth of its length, the distal five- sixths studded with round-based, low but sharp spines, all pale gray in color. The dis- tal end of the stem is enlarged, club-like, on which the spines flatten out and merge into a solid pale gray. Yet the minute points are distinct even to the flat end and rim in the monocolored area. The extreme tip of the stem is flattened and silvery white and it was this area which gave forth the strongest flashes of yellow light in the darkroom. From the flattened portion there arise, side by side, two silvery 158 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 11 tentacles, rather thick at the base and taper- ing slightly to a slender, but blunt, finger- like tip. The tentacle which was torn away is shorter than its fellow, and bears two stemmed and lobed bodies ha’f-way to the tip. These are absent from the other. Illicium base to bulb tip 31.5, longer illicium tentacle 31, illicium total length 62.5 mm. Spinous Bony Plates : On each side of the body, from gill arches to base of caudal fin, there are 26 or 27 low sharp spines, each aris- ing from a small, subdermal p’ate. They are not arranged in perfect symmetry on the two sides, although total counts and general po- sitions correspond closely. Their location on each side is as follows: on skin covering gill arches, 5 and 6; anterior base of pectoral, 5 and 7 ; each side of midline of abdomen, 4 and 6 ; anterior base of anal, 1 ; lower part of side, 2 and 3; upper part of side, 7. Teeth : Small, in series, all depressible, ex- cept smallest in outer rows particularly in premaxillary. Upper jaw teeth in two irregu- lar rows, outer series with very small teeth, close-set, varying in s:‘ze, extending entire length of mouth ; inner row composed of larger teeth chiefly in anterior part, widely spaced and smaller posteriory- Mandible with teeth larger and more numerous than in premaxillary, set in four or five rows, run- ring entire length of jaw, in a somewhat quincunxial arrangement, increasing in size from outer to inner series. Fin Counts-. Dorsal 5 (last four bifid), anal 4 (last three bifid), pectoral 17, caudal 9 (seven bifid). Ovaries: Posterior, parallel, small (9 by 6 mm.), compressed. Eggs rmnute. all same size. Judged by the ovaries, the fish would be classed as a transitional adolescent. Food: 1 Sternoptyx, length 19 mm.; 4 Cy- clothone, length 15-30 mm.; 1 Melamphaes- like fish, length 25 mm. ; 1 adolescent mycto- nhid. length 10 mm.; 1 adolescent sudid, length 22 mm.; 2 euphausids (possibly shrimps), 45 mm.; 3 small euphausids, 15-20 mm.; 2 gammarid amphipods (possibly food of above food), 6 and 7 mm.; assorted small copepods (probably food of food) ; squid beak. Behavior: This Blue-lighted Anglerfish was brought up at 2:30 p. m. and was very much alive, swimming around its large dish, keeping upright and twice biting the finger of the senior author as he turned it over. As we have said, the entire illicium was occasionally thrown forward, until the stem almost touched the snout, the slender remaining tentacle waving back and forth as the stem moved. It swam almost entirely by movements of the caudal fin but turned with the help of the pectorals. It lived until 5 o’clock in ice water, then expired slowly, and only lost its shape when put into pre- servative. The stretched mouth and the greatly distended gill arches gave it a wholly abnormal contour. Discussion: This new member, the fourth of the genus Himantolophus, is the most specialized as regards illicium, dermal tu- bercularity, armature and luminescence. The three most characteristic features are the spiny armed illicium, the non-spinous ceph- alic papillae of snout and chin, and the patches of brilliant turquoise blue lumin- escence on body and fins. Family Oneirodidae. Chaenophryne parvic onus Regan & Trewavas, 1932. References and Synonymy : Chaenophryne parviconus Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 87, fig. 138; Chaenophryne columnifera 1. c., p. 88, fig. 140; Chaenophryne melanorhabdus 1. c., p. 98, fig. 143. Range: Eastern Pacific, within an isos- celes triangle bounded by the Gulf of Pan- ama, Cocos and Galapagos Islands, and Cape Corrientes, Colombia. Specimens Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expeditions: Six specimens, from 400 to 700 fathoms, off Gulf of Panama, Cocos and Galapagos Islands, total lengths 17.3 to 25 mm., young transitional adolescents. Color and Luminescence : These small fish were jet black in life. No. 6226 in the dark room gave forth two rather long drawn out flashes of pale yellow light from the ball- like organ at the tip of the illicium, the sec- ond flash being the stronger. In daylight the rounded or, in other specimens, slightly elongated structure showed a strong iri- descence in striking contrast with the jet black skin. Development and Discussion: The six specimens of the present collection indicate that at least three of the species of Chaeno- phryne described as new by Regan & Tre- wavas, 1932, represent stages in develop- ment and should be synonymized. These three species are parviconus, columnifera and melanorhabdus, all from the Gulf of Panama. C. parviconus and columnifera are described from 9 and 3 specimens respec- tively, of similar size, 16 to 21 mm. in total length, while melanorhabdus is known from the unique holotype, 55 mm. long. Except for 6, not 7, rays in the dorsal of melanorhab- dus, and 15. not 16 to 17. rays in the pec- toral. all of the described differences separat- ing the three suedes are in the illiciumt In our series, 3 of the 5 specimens have 6 dor- sal rays, the others 7. Pectoral counts are especially difficult in this group, and ours are uncertain, but appear to range from 14 to 17. Two of the present six specimens, total lengths 17.3 and 24 mm., agree perfectly 1947] Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 159 with the description and illustration of C. parviconus, in which the illicium shows rela- tively simple development. The third and fourth, 18 and 19 mm. long, have the conical distal papilla of the bulb slightly longer than in parviconus, but not as long as in columnifera. The fifth and sixth specimens, 18.6 and 21 mm. long, have the distal papilla relatively as long as the 55 mm. -long mel- anorhabdus, but lack the anterior branched filaments, in this respect resembling colum- nifera. However, the filaments appear to be represented subdermally by a pair of rudi- mentary, tiny, curved, dark tentacles at the base of the distal papilla; it may be that the “basal pair of luminous patches” in Regan & Trewavas’s description of columnifera, present also in our specimens, are also rudiments of tentacles. In any event, there now appears to remain no valid reason for maintaining the three species, and parvi- conus, by pagination priority, is accepted as the specific name. The typically parviconus- like specimens appear more juvenile than the columnifera- melanorhabdus- like pair in development of teeth and in that of the base of the illicium, in addition to the simple character of the bulb already mentioned. In each of these four the basal bone is very short, and the tip of the bulb, when laid back, reaches no further than the vertical from the posterior edge of the eye. In the melanorhabdus- like 21 mm. specimen (taken in the same net with a parviconus- like stage) the basal bone is still short, but the entire illicium bulb lies beyond the level of the eye; in the 18.5 mm. example, the basal bone is as long as the illicium stem, the illicium, including bulb, measuring about one-fifth the length of the fish (as compared with two-sevenths in the 55 mm. type of melanorhabdus) . The length of the fringes on the wings of the posterior bulb appendages vary regardless of age. In deep-sea pediculates, as in other fish groups, shrinking occurs to variable de- grees during metamorphosis (that is, in adolescence and early transitional adoles- cence). This is clearly evident in this series, where the 25 mm. fish is one of the young- est, judged by tooth and illicium develop- ment, and, of the two best developed ex- amples, the 18.6 mm. specimen is younger than that of 21 mm. The latter shows youth also in its relatively greater depth, because of the juvenile fatty tissue. The stomachs (empty) of these two oldest samples are en- tirely unpigmented and the ovaries are min- ute. There is no doubt but that all the speci- mens are extremely immature, in spite of the fact that in life the exterior black pig- ment was fully developed. Study Material: Cat. No. 5209; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition ; Station 33, PT- 1, 70 miles N.E. of Tower Island, Galapagos (0° 40' N. Lat., 88° 51' W. Long.) ; 700 fathoms; April 3, 1925; total length 19 (15+4) mm. Cat. No. 5210; same station, net, locality, depth and date; total length 17.3 (13.6+ 3.7) mm. Cat. No. 6226; Col. PI. 2104; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition. Station 84, T-8; one mile N. of Narborough, Galapagos (0° 17' S. Lat., 91° 34’ W. Long.) ; 400 fathoms; June 9, 1925; total length 25 (19.3+5.7) mm. Cat. No. 6645; Col. PI. 2069; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; 74, T-78; 60 miles S. of Cocos Island (4° 50' N. Lat., 87° W. Long.); 700 fathoms; June 3, 1925; total length 18.3 (14+4.3) mm. Cat. No. 28,766; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition ; Station 233, T-l ; 55 miles SSW Cape Corrientes, Colombia (4° 45' N. Lat., 78° 02' W. Long.) ; 500 fathoms; April 3, 1938; total length 18 (14.4+3.6) mm. Cat. No. 28,767; same station, net, local- ity, depth and date; total length 21 (16.3+ 4.7) mm. Dolopichthys luetkeni Regan, 1925. References and Synonymy: Dolopichthys luetkeni Regan, 1925, p. 562; 1926, p. 27, pi. IV, fig. 2; Regan and Trewavas, 1932, p. 76, fig. 116; Dolopichthys heter acanthus Regan, 1925, p. 562; 1926, p. 28, pi. V, fig. 4; Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 77, fig. 117. Range: Eastern Pacific; off Costa Rica from 9° 12' N. Lat. south, Gulf of Panama and off Cocos Island. Color: Jet black. The outer sheath of illi- cium is colorless; terminal, rounded bulb en- closes a lemon yellow body, topped by a cap and a slender, finger-like tentacle, all of glistening silver tissue. Behind these, a sec- ond candle- or finger-like tentacle arises, with an orange, flame-like appendage, topped by a short, very slender filament. Discussion: We agree with Parr (1927, p. 15) in considering D. heteracanthus to be the immature form of D. luetkeni. Although in our series, composed entirely of small examples, the posterior appendage is smaller than the anterior, as in heteracanthus, there is considerable variation in its length and in other details of the bulb, the amount of fringing on the anterior flaps varying, as well as the position and subdivisions of the membraneous appendages behind it. In our specimens these membranes are set at vary- ing angles to the anterior flaps, but always are more nearly one above the other as in luetkeni, rather than one behind the other as in heteracanthus. All of the present speci- mens are clearly immature, with feeble teeth in varying stages of development, large articular spines, and basal bone much shorter than illicium. 160 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 11 Study Material: Cat. No. 5944; Col. PI. 2103; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Station 74, PT3; 60 miles south of Cocos (4° 50' N. Lat., 87° W. Long.); 620 fathoms; May 27, 1925; total length 25.5 (18.5+7) mm. Cat. No. 6011; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Station 74, OT4; 60 miles south of Cocos (4° 50' N. Lat., 87° W. Long.) ; 625 fathoms; May 30, 1925; total length 29 (22+7) mm. Cat. No. 28,247; Col. PI. Z185, fig. 1; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition; Station 210, T-l ; 20 miles south of Cape Blanco, Costa Rica (9° 12' N. Lat., 85° 05' W. Long.); 300 fathoms; Feb. 7, 1938; total length 20.3 (14.3+6) mm. Cat. No. 28,768; Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition; Station 219, T-l; 25 miles WXN of Pt. Burica, Costa Rica (8° 08' N. Lat., 83° 17' W. Long.) ; 300 fathoms; March 10, 1938; 3 specimens, total length 18 (13.6+ 4.4) ; 19.3 (12.9+6.4) and 21 (14.7+6.3) mm. Dolopichthys implumi s Regan & Trewavas, 1932. (Text-fig. 5). Reference: Dolopichthys implumis Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 78, fig. 122. Range: Eastern Pacific: from Gulf of Panama north to 9° 15' N. Lat., off Costa Rica, and southwest to the Galapagos. Specimens Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expeditions: Two specimens, both from 500 fathoms, off Costa Rica and Galapagos re- spectively; total lengths 18.7 and 20.2 mm. Color: Jet black; bulb and short stem of illicium blue black, tentacles silvery, med- ium comb translucent white. Discussion: Three small specimens have heretofore been recorded, all from the Gulf of Panama, by Regan & Trewavas. Although the top of the posterior appendage in our specimens is oblique, not horizontal as in their drawings, there is no other appreciable difference; the shape and height of our papillae vary even in our two specimens. There seems no reason why Regan & Tre- wavas’s entire subgenus Microlopichthys, known solely from small specimens, will not prove to be composed merely of young forms of another group — very likely of the sub- genus Dolopichthys. The vital factor in ques- tion is how fast and when the basal bone of the illicium is exserted and lengthens. We think this must be a suddenly accelerated character, and at the same time when it hurries up its growth, the bulb ornaments lose their simplicity. We can compare this with the sudden growth change in leptoce- phalids and some melanostomiatids, where individuals of very different appearance oc- cur of the same length, and others show a similar appearance but unequal lengths, during metamorphosis. Text-fig. 5. Dolopichthys implumis Regan & Trewavas. End of Illicium. A, Specimen No. 6286a. B, Specimen No. 28,401. 1947] 1 Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 161 Study Material : Cat. No. 6286a, Col. PI. 2099; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Station 84, T-14; one mile north of Nar- borough, Galapagos (0° 17' S. Lat., 91° 34' W. Long.); 500 fathoms; June 9, 1925; total length 18.7 (14.7+4) mm. Cat. No. 28,401; Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition; Station 210, T-8; 20 miles south of Cape Blanco, Costa Rica (9° 12' N. Lat., 85° 10' W. Long.): 500 fathoms; Feb. 27, 1938; total length 20.2 (14.5+5.7) mm. Dolopichthys pullatus Regan & Trewavas, 1932. (Text-fig. 6). Reference : Dolopichthys pullatus Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 79. text-fig. 123, pi. Ill, fig. 1. Range : Unique specimen previously known taken in the Mollucas. Text-fig. 6. Dolopichthys pullatus Regan & Trewavas. Illicium. Broken terminal flange indicated by dotted lines. Specimen Taken by the Eastern Pacific Expedition : One specimen; Cat. No. 28,769; Station 233 T-l ; Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition; 55 miles SSW of Cane Corrientes, Colombia (4° 45' N. Lat., 78° 02' W. Long.) ; 500 fathoms; April 3, 1938 ; total length 23.6 (19.3+4.3) mm.; transitional adolescent. Measurements : Illicium: basal bone 1.6 mm., stem 3.9; stem and bulb (without flange) 5.6; bulb alone 1.7; distal flange 1; mandible 8. Teeth : Upper jaw with about 35; lower jaw, 44 or 45; all slender, close-set, in a single series, in successive groups of 3 or 4; the members of each group decrease pro- gressively in size posteriorly; groups obso- lete in posterior part of premaxillary, where teeth are short and irregularly spaced; 3 teeth on each side of vomer. Fins: Pectoral 20 or 21; dorsal 6; anal 4. Remarks : This specimen is referred with hesitation to pullatus, known from a single East Indian specimen twice its length; it agrees almost equally well with D. mucrona- tus Regan & Trewavas, 1932, and one or two others of the same subgenus, and is the first of its close relatives to be recorded from the Eastern Pacific. However, it agrees almost perfectly with pullatus, differing noticeably from the description and figures only as follows: the kidney-shaped bulb is almost vertical instead of horizontal; the exserted part of basal bone is shorter and the lower jaw is slightly longer (both char- acters to be expected in a younger fish) and there are a few more teeth in the lower jaw (about 45 instead of 40) and 3 instead of 2 teeth on each side of the vomer. Most of the posterior appendage, indicated by dotted lines in our Text-figure, was broken off and lost shortly after capture; however it was measured and a sketch made when the speci- men was freshly caught. Dolopichthys allector Garman, 1899. (Text-fig. 7). References : Garman, 1899, p. 81, plates XIII-XVI; Regan, 1926, p. 28 (part?); Re- gan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 80. Range: Eastern Pacific: Gulf of Panama and off Galapagos Islands. Specimen Taken on Eastern Pacific Ex- peditions: One specimen; Cat. No. 6394; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition; Sta- tion 87 T-3; 21 miles NW of Narborough, Galapagos 0° 00', 91° 53' W. Long.) ; 450 fathoms; June 13, 1925; total length 25 (19+7) mm.; transitional adolescent. Discussion: Regan, after accrediting nine small specimens in 1926 to D. allector, re- distributed 7 of them to other species in 1932. and makes no mention of the remain- ing 2 fish. Hence Garman’s type of 72 mm. from the Gulf of Panama is left as the only certain representative before the present specimen. From the original type our fish differs in possessing a single tooth on one side of the vomer, and in the greater length of the illicium stem as compared with the basal bone. Instead of being equal in length, this stem is two and a half times as long (basal bone 2.8, illicmm stem 5.3, bulb and tentacle 1.4 mm.). We have elsewhere dis- cussed the probable unimportance of this acceleration of illicium stem growth. The bulb itself is somewhat more like that of danae from the north than that of allector. The posterior tentacle arises from a rounded appendage of the bulb, this ap- 162 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 11 Text-fig. 7. Dolopichthys allector Garman. End of illicium. Broken filaments indicated by dotted lines. pendage having, in addition, a distal papilla. In Garman’s type the tentacle appears to rise directly. Our tentacle has at least two mar- ginal filaments, the basal appearing bifid. Dolopichthys atrahis Regan & Trewavas, 1932. References : Regan & Trewavas, 1932, p. 81, fig. 129. Range : Eastern Pacific; Gulf of Panama and off Costa Rica and Cocos Island. Specimens Taken on Eastern Pacific Ex- peditions: Two specimens, from 500 fath- oms, off Costa Rica and Cocos Island, total lengths 25.7 and 41.7 mm. Color : Jet black to the tip of all the fins. Basal bone dark brown, illicium stem pale brown, bulb blue and tentacle colorless. Illicium : There is considerable variation in length and distribution of filaments on the distal tentacle of the illicium in the two fish. In the 41.7 mm. specimen the basal bone is 2.4, illicium stem and bulb 7.1, and tentacle 4.3 mm. In the smaller fish of 25.7 mm., the basal bone is practically sessile or subdermal, the stem and bulb 4.7 and the tentacle 3.5 mm. The teeth are more than twice as numerous in the lower jaw in the larger specimen. Study Material: Cat. No. 6640, Color Plate 2070; Arcturus Oceanographic Expe- dition; Station 74, T-4; 60 miles south of Cocos (4° 50' N. Lat. 87° W. Long) ; 500 fathoms; May 25, 1925; total length 41.7 (32.9+8.8) mm. Cat. No. 28,274; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition; Station 210 T-6; 20 miles south of Cape Blanco, Costa Rica (9° 12' N. Lat., 85° 05' W. Long.); 500 fathoms; Feb. 7, 1938; total length 25.7 (20+5.7) mm. Genus Trematorhynchus Regan & Trewavas, 1932. Six specimens in the present collection are male oneirodids. All possess the charac- ters of the genus Trematorhynchus, as set up by Regan & Trewavas to receive the few known males in this diverse family of many genera and species. As in those previously recorded, all of our specimens have the skin naked, the snout short and somewhat de- curved, the nostrils not raised, the anterior nostril opening forward near end of snout, teeth in both jaws lacking, and denticles present above and below, including an outer series on the chin. They all fit well enough into the species framework of T. leucorhinus Regan & Tre- wavas (1925, p. 586; 1930, p. 44, fig. 25b; 1932, p. 91), having large nostrils of which the anterior are almost contiguous and the posterior set close to the eyes, while the nasal area is more or less pale. This species, described from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Gulf of Panama, is also the only one which has been hitherto recorded from the Pacific. However, we agree with Parr (1934, p. 41) that sharper specific differences must be sought in the material upon which leucorhinus is based, and in the absence of a designated holotype, we are proposing five new species. Although it is likely that some of our material will prove to agree with some of Regan & Trewavas’ Pacific examples, synonymy is impossible without comparison of specimens and, pref- erably, a large amount of new material. In addition to the usual diagnostic char- acters of fin ray counts, curvature of snout, nostril shape, size and position, eye size and denticle number, arrangement and projec- tion, the number of olfactory lamellae ap- pears to be of value in this group. This character has already been used by Regan & Trewavas (1932) in the specific descrip- tions of Xenoceratias. Additional material will doubtless show that the shape of the individual lamellae also has importance. Eye diameter in length of dentary is sometimes a useful character. The amount of expansion of the dermal envelope will probably also prove to have a diagnostic value, although it is certainly also connected with develop- ment. Judging by the rudimentary development of pigment and the small size of the testicles, none of the six specimens is adult; however, 1947] ]8eebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 163 the diagnostic characters mentioned above are so well developed that descriptions of these fish, as advanced transitional adoles- cents, appear warranted. As Parr has indicated, there seems to be little use in erecting new genera for these males in our present state of ignorance, even though some of the differences ob- viously transcend generic boundaries. The large nostrils at once distinguish all five of the proposed new species, as well as leucorhinus, from the other Trematorhyn- chus thus far described ( exiguus and obli- quidens, both of Regan & Trewavas, 1932, and phyllodon Parr, 1934, all from the At- lantic). The following key is given only to clarify the major distinctions in the pres- ent material. A. Lamellae 7 ; eye small (3.7 in dentary) paucilamellatus AA. Lamellae 11-15; eye large (2-2.2 in dentary) B. Rostral denticles 3; outer skin inflated; D. 5 adipatus BB. Rostral denticles 5-9 ; outer skin scarcely inflated; D. 6-7 C. P. 16-18 ; rostral denticles 5-6 D. Lamellae 15 multilamellatus DD. Lamellae 11-12 moderatus CC. P. about 27 ; rostral denticles 9; lamellae 13 multiradiatus Trematorhynchus adipatus sp. nov. (Text-fig. 8). Type. (Unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 28,770; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 230 T-l, 71 miles WXS of Cape Corrientes, Colombia; length 15 (10+5) mm.; transi- tional adolescent with minute testicles. Description. Skin lightly pigmented, naked, consider- Text-fig. 8. Trematorhynchus adipatus, holotype. A, Lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, front view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. 164 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31: 11 ably inflated. Head (to gill opening) con- tained slightly more than twice in standard length; snout obtuse, the rostral portion almost vertical, but rounded, not straight, in profile. A close-set series of 3 rostral denticles, all long and slender and strongly hooked. Opposite these, in front of the mandible is a series of 8 denticles, long and slightly curved, in an irregular cluster. Maxillary reaching vertical from about mid- dle of eye; posterior process of dentary not quite reaching that from posterior margin of eye. Eye contained about twice in distance from symphysis to end of posterior process of dentary. Anterior nostril oval, about 4/5 as long as diameter of eye; posterior nos- tril narrow, its length about 1.2 times diameter of eye. Septa separating nostrils from each other narrow, and from eves moderately broad. Twelve olfactory lamellae, of which 8 are visible in the posterior orifice in a lateral view. Dorsal 5; anal 4; pectoral about 16; caudal 9. Discussion. Distinguishing characteristics are the small number of rostral denticles (3) and the high degree of inflation. These may be merely signs of youth. Trematorhynchus m oderatus sp. nov. (Text-fig. 9). Type. Holotype: Department of Tropical Re- search No. 28,771; Eastern Pacific Zaca Ex- pedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 230 T-l, 71 miles WXS of Cape Corrientes, Colombia; length 17 (11 + 6) mm.; transitional adolescent with tes- ticles about 1.2 mm. long. Paratype: Department of Tropical Re- search No. 28,772: same station and net as holotype; length 14.5 (10+4.5) mm.; transi- tional adolescent, slightly less well developed than above. Description. Skin scarcely pigmented, naked, inflation very slight. Head (to gill opening) con- tained slightly more than twice in standard length; snout obtuse. A series of 6 rostral denticles, all curved, the outer and inner pairs most. Denticles in front of mandible consisting of 1 or 2 inner, 4 marginal and 3 outer ones, all moderately curved, less so than rostral series. Maxillary almost or quite reaching vertical from middle of eye; dentary scarcely beyond that from its pos- terior margin. Text-fig. 9. Trematorhynchus moderatus, holotype. A, Lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, front view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. 1947] Beebe & Crane: Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 165 Eye contained about twice in distance from symphysis to end of posterior process of dentary. Anterior nostril narrow, 4/5 as long as diameter of eye ; posterior nostril 1.25 times diameter of eye in holotype, but only 4/5 times diameter in the younger paratype, narrow in both specimens. Septa separating anterior and posterior nostrils narrow, between anterior nostrils broad, and between posterior nostrils and eyes broad. Twelve olfactory lamellae in ho’o- type, 11 in paratype; 9 of these are visible in the posterior orifice in a lateral view in holotype, about 6 in paratype. Dorsal 6; anal 5; pectoral 17 or 18; caudal 9. Discussion. In distinguishing this species, which has no striking characteristics, the combination of lamellae numbers, denticle arrangements and fin counts must be held of equal value. Tremaforhynchus multilamellat us sp. nov. (Text-fig. 10). Type. (Unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 6321; Arcturus Oceanographic Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 86 T-10; 16 miles southwest of Narborough I., Galapagos; length ca. 15.5 (10.5+ca. 5) mm. transitional adolescent with minute testicles (about 1 mm. long). Description. Skin unpigmented, naked, slightly in- flated. Head (to gill opening) contained slightly more than twice in standard length; rostrum practically vertical. A row of 5 denticles across tip of rostrum, the mem- bers of outer pair and median denticle most curved. Opposed to these in front of lower jaw is a row of 5 denticles, shorter and straight, and outside these a group of 5 minute spinules. Maxillary reaching ver- ticle from middle of eye, and posterior process of dentary to slightly beyond eye’s posterior margin. Eye contained about 2.2 times in distance from symphysis to end of posterior process of dentary. Anterior nostril elongated, di- rected forward, its vertical axis slightly longer than diameter of eye; posterior broader, its vertical axis more than 1 y2 times longer than eye. Septa, separating nostrils from each other and from eye, nar- row. Fifteen olfactory lamellae, of which 12 to 13 are visible in the posterior orifice in a lateral view. Text-fig. 10. Trematorhynchus multilamellatus, holotype. A, Lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, front view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. 166 Zoologica : New York Zoological Society [31: 11 Dorsal 7; anal 4; pectoral about 20; caudal ? (broken). Discussion. The most noteworthy characteristic of this species is the great number of olfactory lamellae. Trematorhynchus multiradiatus sp. nov. (Text-fig. 11). Type. (Unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 28,773; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 225 T-l, 11 miles southwest of Jicaron Island, Panama; length 17.5 (11.5+6) mm.; tran- sitional adolescent with minute testicles. Description. Skin scarcely pigmented, naked, slightly inflated. Head (to gill opening) contained twice in standard length; snout obtuse; a single row of 9 denticles across tip of rostrum, the outer pair strongly curved, the median denticle straight; the others asymmetrically straight and curved, in about equal numbers. Opposed to these, in front of lower jaw, is a row of about 8 denticles almost straight, and outside of these 3, wide-spaced, median, straight. Max- illary not reaching vertical from middle of eye; posterior process of dentary not quite reaching that from end of eye. Eye contained about 2V3 times in distance from symphysis to end of posterior process of dentary. Anterior nostril small, oval, only two-thirds diameter of eye ; posterior long, curving, about half again as long as diameter of eye. Septa separating nostrils moderate. Thirteen olfactory lamellae, of which 10 are visible in the posterior orifice in a lateral view. Dorsal 7; anal 4; pectoral about 27; caudal 8 (2 lower rays broken off short). Discussion. The great number of rays in the pectoral, combined with their insertion on the upper and distal margins of the elongated lobe, make it likely that this male belongs to the genus Ctenochirichthys Regan & Trewavas, 1932, known from the Gulf of Panama. Trematorhynchus paucilamellatus sp. nOV. (Text-fig. 12). Type. (Unique specimen). A Text-fig. 11. Trematorhynchus multiradiatus, holotype. A, Lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, front view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. 1947] Beebe & Crane : Deep-sea Ceratioid Fishes 167 Department of Tropical Research No. 28,- 250. Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition of the New York Zoological Society; Sta. 210 T-3, 20 miles south of Cape B anco, Costa Rica; length 17 (11+6) mm.; transitional adol- escent with minute testicles (2 mm. long). Description. Skin lightly pigmented, naked, scarcely inflated. Head (to gill opening) more than half standard length; snout strongly per- pendicular distally. A single row of 8 den- ticles across tip of rostrum, the outer and inner ones most curved, those next to the innermost almost straight. Above these is a minute, median denticle. Opposed to these, in front of lower jaw, a row of about 8 denticles, less curved, and below them two others, median, almost straight. Two tiny teeth, apparently on mandible itself, at symphysis. Maxillary reaching vertical from middle of eye; posterior process of dentary reaching slightly beyond vertical from pos- terior margin of eye. Eye very small, contained 3.7 times in distance from symphysis to end of posterior process of dentary. Both nostrils large and vertically oval. Vertical diameter of anter- ior nostril about two-fifths longer than that of eye, of posterior about two-thirds. An- terior nostril directed straight forward. Septa separating nostrils from eyes and each other moderately narrow. Seven ol- factory lamellae, all almost entirely exposed. Dorsal 7; anal 4; pectoral 17; caudal 9. Discussion. The most conspicuous characteristics of this fish are the small number of nasal lamellae and the small size of the eye. Family Gigantactinidae. Gigonfocfis perlaHis sp. nov. (Plate II, Fig. 3; Text-fig. 13). Type. (The unique specimen). Department of Tropical Research No. 28,621 ; Eastern Pacific Zaca Expedition ; Station 225 T-l (7° 08' N. Lat., 81° 57' W. Long.) ; 11 mi. SWXW of Jicaron Is., Pan- ama; 500 fathoms; March 20, 1938; total length 42 (34+8) mm. Description. With the characteristics of the genus. Color: Jet black except for bulb of illicium which, in the fresh specimen, was completely semi-translucent white, except for a small, black, subdermal body less than halfway from base to tip of bulb. In the preserved fish, this body is practically invisible, the bulb now being olive brown, opaque except at the very base, which is still pale. Text-fig. 12. Trematorhynchus paucilamellatus, holotype. A, Lateral view. B, Head, lateral view. C, Head, front view. Dotted lines indicate externally invisible lamellae. 168 Zoologica: New York Zoological Society [31:11 Text-fig. 13. Gigantactis perlatus, holotype. End of illicium. Proportions : Illicium longer than stand- ard length, shorter than total (37 mm. to tip of bulb; bulb measures 3 mm.). Distance from last dorsal ray to caudal less than one- fourth length of fish. Eyes appear to be practically non-functional. Illicium : The bulb is similar to that of G. vanhoeffeni Brauer, 1902 (1906, pi. XV) from the Indian Ocean, being elongate, unpigmented, covered with pearl-like nod- ules, furnished with a number of tentacles and papillae, and having a round subdermal, presumably glandular body in the proximal half. The pearl-like nodules are oval, round or irregularly quadrilateral, and commence close to the base, although they are not closely set before the distal half of bulb. They total around 150. The filamentous ornaments consist of a pair of long tentacles arising from the tip of the stem; a pair of winglike, posterior basal flanges, each with several external papillae and an irregularly fringed edge; a pair of shorter posterior tentacles; a large unpaired posterior tubercle arising distal to the flanges and surmounted by a pore; two pairs of small elongate posterior pap- illae near the bulb’s tip; and finally, a tap- ering distal tubercle covered irregularly with elongate papillae. As reported under Color, the small, round black subdermal body so conspicuous in the proximal half of the bulb is now almost invisible. It appears to give rise to a tubercle connecting with the posterior pore men- tioned in the preceding paragraph. Teeth : Upper jaw: 2 on each side, well separated but close to symphysis, small, slender, curved. Roof of mouth (on upper pharyngeals?) : 6 larger teeth on right side, 5 on left. Lower jaw: 10 on each side, much larger than in upper; 4 in a regular outer row, 6 in an irregular inner line. Fin Counts : Dorsal 5, anal 5, pectoral 18, caudal 8. Ovaries : Minute, less than 1 mm. in length. Food : 1 copepod (length 6 mm.) Discussion : The proposed new species is very close to Brauer’s vanhoeffeni, known from two examples from the Indian Ocean. Our example is of the same size as the holotype of vanhoeffeni, and so is directly comparable. Body proportions are similar, as is the general character of the bulb. The differences are as follows: (1). The proximal bulb tentacles are differently arranged and more complex, in- cluding the presence of the pair of wing- like flanges. (2). The distal bulb tentacles are fewer, shorter and more irregular. (3). The pearl-like papillae studding the bulb are much more close-set and numerous. (4). There are 5, not 6, dorsal rays. (5). There are 18, not 16-17 pectoral rays. Family Ceratiidae. Cryptosparas normani Regan & Trewavas, 1932. (Text-fig. 14). References and Synonymy: Cryptosparas couesii ( non Gill), Norman, 1930, p. 354, fig. 44. Cryptosparas normani Regan