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THE 

NAUTILUS 


A  QUARTERLY  JOURNAL 

DEVOTED  TO  THE  INTERESTS 

OF  CONCHOLOGISTS 


VOL.  57 
JULY,  1943  to  APRIL,  1944 


EDITORS   AXD    PUBLISHERS 

HEXRY  A.  PILSBRY 

Curator  of  the  Department  of  Mollusks  and  Marine  Invertebrates, 

Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 

H.  BURRINGTOX  BAKER 

Professor  of  Zoology,  University  of  Pennsylvania 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


LANCASTER  PRESS,  IMC,  LANCASTER,  PA. 


CONTENTS 

Names  of  new  genera  and  species  in  italics 

Amphidromus  pattinsonae  Iredale 16 

Anadenulus  cockcrelli  Hemphill 114 

Aporostoma  Troschel 64 

Apertural  Ridgo  of  Biilimulidae 98 

Aporrhais  oecidcntalis  mainensis  Johnson 29 

Blarina  hoarding  snails 135 

Bostryx 120 

Bostryx  ahancayensis  Pilsbry 123 

Bostryx  anomphalus  Pilsbry 123 

Bostryx  derelictus  ascendens  Pilsbry 123 

Bostryx  endoplax  Pilsbry 124 

Bostryx  huarazensis  Pilsbry 121 

Bostryx  megotnphalus  Pilsbry 122 

Bostryx  multivoluis  Pilsbry 124 

Bostryx  weyrauchi  Pilsbry 87,  121 

Biilimulidae 120 

Burchia  Bartsch 115 

Busycon  carica  L 143 

Busycon  perversum,  albino 143 

Castalia  oronocensis  Morrison 14 

Cerion  cabocruzense  Pilsbry  &  Torre 34 

Cerion  crassilabre  Shuttleworth 34 

Cerion  deani  M.  Smith 59 

Cerion  paxdi  M.  Smith 60 

Cerion  striatellum  Guerin 34 

Cerithidea  hegewischi  Philippi 30 

Chrysodomus  saturus  Martjii 142 

Cingula  eyerdami  Willett 142 

Conus,  poison 72 

Conus  verrucosus  vanhyningi  Rehder 106 

Conus,  West  Mexican  figured Plate  4 

Cypraeidae,  Central  Pacific 81 

Cypraeidae  of  Hawaii 22 

Deroceras  agreste  Miiller 112 

Deroceras  gracile  Rafinesque 112 

Diadora  jaumei  Aguayo  &  Rehder 32 

Diplodon  flucki  Morrison 14 

Drymaeus  angulohasis  Pilsbry 125 

Drymaeus  bourgeoisae  Rehder 28 

Drymaeus  flexuosus  megas  Pilsbry 127 

Drymaeus  inca  M.  Smith 61 

iii 


IV  THE   NAUTILUS 

Drymaeus  interpictus  diver sipictiis  Pilsbry 125 

Dnjmaeus  torallyi  peruvianus  Pilsbry 126 

Drymaeus  punctatus  Da  Costa 126 

Drymaeus  productorum  Rehder 29 

Ensis  jninor  megistus  Pilsbry  &  McGinty 33 

Eshnaiir,  Mrs.  W.  H 35 

Epiphragmophora  atahualpa  Pilsbry 119 

Epiphragm  removal 138 

Euamnicola  C.  &  F 68 

Fasciolaria  distans  Lam 142 

Fasciolaria  princeps  Sowb Plate  3 

Fossula  venezuelensis  Pilsbry  &  Olsson 89 

Fusinus  dupetithouarsi  Kiener Plate  3 

Guianadesma  sinuosum  Morrison 49 

Helicostyla  subpuella  Pilsbrj^ 18 

Helicostyla  tukanensis  Pfr 17 

Helicost3'-la,  Talaud  Islands 17 

Helix  minima  True 132 

Helminthoglypta  nickliniana  Lea 71 

Hemimiira  tangi  Chen 19 

Hemphill's  Catalogue 108,  144 

Hesperarion  hemphilli  Binney 114 

Hua  Chen,  new  genus 21 

Julia  equatorialis  Pilsbry  &  Olsson 86 

Limax  flavus  L 110 

Limax  marginatus  Mliller Ill 

Limax  maximus  L 109 

Liocyma  schefferi  Bartsch  &  Rehder 142 

Littorina  litorea  L 6 

Lymnaea  s.  appressa  Say,  radula  of 52 

Lymnaca  stagnalis  L 8 

Macrochlamys  Benson 31 

Maine,  Marl  deposits 45 

Megalomastoma,  Porto  Rican 30 

Melania  henriettae  Gray 21 

Melania  telonaria  Heude 21 

Mclaniidae,  Chinese 19 

Mclongena  patula  Brod Plate  2 

Mesodon  pcnnsylvanicus  Green 42 

Mexico,  travelling  and  collecting  in. .  .  .        1 

Micronaias  marslialli  Morrison .15 

Milax  gagatos  Drapariiaud .113 

Murcx  nigritus  Philippi .  Plate  4 

Mussel  poisoning .70 

Nebraska,  land  shells  of r2S 

Nenia  juninensis  M.  Smith (il 

New  York  mollusks .31 


THE   NAUTILUS 

A^eopetraeus  xceyrauchi  Pilsbry  .  ...  .88 

Obelixcus  latispira  Pilsbry .127 

Olivelhi  biplicatii  Sowerby .73 

01i\('lla  pedroana  Conrad 76 

Olivi'Ua  pvcna  Berry 78 

Oreoholix'of  Utah  .1 108,  144 

Orinclla  vanhyningi  Bartsch  .  .                 106 

Otala  lactca  in  Tcxa.s 105 

Otala  vcrmiculata  in  Texas 105 

Papuina  gartneriana  Pf r 64 

Peruvian  land  mollusks 61,  87,  118 

Phenacotaxus 124 

Pleurobema  Icsleyi  Lea 16 

Pleurobema  patula  Lea 16 

Pomacea,  sinistral, 66 

Poteria  Gray 62 

Psadara  pizarro  Pilsbry 119 

Pseudomonotis 90 

Piinctum  minutissimum  Lea 133 

Quebec,  Marl  deposits 45 

Rimiila  longa  Pilsbry 38 

Rimula  of  Florida 37 

Rimula  pycnonema  Pilsbry 39 

Sermyla  kouioonensis  Chen 20 

Smaragdia  viridis  viridimaris  Maury 106 

Solomon  Is.,  collecting  in 41 

Spissula  solidissima  Dilhvyn 100 

Sphaeriidae 93,  116 

Tanychlamys  Benson 31 

Taranis  Jeffreys 107 

Thais  lapillus  L 7 

Thaumastus  rohertsi  satipoensis  Pilsbry 121 

Thaumastus  iveyrauchi  Pilsbry 121 

Typhis  fordi  Pilsbry 40 

L'nio  granadensis  Conrad 15 

Unio  granadensis  Lea  =  M.  marshalli 15 

Tnio  patulus  Lea 16 

\'enus  campechiensis  Gm 68 

\'ertigo  minuscula  Sterki .  127 

\'ertigo  parvula  Sterki 127 

Vitrinella  blakei  Rehder 97 

Volutopsius  fragilis  Dall 142 

Wanga  Chen,  new  genus 20 

Xenophora  robusta  Verrill 37 


INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

Baily,  Joshua  L 70 

Baker,  Horace  Burrington 31 

Bartsch,  Paul 30,  68,  106,  107,  115,  116 

Bcquaert,  J.  C 31 

Bourgeois,  M.  E 37 

Brooks,  Stanley  Truman,  &  Herrington,  H.  B 93 

Carriker,  M.  R 52 

Chen,  Sui-Fong 19 

Clench,  William  J 17,  64,  108 

Curtis,  Brvan 70 

Dexter  Ralph  W.  D 6,  67 

Emery,  D.  L 66 

Everdam,  Walter  J 41,  142 

Gifford,  D.  S.  &  E.  W 73 

Goodrich,  Calvin 141 

Gregg,  Wendell  0 109 

Hackney,  Anne  Gray 143 

Harris,  G.  D '. 30 

Herrington,  H.  B 93 

Ingram,  William  Marcus 22,  71,  81,  135,  138 

Iredale,  Tom 16 

Jackson,  Ralph  W 105 

Jacobson,  Morris  K 31,  100,  133 

MacMillan,  Gordon  K 98,  127,  130,  132 

McGintv,  Thomas  L 33 

Morrison,  J.  P.  E 14,  46 

Nicol,  David 90 

Noland,  Lowell  E 8 

Nylander,  Olof  0 45 

Olsson,  Axel  A 86,  89 

Pilsbrv,  Henry  A 33,  34,  37,  40,  68,  86,  89,  118,  144 

Rehder,  Harald  A 28,  32,  62,  97,  106 

Reichel,  Eleanor 8 

Schwengel,  Jeanne  S 32,  106 

Smith,  ^Iaxwell .    .     59 

Sorensen,  A 1 

Stewart,  Margaret  C 29 

Webb,  Glenn  E 42 


▼u 


The  Nautil 


vjr 


Vol.  57 


July,  1943 


No.  1 


TRAVELING  AND  COLLECTING  IN  MEXICO 
By  a.  vSORENSEN 


Now  that  Mexico  lias  become  one  of  tlie  combatants  in  this 
the  <rreatest  of  all  world  contests  it  is  jzoinii'  to  be  more  diffienlt 
for  other  nationals  to  enter  or  leave  it,  because  border  re<i:ulations 
on  both  sides  are  much  stricter  than  formerly.  So  it  may  be 
of  interest  to  record  some  previous  trips  and  tell  what  was  seen 
and  what  was  achieved  in  the  way  of  collecting-  marine  life  in 
the  Gulf  of  California, 

For  some  years  previous  to  1940  the  writer  had  made  short 
trips  into  the  northern  part  of  Lower  California,  known  to  the 
Mexicans  as  Baja  California.  It  is  that  long  narrow  peninsula 
with  its  backbone  of  fairly  high  mountains  that  extends  south 
from  California  for  more  than  750  miles.  It  is  bordered  on  the 
west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  on  the  east  by  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  backbone  mentioned  is  the  southward  continua- 
tion of  North  America's  mighty  Coast  Range,  which,  under 
various  names,  forms  a  barrier  against  the  inroads  of  the  Pa- 
cific from  Alaska  to  Cabo  San  Lucas  at  the  southern  tip. 

The  roads  from  San  Diego  are  fairly  good  to  Ensenada,  but 
south  of  that  they  are  "not  maintained."  There  are  no  culverts 
or  bridges  across  the  numerous  arroyos  and  short  swift  rivers 
flowing  into  the  Pacific,  so  traveling  southward  is  practit-ally  at 
a  standstill  during  the  winter. 

In  January  1940  a  party  consisting  of  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  II.  K. 
Turver  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Strohbeen,  all  connected  with  the 
Santa  Cruz,  California,  Museum  of  Natural  History,  and  the 
writer  from  Pacific  Grove,  California,  were  desirous  of  going 
down  tlie  west  coast  of  Lower  California,  at  least  as  far  as  San 
Quentin  Bay,  but  preferably  farther.  Investigation  proved  that 
the  streams  were  swollen  and  the  flats  were  boggy,  so  we  iuid  to 
look  for  another  entrance  into  Mexico. 

(1) 


2  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

From  ^lexicali,  on  the  border,  a  road  extends  south  for  about 
135  miles  to  San  Filipe  a  small  fishing  village  on  the  Gulf  and 
not  far  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  Kiver. 

This  would  be  a  desirable  place  to  go,  for  the  marine  life  there 
is  the  Panamic  fauna,  while  that  of  the  west  coast  is  classified 
with  the  California  Province,  which  means  that  you  would  find 
practically  the  same  mollusks  there  as  at  San  Diego,  about  half 
way  down  the  peninsula,  though,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cedros  Is- 
land, the  Panamic  and  the  California  faunas  seem  to  overlap. 
But  no  matter  how  desirable  a  trip  to  San  Filipe  might  be,  still 
it,  like  the  West  Coast  trip  was  out  of  the  question,  for  the  road 
was  actually  impassable  at  that  time  of  the  year.  A  considerable 
portion  is  a  quagmire  in  wet  weather  and  a  speedway  when  dry. 

So  we  had  to  look  still  farther  east,  and  learned  of  a  so-called 
good  road  leading  south  from  Nogales,  Arizona,  for  265  miles  to 
Guaymas  on  the  east  side  of  the  Gulf  of  California.  This  we 
then  decided  to  explore,  and  thus  it  was  that  we  discovered  this 
naturalist's  fairyland  and  became  so  enraptured  of  its  charms 
that  we  are  making  it  the  object  of  our  annual  outing.  Three 
such  trips  are  behind  us,  and  we  are  hoping  for  more  as  soon  as 
war  conditions  permit. 

Nogales  is  498  miles  east  of  San  Diego,  over  such  excellent 
roads  that  this  added  distance  is  not  much  of  a  handicap.  The 
road  in  Mexico  is  well  laid  out  and  well  graded,  but  it  is  not 
paved  and  in  many  places  is  poorh^  surfaced  and  quite  rocky. 
The  Mexicans  take  their  roads  philosophically  and  use  only  six 
ply  tires  on  their  autos.  No  four  ply  tires  were  for  sale  in  that 
part  of  Mexico. 

The  towns  of  I\Iagdalena  and  Santa  Ana,  some  sixty  and 
seventj'-five  miles  below  the  border,  are  interesting  places  with 
their  adobe  buildings  and  narrow  streets.  Considerable  mining 
of  copper  and  silver  is  carried  on  in  this  region,  and  fairly  ex- 
tensive farming  is  found  in  the  lowlands  near  by. 

Ilermosillo,  the  state  Capital  of  Sonora,  is  about  another  hun- 
dred miles  south. 

It  is  an  ancient  city  with  modern  improvement.  It  has  paved 
streets  and  good  schools.  We  found  that  both  here  and  in  Guay- 
mas, English  is  taught  in  the  high  schools  and  in  the  upper 
grades  of  grammar  schools.  It  is  noteworthy  that  most  of  the 
business  people  speak  English  quite  well  and  a  number  of  them 


July.    1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  3 

take  pride  in  liaviiifr  jrotten  part  of  their  education  in  the  United 
States.  This  all  bodes  well  for  Mexico  and  will  lielp  to  make  it 
advance  rapidly.  A  feelinjr  of  friendship  for  Americans  was 
universally  shown. 

We  went  on  to  Guaymas  and  put  up  at  the  Miramar  Beach 
Hotel  which  is  located  on  a  beautiful  bay  just  north  of  Guaymas. 
Here  the  accommodations  were  good  and  the  rates  reasonable, 
and  the  exchange  of  our  dollars  into  Mexican  pesos  was  also  in 
our  favor.  Don't  think  for  a  minute  that  I  am  over  enthusiastic 
when  I  say  that  the  climate  is  ideal,  that  collecting  is  unexcelled 
and  that  sport  fishing  for  marlin  and  sailfish  is  hard  to  beat 
anywhere  else.  At  least  such  has  been  our  experience  from 
January  to  May  of  several  years.  During  January  of  this  year 
the  thermometer  in  our  brick  cottage  at  Miramar  never  went 
above  70°  P.,  and  at  night  with  the  windows  wide  open  it  failed 
to  get  below^  60  degrees.  What  do  you  Eastern  people  think  of 
this  for  January?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  we  could  be  out  from 
morning  till  night  in  our  shirtsleeves,  wading,  digging,  collect- 
ing, .sailing,  or  autoing  to  beaches  farther  off. 

I  have  not  bragged  on  the  condition  of  ]\Iexican  roads,  but  in 
fairness  will  add  that  this  year  work  is  being  done  on  all  the 
roads  I  have  referred  to  and  that  this  summer  will  see  the  com- 
pletion of  the  numerous  culverts  and  concrete  bridges  now  being 
built  across  the  many  "  vados,"  or  dips,  and  small  rivers  between 
Ilermosillo  and  the  border. 

About  the  people  we  came  in  contact  with,  and  they  were  many 
and  of  different  stations,  we  all  formed  favorable  opinions. 
They  were  friendly  and  alwaj's  willing  to  accommodate  and  aid 
us  and  that  was  a  large  factor  in  making  our  stays  so  pleasant. 
Among  other  things  we  took  in  a  dance  given  in  honor  of  one  of 
the  two  contestants  for  queen  of  the  annual  fiesta  soon  to  be 
held.  It  was  as  nice  an  affair  as  could  be  seen  anywhere.  The 
young  people  were  jolly  and  well  mannered  and  absolutely  no 
liquor  was  indulged  in.  The  floor  manager  told  us  that  liquor 
drinking  by  dancers  was  inconceivable,  and  that  anyone  break- 
ing this  rule  would  be  summarily  ejected.  The  girls  wore  beau- 
tiful dresses  many  of  which  were  flowered  or  spangled  or  lavishly 
embroidered,  and  some  were  said  to  be  heirlooms  dating  back  for 
generations. 

But  now  back  to  business:  We  didn't  go  to  Mexico  so  many 


4  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

times  just  to  see  the  country  or  even  to  observe  the  customs  of 
the  people;  we  went  there  primarily  to  study  the  marine  life 
and  to  get  specimens  for  our  collections.  "We  worked  at  that  in- 
dustriously, and  as  a  result  were  able  to  bring  back  more  than 
three  hundred  different  species  of  which  about  three-fourths 
were  mollusks.  I  will  not  attempt  to  give  a  complete  list  or 
even  to  mention  very  many,  but  will  call  attention  to  the  four 
plates  accompanying  this.  They  show  better  than  I  can  tell  how 
we  did  our  studying. 

Plate  1,  Conidae,  shows  ten  rows  of  Conns,  each  row  a  differ- 
ent species  and  all  taken  last  January  within  a  few  miles  of 
Guaymas.     The  species  figured  on  Plate  1  are : 

1.  Conus  princeps  L.  6.  C.  mahogani  Rve. 

2.  C.  purpurasccns  Brod.  7.  C.  per  plexus  Sowb. 

3.  C.  virgatus  Rve.  8.  C.  arch  on  Brod. 

4.  C.  regularis  Sowb.  9.  C.  gladiator  Brod. 

5.  C.  comptus  Gld.  10.  C.  mix  Brod. 

I  think  this  is  a  record,  for  I  have  never  seen  or  heard  that  all 
of  them  had  previously  been  taken  so  far  north. 

Plates  2,  3  and  4  picture  growth-series,  and  show  these  inter- 
esting gastropods  from  juveniles  up  through  the  developmental 
stages  to  the  adults. 

Melongena  patula  Broderip,  shown  in  Plate  2,  was  found  in 
numbers  in  the  Miramar  Lagoon,  the  young  ones  in  shallow  pools 
and  the  older  ones  well  buried  in  the  sand. 

Stromhus  galeatus  Swainson  was  the  most  difficult  to  get.  It 
grows  to  a  large  size  and  is  very  heavy.  The  Mexicans  call  it 
"Concha."     It  stays  outside  of  extreme  low  tides. 

Fusus  dupetithouarsi  Kiener,  in  Plate  3,  was  found  tiiis  year 
in  outside  sand  bars,  while  on  other  trips  it  was  observed  only 
in  muddy  lagoons. 

Fascioldria  princeps  Sowerby,  Plate  3,  fig.  2,  generally  keep 
themselves  in  pretty  deep  water,  but  this  year  tliov  were  found  in 
San  Carlos  Bay  feeding  on  rinjUonotus  hicolor,  tiie  beautiful 
murex  whicii  is  so  plentiful  there. 

Murex  nigriius  Pliilippi,  plate  4.  This  series  shows  that 
the  young  are  nearly  white,  something  that  has  caused  consider- 
able confusion.  Fretjuently  you  find  the  wliite  ones  classified 
as  Murex  princeps,  wiiicli  is  an  entirely  different  animal. 


UK  xAiTiLrs:  :)7  (\) 


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THE  XAl'TILrS:  57    (1) 


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'PI IK  XATTILrS:  57    (1  ) 


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July,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  5 

\\\'  wtTo  all  vtM-y  ketMi  iiuiitiii^'  for  tlio  Olividae.  They  live  in 
colonies  and  when  you  are  lucky  enou<;h  to  find  such  a  one,  you 
can  take  many  specimens.  The  larj;e  beautiful  Oliva  incrassata 
Solander  is  found  in  outside  sandpits  at  extreme  low  tides,  but 
never  in  the  lajroons.  Collectors  consider  it  a  prize.  San  Carlos 
Bay  has  more  Oliva  vcnulata  Lam.  than  any  other  place  we 
visited.  OlivcUa  doma  Gray  was  found  outside  with  Oliva  in- 
crassata. Thus  the  larjjest  and  the  smallest  live  together.  "We 
were  also  lucky  enoufrh  to  find  a  few  of  the  rare  Agaronia  testacea 
Lam.  All  olives  live  in  the  sand  and  they  travel  near  the  sur- 
face raising  it  like  a  mole.  That  makes  it  easy  to  locate  them — 
if.  .  .  . 

It  would  not  do  to  close  without  calling  attention  to  the  great 
quantity  of  bivalves  found.  They  vary  in  size  from  almost  mi- 
croscopic to  such  large  ones  as  Spondylus  limbatus,  Dosinia  pon- 
derosa,  Cardium  datum,  Chama  mexicana,  Antigona  multi- 
costata,  Area  grandis  and  others.  A  few  of  those  that  are  noted 
for  beauty  are  Chione  gnidia,  Anomia  adamas  and  the  Tellinidae. 
Some  of  our  extra  welcome  discoveries  were  Simnia  quailii 
Lowe  (pink),  and  Simnia  aequae  Lowe  (black).  These  we 
found  on  gorgonians  in  shallow  water;  something  unusual,  for 
gorgonians  are  generally  so  deep  that  \o\i  have  to  dredge  or  dive 
for  them.  The  other  rare  find  was  Heliacus  radiatus,  which 
lives  on  or  among  the  compound  ascidians  on  rocks  exposed  only 
at  very  low  tides.  It  has  a  peculiarly  spirally  tipped  opercu- 
lum, and  is  classified  with  the  architeetonicas. 

In  a  previous  article  in  the  Nautilus  I  mentioned  the  seasonal 
appearance  of  some  species  and  the  absence  of  others.  This 
goes  to  show  that  it  requires  more  than  one  trip  to  become  fairly 
well  acquainted  with  the  fauna  of  a  definite  location,  and  the 
trips  should  be  made  at  different  .seasons  of  the  year  to  be  mo.st 
successful. 

In  1929  to  1931  Mr.  Herbert  N.  Lowe  of  Los  Angeles,  col- 
lected extensively  along  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  and  Central 
America,  south  to  Panama,  and  the  description  by  Dr.  H.  A. 
Pilsbry  of  the  many  new  species  found  and  the  table  of  all  the 
species  taken  is  interestingly  told  in  the  Proceedings  of  The 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  Vol.  LXXXIV, 
1932,  pages  33-144.  All  students  of  West  Mexican  Mollusks 
should  read  this. 


^  R  A  O  V' 


6  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  LOCAL  MOVEMENTS  OF 
LITTORINA  LITOREA  (L.)  AND  THAIS  LAPILLUS  (L.) 

By  RALPH  W.  D.  DEXTER 
Kent  State  University,  Kent,  Ohio 

In  connection  with  an  ecological  study  of  intertidal  marine 
communities,  preliminary  experiments  on  snail  movements  were 
conducted  during  the  summer  of  1936.  The  purpose  was  to  de- 
termine the  general  direction,  rate,  and  range  of  movements  of 
individual  snails  in  their  dispersal  over  the  shore  in  order  to 
understand  more  fully  their  role  in  community  dynamics.  L. 
litorea  (L.),  the  English  periwinkle,  and  T.  lapiUus  (L.),  the 
common  rock  snail,  were  chosen  for  study  because  they  are  the 
most  significant  of  the  herbivorous  and  carnivorous  snails  re- 
spectively of  the  intertidal  hard-surface,  communities  investi- 
gated. While  many  studies  have  been  made  on  these  species, 
nothing  seems  to  have  been  published  on  their  local  movements. 

When  the  tide  was  low,  the  snails  were  marked  with  a  quick- 
drying  red  enamel  paint  without  removing  them  from  the  rocks, 
and  their  locations  were  then  mapped.  During  each  succeeding 
day  for  a  period  of  one  week,  and  at  irregular  intervals  there- 
after, the  distance  travelled  by  each  snail  was  measured  in  a 
straight  line  ^om  the  previous  location,  which  represents  the 
minimum  radial  distance  travelled.  After  submergence  in  salt 
water  over  a  period  of  several  days  the  red  paint  lost  its  brilliant 
color,  but  it  retained  enough  pigmentation  to  enable  one  to  find 
and  identify  the  marked  individuals.  In  some  cases  they  were 
found  with  difficulty  and  occasionally  one  was  lost  for  a  day  or 
two.  They  were  selected  originally  in  small  groups.  Two 
groups  of  5  individuals  of  L.  litorea  and  two  groujis  of  4  indi- 
viduals of  T.  lapillus  were  marked.  The  groups  were  clustered 
on  separate  rocks  at  about  tlie  half  tide  level.  The  tidal  inter- 
val is  11  hours  and  14  minutes  at  the  location  of  the  experiment 
along  the  shores  of  a  tidal  inlet  at  Gloucester,  on  Cape  Ann, 
Massachusetts. 

During  exposure  the  snails  of  both  species  were  inactive,  re- 
maining attached  in  position  with  little  or  no  movement.  After 
submergence  they  became  active  and  wandered  about  in  various 


July.    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  7 

directions  and  for  varyin":  distances.  Their  movement  is  very 
pronouncedly  rhythmical,  being:  controlled  directly  by  the  tidal 
flow  and  ebb.  and  for  the  most  part  is  concorned  with  their  feed- 
ing: activities. 

The  specimens  of  L.  litorca  moved  a  daily  average  minimum 
distance  of  22.2  inches.  In  recording  directions  of  travel,  each 
snail  was  plotted  at  the  intersection  of  4  equal  sectors  designated 
as  upshore,  downshore,  left,  and  right  quarters,  the  directions 
being  those  of  the  observer  facing  upshore.  Averages  are  based 
upon  the  daily  records  of  the  first  week  of  observation.  The 
marked  specimens  of  L.  litorea  moved  in  all  directions.  Those 
moving  upshore  averaged  23.3  inches  each  day.  Downshore 
movements  averaged  23  inches  each  day.  Those  moving  to  the 
left  and  right  averaged  10.2  and  26.3  inches  respectively.  Four 
individuals  at  one  time  or  another  did  not  move  at  all  over  a 
period  of  at  least  24  hours.  Five  days  after  one  set  of  5  had 
been  marked  (July  4),  four  individuals  were  38,  49,  114,  and 
142  inches  from  their  original  locations.  At  that  time,  nine  days 
after  the  other  set  had  been  marked,  three  individuals  of  the 
second  group  were  13,  39,  and  56  inches  away  from  their  orig- 
inal positions.  Nine  days  later  (July  13),  4  snails  of  this  set 
were  50,  52,  94,  and  151  inches  awaj'  from  the  original  locations, 
and  17  days  still  later  (July  30)  the  only  individual  which 
could  be  found  wa^  at  a  distance  of  124  inches.  The  periwinkles 
did  not  follow  any  pattern,  given  direction,  or  uniform  rate 
movement.  Many  reversed  their  directions  at  various  intervals 
of  time,  and  their  movements  seemed  to  be  entirely  fortuitous. 

At  the  time  of  spring  tides  great  quantities  of  L.  litorea,  espe- 
cially small  specimens,  were  observed  to  move  upshore  and 
literally  coat  the  rocks  between  the  neap  and  spring  high-tide 
lines.  Following  the  spring  tides  they  migrated  downshore 
again. 

T.  lapillus  averaged  10.4  inches  of  total  movement  per  day. 
Upshore  movements  averaged  19  inches  while  those  moving 
downward  averaged  10.5  inches.  Snails  moving  into  the  right 
sector  averaged  7  inches ;  none  was  observed  to  move  into  the  left 
quarter. 

Five  individuals  at  one  time  or  another  remained  stationary 
over  a  period  of  24  hours.     Eighteen  days  after  one  set  was 


8  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

marked  (July  13),  two  individuals  -were  22  and  34  inches  away 
from  the  original  location.  Sixty  days  later  (September  11), 
or  eleven  weeks  after  the  beginning  of  the  experiment,  one  snail 
was  62  inches  from  its  original  position.  Twenty-six  days  after 
the  other  set  was  marked,  (July  30)  two  individuals  were  22 
and  28  inches  away.  Twenty-five  days  later  (Aug.  24)  two  were 
10  and  18  inches  away;  another  eighteen  days  later  (Sept.  11), 
or  nearlj'  eleven  weeks  after  the  snails  were  marked,  three  were 
only  6,  7  and  30  inches  away  respectively. 

T.  lapillus,  which  feeds  principally  on  Balanus  halanoides 
(L.)  and  Mytilus  edulis  L.,  showed  a  tendency  to  remain  on  bar- 
nacles, in  crevices,  and  under  seaweeds  for  long  periods  and  to 
remain  within  a  restricted  locality.  In  general  it  did  not  travel 
as  much  nor  as  extensively  as  L.  litorea  which  feeds  chiefly  on 
algae,  both  microscopic  and  macroscopic. 


LIFE    CYCLE    OF    LYMNAEA    STAGNALIS 
COMPLETED   AT   ROOM   TEMPERA- 
TURE WITHOUT  ACCESS  TO  AIR 

By  LOWELL  E.  NOLAND  and  ELEANOR  REICHEL 

University  of  Wisconsin 

It  has  been  known  for  some  time  that  pulmonate  snails  may, 
under  certain  conditions,  become  water-breathing.  In  fact 
Planorhis  cristatus  is  said  to  have  its  lung  permenently  filled 
with  water  (Willem,  1895;  von  Buddenbrock,  1924)  ;  and  Plan- 
orhis corneus  is  reported  to  have  developed  accessory  gills  in  its 
lung  cavity  (von  Buddenbrock,  1924).  It  has  been  further 
claimed  by  Precht  (1939)  that  Lxjmnaca  stagtiicola  assumes 
purely  cutaneous,  aquatic  respiration  at  a  temperature  of  5°  C. 
or  below.  According  to  Cheatum  (1934)  Jlclisoma  campauit- 
latum  smithii,  U.  antrosum  pcrcarinatum,  Lymnaca  cmarginata 
angulata  and  Physa  aayi  crassa  are  probably  able  to  complete 
their  life  cycles  and  reproduce  normally  without  coming  to  the 
surface  for  air.  F'orel  and  Du  Plessis  (L'^74)  and  Brot  (1874) 
reported  Lymnaca  ahyssicola  living  at  depths  of  25  to  250  meters 
in  Lake  Geneva,  Switzerland.  When  collected,  their  lung  cavi- 
ties were  filled  with  water  and,  living  at  such  depths,  they  could 


July,    1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  9 

hardly  have  made  contact  with  the  surface  at  any  time  durinpr 
their  life  history. 

Von  Siebold  (1875)  records  having  seen,  in  deep  water,  col- 
onies of  Lymnaea  auricitlaria  which,  durinp:  the  period  of  his 
observations,  were  never  observed  to  visit  the  surface.  Fresh- 
water pulmonates  that  spend  the  winter  under  the  ice  are  prob- 
ably forced  to  depend  to  a  largre  extent,  if  not  exclusively,  on 
cutaneous  respiration.  Willem  (1896)  showed  that  Lymnaea 
and  Planorhis  could  be  kept  subnierjjed  for  lonf;  periods  in  well- 
aerated  water,  but  died  in  a  few  hours  when  immersed  in  water 
that  had  been  boiled  and  protected  from  contact  with  air.  In 
the  land  snail  Helix,  w^th  tlie  shell  removed  and  the  body  kept 
submerfred  in  normal  saline,  cutaneous  respiration  has  been 
shown  to  exceed  pulmonary  respiration  (Courtois  and  Duval, 
1927;  Raffy  and  Fischer,  1931).  Cheatum  (1934)  showed  that 
nine  species  of  fresh-water  snails  can  withstand  enforced  and 
prolong:ed  submersion  (62  days).  The  percentage  of  survival 
was  less  in  warm  water  (21.6°  to  25.6°  C.)  than  in  cooler  water 
(11°  C).  Removal  of  the  air  from  the  lung  cavity  likewise  re- 
duced the  percentage  of  survival. 

11.  B.  Baker  (1912)  reported  six  species  of  pulmonates  from 
Douglas  Lake,  ]\Iichigan,  including  Lymnaea  stagnalis  perampla 
AValker,  L.  emarginata  angulata  (Sowerby),  Physa  ancillaria 
parkeri  (Currier),  P.  hicarinatus  portagensis  Baker,  P.  h.  per- 
carinatus  Walker,  and  Planorhis  campanulatus  smithii  Baker, 
which  according  to  his  observations  "appear  to  be  all  deep  w^ater 
forms  and  have  apparently  become  adapted  to  breathe  water  in- 
stead of  air."  He  suggested  the  possibility  that  the  water- 
breathing  habit  had  even  affected  the  body  form  of  some  of  the 
species  to  the  extent  of  modifying  the  shell  type  of  Lymnaea 
stagnalis  appressa  toward  that  of  L.  s.  perampla  and  the  shell 
form  of  typical  Physa  ancillaria  Say  toward  that  of  P.  a.  parkeri. 
Two  years  later  (Baker  1914)  he  recorded  further  observations 
on  the  water-breathing  habits  of  Douglas  Lake  snails,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  noted  that  the  adults  of  Physa  ancillaria 
parkeri  "were  so  completely  habituated  to  breathing  water  that 
when  placed  in  small  aquaria,  they  died  soon  after  exhausting 
the  air  in  the  water,  without  ever  attempting  to  come  to  the 
surface  to  breathe;  although  when  once  taught  to  breathe  air, 


10 


THE   NAUTILUS 


[Vol.  57   (1) 


by  the  simple  method  of  exposing  them  out  of  water  until  the 
water  in  their  lungs  partially  evaporated  or  was  otherwise  re- 
placed by  air,  they  could  be  kept  in  a  small  dish  for  several 
months  and  would  come  to  the  surface  regularly  like  any  ordi- 
nary, air-breathing  form." 

In  the  course  of  other  studies  on  the  biology  of  Lymnaea  stag- 
nalis  appressa  Say,  pursued  in  this  laboratory,  it  occurred  to 
us  that  it  would  be  interesting  to  find  out  whether  this  snail, 
which  is  normally  air-breathing,  could  be  grown  through  a 
complete  life  cycle  in  the  laboratory  at  room  temperatures 
without  ever  being  permitted  to  come  to  the  surface  for  air. 


|lass  plate 


metal  tubin6 


^  I  ' 


^  jn 


V 


^^^w ....... 


feeding  hole 

^u ix^ 


ABC 

Fig,  1.  Diagrams  showing  containers  used  to  provide  the  egg  masses 
and  growing  snails  with  aerated  water  while  at  tlic  same  time  preventing 
access  to  the  surface. 


Accordingly  several  newly  deposited  egg  masses  were  collected, 
on  Feb.  28  and  Mar.  1,  1940,  and  placed  in  shallow  glass  con- 
tainers (one  member  of  a  Petri  dish  pair).  Three  such  dishes 
were  set  up,  and  each  wa.s  covered  witli  coarse-meshed  bolting 
cloth,  in  which  there  was  a  small  feeding  hole  plugged  with  cot- 
ton that  could  be  removed  at  feeding  times.  These  dishes  were 
submersed  in  water  in  a  large  glass  container  kept  at  room 
temperature  in  the  laboratory.  All  air  bubbles  were  carefully 
removed  after  immersion.  The  dishes  were  placed  near  an  air 
releaser  which  maintained  a  constant  current  of  aerated  water 
past  the  bolting  cloth  covers  of  the  dishes,  but  not  so  near  that 
any  bubbles  from  the  air  releaser  would  come  in  contact  with 
the  cloth  (Fig.  1  A). 


July,    194;^]  THE  NAUTILUS  11 

The  room  in  which  the  snails  were  kept  had  a  thermostatically 
controlled  temperature,  which  was  normally  near  20°  C,  except 
in  the  summer  when  a  somewhat  hi<;lier  temperature  was  reached 
(up  to  34.4°  C.  at  one  time,  as  will  be  mentioned  later). 

Hatchin<r  occurred  within  a  month  (Mar.  28  to  Apr.  4).  The 
younir  snails  were  fed  snuUl  pieces  of  tender  «;reen  lettuce,  which 
had  been  previously  immersed  in  water  and  freed  of  all  air 
bubbles.  A  sample  of  water  taken  from  the  inside  of  the  Petri 
dish  gave,  with  the  micro-Winkler  method  (Lund,  1922),  a  read- 
ing of  1.8  ee.  dissolved  oxygen  per  liter,  as  compared  with  2.5  to 
3.1  cc.  in  the  outside  water,  indicating  that  the  utilization  of 
oxygen  inside  the  dish  was  greater  than  its  replacement  by  the 
circulation  of  the  water. 

On  July  12,  about  three  months  after  hatching,  all  the  snails 
in  one  of  the  dishes  died,  apparently  due  to  depletion  of  the 
oxygen  supply  past  the  point  of  toleration.  These  snails  had 
shell  lengths  of  9.0  to  17.5  mm.  at  the  time  of  death,  approxi- 
mately ten  weeks  after  hatching.  In  this  same  period  of  time, 
normal  snails  fed  on  lettuce  and  allowed  access  to  air  ordinarily 
reached  a  shell  length  of  20  to  30  mm.  under  the  culture  methods 
employed  at  that  time  in  the  laboratory.  Evidently,  therefore, 
there  was  a  considerable  retardation  of  growth  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  a  small  excess  of  food  (lettuce)  was  regularly  provided. 

After  the  death  of  the  snails  in  the  one  dish,  those  in  the  re- 
maining two  dishes  were  transferred  to  more  commodious  quar- 
ters, a  battery  jar  six  inches  in  diameter  and  eight  inches  high, 
equipped,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1  B,  to  provide  for  better  aeration  of 
the  water  but,  as  before,  preventing  access  to  the  surface.  In 
these  and  in  all  other  transfers  (i.e.,  when  w^ater  was  changed, 
at  intervals  of  one  to  two  weeks),  care  was  taken  to  keep  the 
snails  immersed  in  water  at  all  times  during  the  transfer,  so  that 
there  would  be  no  possibility  of  their  taking  air  into  their  lung 
cavities  at  this  time.  In  young  snails,  the  shell  is  sufficiently 
transparent  to  detect  the  presence  of  air  in  the  lung,  and  the 
snails  were  regularly  checked  when  the  transfers  were  made  to 
see  if  air  was  present.  Another  check  was  possible  because 
snails  with  no  air  in  the  lung  are  considerably  heavier  than  water 
and  sink  rapidly  when  allowed  to  fall  through  the  water;  snails 
with  air  in  the  lung  either  float  or  sink  rather  slowly.     At  no 


12  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

time  was  air  observed  in  the  lungs  of  any  of  the  snails  except  the 
two  that  escaped  as  mentioned  below. 

On  Dec.  26,  1940,  nearly  nine  months  after  hatehino:,  the  first 
egg  mass  was  found  in  the  jar.  Normally  under  our  laboratory 
cultural  conditions,  snails  start  laying  about  three  or  four 
mouths  after  hatching.  Evidently,  therefore,  submersion  had 
more  than  doubled  the  time  required  to  reach  sexual  maturity 
and  lay  eggs.  On  Jan.  8,  1941,  another  egg  mass  was  found, 
and  on  Jan.  9,  four  more.  Other  e^g  masses  were  laid  at  inter- 
vals up  to  April  11,  when  four  of  the  snails  were  still  alive.  At 
this  time,  two  of  the  animals  escaped,  through  an  opening  caused 
by  an  undetected  bend  in  the  wire  barrier,  and  took  air  into 
their  lung  cavities.  These  were  discarded,  and  the  two  remain- 
ing ones  retained  until  their  death  on  ]\Iay  31,  1941,  at  an  age 
of  approximately  14  months.  In  our  usual  laboratory  cultures, 
snails  of  this  species  commonly  live  from  12  to  18  months.  At 
death,  the  shell  length  is  usually  between  40  and  50  mm.,  as  com- 
pared with  33  and  34  mm.  respectively  in  the  two  oldest  sub- 
mersed snails.  During  most  of  their  adult  life,  the  submersed 
snails  had  a  dull,  leaden-gray  color  in  their  exposed  fleshy  parts, 
as  compared  with  the  light  brownish  or  olive  shade  of  normal 
animals. 

Eggs  laid  by  the  submersed  snails  about  Apr.  1,  1941,  were 
placed  on  April  12  in  containers  made  by  removing  the  bottom 
from  a  small  drinking  glass  and  covering  both  ends  with  cloth 
netting  (organdy  for  the  earlier  stages,  mosquito  netting  for 
the  older  ones).  These  containers,  suspended  in  a  current  of 
water  maintained  by  aerators  (see  Fig.  1  C),  provided  better 
circulation  of  aerated  water  than  the  Petri  dishes  used  in  the 
first  experiment.  By  May  31,  at  an  age  of  about  five  weeks,  the 
shell  lengths  of  the  young  snails  varied  between  3  and  10  mm., 
only  slightly  less  than  those  of  snails  of  the  same  age  in  the 
regular  laboratory  cultures.  In  the  liot  weather  of  midsummer 
of  1941,  when,  in  the  ab.senec  of  tiie  writers  the  care  of  the  cul- 
tures was  entrusted  to  a  laboratory  assistant,  the  culture  was 
lost.  On  July  29,  1941,  about  the  time  that  the  snails  in  the 
culture  died,  the  temperature  of  the  laboratory  air  reached 
34.4°  C,  and  the  temperature  of  the  cultures  in  the  laboratory 


July,    1943]  THK    NAUTILUS  13 

went  above  30**  C.  (a  reading?  at  8 :30  a.m.  on  that  date  pave  a 
temperature  of  30.5"  C).  Subsequent  work  by  Dr.  C.  M. 
Vaujrlm  (not  yet  published)  has  shown  that,  even  in  the  case  of 
snails  allowed  access  to  air  in  well-aerated  laboratory  cultures, 
temperatures  of  this  majrnitude  result  in  some  mortality. 

The  observations  made  in  the  course  of  these  experiments  on 
submersed  snails  show:  (1)  that  Lymnaea  stagnalis  appressa  can 
be  prrown  through  a  complete  life  cycle  in  laboratory  cultures  at 
room  temperatures  without  havinj;  access  to  the  air;  (2)  that  the 
growth  of  the  snails  under  such  conditions  is  somewhat  retarded 
as  compared  with  that  of  normal  animals,  but  that  in  time  they 
can  reach  maturity,  lay  viable  eggs,  and  attain  a  size  and  life 
span  only  slightly  less  than  that  of  normal  snails. 

Literature 

Baker,  H.  B.,  1912,  Ann.  Kept.  Mich.  Acad.  Sci.  14:  209-211,  1 

map. 
,  1914,  Ann.  Kept.  Mich.  Acad.  Sci.  16 :  18-45,  9  maps, 

4  tables. 
Brot,  a.,  1874,  Bull.  Soc.  Vaud.  Sci.  Nat.  13 :  109-114. 
BuDDENBROCK,  W.  VON,  1924,  in  "Grundriss  der  vergleichende 

Phvsiologie"  Pt.  II,  pp.  334-337. 
Cheatum.  E.  p.,  1934,  Trans.  Am.  Micros.  Soc.  53  (4)  :  348^07, 

2  pi.,  9  fig.,  18  tables. 
CouRTois,  Andree,  and  Marcel  Duval,  1927,  Compt.  Rend.  Soc. 

Biol.  97 :  1695-1697. 
FoREL,  F.  A.,  and  G.  du  Plessis,  1874,  Bull.  Soc.  Vaud.  Sci.  Nat. 

13 :  46-57. 
Lund,  E.  J.,  1922,  Proc.  Soc.  Exp.  Biol.  Med.  19:  63-64. 
Pauly,  a.,  1877,  Ueber  die  Wasserathmung  der  Limnaeiden. 
Precht,  H.,  1939,  Zeit.  vergl.  Physiol.  26  (5)  :  696-739,  6  fig. 
Raffy,  a.,  and  P.  H.  Fischer,  1931,  Compt.  Rend.  Soc.  Biol. 

107:  139-141. 

.  1931,  Ibid.  107:  141-143. 

Semper,  Carl,  1874,  Arb.  Zool.-Zoot.  Inst.  Wurzburg  1 :  137-167. 
Siebold,  Karl  T.  E.  von,  1875,  Sitzber.  Math-Phys.  Classe  Akad. 

Wiss.  Munchen  1875 :  39-54. 
Vagiony,  H.  de.  1894,  Jour.  Anat.  Physiol.  30:  147-188,  fig. 
Wiedersheim,  R.,  Zool.  Anz.  2  (41)  :  572-573. 
Willem,  Victor,  1895,  Bull.  Acad.  Rov.  Sci.  Lett.  Beaux-Arts 

Belg.  (3)  29:  73-83,  6  fig. 
,  1896,  Ibid.  (3)  32:  563-577,  2  fig. 


14  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

TWO  NEW  ORINOCO  UNIONIDS,  WITH  NOTES 

ON  UNIO  GRANADENSIS  LEA  AND 

U.  PATULUS  LEA 

By  J.  P.  E.  MORRISON  i 

Some  time  ago  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Fluck  of  Newfane,  Vermont, 
sent  a  few  Orinoco  Unionids  to  the  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum for  determination.  This  material,  representing  the  two 
new  species  described  herewith,  serves  to  accentuate  our  very 
limited  knowledge  of  the  molluscan  fauna  of  the  Orinoco  basin. 

Castalia  orinocensis,  new  species.    Plate  5,  figures  1-4. 

Shell  subrhomboid,  elliptical,  slightly  inequilateral,  moder- 
ately compressed;  sculpture  of  numerous,  flat,  radiating  ridges, 
crossed  by  narrow,  concentric  growth  ridges;  anterior  end 
evenly  rounded.  Posterior  dorsal  slope  obliquely  truncate ;  pos- 
terior ridge  moderate,  rounded,  ending  in  a  narrowly  rounded 
point  a  little  above  the  base ;  dorsal  line  arched ;  ventral  margin 
slightly  rounded ;  epidermis  olivaceous ;  laterals  long,  slightly 
curved ;  pseudocardinals  irregularly  radial,  proportionately  mas- 
sive, not  linear ;  nacre  white,  iridescent  behind ;  anterior  adduc- 
tor, protractor,  and  retractor  cicatrices  completely  confluent. 

The  holotype,  U.S.N.M.  No.  522000,  was  received  from  Rev. 
W.  H.  Fluck,  collected  on  the  Orinoco  River  at  Maipures,  U.  S. 
Colombia,  and  measures :  Length,  36.6  mm. ;  height,  24  mm. ; 
diameter,  17.2  mm. 

The  greater  degree  of  inflation,  completely  confluent  anterior 
muscle  scars,  and  the  subradial  (massive)  pseudocardinals  will 
easily  distinguish  C.  orinocensis  from  the  other  members  of  the 
group  of  Castalia  multisulcata  Hupe. 

DiPLODON  FLUCKi,  new  species.     Plate  5,  figures  5-9. 

Shell  of  medium  size,  subsolid,  elongate-rhomboid  to  long  el- 
liptical, inflated ;  posterior  ridge  rounded  or  biangulate,  ending 
posteriorly  in  a  biangulate  jioint  a  little  above  the  base  line; 
anterior  end  regularly  rounded;  dorsal  line  slightly  arched; 
ventral  margin  slightly  curved;  the  posterior  end  oblicjuely 
truncate,  meeting  the  base  line  at  the  post  basal  biangulation ; 
epidermis  olivaceous.  Beaks  little  inflated,  radially  sculptured 
with  very  delicate,  pinched  up  ridges,  minute  and  curved  down- 

1  Published  by  pormiKsion  of  tlic  Secretary  of  the  Smitlisonian  Institution. 


Ill':  .\  A I  ri  I. rs:  :>■;  1 1 


n.A'i'K  :. 


*s 


y^J 


\ 


'N 


/ 


\i 


Kiys.     1-4.     (il.sliilid     orilinri  nsi.s,     lioldt  vpc.       Tit;.     .*>,     Di/ilnilun     jlnrli,     ii.ii;it.V|M' 
l)i':ik  sculpture    X  .">.       Fij;s.   •>-!».   IHphnloit   fiiich't,  li(»litf y|.c. 


'I'llK   XAl'TIH'S:  :)7    (1 


PLATE  (. 


l'"iK.  1,  //""  I'li'iiiirin  X  '•'<■  Kiy-  -.  Ihnnnnlni  liiinii,  linldtvpc  X  •■{-  •''iU-  'K 
Siniii/lii  LnirhiniK  iisis.  liuldt.vpc  X  I!.  Ki«.  I.  liiiiiiKi  luinutlur  X  1  V,.  V\\i.  ">, 
J  iniilniliniiiiis  ixiltiiisoiHi,  .  Ivpc  y  •_'.  I'i;;.  i'>,  IhiiiiKKii.s  p,  nliivlniti  in.  \y\n'\  figs. 
7  it.  iiiiriitypcs.  Fij;.  ](),  IhiniiiKus  hiiiir;ii  ni.sn,  ,  l.vpc.  I'ij;.  11.  Eii.sis  iiiiiinr.  Fiji. 
12,   i;'.,  litisis  minor  iiufii.slns,  (lutrr  ;iii(l   iiiiuT  \  icws  of   p.ir.itypc  .iimI   tvpc. 


July,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  15 

ward  anteriorly,  more  distant  and  straifjht  medially,  and  strik- 
ingly divaricate  at  a  45°  an«j:le  just  above  the  posterior  ridire 
posteriorly;  the  beak  sculpture  extends  only  over  the  umboruil 
portion  of  the  shell,  up  to  a  shell  lenjxth  of  about  15  mm.  Sculj)- 
ture  finely  concentrically  striate,  with  minute  traces  of  radial 
sculpture  over  the  disc.  Ilinjie  teeth  distinctive,  the  hinjze  line 
narrow,  pseudocardinals  lamellar,  compressed,  two  in  each  valve, 
the  (upper)  anterior  one  in  the  right  valve  small,  thin,  low;  the 
posterior  long,  hijrh,  and  triaufjular;  the  anterior  one  in  the  left 
valve  low,  lonjr.  triaufrular;  the  posterior  high,  triangular,  being 
practically  a  portion  of  the  interdentum.  The  two  high  tri- 
angular posterior  pseudocardinals  fit  into  depressions  in  the 
hinge  line  opposite,  so  that  the  ventral  aspect  of  the  hinge  line 
is  zigzag  in  this  part.  Nacre  white,  beautifully  iridescent ;  the 
cicatrices  are  moderately  deep,  the  posterior  confluent,  the  an- 
terior deeper,  with  the  anterior  retractor  a  deep,  distinct  pit  on 
the  bottom  of  the  pseudocardinal  buttress.  Dorsal  muscle  scars 
a  plainly  marked  diagonal  row  in  the  middle  of  the  shallow 
cavities  of  the  beaks. 

The  holotype,  U.S.X.M.  No.  521998,  was  collected  from  the 
Orinoco  River  above  Munduapo,  Venezuela,  and  measures: 
Length,  52.3  mm. ;  height.  28.3  mm. ;  diameter,  22.6  mm.  One 
of  two  paratypes,  U.S.N.M.  No.  521999,  exhibits  almost  perfect 
(uneroded)  beak  sculpture;  it  is  a  young  shell  only  26  mm.  in 
length. 

The  finely  concentrically  striate  sculpture,  with  traces  of 
radial  sculpture,  and  the  peculiarly  zigzag  hinge  line  produced 
by  the  meshing  of  the  two  thin,  high,  triagular  pseudocardinals, 
indicates  a  relation.ship  with  D.  suavidicus  (Lea)  from  the 
Amazon  basin.  It  differs  from  that  species  in  being  more 
elongate,  a  little  more  inflated  and  more  pointed  behind.  The 
beak  sculpture  of  D.  flucki  (fig.  5)  differs  from  that  of  D. 
suavidicus  in  the  straightness  of  the  medial  ridges,  not  converg- 
ing ;  and  the  more  definitely  clean-cut  divaricate  wrinkles  on  the 
posterior  slope;  also  the  fine  anterior  riblets  are  straight  in 
suavidicus,  regularly  curved  downward  in  flucki. 

Unionid  Notes 

Some  years  ago  Wm.  B.  Marshall  noted  in  ^Is.  that  Utiio 
granadensis  Lea  (Proc.  A.N.S.P.  12:  95,  1868)  was  a  homonym 
of  Vnio  granadensis  Conrad  (Proc.  A.N.S.P.  7:  256,  1855),  but 
did  not  publi.sh  the  fact.  In  recognition  of  his  discovery  of  the 
untenable  use  of  Lea's  name,  the  species  is  hereby  designated 
Micronaias  marshalli,  new  name  for  U.  granadensis  Lea  1868, 
from  Lake  Nicaragua. 


16  THE  NArTiLrs  [Vol.  57   {!) 

The  type  of  Vnio  patulus  Lea  1S29  (figured  in  Obs.  1:  55: 
pi.  12,  fig.  20)  has  been  found.  This  specimen.  U.S.N.M.  Xo. 
S4760.  is  a  very  characteristic  member  of  the  species  usually 
known  as  Pkurohema  leshyi  Lea  (Proe.  A^'.SJ*.  9:  306,  1860). 
In  fact  it  had  been  included  under  the  name  hsUyi,  but  part  of 
the  original  ink  •vrriting.  ''patulus,''  still  shows  on  the  interior 
of  the  left  valve.  The  name  PUurohema  paiula  must  replace 
P.  UsUyi.  It  must  be  removed  from  the  synonymy  of  P.  clava 
Lam.,  as  a  glance  at  the  non-clavate  dorsal  outline  type  figure 
will  demonstrate.  The  uncertainty  about  this  species  was  im- 
plied by  Simpson  in  questioning  the  placement  under  clava. 
The  type  locality  "Ohio"'  (T.  G.  Lea)  may  be  questioned;  it 
probably  should  be  read  as  Ohio  Drainage, — i.e.  Kentucky',  as 
is  known  for  'Uesleyi." 


A  NEW  AMPHIDROMUS   FROM   BURMA 
By  TOM  IBEDALZ  i 

Mrs.  T.  Pattinson.  when  traveling  through  Burma,  collected  a 
very  beautiful  landsheU  on  a  bush  on  the  side  of  the  road  to 
Maymyo.  about  40  miles  northeast  of  Mandalay.  This  shell  she 
has  presented  to  the  Australian  Museum,  and  as  it  appears  to 
represent  an  unnamed  species  it  is  here  described  as 

AMPHir«OMrs    (SryrDBOMrs)    pattixsoxae   sp.   nov.     Plate    6, 
fig.  5. 

Shell  sinistral,  elongate,  imperforate,  smooth,  glossy.  The  tip 
is  dark  purple,  succeeding  whorls  whitish  washed  with  green, 
last  whorl  yellowish  green,  umbilical  area  crimson  lake ;  banded 
throughout  with  two  or  three  bands  of  brownish  lake,  the  bands 
suggesting  a  series  of  coalesced  blotches.  Whorls  5V2'  slightly 
convex;  suture  linear.  Columella  slightly  receding.  Aperture 
oval,  angulate  below,  peristome  thin,  immature.  Length  28  mm., 
breadth  12.5  mm. 

The  species  appears  to  be  allied  to  A.  cru€ntatus  Morelet 
(Series  Conchyl  IV,  p.  264,  pi.  13.  fig.  5,  1875)  as  figured  by 
Pilsbry  (Man.  Conch.  2  Ser.  Vol.  XIII,  p.  187,  pi.  60,  figs.  39, 
40,  1900)  in  its  crimson  lake  umbilical  area,  but  it  is  much 
narrower  and  more  elegantly  shaped  and  the  coloration  separates 
it  immediatelv. 


1  Bj  p«nnis8ion  of  the  Tniate^a  of  the  Australian  Musemn,  Sydney. 


July,    1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  17 

HELICOSTYLA  FROM  THE  TALAUD  ISLANDS, 
MOLUCCA  ISLANDS.  EAST  INDIES 

By  WILLIAM  J.  CLENCH 

The  Talaud  Islands  (Tular  and  Talauer  are  various  spellings) 
compose  a  small  archipelago  that  is  situated  about  midway  be- 
tween Mindanao  Island.  Philippines  and  Halmahera  (Gilolo)  in 
the  Dutch  East  Indies.  They  are  included  in  the  Molucca 
group  of  these  latter  islands  and  are  approximately  120  miles 
X.E.  of  Halmahera. 

During  the  winter  cruise  of  the  yacht  "Cheng  Ho"  in  1940, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  David  Fairchild  collected  a  large  series  of  three 
species  of  HtUcostyla  at  Arangkaa.  Karakelong  Island,  Talaud 
Islands. 

The  importance  of  locating  Helicostyla  iukanensis  Pfr.  on  this 
island  corrects  what  has  been  a  rather  persistant  error  since  the 
original  citation  of  Pfeiffer. 

In  1871.  Pfeiffer  described  in  the  Malakozoologische  Blatter 
18.  pp.  119-124.  six  new  land  shells,  five  of  which  he  received 
from  J.  H.  Thomson  of  Xew  Bedford.  Mass.  Thomson  may  have 
collected  this  material  as  he  had  been  a  ships  master,  or  it  is 
equally  possible  that  he  may  have  received  his  specimens  from 
some  sailor  friend  who  had  visited  the  East  Indies.  At  any  rate, 
material  was  credited  to  both  Tukan  Bessi  Island  (off  the  south- 
eastern peninsula  of  Celebes  Island)  and  from  Tular  Island. 
The  former  is  750  miles  to  the  south  of  Tular  [Talaud]  Islands, 
there  appears  to  have  been  some  question  regarding  the  data  of 
certain  of  these  new  forms  as  Pfeiffer  had  indicated  two  of  them 
with  question  marks. 

The  present  collection  straightens  out  a  few  of  these  uncertain- 
ties besides  correcting  an  anomaly,  the  existence  of  a  few  species 
well  outside  the  known  range  of  other  members  of  the  genus. 

The  locality  for  the  four  following  species  is  Arangkaa,  Kara- 
kelong Island,  Talaud  Group.  Molucca  Islands. 

Helicostyla  (Calocochlea)  tukaxexsis  Pfeiffer 

Helix  lukanensis  Pfr.  1871.  Malak.  Blatt.  18,  p.  122  (Tukan 
Bessi  Island) ;  ibid.,  1872,  Xovit.  Conch.  4,  p.  72,  pi.  121,  fig.  5-9. 


18  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (1) 

Cochlostyla  (Calocochlea)  tukayiensis  Pfr.  Pilsbry  1891,  Man. 
Conch.  (2)"  7,  p.  132,  pi.  29,  fig.  7-9,  12. 

Pilsbry  (i.  c.)  gives  "Pular  Islands"  on  the  authority  of 
Horn.  This  is  apparently  a  mis-spelling  or  an  alternative  for 
Tular. 

Helicostyla  (Corasia)  subpuella  Pilsbry. 

Helix  lais  Pfr.  var.  1875,  Novit.  Conch.  4,  p.  114,  pi.  126,  fig. 
6-7  (Tukan  Bessi  Island). 

Cochlostyla  {Corasia)  puella  subpuella  Pils.  1891,  Man.  Conch. 
(2)  7,  p.  121,  pi.  24,  fig.  19-21,  24,  26  (Basilan,  Philippines; 
Tukan  Bessi  Island). 

This  species  was  not  cited  among  the  new  species  described 
in  the  Malak.  Blatt.,  but  was  figured  and  given  the  locality  of 
Tukan  Bassi  in  the  Novit.  Conch.  (1.  c.)  as  a  variety  without 
name,  which  was  later  described  by  Pilsbry.  This  was  another 
one  of  the  Thomson  species  which  was  in  error  as  to  locality. 
Pilsbry 's  record  of  Basilan  Island,  Philippines  is  also  open  to 
question. 

Helicostyla  (Corasia)  physalis  Pfeiffer. 

Helix  physalis  Pfr.  1871,  Malak.  Blatt.  18,  p.  123  ("Tular 
Island"— Thomson)  ;  ihicL,  1872,  Novit.  Conch.  4,  p.  73,  pi.  121, 
fig.  10-11. 

Cochlostyla  {Corasia)  physalis  Pfr.  Pilsbry  1891,  Man  Conch. 
(2)  7,  p.  115,  pi.  27,  fig.  2-3  (Tular  [Talaur?]  Island).  This  is 
the  only  species  properly  localized  by  Thomson. 

Obba  marginata  Miiller. 

Helix  marginata  Miiller,  1774,  Vonniuin  Terr.  Fluv.  2,  i>.  41. 
—Pfeiffer  1852,  Conchy.-Cab.  (2)  1.  pt.  12.  sec.  2.  p.  69,  pi.  78, 
fig.  7-9  (Philippines). 

This  species  as  well  as  two  of  the  others  listed  above,  was 
wrongly  localized  by  Thomson.  In  his  paper  on  the  land  shells 
of  the  Celebes  (Malak.  Bliitt.  20,  p.  171,  1873)  von  Martens 
queries  the  locality  of  Tukun  (or  Tufun?)  Besi  for  the  speci- 
mens which  he  had  received  from  Thomson.  Reading  between 
the  lines,  it  would  appear  that  Von  Martens  was  having  trouble 


{ 


July,   1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  19 

witli  Thomson's  handwritiiifr.  Von  Martens  assifjns  it,  with  a 
query,  to  the  Sulu  firoup  of  islands  in  the  Philippines.  The 
present  material,  however,  fixes  the  locality  (of  Thomson's  ma- 
terial) as  the  Talaud  Island  {rroup.  The  species  appears  to  be 
widespread  in  the  Philippines  and  not  localized  on  any  one 
island. 


TWO  NEW  GENERA,  TWO  NEW  SPECIES,  AND  TWO 
NEW   NAMES   OF   CHINESE   MELANIIDAE 

By  SUI-FONG  CHEN 
Scholar  of  China  Institute  at  Johns  Hopkins  University 

In  preparinp:  an  annotated  catalogue  of  the  Chinese  Me- 
laniidae,  two  jrenera  and  two  species  were  found  to  be  unde- 
scribed.  Also,  two  described  species  were  found  to  be  in  need 
of  valid  names.  Since  publication  of  this  catalogue  has  been 
delayed  for  an  indefinite  time,  I  think  it  is  best  to  extract  the 
new  things  and  publish  them  separateh',  in  order  to  make  them 
available  to  other  workers. 

I  wish  here  to  express  my  appreciation  to  the  authorities  of 
the  United  States  National  Museum  for  the  opportunity  to  make 
these  studies  of  their  collections,  and  especially  to  thank  Dr. 
Paul  Bartsch  for  his  most  kind  guidance  of  my  work  on  this 
material. 

Genus  Hemimitra  Swainson  1840 

Hemimitra  tangi,  new  species,  PL  6,  Fig.  2. 

Shell  small,  solid,  ovate-conic,  dark  brown.  The  interior  of 
the  aperture  is  bluish  white.  Nuclear  whorls  eroded.  Post- 
nuclear  whorls  inflated,  strongly  rounded  and  marked  with  in- 
cremental lines.  The  spiral  sculpture  consists  of  micro.scopic 
threads.  The  last  whorl  which  constitutes  nearly  the  whole 
length  of  the  shell,  is  inflated,  with  strongly  rounded  periphery 
and  has  a  narrow  dark  band  at  the  summit.  The  suture  is  mod- 
erately constricted.  Base  short,  well  rounded.  Ajjerture  pyri- 
forni;  peri-stome  simple,  thin;  parietal  wall  covered  with  a  thin 
callus;  columella  concave  and  nearly  vertical.  The  operculum 
is  thin,  corneous  having  2.3  turns  with  a  subcentral  nucleus. 
The  radula  has  the  formula :  3-1-3 :  2-1-5 :  6 :  8. 


20  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

The  type,  U.  S.  N.  M.  cat.  No.  499701,  was  collected  by  Dr.  C. 
C.  Tang  in  Kiang-yang,  northern  Fukien  Province,  and  has  the 
following  measurements :  2.4  whorls  remaining ;  length  12.4  mm. ; 
diameter  8.4  mm. ;  aperture  length  7.5  mm. 

Two  additional  specimens  from  the  same  source  yield  the  fol- 
lowing information  : 


horls 

Length 

Diameter 

Aperture  length 

(mm.) 

(mm.) 

(mm.) 

3.0 

10.6 

7.8 

6.9 

2.2 

8.5 

5.9 

5.5 

This  species  resembles  Hemimitra  terminalis  (Heude),  but  has 
only  one  narrow  spiral  brown  band  at  the  summit. 

Genus  Sermyla  H.  and  A.  Adams,  1854 

Sermyla  kowloonensis,  new  species,  PI.  6,  Fig.  3. 

1887.     Melania  sculpta  Gredler,  Mai.  Bl.  (n.s.),  9:  163  (not  M. 
sculpt  a  Souleyet). 

Shell  small,  solid  conic,  olive  brown  throughout.  Nuclear 
whorls  eroded.  Post-nuclear  whorls  4.4,  convex,  and  marked  by 
strong  protractive  axial  ribs  of  which  12  occur  on  the  penulti- 
mate and  the  last  whorls ;  the  ribs  terminate  at  the  periphery  of 
the  whorl.  The  spiral  sculpture  consists  of  two  threads  of 
which  one  occurs  on  the  summit  and  the  other  on  the  periphery 
of  the  last  whorl.  Suture  well  impressed.  Periphery  well 
rounded.  Base  short,  strongly  rounded,  and  marked  by  7  spiral 
threads.  Aperture  elliptical ;  peristome  thin  ;  parietal  wall  cov- 
ered with  a  thin  callus ;  columella  concave. 

The  type,  U.  S.  N.  M.  cat.  No.  48041,  yields  the  following  meas- 
urements: length  8.8  mm.;  diameter  4.5  mm.;  aperture  length 
4.5  mm.  Its  locality  is  Kowloon,  on  the  mainland  opposite  Hong 
Kong. 

This  species  is  very  closely  related  to  S.  sculpta  Souleyet,  but 
differs  in  being  broader  and  possessing  fewer,  more  distinctly 
protractive  axial  ribs. 

Genus  Wanga,  new  genus 

Shell  elongate  to  subulate,  whorls  more  or  less  convex  or 
slightly  flattened.  The  sculjiture  consists  of  axial  riblets  and 
spiral  cords  crossing  each  other  and  forming  strong  nodules, 
which  are  much  stronger  than  the  intervening  sculpture.     Aper- 


July,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  21 

tiire  ovate,  somewhat  expanded  at  the  base.     Genotype:  Melania 
hcnriettae  Gray  1834.     PI.  6,  Fij,'.  4. 

The  name  of  this  jrenus  is  derived  from  the  Chinese  word  for 
fish-net,  in  description  of  the  sculpture.  In  addition  to  the  izeno- 
type,  this  frroup  includes:  Wotiga  didcis  (Fulton)  1904;  Wanga 
hsiii,  new  name  for  Mclauia  iurrita  Ilsii  1935,  not  Klein  1846; 
Wanga  lauta  (Fulton)  1904;  Wanga  napoctisis  (Ilsii)  1935; 
Wonga  reticulata  (Lea)  1850;  Wanga  scrupea  (Fulton)  1914, 
and  the  variety  scrupea  dchilis  (Fulton)  1914. 

Genus  Hua,  new  genus 

Shell  rather  small,  elongate-ovate,  whorls  smooth,  somewhat 
flattened  or  only  slightly  convex.  Aperture  ovate,  with  an  acute 
angle  above;  lip  thin.  Operculum  with  a  subcentral  nucleus. 
Radula  rather  long,  the  central  tooth  broader  than  high  with  a 
central  cusp  and  three  cusps  on  each  side ;  the  lateral  tooth  with 
a  rather  long,  narrow  appendage  and  two  or  three  side  cusps  on 
each  side  of  the  main  cusp ;  marginals  rather  long  and  narrow, 
broadening  at  the  cutting  edge  which  bears  5  to  8  cusps.  Geno- 
type:  Melania  telonaria  Heude  1888.     PI.  6,  Fig.  1. 

The  name  of  this  genus  is  derived  from  the  Chinese  Avord  for 
smooth,  in  allusion  to  the  sculpture  of  the  majority  of  members 
of  the  group.  In  addition  to  the  genotype,  this  genus  includes : 
Hua  diminuta  (Boettger)  1887;  Hua  friniana  (Heude)  1888; 
Hua  heudei,  new  name  for  Melania  oreadarum  Heude  1890;  not 
Heude  1888;  Hua  hongkongiensis  (Brot)  1874;  Hua  joretiana 
(Heude)  1890;  Hua  kwcichowensis  (Chen)  1937;  Hua  leprosa 
(Heude)  1888;  Hua  oreadarum  (Heude)  1888,  not  Heude  1890, 
with  Melania  naiadarum  Heude  1890  as  a  synonym;  Hua  prae- 
notata  (Gredler)  1884,  and  the  variety  praenotata  intermedia 
(Gredler)  1885;  Hua  protea  nura  (Bavay  and  Dautzenberg) 
1910;  Hua  schmackeri  (Boettger)  1886 ;  Hua  toucheana  (Heude) 
1888;  and  Hua  vultuosa  (Fulton)  1914. 


<> 


c 


22  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

COMMENTS    ON    F.   A.    SCHILDER'S    "CYPRAEACEA 
FROM  HAWAII,"  AND  SCHILDER  AND 
SCHILDER'S  "PRODROME  OF 
A  MONOGRAPH  ON  LIV- 
ING CYPRAEIDAE" 

By  WILLIAM  MARCUS  INGRAM 
Mills  College,  California 

F.  A.  Schilder  (1933,  Bernice  P.  Bishop  Museum.  Occ.  Pap., 
vol.  10:  3,  pp.  3-22)  and  F.  A.  Schilder  and  M.  Schilder 's  (1939, 
Proceedings  of  the  Malacological  Society  of  London,  vol.  23,  pt. 
4,  pp.  119-231)  have  included  inaccurate  data  concerninp:  Ha- 
waiian Cypraeidae.  In  order  to  clarify  such  erroneous  data  this 
paper  is  written.^ 

Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  130)  make  a  statement 
concerning  "ecological  varieties"  of  Cypraea  semipJota  Mighels 
which  warrants  comment.  They  agree  with  the  writer  (Ingram, 
1936,  The  Nautilus,  vol.  50:  2,  pp.  51-52),  that  Cypraea  annae 
Roberts  and  Cypraea  polita  Roberts  are  merely  synonyma  of 
C.  semiplota.  Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  130) 
regard  the  so-called  "annae"  and  "polita"  as  ecological  varie- 
ties. They  state,  "There  are  three  distinct  ecological  varieties: 
the  small  oblong  semiplota,  .  .  .  the  callous  dilated  annae,  .  .  . 
and  the  large  pellucid  polita,  .  .  .  with  the  extremities  more 
produced  and  acutely  curved  even  in  broad  specimens;  inter- 
mediate shells  are  less  frequent;  annae  and  polita  seem  to  have 
not  yet  been  collected  in  the  Leeward  Islands."  Three  eco- 
logical varieties  do  not  exist  in  the  species  C.  semiplota  Mighels. 
The  writer  has  .several  times  collected  the  so-called  "ecological 
varieties"  under  similar  conditions  in  areas  from  10  to  30 
square  feet  on  tlie  Waikiki  reef,  Honolulu,  Hawaii.  On  the  reef 
at  Kupikipikio  Point,  Oahu,  tiio  writer  has  collected  "annae" 
and  "polita"  living  side  by  side  beneath  the  same  block  of 
coral  rock.  The  sliell  forms  of  C.  semiplota  seem  to  this  writer 
to  be  merely  individual  variations.  If  the  three  forms,  "eco- 
logical varieties,"  were  truly  found  occupying  separate  eco- 
logical nitches  they  could  then  be  considered  as  ecological 
variants;  however  they  arc  not  so  found. 

I  References  are  repeated  in  the  bibliography  with  their  full  titles. 


July,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  23 

Individuals  of  "annac"  and  "polita"  are  in  the  writers  col- 
lection from  the  Leeward  Islands  of  the  Hawaiian  Arehipelapro. 

Sehilder  and  Schilder  (1930,  op.  cit.,  p.  220)  state  that  the 
Cypraca  cruotta  of  Gray  reported  by  Osterpaard  (1928,  Bernice 
P.  Bishop  Museum,  Bull.,  51,  p.  28)  and  by  Ingram  (1937,  The 
Xautilus,  vol.  50:  3,  p.  78)  seems  to  be  Ctjpraea  rnshlcighana 
Melvill.  Osterjraard  (1928  op.  cit.)  and  In{rram  (1937  op.  cit.) 
in  referrinpr  to  Hawaiian  Cypraeidae  did  not  list  a  cruenta  Gray ; 
their  cruenta  was  that  of  Gmelin.-  In  any  event  C.  cruenta 
Gmelin  does  occur  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  the  above  writ- 
ers could  not  have  failed  to  distinguish  cruenta  iYovarashleighana 
Melvill.  The  above  papers  by  Ostergaard  and  Ingram  were 
based  on  personal  collecting  and  on  the  collections  of  men  who 
have  collected  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  for  over  twenty  years, 
namely,  Mr.  David  Thaanum,  the  late  Mr.  L.  A.  Thurston,  and 
Mr.  Ted  Dranga,  all  of  Honolulu. 

F.  A,  Schilder  (1933,  op.  cit.)  lists  fourteen  species  of  Cy- 
praeidae from  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  one  of  these  being  a  new 
species,  Cypraea  waikikiensis  (Schilder).  In  splitting  the  genus 
Cypraea  in  this  paper  Schilder  placed  his  new  species  in  the 
genus  Pahnadusia.  This  species  of  Schilder 's  is  probably  based 
on  two  odd  specimens  of  Cypraea  fimhriata  Gmelin.  The  holo- 
type  drawings  are  quite  uumistakingly  those  of  C.  fimhriata. 
Thus  the  species,  waikiensis,  should  be  considered  a  synonym  of 
C.  fimhriata  Gmelin. 

In  the  (1933,  op.  cit.)  paper  Schilder  lists  a  Palmadusta  uni- 
fasciata  Mighels,  a  synonym  of  Cypraea  fimhriata  Gmelin.  In 
the  Prodrome  (1939,  op.  cit.)  The  Hawaiian  C.  fimhriata  is 
placed  as  a  subspecies,  unifasciata  Mighels,  under  C.  fimhriata, 
the  Schilders  finally  considering  that  P.  unifasciata  is  not  a  dis- 
tinct species  from  C.  fimhriata. 

The  probable  ancestral  type  to  the  endemic  Hawaiian  Cypraea 
tessellata  Swainson  and  Cypraea  sulcidcntata  Gray  is  Cypraea 
arenosa  Gray,  Ingram  (1937,  op.  cit.)  and  Ostergaard  (1928,  op. 
cit.),  yet  Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.)  place  Cypraca 
tessellata  in  a  separate  genus,  Pustularia  Swainson,  including 
such  unrelated  forms  to  C.  tcsselata  as  the  closely  related  cicer- 
cula  Linnaeus  and  ylohulus  Linnaeus,  etc.     They  place  C.  arc- 

2  Illustrated  in  G.  B.  Sowerby,  Theaaurus  Conchyliorum,  pi.  23,  figs.  185, 
187,  1870. 


24  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (1) 

nosa  and  C.  sulcidentata  as  they  should,  together,  in  the  genus 
Cypraea.  Sehilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  eit.,  p.  126)  state, 
"The  Hawaiian  tesellata  .  .  .  evidently  is  allied  to  glohulus, 
though  differing  much  in  size  and  colour."  Any  one  familiar 
with  the  Cypraeidae  would  conclude  that  these  forms  are  as 
distantly  related  as  C.  moneta  Linneaus  and  C.  aurantium 
Martyn. 

In  Schilder 's  (1933,  op.  cit.)  paper  he  places  Cypraea  carneola 
Linnaeus  in  the  genus  Lyncina.  In  this  paper  he  comments  on 
the  large  size  of  carneola  and  states  that  the  form  is  cylindrical. 
In  their  Prodrome  the  Schilders  (1939  op.  cit.)  place  craneola 
in  the  genus  Cypraea  and  in  the  subgenus  Lyncina.  In  the 
Schilders'  (1939,  op.  cit.)  Prodrome  they  consider  the  large, 
cylindrical  carneola  as  a  separate  species,  leviathan,  and  list  the 
form  propinqua  Garrett,  which  is  merely  an  ovate  individual 
variant,  not  mentioned  in  Schilder 's  (1933,  op.  cit.)  paper  as  the 
subspecies  of  carneola  found  in  Hawaii.  Schilder  and  Sehilder 
(1939,  op.  cit.)  concerning  the  large,  cylindrical  carneola  state, 
",  .  .  the  large  cylindrical  ectotype  of  this  race  propinqua  has 
become  a  distinct  species,  leviathan,  as  the  divergence  increased 
by  development  of  some  additional  characters."  They  give  the 
distribution  of  C.  leviathan  (Schilder  &  Schilder)  as  E.  Poly- 
nesia to  Gambler  Island,  Cook  Island,  Hawaii  and  French 
Frigate  Shoals.  The  writer  has  a  number  of  large  and  small 
specimens  of  Cypraea  carneola  Linnaeus  from  the  Islands  of 
Maui  and  Oahu,  Hawaiian  Islands ;  collections  of  living  and  dead 
shells  of  the  individual  variant,  propinqua,  have  been  made  on 
Rabbit  Island  off  the  shore  of  Oahu  living  together  with  the 
cylindrical  individual  variant.  Under  the  circumstances  it 
seems  that  C.  leviathan  (Schilder  &  Schilder)  is  merely  a  sj'no- 
nym  of  C.  carneola  Linnaeus.  Siiell  intergradations  from  the 
cylindrical  to  ovate  variants  in  Hawaiian  specimens  also  indicate 
the  leviathan  is  only  to  be  regarded  as  a  synonym  of  C.  carneola. 

Of  tlie  species  listed  as  occurring  in  tlie  Hawaiian  Islands  by 
the  Schilders  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  197  footnote,  p.  220),  the  Schild- 
ers have  only  examined  fifteen  species  represented  as  collections 
made  in  Hawaii.  With  sncli  incomplete  information,  and  never 
having  collected  in  Hawaii,  it  hardly  seems  possible  that  these 
workers  can  draw  conclusions  concerning  ectotypes,  ecological 
varieties,  and  question   identifications  of   men   who   have  been 


July,    1043]  THE   NAUTILUS  25 

established  in  Hawaii  for  twenty  years,  and  whose  collecting 
ability  and  scientific  collecting  procedure  is  known  through  con- 
eological  circles. 

In  the  Prodome  the  Schilders  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  184)  list  a 
Mauritia  maculifera  Schilder  which  is  the  well-known  Cypraea 
reticulata  of  Martyn.  In  the  Prodrome  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  184) 
they  state  that  it  is  found  at  French  Frigate  Shoals;  (1930,  op. 
cit..  p.  220)  they  credit  this  species  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands  with 
a  distribution  from  French  Frigate  Shoals  to  Midway  Islands 
and  then  from  Hawaii  to  Kauai.  They  list  a  Mauritia  dcprcssa 
Gray  (Gray's  Cypraea  intermedia),  as  occurring  in  the  Ha- 
waiian Islands.  This  species  is  listed  as  occurring  from  Hawaii 
to  Kaui.  There  are  no  authentic  collections  of  this  species  from 
the  Hawaiian  Islands.  The  Schilders  have  added  confusion  to 
authentic  records  of  Hawaiian  Cypraeidas;  on  page  184  of  the 
Prodrome  they  state,  "It  is  rather  difficult  to  state  the  exact 
frequency  of  maculifera  .  .  .  ,  as  it  has  mostly  been  confounded 
with  depressa  by  former  writers."  The  Schilders  (1939,  op. 
cit.,  p.  220)  say  that  depressa  is  found  occurring  in  moderate 
frequency  in  Hawaii.  Apparently  they  did  not  examine  the 
specimens  of  this  species,  but  base  their  "moderate  frequency" 
data  from  unreliable  literature. 

Schilder  (1933,  op.  cit.,  p.  13)  makes  a  rather  startling  state- 
ment concerning  Cypraea  Isabella  Linnaeus,  listed  by  Schilder 
as  Basilifrona  isahella  Linnaeus,  "All  shells  collected  in  LA 
[Laysan  Island]  and  FK  [French  Frigate  Shoals]  are  con- 
troversa  [a  name  applied  to  isahella  by  Gray]  ;  IX  [one  speci- 
men] from  PH  [Pearl  and  Hermes  Reef,  Southeast  Island]  and 
2X  I  two  specimens]  from  PG  [Pearl  and  Hermes  Reef,  Grass 
Island]  also  belong  to  controversa  and  are  rather  calcified, 
whereas  the  typical  isahella  from  PH  and  PG  are  more  or  less 
bleached  on  the  shore,  but  never  calcified:  therefore  controversa 
evidently  lives  in  different  conditions."  This  statement  is  rather 
an  interesting  hj-pothesis  for  one  to  make  who  have  never  col- 
lected in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  especially  when  one  con- 
siders that  this  observation  is  apparently  based  on  beach  shells, 
the  statement  is  not  very  profound.  Schilder  goes  on  to  state. 
"The  variety  controversa  is  much  larger,  broader,  higher,  and 
more  callous  than  the  typical  isahella  .  .  .  ,  but  the  number  of 
teeth   is  increased  only   proportionately  to  the   length   of   the 


26  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

shell."  It  so  happens  that  the  environment  for  the  so-called 
controversa  and  for  Cypraea  isahella  ss.  may  be  identical  in 
the  Hawaiian  Islands.  The  writer  has  collected  both  larp:e  and 
small  individuals  of  C.  isahella  together  on  several  occasions  on 
Oahu.  In  one  instance  a  larjje  individual,  " controvei'sa,"  was 
taken  copulating  with  a  small  individual,  isahella  ss.,  at 
Mokapu  Point,  Oahu.  In  the  Prodome  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  176) 
the  Schilders  prefer  to  call  the  small  Hawaiian  individual 
variant  of  C.  isahella  Linnaeus  by  the  name  Luria  isahella  antri- 
ceps  nov.,  as  listed  by  Bryan  (1915,  Natural  History  of  Hawaii). 
In  the  Prodrome  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  176)  the  large  Hawaiian  in- 
dividual variant  of  Cypraea  isahella  Linnaeus  is  considered  to 
be  a  separate  species  from  the  small  individual  variant,  and  is 
called  Luria  controversa  controversa  Gray.  The  writer  has 
several  good  series  of  Cypraea  isahella  Linneaus  from  Honolulu 
Harbor,  Oahu,  Midway  Island,  and  Pearl  and  Hermes  Reef, 
Hawaiian  Islands  which  show  definitely  that  the  Schilders'  above 
two  species  intergrade  one  into  the  other,  and  are  merely  size 
variants.  Thus  Luria  controversa  controversa  Gray  and  Luria 
isahella  atriceps  Schilder  and  Schilder  should  both  be  called 
Cypraea  isahella  Linnaeus  instead  of  being  considered  as  sepa- 
rate species. 

Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  172)  state  concern- 
ing Cypraea  gaskoini  Reeve  (C.  peasei  Sowerby  is  a  synonym), 
"We  think  that  gaskoini  and  peasei  are  ecological  varieties  of 
one  single  species  (their  relation  seems  to  correspond  to  that  of 
Stapliylaea  scniiplota  and  polita)  :  peasei  is  larger  than  gaskoini, 
more  solid  though  pellucid,  with  the  outer  lip  more  declivous  in 
front  and  externally  bordered  by  a  callous  carina,  which  pro- 
jects from  the  basal  level  in  the  anterior  third;  .  .  .  (size  .  .  , 
type  of  gaskoini  23  mm.,  mean  of  peasei  24  mm.)."  The  refer- 
ence to  peasei  and  ga.skoini  as  ecological  varieties  is  without 
foundation,  the  differences  in  the  shells  are  merely  individual 
variations  which  one  encounters  in  surveying  large  series  from 
one  locality. 

Schilder  (1933,  op.  cit.,  p.  15)  identifies  the  common  Cypraea 
caputscrpcntis  Linnaeus  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  as  Cypraea 
capuianguis  Philippi.  In  llic  Prodrome  the  Schilders  (1939, 
op.  cit.,  p.  136)  list  a  caputscrpcntis  caputanguis  Philippi  as 
being  from  "S.E.  Australia:  Botany  Bay  to  Queensland,  Lord 


July,    194:5]  THE   NAUTILUS  27 

Howe  I..  Norfolk  I."  and  place  it  on  the  j^enus  Erosarin.  In  the 
Prodrome  the  Sehilders  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  136)  call  the  Hawaiian 
Island  Cuprora  cnpufsi  rpoitis  Linnaeus  **Erosaria  caputscr- 
pctitis  caputophidii  Sehilder." 

Sehilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.,  p.  188,  p.  220)  list  a 
Cjiprnca  vottricuhis  Lamarck  as  beiiifr  found  from  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  from  Hawaii  to  Kauai.  Tiiey  state  that  it  is  moderately 
rare.  There  are  no  authentic  collections  of  this  cowry  from 
Hawaii  yet  reported. 

In  the  introduction  to  the  Prodrome  of  the  Sehilders  (1930, 
op.  cit.,  p.  120)  they  state,  "Our  Prodrome  chiefly  consists  in  a 
catalofrue  of  the  living:  species  of  Cypraeidae,  arranpred  in  a 
system  that  we  think  natural,  and  divided  into  geofirraphical 
races."  How  could  this  system  be  a  natural  one,  with  the 
Sehilders  shufflinp:  and  reshuffling:  species  throughout  their  lon^r 
series  of  publications?  With  data  based  on  personal  examina- 
tions of  so  few  specimens  and  species  from  certain  areas,  how 
can  such  data  be  accepted  as  reliable?  Such  jufrgling  of  the 
taxonomy  of  a  group  is  certainly  no  aid  to  a  natural  systema- 
tist ;  it  soon  kills  the  amateur's  interest,  and  creates  an  unneces- 
sary problem  for  the  professional  zoologist  with  yearly  changes 
in  the  names  of  shells;  especially  even  when  the  authorities  can 
not  make  up  their  minds,  and  are  continually  changing  their  own 
identifications.  How  can  one  decide  what  are  and  what  are  not 
geographical  races  when  field  collecting  has  not  been  done,  and 
when  races  are  established  on  beach  shells? 

Bibliography 

Bryan,  W.  A.,  Natural  history  of  Hawaii,  The  Hawaiian  Gazette 

Co.,  pp.  1-596,  1915. 
Ingram,  W.  IM.,  A  reduction  of  Cypraca  annae  Roberts  and  Cy- 

praea  polita  Roberts  to  synonomy  with  Cypraca  semiplota 

Mighels,  The  Nautilus,  50^:  2,  pp. '51-52,  1936. 
,  The  family  Cypraeidae  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  The 

Nautilus.  50:  3,'pp.' 77-82,  1937. 
Ostergaard,  J.  M.,  Fossil  marine  mollusks  of  Oahu,  Bernice  P. 

Bishop  Museum,  Bull.,  51,  pp.  1-32,  1928. 
Schilder,  F.  A.,  Cypraeacea  from  Hawaii,  Bernice  P,  Bishop 

Museum,  Occasional  Papers,  10 :  3,  pp.  3-22,  1933. 
Schilder,  F.  A.  and  M.  Schilder,  Prodrome  of  a  monograph  on 

living  Cvpraeidae,  Proceedings  of  the  Malacological  Society, 

London,*  23 :  4,  pp.  119-231,  1939. 
SowERBY,   G.   B.,   Thesaurus   Conchyliorum,   parts   26,   27,   28, 

Cypraea,  pp.  1-58,  1870. 


28  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (1) 

TWO  NEW  SPECIES  OF  DRYMAEUS  FROM  MEXICO 
By  HABALD  a.  EEHDER i 

Miss  Marie  Bourgeois  recently  sent  a  number  of  lots  of  Dry- 
maeus  from  various  localities  in  Mexico  to  the  U.  S.  National  Mu- 
seum for  determination,  and  amon":  them  were  two  new  species 
which  are  here  described.  Great  credit  is  due  to  Miss  Bourgeois 
for  her  unflagging  energy  and  zeal  in  exploring  the  rich  mala- 
eological  fauna  of  Mexico. 

Drymaeus  bourgeoisae,  new  species.     Plate  6,  Figure  10. 

Shell  of  medium  size,  elongately  ovate-conic,  rather  solid,  con- 
sisting of  from  6  to  6%  convex  whorls,  separated  by  a  well-im- 
pressed suture.  The  nucleus  of  1%  whorls  has  the  typical 
drymaeid  sculpture,  while  the  following  whorls  are  sculptured 
by  low,  irregular  growth  wrinkles,  crossed  by  spiral  wavy  micro- 
scopic grooves.  The  ground  color  is  white  (rendered  yellow  in 
fresh  specimens  by  the  periostracum)  upon  which  are  painted 
broad  spiral  chestnut  bands,  of  which  there  are  three  on  the 
penultimate  whorl  and  five  on  the  last.  These  bands  are  inter- 
rupted at  intervals  by  irregular  white  streaks  marking  the  rest- 
ing stages  in  the  growth  of  the  shell;  on  the  apertural  side  of 
these  colorless  streaks  the  spiral  bands  are  axially  fused,  giving 
the  color  pattern  the  appearance  of  consisting  in  places  of  wavy 
axial  streaks.  In  the  early  whorls  the  spiral  bands  are  much 
reduced.  The  aperture  is  narrowly  ovate,  the  outer  lip  thin, 
simple;  the  columellar  margin  reflected  over  a  narrow  umbilicus. 

Height:  23.7  mm.;  diameter,  11.4  mm.;  height  of  aperture, 
11.2  mm. 

The  type,  U.S.N.M.  No.  517550,  was  collected  by  Miss  Marie 
Bourgeois  near  Paraje  Nuevo,  near  Cordoba,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico, 
on  a  mulato  tree  {Elaphrium  simaniha  (L.)  Rose). 

Two  other  specimens,  U.S.N.M.  No.  517551,  were  collected  by 
Dr.  Martin  del  Camp,  near  Orizaba,  Vera  Cruz. 

This  species  probably  belongs  in  the  group  of  Drymaeus  emeus 
Say,  having,  however,  a  narrower  shell,  shorter  body  whorl,  and 
slightly  more  convex  whorls.  In  color  pattern  it  is  like  Drymaeus 
atfcnuatus  varicosus  PfeifTer  from  Costa  Rica,  differing  mark- 
edly from  it,  however,  in  tlio  sliajic  of  tlic  last  whorl  and  aper- 


1  Published  by  permission  of  tlio  Secretary  of  the  Sinithsoiiiaii  Institution. 


July,    1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  29 

ture.     The    coloration    likewise    resembles    that    of    Drymaeus 
droucti  Pfeiffer,  which  is.  however,  a  shorter  wider  shell. 

Drymaeus  perductorum,  new  species.     Plate  6,  Fij^ures  6,  7, 
8,  9. 

Shell  of  medium  size,  elongately  ovate-conic,  rather  thin,  eon- 
sistinjr  of  6  whorls,  of  which  l^j  are  the  nuclear  ones  with  the 
typical  drymaeid  sculpture.  The  followin<r  whorls  show  only 
irrejrular  «rrowth  wrinkles  crossed  by  microscopic  spiral  frrooves, 
which  in  the  tirst  postnuclear  whorl  are  fairly  distinct,  in  the 
later  whorls,  however,  become  more  or  less  obscure.  The  whitish 
•rround  color  is  crossed  by  slender,  tawny-olive  to  cinnamon 
brown  (Ridp:way  Color  Nomenclature)  axial  streaks,  irrej^ularly 
spaced  and  interrupted  by  a  rather  narrow  band-like  gap  about 
halfway  between  the  suture  and  the  periphery;  these  streaks  are 
of  varyinp:  strenprth  and  may  become  broad  chestnut-colored 
streaks.  Outer  lip  thin,  inner  lip  strongly  reflexed  over  the 
narrow  umbilicus. 

The  type,  U.S.N.M.  No.  517552.  measures:  Height,  20.2  mm.; 
diameter,  9.3  mm. ;  height  of  aperture,  9.0  mm.  Another  speci- 
men measures:  Height,  25.2  mm.;  diameter,  11.5  mm.;  height  of 
aperture,  10.7  mm. 

The  type  and  five  other  specimens  were  collected  by  guides 
near  Las  Grutas  de  Cacahuamilpa,  Guerrero. 

This  species  is  near  Drymaeus  hegewischi  Pfeiffer,  differing, 
however,  markedly  in  the  color  pattern.  The  variation  in  the 
color  pattern  is  shown  in  figures  6-9,  figure  6,  depicting  the  holo- 
type. 


NOTES  AND   NEWS 

Date.s  of  The  Nautilus. — Volume  56,  no.  1,  pp.  1-36,  pis.  1-4, 
was  mailed  July  23,  1942.  No.  2,  pp.  37-72  -\-  i-vii  (title  page 
and  indexes  of  vol.  55),  pis.  5-6,  Oct.  14,  1942.  No.  3,  pp.  73- 
108,  pis.  7-11,  Feb.  15,  1943.  No.  4,  pp.  109-144  +  i-vii,  pis. 
12-15,  April  19,  1943.— II.  B.  B. 

Southern  record  for  Aporrhais  occidentalis  mainensis  John- 
son.— Last  Summer  while  I  was  in  Barnstable,  Ma.ss.,  a  fisher- 
man friend  of  mine  gave  me  a  specimen  of  this  shell  which  he 
had  found  alive  in  one  of  his  lobster  traps,  in  deep  water  off 


30  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

Barnstable  light.  In  Johnson's  list  of  New  England  mollusks 
"off  Dnxbury"  is  the  farthest  south  reported  for  it. — Margaret 
C.  Stewart. 

The  Paleontological  Research  Institution,  Ithaca,  N.  Y., 
has  recently  received,  through  the  generosity  of  Mrs.  C.  S.  Bent- 
ley  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  the  collection  of  Recent  Mollusea  made 
by  her  husband,  the  late  Dr.  C.  S.  Bentley,  and  herself. 
Though  consisting  largely  of  West  Coast  forms,  many  genotype 
species  are  represented  from  various  regions.  All  specimens 
are  carefully  labelled  and  catalogued.  It  is  proposed  by  the 
Institution  to  use  the  collection  as  a  nucleus  around  which  to 
build  a  substantial  collection  of  recent  mollusks  for  use  in  fu- 
ture investigation  of  our  Recent  and  Tertiary  faunas. — G.  D. 
Harris. 

Puerto  Rican  Megalomastoma. — In  reply  to  Dr.  Baker's 
somewhat  amusing  and  facetious  note  on  Megalomastoma  cro- 
ceum  (Nautilus,  vol.  56,  pp.  106,  107),  I  may  say  that  during 
my  three  expeditions  to  Puerto  Rico  I  collected  mollusks  over 
most  of  the  territory  and  also  kept  ecologic  notes  thereon.  My 
statements  on  the  species  of  the  subgenus  Ncopupina  were  based 
on  large  collections  which  led  me  to  believe  that  the  species  rec- 
ognized by  previous  authors  had  a  cause  for  their  existence,  since 
my  collecting  indicated  that  they  represented  different  faunal 
areas  in  the  island  and  did  not  appear  to  transgress  on  their 
neighbor's  territory.  I  somewhat  regret  that  I  did  not  give  the 
full  list  of  specimens  in  our  collection,  which  would  probably 
have  given  pause  to  Dr.  Baker  in  making  the  remarks  which  he 
did.  I  am  still  convinced  that  the  species  which  I  recognized 
and  which  were  described  by  the  older  authors  have  cause  for 
existence,  Dr.  Baker's  remarks  notwithstanding. — Paul  Bartsch. 

Ceritiiidea  iiEGEWisciiii  (Pliilippl),  a  Pacific  Coast  Shell. 
— Cerithium  hegewischii  Philippi  (1848)  was  described  merely 
from  Mexico,  where  it  was  collected  by  Ilegewisch.  There  has 
been  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whether  it  came  from  the 
Atlantic  or  Pacific  coast.  In  tlie  Nautilus  for  July  1!)42  (vol. 
56,  p.  24)  I  sided  with  Tryon  and  von  Martens  in  regarding  it 
as  a  Ccrithidca  of  the  Pacific.  I  have  recently  come  across  an 
additional  hit  of  evidence  which  seems  to  support  this  view.  Of 
the  tiirce  localities  cited  by  Piiilippi  in  1S46  witii  tiie  original 


July,    1943]  THE  NAUTILUS  31 

(lescriptiou  i)f  Littorina  a.'ipcra  (Proe.  Zool.  Soc.  London  for 
1845.  p.  139)  one  is  "from  Mexico,  found  by  Hegewisch."  As 
this  L.  aspcra  is  a  characteristic  snail  of  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mex- 
ico, IIeg:ewisch  did  at  least  some,  if  not  all,  of  his  collecting;  there. 
— J.  C.  Bequaert. 

Tan'yciilamys  versus  Macrochlamys. — Question  has  been 
raised  in  refrard  to  my  use  (1928,  1941)  of  Tanychlamyx  Benson 
(1934)  and  Tanychlamydinae  in  preference  to  Macrochlamys 
"Benson"  Gray  (1847)  and  Macrochlamydinae.  In  1832,  Jour. 
Asia.  Soc.  Benpral  1 :  13,  76,  Benson  publishes  the  binomial, 
Macrochlamys  indica,  without  a  word  of  description  or  defini- 
tion (Art.  25,  Internat.  Rules  Zool.  Nomenclature)  or  any  indi- 
cation (Opinion  1),  which  leaves  it  completely  nude.  In  1834, 
Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London:  89,  Benson  uses  Tanychlamys  for  an 
unnamed  but  described  species.  Thus,  Tanychlamys  is  13  years 
prior  to  what  is  apparently  the  first  valid  use  of  Macrochlamys, 
that  of  Gray  (1847,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London:  169).  Since,  ac- 
cording to  Opinion  46,  "the  first  species  published  in  connection 
with  the  g:enus  becomes  ipso  facto  the  type,"  the  type  of 
Tanyclamys  is  T.  iudica  (Godwin-Austen)  H.  B.  B.  (1941,  Bull. 
Bishop  Museum  166:  211).  A  hearty  welcome  awaits  any  sug- 
gestions which  might  obviate  legitimately  this  unfortunate 
change  in  a  well-known  name. — H.  B.  Baker. 

A  supplementary  note  on  the  mollusks  of  New  York,  by 
Mr.  Arthur  Jacot  (Naut.  XXXVI:  2,  p.  59-61),  which  came  to 
my  notice  after  my  article  had  appeared  in  print  (Naut.  56: 
4,  p.  139-144),  requires  that  certain  changes  be  made  in  my  list. 
The  following  species  should  appear  in  the  second  part  of  my 
article  {Species  appearing  on  both  lists)  instead  of  the  first  part 
(Species  not  listed  by  Mr.  Jacot)  :  Noetia  ponderosa  Say,  Laevi- 
cardium  mortoni  Conrad,  Donax  fossor  Say  and  EpHonium 
humphreysii  Kiener.  And  the  species  listed  below  should  be 
added  to  the  third  part  {Species  appearing  only  on  Mr.  Jacot 's 
list)  :  Macoma  tenta  Say,  Mcsodesma  arctatum  Conrad  (which 
I  found  extensively  at  Hither  Hills  State  Park  near  Montauk 
Point),  and  Polinices  immaculata  Totten.  As  for  Haminea 
solitaria  Say,  I  found  many  specimens  in  Pelham  Bay  on  Hun- 
ters Island. 

Mr.  Jacot  also  lists  Alectrion  fretensis  Perkins  and  "Petricola 


32  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (1) 

dactylus  Sowerby"  Gould  and  Binney:  Invert,  of  Mass.,  p.  92), 
neither  of  which  species  appears  in  C.  W,  Johnson's  List  of 
Marine  Molluscs,  etc.  Jacot's  Donax  variabilis  Say  is  definitely 
out  of  range  and  should  be  referred  to  D.  fossor,  as  noted  by  C. 
W.  Johnson,  Nautilus  43 :  28. — Morris  K.  Jacobson. 

DiADORA  JAUMEi  Aguayo  &  Rehder,  was  described  in  1936  from 
specimens  collected  near  Cuba  and  from  20  fms.  off  Miami, 
Florida.  Apparently  there  has  been  no  further  appearance  of 
this  shell  until  August,  1941,  when  Thomas  L.  McGiutj^  col- 
lected several  specimens  at  Ft.  Jefferson,  Dry  Tortugas,  Florida. 
These  latter  shells  differ  in  proportion  from  the  holotype  (which 
is  stated  to  measure  length  15.4  mm.,  diam.  10  mm.,  alt.  9.5 
mm.),  in  being  much  more  depressed,  the  typical  specimen  meas- 
uring, length  15  mm.,  diam.  9  mm.,  alt.  4  mm.  Our  specimens 
have  a  slightly  grey-green  border  around  the  anal  callus.  In 
our  opinion  this  Tortugas  shell  compares  more  nearly  with 
Diudora  microsticta  Dall,  than  with  D.  listeri  Orb.  or  D.  alter- 
nata  Say,  though  it  is  slightly  smaller,  less  clearly  spotted  and 
much  more  depressed  than  D.  microsticta. — Jeanne  S. 
schwengel. 

Corrections  and  ecological  Notes  on  some  recently  de- 
scribed Florida  marine  shells. — In  a  recently  published  paper 
on  some  new  Antillean  Mollusks  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  vol.  83 
(no.  3161,  Jan.  20,  1943)  pp.  187-203),  two  of  the  species  de- 
scribed therein  through  some  unfortunate  mix-up  in  labels,  bear 
erroneous  localities.  Fartulum  nehulosum  Rehder  (p.  190,  op. 
cit.)  should  be  recorded  from  ^Missouri  Key.  14  or  15  miles  west 
of  Bonefish  Key.  Microdochus  floridanus  Rehder  (p.  193)  was 
found  at  IMissouri  Kej%  and  not  Bonefish  Key. 

Dr.  B.  R.  Bales  has  called  my  attention  to  these  errors  and  has 
also  enclosed  descriptions  of  the  hai)itat  of  some  of  tiie  mollusks 
described  in  the  above  paper.  He  has  generously  aliowotl  me  to 
jmblisli  these  interesting  ecological  notes.  Microdoclnis  florida- 
nus Reluler  was  found  usually  in  crowded  colonies  under  large 
flat  rocks  imbedded  in  tough,  sticky  marl  together  with  Fartulum 
nt  hulosuni  Rehder,  Caecum  caifost  use  Reluler,  Caecum  sc}(lpfu))i 
de  Folin,  Phenacvlcpas  liamillci  Fischer,  and  Callistochiton  shut- 
tleworthianus  Pilsbry.  This  locality  on  Missouri  Key  is  a  rocky 
point  partly  above  high  water,  but  for  the  most  part  covered  by 


July,    194.{]  THE  NAUTILUS  33 

the  titles.  Most  of  tlie  shells  mentioned  above  were  eolleeted 
under  rocks  uncovered  at  low  water.  The  Callistochiton  was 
usually  found  on  clean  rocks,  thouprh  occasionally  collected  under 
marl-covered  rocks.  Phniacolcpas  hamilU  i  Fischer  lives  farther 
inshore,  under  rocks  that  are  submerged  but  a  short  time  during 
high  tide.  Asthcnoihacrus  halcsi  Rehder  was  taken  from  an- 
other part  of  Missouri  Key,  having  been  screened  out  from  sandy 
marl  containing  many  small  stones,  and  sparsely  populated  with 
eelgrass. 

The  place  on  Bonefish  Key,  on  the  other  hand,  where  Rissoella 
carihaca  Rehder  was  collected,  is  an  artificial  fill  of  rocks  in 
clean  water,  free  from  marl.  Here  the  little  Rissoella  lives  in 
sparsely  populated  colonies  on  the  clean  rocks,  actively  moving 
about,  its  white  tentacles  contrasting  strongly  with  the  black 
body,  which  is  visible  through  the  almost  transparent  shell. — 
Harald  a.  Rehder. 

Ensis  minor  megistus  n.  subsp.,  a  West  Florida  razor 
CLAM. — In  the  course  of  dredging  off  Destin,  Okaloosa  Co.,  west 
Florida,  one  of  us  (T,  L.  M.)  came  upon  razor  clams  in  about  20 
fathoms,  marl  bottom,  from  about  18  to  about  20  miles  off  shore. 

The  dredge  did  not  dig  deep  enough  to  obtain  any  living  shells 
entire;  it  cut  them  off  neatly  leaving  the  lower  halves  in  their 
burrows.  However,  odd  dead  valves  were  quite  common,  two 
being  shown  in  plate  6,  figs  12,  13.  "While  they  are  as  long  as 
the  ordinary  Ensis  directus  (Conr.),  they  are  far  narrower,  the 
proportions  being  about  as  in  Eyisis  minor  Dall  ^  of  which  one 
from  Galveston,  Texas,  is  figured  for  comparison  (fig.  11). 

This  large  form  here  figured  from  off  Destin  measured  145.5 
mm.  long,  17  mm.  wide.  The  greatest  width  is  contained  more 
than  8  times  in  the  length — in  three  measured,  8.27,  8.56  and 
8.7  times  in  the  length.  The  valves  are  very  thin,  with  flesh}' 
brown  concentric  streaks  on  the  posterior  ray  as  in  E.  minor. 
As  Ensis  minor  seems  to  run  rather  uniform  in  size,  in  lots  seen, 
it  may  be  well  to  have  a  name  for  this  large  race  of  deeper  water, 
and  we  are  calling  it  Ensis  minor  megistus,  the  type  being 
17I»277  AXSP.,  paratypes  in  McGinty  collection. 


1  Ensis  minor  was  named  but  not  described  by  Dall,  Proc.  U.  8.  Nat.  Mus. 
22:  108,  1899;  the  range  was  given  but  not  the  type  locality.  A  good  de- 
scription and  figure  may  be  found  under  that  name  in  Dr.  Perry 's  Marine 
Shells  of  the  Southwest  Coast  of  Florida,  p.  81.     1940. 


34  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (1) 

Two  bleached  and  broken  valves  of  this  race  were  found  by 
Mr.  Clarence  B.  Moore  in  1902,  on  the  gulf  beach  at  St.  Andrews 
Sound,  Bay  Co.,  a  place  about  60  or  70  miles  east  of  Destin. 
They  had  been  labelled  E.  directus  in  the  collection. 

Ensis  minor,  besides  being  known  from  our  Atlantic  coast, 
occurs  on  the  Gulf  coast  of  Florida  at  Cedar  Keys,  Clearwater 
Harbor,  Tampa  Bay,  etc.,  as  well  as  in  Galveston  Bay,  Texas, 
but  the  largest  seen  from  these  places  is  75  mm.  long,  9.6  mm. 
wide;  another  large  one  68  X  9.6  mm.  It  is  a  shell  of  sandy 
bars  and  shallow  water. 

We  do  not  know  that  Ensis  directus  has  been  reported  from 
any  Gulf  locality,  but  there  is  one  valve  in  the  Academy  collec- 
tion received  with  shells  from  Boca  Grande,  Gasparilla  Bay,  col- 
lected by  the  late  T.  Charlton  Henry  in  1926.— H.  A.  Pilsbry  & 
T.  L.  McGiNTY. 

Note  on  Cerion  striatellum  ("Fer."  Guerin). — In  the  lit- 
erature of  Cerion  this  name  has  been  applied  by  Poey  and  some 
later  authors  to  a  Cuban  (Cabo  Cruz)  species,  and  by  others 
to  a  Puerto  Riean  shell.  In  Manual  of  Conchology,  14:  278,  I 
adopted  the  former  identification,  referring  the  Puerto  Rican 
shell  to  C.  crassilabris  ("Shuttl."  Sowerby).  In  going  over 
eerions  which  have  been  "planted"  on  the  Florida  Keys  I  had 
occasion  to  review  the  matter,  and  concluded  that  the  Cabo 
Cruz  species  is  not  striatellum.  After  getting  this  result  inde- 
pendently, I  found  a  note  under  the  trays  in  the  collection  to 
the  effect  that  Dr.  de  la  Torre  and  I  reached  this  same  conclu- 
sion many  years  ago,  when  going  over  our  series.  The  Cabo 
Cruz  species  may  be  called  C.  cabocru/.ense  Pil.sbry  &  Torre. 
The  description  of  ''striatellum"  in  Man.  Conrli.  14:  278  defines 
Cdbocruzense,  pi.  46,  fig.  21,  representing  the  type.  Figs.  20. 
22,  23  are  other  topotypic  specimens.  It  may  prove  to  be  con- 
nected with  C.  basistriatum  Pils.  &  Van.,  a  smooth  form  from  the 
same  locality.  Cerion  longidcns  Pils.,  Man.  Conch.  14:  212,  is 
a  larger  and  stouter  shell,  with  slightly  different  parietal  arma- 
ture; but  thorough  collections  from  the  Cabo  Cruz  region  are 
needed  to  elucidate  the  relations  existing  between  the  allied 
forms,  basistriatum,  cabocruztnsc  and  lunyidcns. 

Cerion  striatellum  (Guerin)  is  believed  to  be  the  Puerto 
Rican  species  commonly  known  as  (\  crassilabris  {"Pupa  crassi- 


July,    1943]  THE    NATTILUS  36 

labris  Shuttleworth"  of  Sowerby,  Conch.  Icon.  IHTf),  not  I'lijxi 
crassilabris  Parreyss  in  Pfeiffer,  Mon.  Ilel.  Viv.  2:  134,  1848). 
The  oolltH'tion  name  attributed  to  ShuttkMvorth  was  never  pub- 
lished by  him,  and  in  any  ease  eould  not  be  used.  C.  striatellum 
is  slifjhtly  largrer  than  any  cahocruzense  seen,  the  type  fifjure 
beinjr  25  mm.  lonjr.  Other  differenees  as  driven  in  Man.  Conch. 
14:  192.  The  name  Pupa  striatella  was  attributed  to  Ferussac, 
but  was  first  published  in  Guerin-Meneville's  illustrated  Regne 
Animal  of  Cuvier  (j\Ioll.  p.  16,  pi.  6,  fig.  12).  This  work  ap- 
peared at  intervals,  plate  6  in  1829  or  shortly  after.  Griffith  & 
Pidgeon  copied  the  figure  (rather  badly)  in  their  English  edi- 
tion of  1834.  It  was  this  species  which  Dr.  Bartsch  planted  in 
1915  on  Loggerhead  Key  and  Garden  Key,  Tortugas,  where  it 
still  flourishes. — Pilsbry. 

Jeanne  S.  Schwengel  was  awarded  the  honorary  degree  of 
Sc.D.  by  the  University  of  Dayton,  on  April  18,  in  recognition 
of  her  work  on  moUusks. 

Western  Shell  Collections. — The  Minutes  of  the  Concho- 
logical  Club  of  Southern  California,  No.  24,  for  June,  contains 
records  of  the  principal  collections  of  the  West  Coast,  especially 
those  containing  type  material. 

Richard  A.  McLean,  assistant  curator  of  mollusks  at  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  has  been  com- 
missioned an  ensign  in  the  Navy  and  is  now  stationed  at  Cape 
May,  N.  J. 

Ln'ternational  Directory  op  IMalacologists  (including  shell 
collectors).  By  Maxwell  Smith,  Lantana,  Florida.  Third  Edi- 
tion, 1943,  50  pp.,  price  $1.75.  Chiefly  confined  to  American 
conchologists,  but  some  from  Australia,  Mauritius  and  New  Zea- 
land are  included.  It  is  illustrated  with  many  figures  of  charac- 
teristic shells  from  each  State  and  Country. 

MRS.  W.  H.  ESHNAUR 
1862-1943 

There  will  be  widespread  regret  at  the  news  of  the  death  of 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Eshnaur,  which  occurred  at  Bellflower,  Calif,  on 
April  13th,  1943.  Mrs.  Eshnaur  was  the  last  of  the  group  of 
conchologists  who  formed  the  original   Couchological   Club   of 


36  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (1) 

Southern  California  and  carried  on  for  many  years  in  a  way 
which  laid  foundations  for  much  of  the  work  done  later. 

Nannie  Milton  Mock  was  born  near  Rockport,  Indiana,  on 
April  17th,  1862,  but  was  living  in  Missouri  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage  to  Warren  H.  Eshnaur  which  took  place  at  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  in  1884.  She  and  Mr.  Eshnaur  were  already  inter- 
ested in  shells  before  they  moved  to  California  in  1898,  and  after 
they  settled  at  Terminal  Island  in  1903  they  were  able  to  spend 
a  great  deal  of  time  and  enthusiastic  effort  on  collecting  grounds 
that  have  been  completely  destroyed  by  the  development  of 
Los  Angeles  Harbor.  Mrs.  Eshnaur  was  not  a  charter  member 
of  the  Conchological  Club  of  Southern  California  but  joined  at 
a  very  early  date.  Because  of  the  poor  health  which  was  a  life- 
long handicap  she  was  inactive  for  several  years  but  was  always 
interested  and  very  kind  in  advising  younger  collectors  in  the 
best  methods  and  localities  for  collecting  the  local  shells. 

In  1919  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eshnaur  moved  to  Bellflower  and  shortly 
thereafter  Mrs.  Eshnaur  revived  her  club  membership  and  as  the 
club  was  no  longer  exclusively  feminine  Mr.  Eshnaur  joined  the 
club  roll.  After  Mr.  Eshnaur 's  retirement  from  active  railroad- 
ing the  Eshnaurs  made  several  long  trips  and  added  a  great  deal 
to  their  already  large  collection.  But  Mr.  Eshnaur  passed  away 
in  1935  and  since  that  time  Mrs.  Eshnaur,  realizing  that  none  of 
her  family  were  particularly  interested  in  shells,  had  given  in- 
valuable material  including  the  type  of  Pcriploma  sulcata  Dall, 
to  the  U.  S.  N.  M.,  had  sold  her  main  collection  and  arranged 
for  the  distribution  of  many  duplicates  to  a  new  generation  of 
collectors. 

Mrs.  Eshnaur  is  survived  by  one  son,  three  grandchildren, 
and  five  great-grandchildren,  but  the  group  of  friends  and 
correspondents  who  will  miss  lier  is  spread  over  much  of  the 
world.— E.  M.  Chace. 


rilK   NAUTILUS    57    (2) 


PLATE  7 


- -1.  .  _  ^x 


1     Kinu.l:.  frcuulMt:,.     2.  Wi.nula  lo^^;M.     :i,  IU.huIm  pyr„nnr.uM 
:,,    (■..'X,.n«.pl...ra    n.l.usta.     7,   (Viion   .Icani.     S.  (Vn.m   ,.aul..     X 


1,  'l'y|iliis  lonli- 
Nciiia    juiiiiiciisis. 


10,  Dryinaciis  iiica. 


The  Nautilus 

Vol.  57  October,  1943  No.  2 

ANOTHER    SPECIMEN    OF   XENOPHORA   ROBUSTA 
By  M.  E.  bourgeois 

In  one  of  the  papers  that  I  received  in  1941  from  the  California 
Academy  of  Sciences,  there  is  a  description  of  the  shell  Xenophora 
robusta  Verrill,  in  which  it  is  said  that  before  the  Templeton 
Crocker  Expedition  in  1932,  which  dredged  eight  specimens,  6 
living  and  2  dead,  this  shell  was  known  only  from  the  description 
of  the  two  original  specimens  taken  near  La  Paz  by  J.  Pedersen 
in  March,  1870. 

Imagine  my  surprise  on  reading  this,  when  I  realized  that  I  had 
in  my  collection  a  perfect  specimen  of  this  species,  found  by  me 
on  Playa  Larga  ("Long  Beach"),  Acapulco,  December,  1930. 
Before  this,  I  had  not  appreciated  that  it  was  such  a  rare  speci- 
men, and  which  from  the  account  of  the  California  Academy  of 
Sciences,  proves  to  be  the  third  specimen  found,  and  the  only 
other  specimen  known,  apart  from  those  dredged  by  the  Temple- 
ton  Crocker  Expedition. 

My  specimen  (Plate  7,  figs.  5,  6)  is  a  very  fresh  shell  and  per- 
fect in  detail,  as  to  apex,  base  and  apertural  margin.  The 
aperture  itself  is  very  bright  and  shiny,  as  if  the  animal  had  just 
been  removed. 

The  two  views  of  the  shell,  kindly  taken  by  Prof.  Ancona  H.  of 
the  Biological  Institute  of  Mexico  City,  are  excellent;  beautifully 
showing  the  details  of  the  base  of  the  shell  and  the  one  perfect 
erratic,  a  Glycymeris,  still  fastened  to  the  shell,  besides  pebbles 
and  a  fragment  of  another  erratic.  The  figures  are  smaller  than 
natural  size. 


FLORIDIAN   SPECIES   OF   RIMULA 
By  II.  A.  PILSBRY 

Five  species  of  Rimula  are  now  known  from  Florida.     All  are 
rare  shells.     Two  of  them,  R.  larva  Dall  and  R.  aeguisculpta  Dall, 

(37) 


38  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57   (2) 

have  not  been  figured,  and  some  structural  points  remain  obscure. 
Thus  R.  larva  was  described  as  "long-ovate,"  but  by  the  dimen- 
sions given  it  should  be  the  most  shortly  ovate  of  our  species,  the 
width  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  length.  The  highest  species  is 
R.  aequisculpta,  the  height  half  of  the  length.  In  others  the 
height  is  40  per  cent  of  the  length  or  less.  The  new  species  were 
generously  given  by  Mrs.  Jeanne  S.  Schwengel. 

The  follo\nng  key  contrasting  the  species  has  been  composed. 
The  size  \\ill  of  course  vary  ^^^th  age,  but  the  proportions  are 
probably  rather  stable. 

1.  Width  of  shell  less  than  half  of  its  length.  Sculpture  of  radial 
riblets  and  equally  spaced  concentric  threads.     Length  6.5 

\ndth  3,  height  1.8  mm.     Off  Destin,  Fla R.  longa,  n.  sp. 

Width  decidedly  more  than  half  of  the  length 2 

2.  Apex  at  posterior  fourth  of  length;  height  half  the  length. 
Sculpture  of  40  equal  ribs  and  close  concentric  threads. 
Length  5,  width  3,  height  2.5  mm.     Ajax  Reef,  Fla. 

R.  aequisculpta  Dall 
Apex  nearer  the  posterior  end;  height  less  than  half  the 
length 3 

3.  Sculpture  of  fine,  granulate  radiating  lines,  with  lines  of 
granules  in  interspaces;  margin  entire;  slit  half  as  long  as  the 
shell.     Length  3,  width  2.3,  height  1  mm.     Off  Fernandina, 

Fla R.  larva  Dall. 

Sculpture  of  radial  threads  or  riblets  and  concentric  threads; 
slit  shorter;  margin  crenulate 4 

4.  Concentric  threads  fine  and  verj'  close,  much  lower  than  the 
radial  riblets;  width  about  68  per  cent  of  length,  length  3.7, 
width  2.5,  height  1.5  mm.     Off  Palm  Beach 

R.  pycnonema,  n.  sp. 
(■oncontric  threads  spaced  about  like  radials  and  nearly  as 
high;  width  60-64  per  cent  of  length.  Length  (5. 25.  width  3.75, 
height  2.3  mm.  to  1.  5.8,  w.  3.7,  h.  2  mm.     Florida  and  Keys 

R.  frcnulata  Dall 

References: — R.  frcnulata,  "Blake"  Cia.stropoda,  ii.  406,  pi. 
28  fig.  4.  R.  larva,  Proc.  V.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  70,  art.  IS;  113. 
R.  aequisculpta,  same  Proc,  art.  19:  9. 

RiMULA  LONGA,  n.  sp.     Plate  7,  fig.  2. 

Tlic  wliite  shell  is  oblou^;,  rather  narrow,  the  width  slightly  less 
than  hiilf  Iho  length,  with  subpar:ill(>l  sides;  low,  the  height  con- 
tained  about  3.6   times   in   tlie  length.     Apex  small,   laterally 


Oct.,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  39 

compressed,  nearly  terminal  above  the  posterior  end,  the  minute 
glossy  nucleus  of  about  one  whorl  visible  on  the  right  side  but  not 
projecting.  Posterior  slope  very  short  and  concave,  anterior 
slope  convexly  arched.  Slit-fasciole  shallow,  continuous  from 
fissure  to  apex,  as  wide  as  the  slit  and  marked  with  semilunar 
incremental  lines.  Sculpture  of  evenly  spaced  narrow  radiating 
riblets  from  apex  to  margin,  crossed  by  concentric  threads,  weak 
over  the  ribs,  and  dividing  the  intercostal  intervals  into  squares. 
The  radial  riblets  are  a  little  stronger  over  the  anterior  half  and 
near  the  posterior  margin  than  at  the  sides.  Interior  glo.ssy,  with 
two  faint  ridges  extending  from  slit  to  apex,  continued  from  the 
callus  bounding  the  fissure.  The  margin  shows  slight  crenula- 
tions  from  outer  sculpture.  Length  6.5  mm.,  breadth  3  mm., 
height  1.8  mm.,  length  of  slit  1.5  mm. 

Dredged  in  13  fathoms  off  Destin,  northwest  Florida,  by  T.  L. 
IMcGinty.  Type  A.N.S.P.  178632,  others  in  the  McGinty  col- 
lection. 

This  is  the  narrowest  and  relatively  lowest  of  our  species,  with 
sculpture  similar  to  R.  frenulata,  which  appears  nearly  related, 
but  is  higher  and  wider. 

RiMULuA.  PYCNONEMA,  n.  sp.     Plate  7,  fig.  3. 

The  white  shell  is  oval,  the  width  about  68  per  cent  of  the 
length,  height  about  40  per  cent  of  the  length.  Apex  elevated, 
recurved  nearly  to  the  posterior  margin.  Anterior  slope  convex, 
posterior  slope  short  and,  except  near  the  apex,  straight.  Sculp- 
ture of  about  34  subequal  narrow  radiating  riblets,  spreading 
gracefully  from  apex  to  margin,  their  intervals  divided  by  quite 
small  interstitial  radii;  crossed  by  fine,  close,  wavy  concentric 
threads,  in  places  near  the  margin  becoming  almost  lamellar,  far 
lower  than  the  primary  radial  riblets,  and  somewhat  interrupted 
by  the  inconspicuous  secondary  radials.  Margin  crenulated,  slit 
about  one  fifth  the  length  of  shell,  its  posterior  end  at  the  middle 
of  the  length  of  shell.  Interior  smooth,  showing  a  slight  callus 
around  the  slit.     Length  3.7  mm.,  breadth  2.5  mm.,  height  1.5  mm. 

Dredged  off  Palm  Beach,  Florida;  in  about  250  to  300  feet,  by 
Thomas  L.  McGinty.  Type  A.N.S.P.  178633;  also  in  McGinty 
collection. 

This  species  is  probably  somewhat  similar  to  the  unfigured 
R.  aequisculpta  Dall,  but  is  lower  and  slightly  narrower  relatively, 
and  the  apex  is  nearer  to  the  posterior  end.  The  concentric 
threads  are  much  slighter  and  closer  than  in  longa  or  frenulata. 


40  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

RiMULA  FRENULATA  Dall.     Plate  7,  fig.  1. 

In  this  species  the  apex  may  project  a  Kttle  be^^ond  the  posterior 
outline,  as  in  Ball's  figure,  and  specimens  from  off  Palm  Beach  in 
65-70  fms.,  or  it  may  fall  short  of  the  posterior  end,  as  in  those 
from  Bonefish  Key  in  shallow  water,  one  of  which  is  drawn  in 
Plate  7,  fig.  1. 


TYPHIS   FORDI,   A   NEW   BAHAMAN   MURICID 
MOLLUSK 

By  H.  a.  PILSBRY 

Among  Bahaman  mollusks  received  from  the  Rev.  Paul  D. 
Ford,  President  of  the  Bahamas  Conchological  Society,  were  ex- 
amples of  a  handsome  Typhis,  quite  unlike  any  Antillean  member 
of  the  genus,  recent  or  fossil,  known  to  me. 

Typhis  fordi,  new  species.     Plate  7,  fig.  4. 

The  shell  is  rather  small  and  slender,  the  diameter  less  than  half 
of  the  length;  cartridge  buff;  of  about  six  whorls  parted  by  a 
rather  deep  suture,  which  is  irregular  by  the  presence  of  small 
denticles  rising  from  its  anterior  margin,  about  two  or  three  be- 
tween each  varix  and  the  follo^ving  tube.  Embryonic  shell  want- 
ing in  specimens  seen,  the  first  two  whorls  preserved  being  plain, 
follo^^^ng  whorls  having  narrow,  straight  varices,  becoming  promi- 
nent on  the  last  whorl,  where  they  are  flat,  broader  in  the  anterior 
part,  conspicuously  fluted  on  both  sides,  there  being  about  15 
corrugations  on  the  last  varix.  Spaces  between  varices  having 
spiral  cords.  Tubes  are  moderately  long,  bending  u])ward  and 
backward  a  little,  and  arising  a  short  distance  behind  each  varix, 
with  which  the  base  of  the  tube  is  connected  by  a  low  ridge. 
Aperture  oval,  with  a  narrow  rim  upon  the  varix;  the  rather  long 
anterior  canal  is  quite  narrowly  open  in  front.     Length  17.4  mm., 

Type  and  paratype  179712  ANSP.,  from  5  miles  west  of 
Nassau,  on  the  north  coast  of  New  Providence. 

This  species  belongs  to  the  subgenus  Pterotyphis  Jousseaume, 
which  is  characteristic  of  west  Mexican  shores.  It  is  nearly  re- 
lated to  T.  pinnatus  Broderip,  the  type  of  that  group,  and  is 
interesting  as  representing  another  Pacific  (Pananiic)  group  in 
the  West  Indies. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  41 

COLLECTING  SHELLS  IN  THE  SOLOMON  ISLANDS 
By  WALTER  J.  EYEIIDAM 

Now  that  the  Solomons  are  in  the  news  every  day  and  we  are  all 
vitally  interested  in  what  is  going  on  down  there,  a  few  notes  on 
my  shell  collecting  activities  on  these  islands,  when  I  was  collect- 
ing birds  as  a  member  of  the  Whitney  South  Sea  Expedition  in 
1929-30,  may  be  of  interest. 

When  I  saw  in  the  newspapers  the  pictures  of  the  landing  made 
by  the  first  contingent  of  marines  on  Quadalcanal  Island,  I  recog- 
nized right  away  the  beach  near  Berandi,  where  our  expedition 
stopped  for  a  day  at  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Robertson,  to  pick  up 
Gordon  White,  the  assistant  of  Dr.  S.  M.  Lambert,  chief  of  the 
Rockefeller  Foundation  anti-disease  campaign  in  the  South  Seas. 
We  were  bound  for  Rennell  Island,  a  hitherto  unexplored  and 
unspoiled  paradise  or  "Lost  world"  of  healthy  and  beautiful 
savages. 

The  long  cobblestone  beach  at  Berandi  looked  very  unpromising 
for  shells,  since  the  heavy  winds  rolled  the  breakers  high  and 
washed  the  round  stones  to  and  fro.  On  sandy  stretches,  I  had 
better  luck  and  collected  54  species  of  marines  in  about  an  hour, 
including  a  dozen  that  were  new  to  me.  Some  of  the  species  of 
cones  had  remarkably  heavy  shells,  as  a  protection  that  nature 
had  given  against  buffeting  on  the  stony  beach. 

Jack  London  wrote  "The  Cruise  of  the  Snark,"  which  told 
much  about  the  Solomons,  especially  in  places  I  have  since  visited 
and  collected  biological  material.  Martin  Johnson  accompanied 
him  on  the  Snark.  I  did  not  know  that  London  had  WTitten 
another  very  interesting  book  about  Guadalcanal,  until  I  found 
"Die  Insel  Berandi"  in  an  old  bookstore  in  Saarbriicken  in  1931, 
and  read  it  eagerly.  A  few  days  afterwards,  I  spent  three  days 
as  the  guest  of  Dr.  Eugene  Paravicini,  director  of  the  Museum  of 
Ethnography,  in  Basle,  Switzerland,  and  had  time  to  see  most  of 
his  immense  collection  of  ethnographic  and  anthopologic  material, 
which  he  collected  in  the  Solomons. 

It  seems  that  London's  book  "The  Island  of  Berandi"  was 
founded  on  fact.  The  heroine,  an  adventurous  young  American 
girl  was  shipwTCcked  on  Guadalcanal  in  her  father's  yacht.  With 
her  American  fianc6  and  a  faithful  attendant,  a  fine  big  Polynesian 


42  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

whom  the  natives  called  "one  fellow  Adam- Adam"  and  who  had 
saved  the  lives  of  the  two  Americans,  a  plantation  was  started  at 
Berandi.  The  fianc6  died  of  fever  and  the  girl  married  the 
Polynesian.  Wild  and  tough  Malaita  bushmen  were  imported  as 
indentured  laborers  and  disciplined  with  the  aid  of  lash  and  gun. 
Jack  London  got  his  story  directlj^  from  the  shipwTecked  American 
woman. 

In  1928,  when  Dr.  Paravicini  stopped  at  that  plantation,  he 
met  a  good-looking  young  woman,  armed  with  a  gun  and  a  heavy 
whip,  bossing  a  gang  of  Malaita  men.  She  invited  him  to  dinner, 
and  soon  appeared  dressed  as  a  lady  in  up-to-date  European 
style.  She  managed  the  place  alone  and  handled  the  crew  of 
tough  Malaita  men,  who  worked  well  for  her.  This  girl  seems  to 
have  been  the  daughter  of  London's  heroine,  who  \vith  the 
Polynesian  father  had  died  some  years  before  and  left  her  to 
manage  the  estate. 

Dr.  Paravicini  found  2  new  subspecies  of  Papuina  and  3  new 
species  and  5  new  subspecies  of  Placostylus  in  the  Solomons;  these 
were  described  by  Dr.  Rensch.  I  found  2  new  species  and  2  new 
subspecies  of  Papuina  and  4  new  species  and  1  subspecies  of 
Placostylus,  which  were  described  by  Wm.  J.  Clench. 

After  the  war,  if  conditions  permit,  a  great  deal  of  work  in  the 
line  of  biological  explorations  in  the  Solomons  awaits  accomplish- 
ment. The  birds  and  the  butterflies  have  been  quite  well  studied, 
but  the  botany  and  the  land  snails  of  the  mountainous  interior 
are  still  but  little  known. 


ABUNDANCE-AREAS  OF  MESODON  PENNSYLVANICUS 

(GREEN) 

By  GLENN  R.  WEBB 

During  approximately  six  years  of  casual  collecting  in  eastern 
Marion  County  (Warren  Township),  Indiana,  it  has  become  evi- 
dent that  the  land  snail  Mesodon  pennsylvanicus  (Green)  exhibits 
extreme  variations  in  abundance  in  this  area — it  being  rare  *  in 
most  localities  but  abundant  at  a  few.     It  is  the  purpose  of  this 

'  One  finds  less  than  one  pennsylvanicus  to  25  specimens  of  other  Polygyrids, 
hence,  an  estimated  abundance-ratio  of  1/25. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  43 

paper  to  commence  a  catalogue  of  the  previously  reported  abun- 
dance-areas -  of  the  species,  to  describe  two  seemingly  new  areas, 
and  to  cite  information  of  possible  use  in  the  location  of  other 
such  elsewhere. 

Among  the  limited  number  of  reports  of  areas  where  pennsyl- 
vanjcus  occurs  in  any  degree  of  commonness  whatsoever,  but  two 
indubitable  records  of  abundance-areas  are  known  to  me.  One 
of  these  is  the  Ohio  record  of  Call  (1900)  who  wrote:  "Around 
Cincinnati,  in  favorable  localities,  it  is  common,  a  hundred  being 
collected  in  one  spot  a  few  feet  square  in  a  single  afternoon." 
The  other  is  that  discovered  at  some  locality  near  Monroe, 
Michigan  by  the  late  Sister  Catherine  of  the  convent  near  there.^ 

As  has  been  stated,  two  abundance-areas  have  been  found  in 
eastern  Marion  County,  Indiana.  Since  these  areas  are  both 
located  near  Indianapolis,  they  lie  within  the  region  where  the 
species  has  been  called  common  by  Stein  (1881).  However,  the 
Stein  data  does  not  seem  to  necessitate  reporting  these  areas  as 
other  than  new. 

One  of  these  areas  comprises  a  segment  of  the  former  right-of- 
way  of  the  Indianapolis  &  Cincinnati  Traction  Company  between 
Kitley  Avenue  and  Sears  Avenue.  The  entire  segment,  however, 
is  not  populated  by  the  species,  for  only  in  certain  parts  have  the 
ecologic  forces  of  the  region  been  allowed  to  run  their  course  and 
commence  reforestation  with  a  stand  of  saplings.  Another  of 
the  more  obvious  factors  influencing  the  ecologic  development  is 
the  presence  of  Lick  Creek  and  its  tributary.  Little  Lick  Creek, 
which  together  meanderingly  parallel  *  the  segment  as  one  stream. 

Three  snail-collecting  localities  have  been  recognized  in  this 
area:  (1)  Loc.  R,  situated  just  southwest  of  the  cite  of  the  Brook- 
ville  Road  underpass  of  the  former  electric-railway;  (2)  Loc.  RR, 
that  part  of  the  right-of-way  from  the  underpass  at  the  Indianapo- 
lis-Rushville  section  of  the  P.C.C.  &  St.  L.  Railroad  *  to  Broad- 
head  Road;  and  (3)  Loc.  RR-1,  that  portion  from  Broadhead 
Road  north  to  the  banks  of  Little  Lick  Creek. 


'  Defined  as:  An  area  with  a  much  denser  population  of  the  specie8  than 
other  parts  of  the  same  region. 

*  Phil  L.  Marsh:  Personal  communication. 

*  At  distances  varying  from  0  to  about  200  feet. 

*  Also  known  as  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  RR. 


44  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57  (2) 

At  each  of  the  foregoing  locaUties  pennsylvanicus  occurs  in 
considerable  abundance  and  far  outnumbers  Mesodon  thyroidus 
(Say),  the  only  other  Mesodon  inhabiting  the  right-of-way  to  any 
extent.®  A  preliminary  population-count  June  28,  1941  and  Loc. 
RR-1  revealed  16  pennsylvanicus  specimens  in  an  area  of  about 
78  square  feet — a  population  density  of  roughly  one  specimen  per 
five  square  feet.     No  thyroidus  were  found  in  the  census  plot. 

Mention  must  now  be  made  of  the  second  abundance-area,  Loc. 
2X.  This  area  is  located  about  the  Dietrich-Kline  Ditch  Bridge 
on  the  Indianapolis-Greenfield  section  of  the  P.C.C.  &  St.  L. 
Railroad  embankment  He  of  a  mile  west  of  Mitthoefer  Road. 
From  the  south  side  of  the  embankment  the  population  seems  to 
have  spread  southward  into  an  adjacent  woodland — only  the 
northern  part  being  inhabited  by  the  species. 

Although  it  is  impossible  to  offer  any  explanation  as  to  why 
Mesodon  pennsylvanicus  should  be  so  abundant  in  these  two  areas, 
it  is  not  amiss  to  emphasize  certain  of  the  more  obvious  conditions 
which  may  be  important  factors  in  the  problem.  These  are:  (1) 
the  repeated  occurence  of  a  graveled  road-bed  at  the  localities; 
(2)  the  presence  of  a  stream  nearby;  (3)  the  repeated  occurence 
of  relatively  undisturbed  wooded  areas  adjacent  to  the  abundance- 
areas;  and  (4)  the  relative  absence  of  other  Mesodon  species  in 
the  populated  areas  (i.e.  the  high  ratio  of  the  pennsylvanicus 
population  to  that  of  any  other  species  of  the  genus).  One  possi- 
ble test  of  the  relationship  these  conditions  may  have  on  the 
occurence  of  pennsijlvanicus  abundance-areas  would  be  to  attempt 
to  locate  other  such  areas,  within  the  range  of  the  species,  at 
points  where  these  conditions  occur. 

References 

Stein,  F.,  1881,  "Svnopsis  of  the  Molluscous  Fauna  of  Indiana," 

Ind.  State  Geol.  Rep.  1879-1880,  p.  88. 
C.\LL,  R.  E.,  1900,  "A  Discriptive  Ilhistratod  Catalogue  of  the 

Mollusca  of  Indiana,"  Ind.  State  Gool.  Hop.  1899,  p.  391. 
Steuki,  v.,  1900,  "List  of  the  Land  and  Fresh  Water  Mollusca 

of  Tuscarawas  Countv,  Ohio,"  Ohio  Acad.  Sci.,  Rep.  8,  p.  31. 
Bakeu,    F.    C,    1902,   "the   Mollusca  of  the  Chicago  Area," 

Chicago  Acad.  Sci.,  Bull.  3,  pt.  2,  p.  101. 
Steuki,  Y.,   1907,  "A  Preliminary  Catah)gue  of  the  Land  and 

'  A  solitary  speciiiuiii  of  .1/.  ckvatus  (Say)  has  been  found  at  Loc.  llR-1. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  45 

Fresh- Water  Molliisca  of  Ohio,"  Proc.  Ohio  Acad.  Sci.,  V.  4, 

pt.  8,  p.  401. 
Cahn,  a.  H.  and  Kemp,  J.  T.,  1929,  "The  Terrestrial  MoUu.sca 

of  Turkey  Run  State  Park,  Indiana,"  Naut.,  V.  43,  pt.  2, 

p.  07. 
Foster.  T.  I).,  1936.     "Size  of  Shell  in  Land  Snails  of  the  Genus 

Pohnjlira  with  Particular  Reference  to  Major  and  Minor 

Varieties,"  Araer.  Midland  Nat.,  V.  17,  no.  G,  pp.  978-982. 


MARL    DEPOSITS   IN    BONAVENTURE,    NORTH    OF 
BAY   CHALEUR,    QUEBEC,   CANADA,   AND   IN 
HOULTON,   MAINE 

By  OLOF  O.  NYLANDER 

Since  the  opening  of  the  road  from  St.  Leonards  across  the 
north  of  New  Brunswick  to  Bay  Chaleur,  I  have  been  able  to 
make  a  trip  there  nearly  every  summer;  sometimes  even  two. 
My  chief  object  has  been  to  check  up  on  the  many  pubHcations 
related  to  the  fo.ssils  and  to  collect  specimens  for  my  collection, 
and  to  take  photographs  of  the  most  important  places. 

On  October  19th,  1940,  we  stopped  at  a  place  along  the  road  to 
examine  a  marl  deposit  that  I  had  noticed  in  passing  by  there 
several  times  before.  This  %vas  on  a  farm  belonging  to  a  Mr. 
Leazari  Henrj',  in  east  Bonaventure,  north  of  Bay  Chaleur.  The 
day  was  cold  and  windy,  and  our  time  limited,  so  I  could  not 
spend  the  time  to  give  the  subject  all  the  attention  it  should  have 
had.  The  marl  deposit  is  12  feet  thick,  (overlaid  by  two  feet  of 
peat)  which  has  been  worked  for  17  years.  The  marl  is  sold  to 
farmers  for  50<i  a  yard  and  is  used  for  improving  the  land.  The 
marl  is  largely  deposited  by  algae  with  some  remains  of  fresh 
water  shells.  In  the  top  layer  of  the  marl  are  many  large  fresh 
water  snails,  Lymnaea  stagnalis  L.,  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

Fossaria  umhilicata,  C.  B.  Adams,  rather  scarce. 

Helisoma  trivolvis  Say,  7  specimens. 

Gyraulus  parvus  Say,  common. 

Sphaerium  sulcatum  Lam,  1  partly  preserved. 

Pisidium,  1  large  specimen  of  a  species  not  seen  before. 

This  deposit  is  remarkable  because  L.  stagnalis  is  abimdant  in 
the  top  layer.     To  my  knowledge  it  has  not  been  found  living  in 


46  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57   (2) 

any  body  of  water  in  north-eastern  America  where  all  the  other 
species  are  of  common  occurence. 

On  August  16,  1933,  near  the  Maine  No.  1  highway,  on  Mr. 
Edward  C.  Currier's  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  Houlton,  I 
discovered  a  peat  bog  of  about  4  feet  in  thickness.  It  was  under- 
laid by  a  marl  bed  about  a  foot  thick,  and  in  this  marl  deposit  is 
a  lot  of  fresh  water  shells,  aU  of  which  are  of  a  large  size  for  their 
species.  Lymnaea  stagnalis  Linn6  is  found  in  the  top  of  the  marl 
and  must  have  been  in  abundance,  as  several  specimens  were 
there,  all  of  a  good  size,  but  so  brittle  that  only  a  few  good  speci- 
mens were  secured. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  14  species  of  shells  observed: 

Valvata  lewisi  Currier  Gyraulus  parvus  Say 

Physa  heterostropha  Say  Sphaerium  sulcatum  Lamarck 

Lymnaea  stagnalis  Linn^  Sphaerium  rhomboideum  Say 

Fossaria  obrussa  decampi  Streng  Musculum  securis  Prime 

Helisoma  irivolvis  Say  Pisidium  variabile  Prime 

Helisoma  anceps  Menke  Pisidium  veTitricosum  Prime 

Helisoma  companulatum  Say  Pisidium  contortum  Prime 


A   NEW  TYPE   OF  FRESH   WATER   CLAM   FROM 
BRITISH    GUIANA 

By  J.  P.  E.  MORRISON » 

The  writer  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  a  student  during  the 
1925  summer  session  at  the  Kartabo  Zoological  laboratory  of  the 
University  of  Pittsburgh.  Each  student's  work  consisted  princi- 
pally of  ecological  observations  and  collections  of  animals  of  the 
group  in  which  he  was  most  interested.  My  oavti  knowledge  of 
mollusks  was  considerably  broadened  and  increased  by  these  first- 
liand  studies  in  Tropical  Animal  Ecology,  made  possible  largely 
through  the  efforts  of  my  professors  at  the  University  of  Chicago, 
Dr.  W.  C.  Alice  and  Dr.  II.  C.  Cowlcs. 

Kartabo  Point,  widely  publicized  by  Wm.  Beebe  in  his  books 
on  the  jungle  life  of  British  Guiana,  proved  to  be  relatively 
barren  of  Mollusca.  Lying  as  it  does  in  the  second-growth  jungle 
area  of  formerly  extensive  plantation  clearings  in  the  Guiana 
lowlands,  the  environment  is  much  different  from  that  of  the 

'  Published  by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Smitlisonian  Institution. 


•Hi;    NA  111  I. IS    .-)7    (2) 


PLAT]-:  8 


Guianadesma  sinuosum. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  47 

virgin  jungle.  The  most  product  iv(>  habitat  in  the  thickly  matted 
second-growth  forest  is  under  or  around  fallen  logs,  where  such 
species  as  Euylarulina  siirinamrnsis  Wrnhout,  Lcptinaria  lamel- 
laia  concentrica  Reeve,  Eucomdus  cassiqucnsis  (Newcomb),  Vitrea 
decoloraia  (Drouet),  Stenopus  cayennensis  (Pfr.),  and  Succinea 
recisa  Morelet  were  found  sparingly.  In  the  area  near  the  Cuyiini 
River,  Hclicina  (Scricea)  scricea  IMorelct  was  found  in  the  leaf- 
mold  and  on  trunks  of  the  smaller  trees,  as  far  as  eight  feet  above 
the  ground. 

Even  five  miles  awaj',  in  the  more  open  but  more  heavily 
shaded  and  higher-roofed  virgin  jungle,  relatively  fewer  moUuscan 
species  were  found.  Auris  disiorta  sublaevis  Pilsbry,  Corona 
perversa  (Swaiason),  and  Orthalicus  sultana  Dillwyn  were  taken 
from  the  trunks  of  certain  smooth-barked  jungle  trees.  Dry- 
maeiis  cinnamoryieolineatus  (Moricand)  on  the  other  hand  was 
found  on  the  leaves  and  branches  of  some  smaller  trees  near 
jungle  clearings,  as  high  as  five  feet  from  the  ground.  Apero- 
stoma  (Cyclohidalgoa)  translucida  major  H.  B.  Baker  and  a  slug, 
Vagi  nidus  sp.,  were  found  here  on  the  virgin  jungle  floor.  Al- 
though intensive  enough  search  was  not  made  to  disprove  their 
presence,  no  smaller  species  of  moUusks  were  evident  on  the 
jungle  floor.  In  the  Kartabo  area  it  is  never  hotter  than  89" 
F.  in  the  shade  of  the  jungle,  but  it  might  be  that  temperature 
every  day  in  the  year,  coupled  with  almost  100  per  cent  humidity. 
The  jungle  environment  here  seems  too  monotonous  to  serve  as 
much  of  a  stimulus  for  the  production  or  survival  of  a  multitude 
of  different  species. 

Some  of  the  very  few  species  of  mollusks  actually  present  at 
Kartabo  have  been  introduced  by  man's  agency  since  the  Dutch 
first  settled  on  Kyk-over-al  Island,  opposite  Kartabo  in  the 
Mazanmi  River,  in  the  year  1626.  It  is  probable,  but  not  cer- 
tainly known  that  the  Spanish  were  there  earlier.  This  island  in 
midstream  at  the  junction  of  the  Cuyuni  and  Mazaruni  Rivers, 
also  commands  the  junction  of  the  Mazaruni  and  the  Essequibo, 
in  sight  just  four  miles  downstream.  A  garrison  here  controlled 
the  entire  Essequibo  district  by  controlling  travel  in  the  Essequibo 
basin.  Even  now  such  control  is  possiljle  because  all  travel  to 
and  from  the  Mazaruni  and  Cuyuni  diamond  and  gold  fields  is 
still  by  means  of  river  boats.     Among  the  smaller  species  of  land 


48  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

mollusks  that  were  found  mostly  on  Kyk-over-al  Island,  and  that 
in  all  probability  have  been  accidentally  introduced  by  man 
sometime  in  the  past  300  years  are  Opeas  goodalli  (Miller),  Subu- 
lina  odona  (Brug.),  Streptaxis  glaher  (Pfr.),  and  Luntia  insignis 
Smith,  Bothriopupa  tenuidens  (C.  B.  Ads.),  found  only  in  the 
leafmold  in  the  dry  season,  but  dotting  the  under  side  of  shrub- 
bery leaves  four  feet  off  the  ground  during  the  wet  season,  was 
probably  brought  in  from  some  other  place  in  the  Americas,  as 
was  the  little  helicinid,  Poenia  lirata  (Pfr.). 

The  waters  at  Kartabo  are  transitional  in  character;  45  miles 
inland  from  the  seven  mile  wide  mouth  of  the  Essequibo,  the 
water  is  practically  fresh,  although  tidal  influence  reaches  beyond. 
The  fall  line,  at  the  first  rapids,  is  about  5  miles  upstream  in  both 
the  Mazaruni  and  the  Cuyuni  Rivers.  There  is  about  six  feet 
of  tide  at  Kartabo;  in  fresh  waters  this  is  not  conducive  to  the 
survival  of  many  molluscan  species  in  the  region. 

All  four  species  of  mollusks  of  the  ordinary  freshwater  types 
found  here  were  restricted  to  waters  out  of  the  reach  of  the  tide 
or  were  better  developed  in  such  situations.  For  example:  there 
is  a  species  of  pill-clam  {Pisidium)  in  the  intermittent  rain  pools 
of  the  virgin  jungle;  one  freshwater  mussel,  Diplodon  granosus 
(Brug.),  was  found  just  100  yards  above  the  influence  of  the  tide 
in  a  small  tributary  of  the  Cuyuni  River  at  the  fall  line;  the  large 
apple  snails  (Pomacea),  and  the  Black  river  snails,  Doryssa  con- 
solidata  (Brug.)  are  found  at  and  above  the  fall  line  in  abundance. 
Occasionally  their  shells  are  washed  do^^^l  as  far  as  Kartabo  in 
the  drift,  but  only  the  Doryssa  has  been  found  living  in  the  river 
near  Kartabo,  surviving  there  in  small  numbers  in  the  reaches  of 
tidal  freshwater. 

There  are  only  two  species  of  freshwater  mollusks  that  belong 
to  the  transitional  zone  of  the  Cuyuni  River,  a  small  brackish 
water  type  of  snail  (Liitoridina),  and  a  very  distinct  type  of 
byssifcrous  clam.  This  little  clam,  prcvioush'  unnamed,  has  been 
more  or  less  of  a  puzzle  since  it  was  first  collected  by  Dr.  Wesley 
Newcomb  almost  a  century  ago.  Now  dotoriiiination  of  its  gross 
anatomy  by  reconstruction  from  camera  lucida  drawings  of  serial 
longitudinal  sections  of  the  entire  animal  has  made  possible  its 
correct  taxonomic  placement. 

Family  LYONSIIDAl-:  (Thicle,  3:  93G:  1934). 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  49 

GUIANADESMA,  new  genus. 

Shell  small,  .'^lightly  inetjuivalve,  rhomboidal,  translucent, 
nacreous-porcollanous  within,  furnished  with  a  variously  WTinkled 
epidermis.  Hinge  anodont.  Ligament  short,  internal,  opistho- 
detic,  that  is  posterior  to  the  beaks,  on  a  narrow  ledge;  without 
an  o.^sicle.  Pallial  sinus  broad,  sluillow.  Right  valve  emarginate 
post  ero-vent  rally. 

Animal  by.^^siferous,  foot  small,  cylindrical;  mantle  largely 
united,  with  foot  and  byssal  orifice  and  two  short,  separate 
siphons,  with  a  briefly  continued  internal  septum.  Inner  and 
outer  branchiae  subequal,  free  below  from  the  abdominal  sac  and 
from  the  mantle. 

Genotype:  Guianadesma  sinuosum,  new  species. 

This  genus  differs  from  all  other  known  members  of  the  family 
in  the  complete  absence  of  the  lithodesma  or  shelly  structure  in 
the  ligament.  It  might  be  placed  in  a  separate  family  if  it  were 
not  evident  that  the  loss  of  only  one  character  is  of  insufficient 
taxonomic  value,  this  loss  having  also  occurred  in  certain  forms 
of  the  related  family  Pandoridae. 

The  single  species  known  is  estuarine,  in  practically  fresh  (tidal) 
water  in  the  Essequibo  drainage  in  British  Guiana.  Guianadesma 
is  best  regarded  as  a  geographically  isolated,  aberrant  member  of 
the  Lyonsiidae,  which  has  lost  the  ligamental  ossification,  but  has 
maintained  the  other  general  characters  of  the  group  during  its 
transition  to  a  freshwater  habitat.  Its  most  similar  living  relative 
seems  to  be  Agriodesma  Dall,  1909,  from  the  southern  California 
coast. 

Gui.wADESMA  SINUOSUM,  HBw  specics.     Plate  8. 

Shell  small,  long  rhomboidal,  regularly  slightly  sinuous  and 
inequi valve,  periostracum  light  straw-colored;  nacre  ^^^thin  hard, 
porcellanous,  translucent  whitish.  Ligament  short,  opisthodetic, 
internal,  without  an  ossicle,  on  a  narrow  ledge  behind  which  is 
the  wide  shallow  beak  cavity;  hinge  anodont.  The  light  straw- 
colored  epidermis,  becoming  slightly  darker  with  age,  is  wrinkled 
in  a  characteristic  fashion  on  both  valves;  the  anterior  portion  is 
WTinkled  irregularly  concentrically,  to  give  the  appearance  of 
scaled  fish  skin;  the  median  portion,  in  front  of  and  over  the 
posterior  ridge,  is  raised  into  about  twelve  irregular  or  doubled 
radial  epidermal  folds;  above  the  posterior  ridge  there  is  usually  a 
return  to  a  concentric  folding;  in  some  specimens  both  radial  and 
concentric  ^\Tinkles  are  present  above  the  posterior  ridge.     The 


50  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

umbones,  one-third  from  the  anterior  end,  eroded  even  in  the 
smallest  specimens  seen  (4.5  mm.  long),  are  apparently  smooth. 
Adductor  muscle  scars  subequal,  the  posterior  the  larger,  in  front 
of  which  are  the  large  posterior  retractor  scars  (in  effect  the  byssal 
retractor  muscle  scars);  anterior  retractor  and  protractor  scars 
small,  inconspicuous.  The  pallial  line  is  distant  from  the  margin; 
the  pallial  sinus  is  shallow  and  wide,  extending  entirely  across 
the  posterior  end  of  the  shell.  The  left  valve  is  usually  evenly 
rhomboidal,  the  dorsal  line  straight  to  slightly  arched  below  the 
umbones  to  meet  the  dorsally  truncate  anterior  slope  in  a  widely 
rounded  curve.  The  anterior  end  is  narrowly  rounded  at  the 
base.  The  ventral  margin  is  entire,  straight  to  slightly  curved; 
the  posterior  end  abruptly  truncate,  the  posterior  point  at  the 
base.  Sometimes  the  left  valve  is  a  little  cut  away  post-ventrally, 
corresponding  to  the  emargination  of  the  right  valve.  The  right- 
valve  is  irregularly  rhomboidal,  differing  in  outline  by  an  irregular 
ventral  margin,  which  is  broadly  emarginate  behind  the  middle,  in 
the  region  of  the  radial  epidermal  \M-inkles,  and  is  not  so  abruptly 
truncate,  but  a  little  more  evenly  rounded  behind.  The  shell  is 
hardly  sinuous  above,  but  the  post-ventral  extension  and  overlap 
of  the  right  valve  produces  a  marked  sinuosity  below. 

The  type  (U.S.N.M.  No.  536901)  was  personally  collected  July 
27,  1925  from  rocks  in  the  midstream  of  the  Cuyuni  River,  oppo- 
site Kartabo  Point,  near  its  junction  with  the  IMazaruni  River, 
Essequibo  District,  British  Guiana.  The  type  measures:  17.3 
mm.  R.,  17.4  mm.  L.,  long;  Height,  11.1  mm.  R.,  9.8  mm.  L.; 
Diameter,  7.0  mm.  There  are  a  number  of  paratypes  in  the 
United  States  National  Museum  collections,  and  in  those  of  the 
Carnegie  Museum  (collected  by  the  writer  and  Joseph  Benkert). 

The  animal  is  byssiferous,  with  a  small  cylinclrical  foot;  the 
byssifcrous  gland  and  jiit  immodiatcly  behind  and  as  large  as  the 
foot,  extends  through  the  abdominal  sac  to  antl  connects  with  the 
large  posterior  retractor  muscles.  The  adtluctor  muscles  are  sub- 
equal,  the  posterior  a  little  larger;  the  anterior  retractor  and 
protractor  muscles  are  small  and  inconspicuous.  The  mantle 
margins  are  united  except  for  the  michentral  foot  and  byssal 
aperture,  and  the  two  short,  strong,  s(>parato  sij)hons,  whose 
s('{)aration  is  conliiuicd  int(>rnally  as  a  biicf  iioiizoutal  sejitum. 
Branchial  siphon  papillose;  (he  gills  are  eulainellihianchiate,  and 
free  from  both  the  visceral  mass  and  the  mantle  i)elow.  There 
is  no  branchial  septum.  The  labial  palps  are  moderate  in  size, 
extending  backwards  almost  to  the  bjise  of  the  foot.  There  is  a 
large  crystalline  style  in  a  sac  one-fourth  as  long  as,  and  larger  in 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  51 

duimetor  than  the  intestine,  and  apparently  smooth.  The  byssus 
is  heavy,  short,  miicli  branched  externally,  and  has  the  appear- 
ance of  being;  addetl  to  only  as  the  animal  p;rows,  to  anchor  in  one 
spot,  not  as  adventitiously  apjilicd  as  in  Mytilus. 

This  species  was  collected  in  moderate  abundance  from  the 
igneous  rocks  that  jut  out  of  the  Cuyuni  River  opposite  Kartabo 
Point,  and  from  similar  ones  two  miles  upstream  in  the  Cuyuni. 
They  were  always  fountl  attached  to  the  rocks  or  to  smaller  frag- 
ments (gravel)  by  their  byssus,  and  were  only  present  in  channels 
that  the  river  current  utilizes  through  or  around  the  rocks.  On 
those  rocks  surrounded  by  mud  bars,  there  were  no  clams  to  be 
found.  They  were  found  at  or  just  below  the  low  tide  line.  In 
both  localities,  on  the  rocks  opposite  and  on  those  two  miles  up- 
stream from  Kartabo,  these  little  clams  were  collected  with  a  few 
specimens  of  Doryssa  consolidata  (Brug.).  This  freshwater  snail, 
so  abundant  at  and  above  the  fall  line,  does  not  extend  farther 
downstream  into  tidewater,  at  least  in  the  Cujoini  or  Mazaruni 
Rivers;  its  presence  here  indicates  how  completely  freshwater 
the  habitat  of  Guianadesma  really  is. 

The  Isaac  Lea  Collection  contains  three  specimens  (U.S.N. M. 
No.  86803)  collected  by  Dr.  Wesley  Newcomb,  and  incorrectly 
labelled  as  Bartldtia  stefanensis  Moricand  (from  the  Amazon 
River,  South  America).  There  may  be  additional  specimens  pre- 
served in  the  Newcomb  Collection  at  Cornell  University  or  in 
collections  of  correspondents  of  Dr.  Newcomb  other  than  Isaac 
Lea.  According  to  Stearns  (Nautilus  5:  123)  Dr.  Newcomb 
collected  in  Demerara  sometime  in  1846-7.  During  this  time  he 
collected  Doryssa  consolidata  at  the  "Falls"  (fall  line)  of  the 
Essequibo  River  (U.S.N. M.  No.  98095-6).  It  is  thus  evident 
that  he  collected  these  specimens  of  Guianadesma  from  the  Esse- 
quibo. The  shells  in  question  are  very  slightly  different  in 
appearance  from  those  personally  collected  in  the  Cujimi  nearby, 
but  are  not  specifically  distinct.  The  individual  shells  are  so 
variable  that  it  would  require  large  series  of  specimens  from  each 
locality  to  demonstrate  any  possible  subspecific  distinctions  of 
this  species  as  found  in  the  limited  tidal  freshwater  reaches  of  the 
Essequibo,  Mazaruni,  and  Cuyuni  Rivers. 


52  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57   (2) 

Explanation  of  Plate  8 

Fig.  1.  Guianadesma  sinuosum,  diagram  of  gross  anatomy  of 
a  paratype.  AA,  anterior  adductor  muscle.  B,  byssus.  BP, 
byssal  pit.  CG,  cerebral  ganglia.  CST,  crystalline  style  sac. 
ES,  excurrent  siphon.  F,  foot.  G,  gill.  H,  heart.  IXT,  intes- 
tine. IS,  incurrent  siphon.  LN,  ligamental  notch.  LP,  labial 
palps.  M,  mantle.  OES,  oesophagus.  PA,  posterior  adductor 
muscle.  PER,  pericardium.  R,  rectum.  RM,  posterior  re- 
tractor muscle.     S,  septum.     ST,  stomach.     VG,  visceral  ganglia. 

Figs.  2-6.  Guianadesma  sinuosum,  holotype.  (3/1).  2,  Inte- 
rior of  left  valve.  3,  Interior  of  right  valve.  4,  Ventral  view. 
5,  Exterior  of  right  valve.     6,  Exterior  of  left  valve. 


VARIABILITY,    DEVELOPMENTAL   CHANGES,   AND 

DENTICLE-REPLACEMENT   IN    THE   RADULA   OF 

LYMNAEA    STAGNALIS   APPRESSA    SAY 

By  M.  R.  CARRIKER 

Zoological  Laboratory,  University  of  Wisconsin 

In  the  course  of  other  researches  on  Lymnaea  stagnalis  appressa 
Say  carried  out  in  this  laboratory  certain  points  on  the  morphol- 
ogy and  functioning  of  the  radula  have  come  to  our  attention 
which  are  worthy  of  record,  because  of  the  importance  placed  by 
some  workers  on  radular  dentition  in  taxonomy.  These  points 
concern  the  marked  variation  in  radular  pattern  in  different  indi- 
viduals, the  development,  wear,  loss,  and  replacement  of  radular 
denticles  throughout  the  life  of  the  snail,  and  the  elimination  of 
the  discarded  teeth  through  the  alimentary  tract. 

Historical.  Hoffmann  (1932)  described  the  formation  of  the 
radula  in  L.  stagnalis,  reviewed  the  controversial  issues  of  earlier 
writers,  and  concluded  that,  once  the  odontoblastic  cushion  is 
built,  it  is  permanent  and  fixed  and  each  odontoblast  produces 
all  of  the  teeth  of  one  longitudinal  row  in  the  radular  ribbon.  He 
observed  that  the  part  of  the  radula  which  has  only  recently 
separated  from  tlio  odontoblastic  cushion  is  soon  joined  firmly 
to  the  subradular  epithelium  by  the  secretion  of  the  subradular 
chitin.  He  stated  also  that  the  radula  probably  does  not  pass 
out  over  the  subradular  epithelium  by  an  independent  movement, 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  53 

but  rather  by  a  relative  displacement  of  the  radiila  out  of  the 
raduhir  sac  as  a  consequence  of  the  growth  of  the  entire  buccal 
mass.  Cawston  (1928,  1930,  1940)  asserts  that  lymnaeids  add 
new  rows  of  teeth  from  the  nascent  posterior  border  of  the  radula; 
that  the  number  of  tricuspid  teeth  is  increased  by  coalescence  of 
the  cusps  of  the  marginal  teeth;  that  older  snails  have  more  rows 
of  worn  anterior  teeth  and  also  a  greater  number  of  total  rows  of 
teeth  than  younger  snails;  and  that  shedding  of  molluscan  teeth 
is  a  less  frequent  process  than  is  commonly  supposed!  He 
counted  500  teeth  in  the  radula  of  Bulinus  tropicus  at  hatching 
time,  and  in  a  few  weeks  the  number  of  teeth  increased  from  7,000 
to  10,000,  a  number  which  he  believed  remains  fairly  constant 
throughout  the  life  of  the  snail.  Pruvot-Fol  (1926)  describes  the 
first  very  small  teeth  observable  on  the  anterior  portion  of  the 
radula  as  the  teeth  of  the  preradula,  which,  she  \vrites,  are  the 
first  formed  set  of  embryonic  cusps  and  are  noted  most  promi- 
nently in  Pulmonata.  The  radulae  of  other  snails  have  been 
studied  by  Bowell  (1924)  and  by  Howe  (1930,  1938).  The  latter 
worked  on  Pleuroceratidae  and  found  a  distinct  increase  in  the 
size  of  the  teeth  concomitant  with  the  increase  in  size  of  the  shell. 
He  concluded  that  in  this  family  the  radular  formulae  are  not  safe 
criteria  for  specific  diagnosis.  He  maintained  that  the  size  of  the 
snail  should  always  be  stated  when  the  radula  is  to  be  used  for 
purposes  of  classification. 

Methods.  Fresh  radulae  were  dissected  from  recently  killed 
snails  and  mounted  temporarily  in  distilled  water  for  study.  For 
permanent  radular  mounts  the  radulae  were  removed  from  the 
buccal  mass  with  a  minimum  of  muscle  tissue  and  digested  in  10% 
KOH  for  one  to  two  days  at  room  temperature.  When  clean  they 
were  rinsed  and  stained  in  1%  chromic  acid  for  10  to  15  minutes, 
run  up  through  the  alcohols  including  absolute  alcohol,  and 
mounted  in  Seller's  alcohol  balsam  (Lee,  1937). 

By  the  method  of  Campbell  (1929)  the  radulae  were  found  to  be 
compo.sed  of  chitin.  Further,  after  heating  in  88%  alkali  at 
160°  C.  for  15  minutes,  and  staining,  the  radulae  appeared  vLsibly 
unchanged,  indicating  the  high  content  of  chitin.  Spek  (1921) 
has  shown  the  radulae  of  Helix  and  of  Arioji  to  be  composed 
mainly  of  chitin. 


54  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

Variation  of  the  Dentitional  Pattern.  F.  C.  Baker  (1928)  gives 
the  radular  formula  of  L.  s.  appressa  as  follows: 

24         3       19       1       19      3         24 
3-4      3        2       1        2       3      3-4' 

Examination  of  20  radulae  of  L.  s.  appressa  taken  from  (1) 
approximately  the  tenth  laboratory  generation  of  snails  collected 
originally  in  Fox  Lake,  Wisconsin,  (2)  recently  collected  Fox  Lake 
snails,  and  (3)  native  snails  from  Lake  Metonga,  Wisconsin,  has 
disclosed  a  wide  variation  in  the  radular  dentition  not  indicated 
by  Baker's  formula.  These  20  snails  varied  in  shell  length  from 
33  to  46  mm.  The  maximum  and  minimum  numbers  of  lateral, 
intermediate,  and  marginal  teeth,  respectively,  found  in  the 
radulae  of  these  snails  were  as  follows:  (1)  laboratorj^  Fox  Lake: 
14-19,  2-5,  21-30;  (2)  native  Fox  Lake:  18-25,  3-4,  23-28;  and 
(3)  native  Metonga:  15-25,  1-5,  13-28.  F.  C.  Baker  gives  the 
following  figures  for  three  different  subspecies  of  stagnalis:  L.  s. 
appressa  (1911,  1928):  19,  3,  24;  for  the  same  snail  in  1902:  13,  4, 
29;  L.  s.  lillianae  (1928):  15,  8,  16;  and  for  L.  s.  sanctaemariae  in 
the  same  year:  18,  4,  24. 

In  almost  every  transverse  row  of  teeth  in  the  radulae  examined 
the  first  lateral  tooth  was  distinctl}^  tricuspid,  and  occasionally 
some  of  the  other  laterals  exhibited  three  cusps.  In  contrast  to 
this  Baker  (1928)  points  out  that  "No  tricuspid  first  laterals  have 
been  seen  in  any  American  specimens  of  this  species"  {stagnalis). 
There  appeared  also  considerable  variation  in  the  number  of  longi- 
tudinal rows  of  lateral  teeth  on  both  sides  of  the  same  radula:  a 
difference  of  three  rows  was  not  uncommon,  and  a  maximum 
difference  of  seven  rows  was  noted  in  one  case.  The  average 
number  of  intermediate  teeth  was  three.  The  median  unicusp 
was  constant  throughout.  The  number  of  marginal  teetii  was 
usually  the  same  on  either  side  of  the  same  radula.  The  number 
of  transverse  rows  of  teeth  varied  in  the  snails  from  the  different 
localities:  on  the  average  in  the  native  Fox  Lake  L.  s.  appressa 
about  100  rows;  in  the  tenth  generation  laboratory  Fox  Lake 
snails,  120;  and  in  the  native  Lake  Metonga  snails,  140.  The 
milder  environmental  conditions  in  the  laboratory  may  reduce 
the  lo.ss  of  teeth,  and  po.ssibly  accounts  for  the  greater  number  of 
traiisver.se  rows  of  teetii  of  the  laboratory  snail  over  the  same 
snail  in  its  natural  habitat.     The  number  of  teeth  in  each  trans- 


Oct.,    1943]  THK    NAUTILUS  55 

verse  row  was  roughly  100,  but  variod  considoral)ly  even  in  snails 
of  the  same  length.  No  deviation  was  observed  in  the  parallel 
arrangement  of  the  longitudinal  rows  of  teeth.  Evident  here 
and  there  along  the  longitudinal  rows  was  the  gradual  transition 
of  the  marginal  teeth  to  the  lateral  teeth;  marked  transition  in 
any  one  radula  was  not  observed,  but  quite  noticeable  was  the 
fact  that  the  teeth  did  not  pass  gradually  and  imperceptibly  from 
one  form  to  the  other,  but  that  a  vacillation  occurred  in  which 
there  appeared  a  periodic  recurrence  of  the  marginal  tooth  charac- 
ters; towards  the  nascent  end  of  the  row  the  recurrence  displayed 
the  recapitulation  le.ss  intensely  with  each  repetition.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  radulae  varied  from  6.0  X  2.5  to  4.0  X  2.0  mm., 
and  there  was  a  fair  correlation  of  radular  dimensions  with  the 
number  of  transverse  rows  of  teeth  and  the  number  of  teeth  in  the 
transverse  rows. 

These  radulae  exhibited  a  series  of  morphological  types  in  each 
transverse  row  of  teeth.  These  are  listed  here  beginning  with  the 
extreme  marginals  and  leading  in  to  the  median  tooth:  (1)  the 
relatively  small  and  inconspicuous  marginal  rounded  knobs  which 
elongated,  becoming  quite  slender  and  developed  minute  cusps; 

(2)  the  midmarginals  in  which  the  cusps  reached  their  maximum 
number  and  then  started  to  decrease  again  as  the  tooth  shortened; 

(3)  the  intermediates  w'here  the  tooth  shortened  to  the  length 
maintained  by  the  laterals;  (4)  and  finally  the  laterals  in  which  all 
of  the  cusps  of  the  marginals  merged  (or  perhaps  became  reduced) 
to  the  average  number  of  two.  The  first  lateral  increased  the 
number  of  cusps  again  to  three;  the  median  tooth  retained  the 
unicuspid  condition.  Occasionally  an  entire  longitudinal  row  of 
lateral  teeth  was  met  which  was  completely  unicuspid,  indicating, 
with  what  has  been  described  above,  the  general  tendency  of  the 
teeth  to  take  on  the  unicuspid  shape. 

A  glance  at  the  numbers  of  the  different  kinds  of  teeth  in  vari- 
ous specimens  of  L.  s.  appressa,  and  in  the  related  subspecies 
given  by  Baker,  indicates  to  some  extent  the  marked  variation 
and  overlapping  of  the  numerical  limits  of  the  different  teeth  in 
the  radulae  of  the  subspecies  of  Lymnaca  represented,  and  also  in 
the  individuals  of  L.  s.  appressa  itself. 

Wear,  Loss,  and  Replacement  of  Teeth.  The  first  nascent  poste- 
rior transverse  row  of  teeth  in  these  radulae  appeared  as  a  vague 


56  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

transparent  image;  proceeding  forward  the  teeth  became  grad- 
ually transformed  into  the  fully  hardened  chitinous  denticles. 
The  teeth  in  the  first  transverse  row  on  the  anterior  margin  of  the 
radula  had  been  reduced  to  rounded  stubs  by  constant  wear. 
Posteriad  for  approximately  25  transverse  rows  the  teeth  dis- 
plaj^ed  progressively  less  wear.  The  anterior  border  of  the  radula 
was  rounded  and  not  squared  as  one  might  expect  from  the  fact 
that  the  teeth  in  each  transverse  row  are  produced  simultaneously. 
The  rounding  is  effected  by  the  earlier  loss  of  the  more  weakly 
attached  marginal  teeth. 

Evidence  for  the  fact  that  teeth  are  dropped  from  the  radula 
was  found  in  the  examination  of  fresh  radulae  and  of  fecal  pellets. 
In  fresh  radulae  the  scars  of  4  to  5  denticular  plates  of  attachment 
in  the  radular  membrane  were  evident  anterior  to  each  of  the  last 
attached  anterior  teeth. 

Microscopic  examination  of  the  fecal  pellets  of  a  normal  40  mm. 
snail  over  a  period  of  23  days  showed  that  a  surprisingly  large 
number  of  radular  teeth  are  dislodged  daily,  swallowed,  and 
passed  out  in  the  fecal  material.  This  snail  was  isolated  in  a  two- 
liter  glass  container  containing  a  half  inch  mesh  paraffined  metal 
screen  over  the  bottom  which  permitted  the  feces  to  collect  there 
undisturbed  by  the  snail;  snails  commonly  consume  their  o\mi 
feces.  That  this  snail  was  a  normal  one  was  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  it  oviposited  three  egg  capsules  and  added  2  mm.  to  the 
length  of  its  shell  during  the  experiment.  Moreover  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  experiment,  dissection  revealed  that  the  radula  was 
normal  in  all  respects.  A  total  of  613  teeth  of  all  types  was  dis- 
carded in  23  days  as  follows  (da3^s  in  parenthesis):  (1)  1,  (2)  1, 
(3)  0,  (4)  0,  (5)  16,  (6)  0,  (7)  75,  (8)  0,  (9)  7,  (10)  16,  (11)  42,  (12) 
42,  (13)  25,  (14)  4,  (15)  60,  (16)  59,  (17)  24,  (18)  33,  (19)  95,  (20) 
65,  (21)  26,  (22)  15,  (23)  7.  Random  samplings  of  the  fecal 
pellets  of  other  snails  also  showed  the  presence  of  discarded  teeth. 

Further  evidence  for  the  theory  that  the  radula  is  constantly 
growing  forward  (although  no  explanation  as  to  how  the  radula 
passes  forward  is  attempted  here)  and  discarding  the  old  worn 
teeth,  and  that  the  teeth  in  each  transverse  row  undergo  a  "meta- 
morphosis" from  the  primary  marginal  tootii  to  the  laterals,  was 
found  in  a  study  of  the  radulae  of  a  series  of  consecutively  older 
and  larger  laboratory  snails.     Tiie  shell  IcMigth  of  the  snails  used 


Oct.,   1943] 


THE    NAUTILUS 


57 


varied  from  5.5  to  41.0  mm.  and  the  ages  from  45  to  115  day.s 
(Table  I).  The  tabiihition  in  Table  II  .show.s  that  the  median 
tooth  remained  unicuspid  and  constant  throughout,  and  that  the 

Table  I 

Variation  of  Certain  Characters  of  L.  a.  appressa  with  Age 

and  with  Shell  Length 


Characters 

Snaib 

Number  of  snail 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Age,  days 

115 

95 

95 

85 

45 

Shell  length,  mm. 

41.0 

23.5 

18.0 

10.0 

5.5 

Spire  length,  mm. 

22.0 

12.0 

8.5 

5.0 

2.5 

Aperture  length,  mm. 

19.0 

11.5 

9.5 

5.0 

3.0 

Aperture  width,  mm. 

12.0 

6.5 

5.0 

2.5 

1.5 

No.  shell  whorls 

7.5 

6.5 

5.5 

5.0 

3.5 

Number  of  transverse 

125 

103 

98 

74 

74 

rows 

Length  of  1st.  lateral,  in  /a 

60 

44 

38 

24 

15 

Radular  dimensions,  mm. 

2.2X4.5 

1.5X3.0 

1.0X2.5 

0.7X1.4 

0.4X1.1 

Total  no.  of  teeth  per 

10,375 

6,695 

6,566 

4,218 

3,034 

radula 

Table  II 

Variation  of  the  Radular  Formula  of  L.  s.  appressa  with 

Age  and  with  Shell  Length 


Tj-pes  of  Teeth 

Number  of  Teeth 

Number  of  snail 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

P* 

A** 

P 

A 

P 

A 

P 

A 

P 

A 

Marginals 

21 

22 

18 

18 

20 

20 

19 

19 

12 

12 

Intermediates 

4-6 

4-6 

3 

4 

5 

4 

2 

2 

9 

8 

Laterals 

15 

15 

11 

10 

8 

8 

7 

7 

Median 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Laterals 

16 

16 

10 

10 

13 

12 

8 

8 

8 

7 

Intermediates 

4-5 

4-5 

4 

4 

2 

2 

Marginals 

21 

21 

18 

17 

20 

20 

18 

18 

12 

13 

*  Posterior  portion  of  radula;  **  Anterior  portion  of  radula. 


58  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57   (2) 

number  of  intermediate  teeth  varied  onJy  \\'ithin  the  limits  of  2  to 
5.  With  increasing  size  and  age  of  snails  there  was  a  progressive 
increase  in  the  number  of  lateral  and  marginal  teeth,  the  length 
of  the  first  lateral  (measured  from  the  tip  of  the  cone  to  the  ante- 
rior edge  of  the  plate  of  attachment),  the  width  and  the  length  of 
the  radula,  the  number  of  transverse  rows  of  teeth,  and  the  num- 
ber of  teeth  in  any  transverse  row.  Inspection  of  the  form  of  the 
individual  teeth  through  the  series  shows  vividly  the  increase  in 
the  total  number  of  teeth  with  age,  and  the  "metamorphosis" 
of  the  marginals  to  the  laterals.  In  the  youngest  snail  (No.  5) 
no  laterals  were  yet  formed,  and  the  radula  was  consequently 
divisible  into  two  regions  only:  marginals  and  intermediates. 
The  intermediates  were  all  distinctly  tricuspid  and  in  form  were 
about  midway  between  the  intermediate  teeth  and  lateral  teeth. 
In  the  10  mm.  snail  (No.  4)  the  complete  separation  into  the 
laterals,  intermediates,  and  marginals  had  already  taken  place. 
The  first  lateral  on  either  side  of  the  median  tooth  persisted 
through  all  radulae  examined  as  the  tricuspid  intermediate  form. 
The  right  laterals  and  intermediates  of  the  radula  of  the  18  mm. 
snail  (No.  3)  were  so  intermixed  that  the  two  regions  could  not 
be  delimited.  The  nascent  half  of  the  left  side  of  this  same  radula 
showed  clearly  a  transition  from  the  marginals  to  the  interme- 
diates in  one  longitudinal  row  of  teeth;  a  similar  transition  was 
shown  in  the  right  side  of  the  same  radula.  In  the  radula  of  the 
23.5  mm.  snail  (No.  2)  the  nascent  left  end  showed  one  more 
longitudinal  row  of  laterals  than  the  anterior  end,  thus  indicating 
transition  from  the  intermediate  to  the  lateral  form. 

The  successive  teeth  down  any  longitudinal  row  in  a  given 
radula  do  not  vary  perceptibly  in  length.  The  length  of  the 
individual  teeth  of  the  snail,  for  cxami)lc  of  the  first  lateral, 
increases  from  15  /x  in  a  45  day  old  snail  to  GO  /x  in  a  115  day  old 
snail.  This  suggests  a  sufficient  production  of  and  subsequent 
discard  of  teeth  such  that  the  length  of  the  teeth  in  any  longitu- 
dinal row  of  the  radulae  of  various  sized  snails  remains  fairlj' 
constant. 

Siimmnry.  (1)  The  variation  in  the  radular  dentition  in  the 
subspecies  of  Lymnaca  staynalis  mentioned  here  seems  to  make 
the  use  of  radular  formulae  undependable,  at  least  for  subspecific 
diagnosis.     Because  of  the  change  of  the  denticular  pattern  with 


Oct.,     1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  69 

the  size  of  the  snail,  the  radiila  woiilci  be  a  more  reliable  tool  in 
chissification  when  used  with  snails  of  known  dimensions.  (2) 
It  is  suggested  that  in  the  youngest  snails  the  radula  is  probably 
formed  by  a  few  rows  of  marginal-like  teeth  produced  by  rela- 
tively few  odontoblasts.  With  increase  in  age,  the  odontoblastic 
cushion  grows  laterad  producing  an  increasing  number  of  longi- 
tudinal rows  of  teeth.  Each  portion  of  the  odontoblastic  cushion 
which  produces  each  longitudinal  row  of  teeth  progressively  dif- 
ferentiates to  produce  successively  the  series  of  types  of  teeth 
found  across  a  transverse  row  in  the  adult  snail  radulae.  (3) 
Finally,  there  is  indicated  a  remarkable  turnover  of  teeth,  a  rate 
of  production  and  discard  far  exceeding  earlier  estimates. 

Literature  Cited 

Baker,  F.  C,  1902,  Bull.  3,  Nat.  Hist.  Survey,  Chicago  Acad.  Sci. 

,  1911,  Special  Publ.  3,  Chicago  Acad.  Sci. 

,  1928,  Pt.  I,  Bull.  70,  Wis.  Geol.  Nat.  Hist.  Survey. 

BowELL,  E.  W.,  1924,  J.  Quek.  Microsc.  CI.  (2)  15:  57-64. 
Campbell,  F.  L.,  1929,  Ann.  Entom.  Soc.  Amer.  22:  401-426. 
Cawstox,  F.  G.,  1928,  Nautilus  41  (4):  141-142. 

,  1930,  Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  S.  Africa  18:  325-320. 

,  1940,  Nature,  London  146:  (3707):  654. 

Hoffmanx,  H.,  1932,  Jena  Z.  Naturw.  67:  535-553. 
How^E,  S.  W.,  1930,  Nautilus  44  (2):  53-56. 

,  1938,  Amer.  Midi.  Nat.  20  (3):  549-561. 

Lee,   Boles,    1937,   The  microtomists  vade-mecum.     10th  ed. 

London. 
Pruvot-Fol,  a.,  1926,  Arch.  Zool.  Exp.  et.  G^n.  65  (5):  209-343. 
Spek,  J.,  1921,  Z.  wiss.  Zool.  118:  313-363. 


NEW    SPECIES    OF    CERION,    NENIA   AND    DRYMAEUS 
By  maxwell  SMITH 

Cerion  deaxi,  new  species.     Plate  7,  figure  7. 

Shell  small,  subcylindric-ovate,  translucent,  rimate  perforate, 
ground  color  cream-white,  surface  shining,  ornamented  with 
longitudinal  chestnut  colored  flames  which  are  about  ecpial  in 
area  to  the  light  ground.  Longitudinal  growth  lines  numerous, 
rather  fine,  slightly  oblique.     Spire  somewhat  swollen  as  com- 


CO  THE    NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

pared  with  bodj'-whorl,  post-nuclear  whorls  6}4,  nuclear  whorls  2, 
the  latter  flesh  color,  the  former  slightly  convex.  Suture  moder- 
ately impressed,  occasionally  slightly  puckered.  Parietal  lamella 
strong,  deeply  placed,  light  in  color,  axial  lamella  indistinct  when 
present.  Peristome  of  the  cream  ground  color,  the  terminals 
somewhat  distant  from  one  another,  no  change  of  color  pattern 
visible  upon  the  parietal  wall.  Exterior  chestnut  colored  pattern 
visible  within  the  aperture. 

The  holotype,  together  with  a  good  series,  were  received  from 
Paul  Dean  Ford,  of  Nassau,  Bahamas.  They  were  collected  at 
"The  Current,"  south  tip  of  Abaco,  Bahamas.  The  holotype,  in 
the  collection  of  the  author,  measures:  Length  IG  mm.;  diameter 
6  mm. 

Cerion  deani  is  closely  allied  to  C.  marmoratum  (Pfeiffer)  from 
Fortune  Island  where  it  was  collected  by  John  B.  Henderson  Jr. 
and  Charles  T.  Simpson.  The  new  species  is  first  of  all  much 
smaller,  the  post  nuclear  whorls  fewer  in  number,  the  aperture  not 
so  elongate  and  much  more  obliquely  extended.  Furthermore  in 
C.  marmoratum  there  is  a  tendency  toward  a  continuous  peristome 
by  the  presence  of  a  sharp  edge  of  enamel  connecting  the  terminals 
of  the  lip.     In  C.  deani  this  character  is  practically'  absent. 

Cerion  pauli,  new  species.     Plate  7,  figure  8. 

Shell  of  moderate  size,  extremely  narrow,  solid,  rimate  per- 
forate, ground  color  whitish  or  cream,  surface  with  a  silk-like 
lustre,  ornamented  with  chestnut  colored  longitudinal  flames 
which  cover  less  than  one-half  the  surface.  Sculpture  consisting 
of  slightly  oblique  longitudinal  growth  riblets  of  varying  size,  a 
few  of  which  suggest  slight  varices,  becoming  more  oblique  upon 
the  body  whorl.  Spire  somewhat  swollen  near  center,  post  nu- 
clear whorls  10,  slightly  convex,  each  whorl  keeled  anteriorly 
adjacent  to  the  suture  and  forming  an  "overhang."  Suture  deep, 
beyond  the  first  five  whorls  slightly  descending,  especially  toward 
maturity.  Nuclear  whorls  3,  the  second  the  largtvst,  cream  color 
with  a  pearl-like  sheen.  Parietal  lamina  strong,  slight  indica- 
tions of  himina  upon  axial  wall.  Aperture  angulate  above,  ob- 
li(iuely  extended,  exterior  of  extension  adjacent  to  the  axis 
characterized  by  several  previous  lip  formations  which  stand  out 
proiiiincntly.     Peristome    continuous,     outer    edge    somewhat 


Oct.,    1943]  THE   NAUTILUS  Gl 

pointod  ntljacent  to  suture,  with  in  cortiiin  individuals  a  previous 
hibruni  outside  and  which  at  its  termination  is  bifurcate. 

The  holotype,  together  with  other  specimens  were  collected  on 
Stewart  Manor  Hill,  Exuma  (main  island),  Bahamas.  The  holo- 
type, in  the  collection  of  the  author,  measures:  Length  23  mm.; 
diameter  4.5  mm. 

Cerion  paidi  is  the  most  slender  Cerion  so  far  discovered.  No 
other  species  seems  to  approximate  it.  A  study  of  the  anatomy 
may  reveal  that  it  should  be  placed  in  a  new  genus  or  subgenus. 
A  few  examples  of  this  species  lack  the  chestnut  colored  flame-like 
markings,  being  of  a  uniform  light  color. 

The  two  new  Cerions  are  named  in  honor  of  Paul  Dean  Ford 
the  well  known  malacologist  of  Nassau,  Bahamas,  President  of 
The  Bahamas  Conchological  Societj^,  who  supplied  the  specimens. 

Nenia  juninensis,  new  species.     Plate  7,  figure  9. 

Shell  fairly  solid,  fusiform,  sinistral.  Early  whorls  brownish- 
flesh  color,  later  covered  with  a  thin  brownish  cuticle  which  ex- 
hibits a  faint  sheen.  Sculpture  consisting  of  numerous  longi- 
tudinal wavy  interrupted  riblets  which  have  the  tendency  to 
become  more  plentiful  and  crowded  anteriorly  at  the  suture. 
Spire  broadest  in  the  middle,  whorls  73/^,  slightly  convex.  Nu- 
cleus whitish  and  tilted  slightly  to  one  side.  Suture  moderately 
impressed. 

The  superior  lamella  is  high,  shaped  like  the  bow  of  a  boat  when 
viewed  from  outside,  continuous  with  the  spiral  lamella,  which  in 
turn  is  strongly  developed.  The  lunella  is  deeply  curved,  the 
visible  portion  trowel  shaped.  The  aperture  is  w^ell  extended 
from  the  body  whorl,  peristome  continuous  and  well  spread  out 
adjacent  to  and  below  the  lamella.  Interior  of  sperture  and  the 
peristome  ivory-white. 

Three  examples,  including  the  holotype,  are  in  the  collection  of 
the  author.  The  holotype  measures:  Length  30  mm.,  l)readth 
7  mm.  Collected  at  an  elevation  of  1100  meters  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  Junin,  Province  of  Jaugo,  Peru. 

Drymaeus  inca,  new  species.     Plate  7,  figure  10. 

Shell  of  moderate  size,  perforate  rimate,  rather  thin,  ground 
color  yellowish-white,  shining,  ornamented  with  streaks  or  masses 


62  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

of  gra\'ish-bro\vn  with  occasional  narrow  lighter  interspaces. 
Growth  Hnes  the  dominant  sculpture,  chiefly  on  the  body  whorl, 
crossed  by  more  or  less  distinct  fine,  incised  spiral  striation. 
Spire  conic,  apex  flattened.  Whorls  5}^,  slightly  convex,  body 
whorl  very  large.  Suture  indistinct,  its  terminal  slightly  ascend- 
ing behind  the  lip.  Aperture  large,  well  exceeding  half  the  total 
length  of  the  shell,  showing  the  external  pattern  inside.  Peri- 
stome broadly  expanded  throughout.  Columella  almost  straight 
with  axis.     Base  flattened  below  the  carina. 

The  holotype  and  several  examples  are  in  the  collection  of  the 
author.  The  holotype  measures:  Length  30  mm.,  diameter 
18  mm.  Collected  at  an  elevation  of  1 100  meters  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  Junin,  Province  of  Jaugo,  Peru. 

Drymaeus  inca  is  allied  to  Drymaeus  expansus  (Pfeiffer).  The 
spire  of  the  new  shell  is  much  shorter  than  that  of  D.  expansus, 
the  posterior  termination  of  the  peristome  being  much  more 
removed  from  the  suture  than  in  the  latter  species.  Further  the 
color  pattern  and  the  shape  of  the  aperture  are  distinguishing 
characters. 


NOTES   ON   THE   NAMES   POTERIA,   PTYCHOCOCHLIS, 
AND   APEROSTOMA 

By  PAUL  BARTSCH 

Curator,  Divisions  of  Mollusks  and  Cenozoic  Invertebrates 

and 

HARALD  A.  REHDER 

Associate  Curator,  Division  of  Mollusks 

United  States  National  Museum 

Dr.  H.  Burrington  Baker,  in  a  recent  number  of  The  Nautilus 
(vol.  56,  no.  4,  April,  1943,  pp.  135-137),  has  questioned  the  use  of 
Ptychocochlis  Simpson  as  a  valid  group  name  in  the  Cyclophoridae, 
claiming  it  is  a  synonym  of  Potcria  Gray,  1850.  lie  has  also  dis- 
sented from  the  concept  of  Apcrostoma  as  recently  used  by 
Bartsch,  U.  S.  National  Mu.seum  Bulletin  181,  1942,  p.  124. 
That  our  silence  may  not  be  regarded  as  assent,  we  are  stating  our 
position  as  clearly  and  briefly  as  po.ssiblc. 

Ptychocochlis  was  proposed  by  Simpson  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat. 
Museum,  vol.  17,  1894,  p.  431  (1895)  as  a  substitute  for  "  Platy- 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  C3 

stoma  Klein  applied  by  Fischer  and  Crosse  .  .  .  several  times 
preoccupied."  Fischer  and  Cro.'^.se  (Miss.  Sci.  Mex.  Rcch.  Zool., 
vol.  2,  pp.  149-150,  ICl,  1888)  applied  the  name  Platystoma  Klein 
(already  used  in  18G0  by  Morch  for  a  different  group)  "ii  un 
groupe  .  .  .  dont  Chemnitz  a  design^  Ic  type  sous  le  nom  de 
Turbo  jamaicensis'^  {I.e.  p.  150)  and  again  "une  forme  trcs- 
voisine,  mais  distincte,  prise  pour  type  du  genre  Platystoma  de 
Klein,  le  P.  jamaiccnsis  Chemnitz"  (I.e.  p.  161).  Before  this, 
in  1885,  Fischer  (Man.  de  Conch.,  p.  744)  had  used  Platystoma 
Ivlein  as  a  section  of  Aperostoma,  with  the  sole  species  "P.  jamai- 
eensis,  Chemnitz." 

The  type,  therefore,  of  Platystoma  Klein  of  Fischer  1885  and 
Fischer  and  Crosse  1888,  and  that  of  Ptyehoeoehlis  Simpson  1895, 
is  the  Turbo  jamaicensis  of  Chemnitz,  whatever  their  concept  of 
that  species  may  have  been  (see  Opinions  of  the  International 
Commission  of  Zoological  Nomenclature,  nos.  14  and  65). 

The  type  of  Poteria  Gray,  1850,  is  Turbo  jamaieensis  Wood 
(Index  Test.,  ed.  2,  Suppl.,  p.  18,  pi.  6,  Turbo,  p.  3).  This  species 
is  quite  different  from  the  Chemnitzian  form  as  a  comparison  of 
the  figures  will  show.  Chemnitz  mentions,  and  his  figure  depicts, 
the  "very  many  ^^Tinkles  and  fine  folds  at  the  suture  and  near  the 
high  edge  which  surrounds  the  deep  funnel-shaped  umbilicus  like 
a  wall."  The  description  of  the  operculum  is  too  general  and  his 
figure  of  it  too  poor  to  be  of  much  value.  Wood's  figure,  on  the 
other  hand,  shows  no  corrugations  and  only  a  weakly  expressed 
umbilical  carina.  If  Wood's  species  had  been  more  strongly 
sculptured,  the  artist  would  surely  have  shown  this,  as  he  did 
quite  adequately  the  corrugations  in  the  figures  of  other  sculp- 
tured shells  in  the  same  work. 

In  spite  of  these  evident  differences,  these  two  species  have  been 
confused  and  synonymized  by  most  later  authors.  Pilsbry  and 
Brown  in  1910  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  1910,  p.  534) 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  "the  species  long  known  as 
'jamaieensis  Chemnitz'  is  certainly  not  the  Chemnitzian  form, 
which  was  really  portlandensis  of  Chitty." 

Considering  these  facts  we  believe  that  the  identification  of 
these  two  forms  as  given  by  Bartsch  (Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum, 
no.  181,  1942,  pp.  93,  112)  is  reasonable  and  logical.     Only  an 


64  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57   (2) 

examination  of  the  type  of  Wood's  species  in  the  British  Museum 
can  definitely  settle  the  question. 

Bartschivindex  H.  B.  Baker,  1943,  becomes,  therefore,  in  our 
opinion,  a  synonym  of  Ptychocochlis  Simpson. 

The  Type  of  Aperostoma  Troschel  1847 

Troschel  in  the  Zeitschrift  fiir  Malakozoologie,  vol.  4,  1847,  p. 
44,  proposed  the  genus  Aperostoma,  naming  as  the  examples: 
volvulus  Lam.,  mexicanum  Menke,  and  blanchetianum  Moricand. 
The  type  of  the  genus  must  of  course  be  one  of  these  three. 

Pfeiffer  in  the  article  immediately  following  states  that  in  his 
opinion  "Aperostoma  still  embraces  two  heterogeneous  elements, 
namely,  shells  with  a  heavy  calcareous  and  others  with,  a  thin, 
horny  operculum.  I  would  restrict  the  genus  Aperostoma  to  the 
first  i.e.  those  with  a  calcareous  operculum,  and  I  would  revive 
for  the  others  Montfort's  name  Cyclophorus,  whose  type  in 
Cyclostoma  volvulus  Miiller."  To  the  two  named  species  left  in 
Aperostoma  thereby  he  adds  six  more  species. 

Aperostoma  blanchetianum  was  known  to  have  a  calcareous 
operculum,  and  the  operculum  of  mexicanum  was  unknown 
(Pfeiffer  states  this  in  Zeitschrift  fiir  Malakozoologie,  vol.  4, 
1847,  pp.  103,  104),  but  he  placed  that  species  in  Aperostoma. 

Since  Pfeiffer  as  first  reviewer  restricted  Aperostoma  to  cyclo- 
phorid  mollusks  having  a  calcareous  operculum,  and  since 
blanchetianum  is  the  only  one  of  the  three  original  species  having 
such  an  operculum,  that  species  should  have  been  selected  as  the 
type. 

To  preserve  the  genus  Aperostoma  as  it  was  used  by  the  first 
revisor  nearly  one  hundred  years  ago  and  as  it  has  rather  generally 
been  used  until  quite  recently,  we  propose  to  present  the  case  to 
the  International  Commission  on  Nomenclature,  with  the  request 
that  they  rule  A.  blanchetianum  Moricand  the  type  of  Aperostoma 
Troschel. 


PAPUINA   GARTNERIANA   PFEIFFER 
By  WILLIAM  J.  CLENCH 

There  has  been  considerable  confusion  concerning  this  as  well 
as  allied  species  from  Northern  Australia  and  the  East  Indies. 
In  the  same  i)apcr  Pfeiffer  described  both  Fapidna  yartucriana 


Oct.,    1913]  THE    NAUTILUS  G5 

and  P.  poiretiana  from  the  Cuming  collection,  the  former  with  the 
locality  unknown,  and  the  latter  as  cominp;  from  Port  Essington, 
Northern  Territory,  Australia.  According  to  J.  C.  Cox,  P. 
garineriana  came  from  Port  Essington  and  P.  poiretiana  came 
from  Night  Island  off  the  northeastern  Queensland  coast. 

It  would  appear  to  be  exceedingly  doubtful  if  either  came  from 
Port  Essington.  The  figure  of  P.  garineriana  is  probably  over- 
ilrawn  and  may  well  represent  a  slightly  malformed  specimen 
which  had  led  Pfeififer  astray  in  his  original  diagnosis. 

We  have  specimens  originally  from  J.  C.  Cox  bearing  the  name 
of  poiretiana  from  Night  Island  and  a  specimen  labeled  gartneriana 
from  "Northern  Australia,"  originally  from  Dohrn  who  had  pur- 
chased Pfeiffer's  collection.  Both  the  specimens  of  Cox  and 
Dohrn  are  indistinguishable. 

Later,  Tapparone  Canefri  had  listed  gartneriana  as  a  questioned 
synonymn  of  Papuina  blainvillei  Le  Guillou  from  the  Am  Islands 
off  the  southwest  coast  of  New  Guinea.  Unfortunately  subse- 
quent ^\Titers  accepted  this  relationship  without  question  and  the 
error  has  persisted.  Papuina  blainvillei  and  P.  gartneriana  are 
quite  distinct. 

The  following  account  is  by  John  jMacgillivray,  Naturalist  to 
the  Expedition  (Narrative  of  the  Voyage  of  H.  M.  S.  Rattlesnake, 
1852,  1,  pp.  115-116)  who  had  originally  collected  the  shells  that 
Pfeiffer  described  through  Cuming. 

"On  September  8th  [1848]  we  anchored  to  the  westward  of  the 
North  end  of  Night  Island,  a  mile  off  shore,  and  remained  there 
for  the  two  succeeding  days.  This  island  is  two  miles  in  length, 
and  a  half  a  mile  in  breadth,  surrounded  by  a  narrow  reef  of  dead 
coral  and  mud.  .  .  .  the  place  is  den.sely  covered  with  mangroves. 
A  sandy  portion,  of  about  five  acres  in  extent,  is  thickly  covered 
with  bushes  and  small  trees.  .  .  .  Even  this  small  spot  produced 
a  fine  white  Helix,  not  found  elsewhere, — it  occurred  on  the 
branches  of  the  cotton  trees." 

An  outline  of  the  literature  follows: 

Papuina  gartneriana  Pfeiffer 

Helix  gartneriana  Pfr.  1851,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  p.  253 
(locality  unknown). 

Helix  gaertneriana  Pfr.,  Reeve  1851,  Conch.  Icon.  7,  pi.  79,  No. 
419  (Night  Island,  North  Australia);  Forbes  1852,  [in]  J.  Mac- 


66  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57   (2) 

gillivray,  Narrative  of  the  Voj'^age  of  H.  M.  S.  Rattlesnake, 
London,  2,  p.  372  (Night  Island);  Pfeiffer  1854,  Conchy.-Cab.  1, 
pt.  12,  sec.  3,  p.  402,  pi.  145,  fig.  1-2  locality  unkno\\Ti);  J.  C.  Cox 
1868,  Mono.  Australian  Land  Shells,  Sydney,  p.  66,  pi.  11,  fig.  11 
(after  Reeve)  (Port  Essington). 

Helix  poiretiana  Pfr.  1851,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  p.  254 
(Port  Essington);  Reeve  1852,  Conch.  Icon.  7,  pi.  79,  No.  418 
(Port  Essington);  Pfeiffer  1854,  Conchy.-Cab.  1,  pt.  12,  sec.  3,  p. 
372,  pi.  140,  fig.  5-6  (Port  Essington);  J.  C.  Cox  1868,  Mono. 
Australian  Land  Shells,  Sydney,  p.  66,  pi.  2,  fig.  1  (Night  Island, 
N.  E.  coast  of  Australia). 

Helix  (Papuina)  blainvillei  Pilsbry  1891,  Man.  of  Conch.  (2) 
7,  p.  25,  pi.  8,  fig.  57-58,  pi.  9,  fig.  75-76  [description  and  these 
figures]  not  Helix  blainvillei  Le  Guillou  1842,  Revue  Zoologique, 
p.  140  (Am  Islands). 

Helix  (Papuina)  poiretiana  Pfr.,  Pilsbry  1891,  Man.  of  Conch. 
(2)  7,  p.  27,  pi.  8,  fig.  46-49  (Night  Island,  N.  E.  Australia). 

In  addition  to  Night  Island,  we  possess  three  specimens  of 
gartneriana  collected  by  P.  J.  Darlington  along  Lankelly  Creek, 
Mcllwraith  Ranges,  Cape  York,  Queensland.  This  mountain 
range  parallels  the  coast  a  short  distance  inland  opposite  Night 
Island.  This  island  is  13  miles  north  of  Cape  Sidmouth,  Queens- 
land. 


NOTES   AND    NEWS 

Olof  O.  Nylander. — We  are  grieved  to  record  the  death  of 
this  veteran  Maine  naturalist  on  July  30.  An  account  of  his  life 
and  work  will  be  given  later. 

Dr.  Merrill  Moore  is  at  present  serving  as  a  Major  in  the 
Medical  Corps  of  the  Army.  He  has  recently  been  assigned  to 
foreign  duty  as  Chief  of  the  Psychiatric  Service  of  the  39th 
General  Hospital  (Yale  Unit)  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  overseas. 

Sinistral  Pomacea. — In  my  rambles  a  few  days  ago  I  found 
in  a  private  pond  here,  a  fine  live  specimen  of  Pomacea  paludosa 
(Say)  which  was  sinistral.  Is  this  of  very  rare  occurrence  or  are 
they  found  occasionally?  I  never  hoard  of  one  l)of()ro,  and  others 
in  Florida  say  the  same. — D.  L.  Emery,  121  Twentieth  Ave. 
So.  St.  Petersburg,  Fla. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  67 

A  Source  of  Misleading  Molluscan  Records. — During  nine 
years  of  collecting  marine  molliisks  on  Cape  Ann,  Massachusetts, 
the  writer  found  that  one  of  the  best  locations  for  finding  washed- 
in  shells  was  a  sandy  shore  known  as  Pavilion  Beach  on  the 
northern  shore  of  Gloucester  Harbor.  It  was  at  first  believed 
that  many  of  these  shells  would  give  a  good  indication  of  the 
moUuscan  fauna  of  Gloucester  Harbor  and  vicinity.  Later,  a 
number  of  species  thus  suspected  were  actually  collected  or 
dredged  from  the  subtidal  region  of  Cape  Ann  (i.e.  Colus  stimpsoni 
Morch,  Neptuna  decemcostatus  Say,  Buccinum  undaium  L., 
Modiolus  modiolus  L.,  Arctica  islandica  (L.),  Spissula  solidissima 
Dillwyn,  Venus  mercenaria  L.,  Petricola  phaladiformis  Lam.). 
Others,  however,  were  not,  and  this  led  to  an  investigation  which 
showed  the  possible  misleading  character  of  such  collecting. 
Large  numbers  of  Ostrea  virginica  Gmel.,  Pecten  irradians  Lam., 
Anomia  simplex  Orb.,  and  Cepaea  hortensis  (Miill.)  and  occasional 
shells  of  Busycon  canaliculatum  Say  and  Pecten  grandis  Solander 
were  found.  While  Cepaea  hortensis  is  an  introduced  land  form, 
it  has  been  reported  as  "very  abundant  on  Salt  Island,  near 
Gloucester"  by  Gould  and  Binney,^  and  often  near  the  shoreline. 
Cape  Ann  is  within  the  range  of  all  of  the  others  except  Busycon, 
although  the  writer  has  not  been  able  to  collect  live  specimens 
from  this  region.  The  fact  that  all  the  species  are  edible  forms 
gave  the  clew  which  was  later  substantiated.  In  back  of  the 
beach  is  an  Italian  settlement  and  the  above  mollusks  were 
popular  items  of  food,  the  shells  being  scattered  over  the  beach  to 
dispose  of  them.  Even  many  of  the  shells  of  local  species  have 
found  their  way  to  the  strand  in  this  manner.  It  had  been  taken 
for  granted  that  shells  of  Mya  arenaria  L.  had  thereby  reached  the 
beach,  but  the  others  were  not  at  first  suspected.  These  shells 
were  also  found  buried  in  the  sand  to  a  depth  of  several  inches. 
Hence  this  beach  might  be  somewhat  compared  to  the  well  known 
kitchen  middens  of  the  American  Indians.  Should  these  shells 
become  fossilized  they  might  lead  to  a  false  record  in  the  distri- 
bution of  such  species.  While  the  disposition  of  marine  shells  of 
food  mollusks  is  common  on  land  and  offers  no  problem,  the  ac- 
cumulation on  the  intertidal  zone,  especially  close  to  the  normal 

'  Gould,  A.  A.  and  W.  G.  Binney  1870.  Report  on  the  Invertebrata  of 
Massachusetts. 


68  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57   (2) 

range  of  certain  species  might  easily  lead  to  a  misinterpretation. — 
Ralph  W.  Dexter,  Kent  State  University,  Kent,  Ohio. 

An  Interesting  Variant  of  Venus  Campechiensis. — The 
appearance  of  a  new,  striking,  apparently  hereditary,  character 
in  a  molluscan  shell  is  of  unusual  interest.  The  matter  was 
brought  to  my  attention  by  Mr.  D.  L.  Emery  of  St.  Petersburg, 
Florida,  who  transmitted  to  us  five  specimens  of  Venus  cam- 
pechiensis Gmelin  for  determination.  These  all  have,  on  the 
inside  of  both  valves,  an  elevated  sharp  ridge  passing  from  the 
umbo  obliquely  backward  toward  the  pallial  sinus ;  in  some  of  the 
specimens  it  almost  reaches  this.  The  fact  that  this  character  is 
present  in  a  number  of  individuals  suggests  hereditary  transmis- 
sion and  makes  one  wonder  what  its  ultimate  fate  may  be.  Mr. 
Emery  states  that  some  of  his  friends  have  additional  specimens 
with  these  characteristics.  They  were  all  taken  near  St.  Peters- 
burg, Florida. — Paul  Bartsch 

The  Type  of  Euamnicola  Crosse  and  Fischer. — In  their 
"Mission  Scientifique  au  Mexique,  Moll."  vol.  2,  p.  254  on,  Crosse 
and  Fischer  included  the  species  now  referred  to  Lyrodcs  in  Amni- 
cola  as  a  second  section.  While  they  give  1840  as  the  date  of 
Amnicola,  they  quote  Haldeman's  brief  notice  on  the  third  cover 
page  of  the  Monograph,  pt.  1,  and  apparently  overlooked  his 
note  on  page  3,  in  the  matter  under  Paludina.  They  therefore 
take  Gould's  1841  work  to  be  the  first  mentioning  any  species  of 
the  genus,  and  accept  A.  porata  (Say)  as  the  type.  A.  lustrica 
(Say)  is  not  contained  in  their  list  of  N.  A.  species,  and  is  not 
mentioned  by  them  except  that  incidentally  in  a  footnote  they 
state  that  Haldeman's  figure  of  A.  litnosa  was  reproduced  by 
W.  G.  Binney  "under  the  name  of  A.  lustrica.^'  ^  It  is  obvious 
therefore  that  "Amnicola  Gould  and  Ilaldeman"  of  Crosse  and 
Fischer  applied  to  the  group  typified  by  A.  porata  Say,  and  not 
to  that  based  upon  "P.  lustrica  Say." 

On  page  2G1  Crosse  and  Fischer  divide  Amnicola  into  two 
sections,  the  first  being  " Euatnnicola  Crosse  and  Fischer  (ou 

'  "A.  lustrica"  used  by  W.  G.  Binnoy  under  liis  (L.  and  P>.-W.  Sh.  N.  A.  Ill) 
fig.  160,  \V!is  evidently  a  typographical  or  pen  error  for  limosa.  It  is  wholly 
unlike  Binney's  "  Pomatiopsis"  lustrica  on  p.  94. 


Oct.,    1943]  THE    NAUTILUS  09 

Amnicola  sensu  strido)."  That  is,  Amnicola  as  understood  by 
them,  with  the  type  poraia.  That  species,  Amnicola  porata  (Say), 
is  therefore  designated  type  of  Euamnicula  C.  &  F.  Euamnicola 
thus  remains  exactly  equivalent  to  Amnicola,  as  Crosse  &  Fischer 
intended,  since  Haldeman's  first  genotype,  "P.  Zus^nca  Say,"  was, 
as  he  afterward  acknowledged  (in  synonymy  of  A.  limosa),  an 
erroneous  determination  of  A.  limosa  Say,  of  which  porata  Say 
seems  to  be  an  obese  extreme — in  fact,  the  end  term  of  a  contour 
cline. — H.  A.  Pilsbry, 

Shell  Heaps  of  the  Herring  Gull — The  food  habits  of  the 
herring  gull,  Larus  argentatus  smithsonianus  Coues,  are  extremely 
varied.  Best  known  and  most  important  economically  are  the 
scavenging  activities  of  this  bird  which  does  much  to  keep  the 
harbors  and  shore  lines  free  from  excessive  organic  debris.  The 
herring  gull  also  feeds  on  a  great  variety  of  invertebrates,  alive 
as  well  as  dead.  One  of  its  feeding  habits  is  to  collect  large 
moUusks,  carry  them  high  over  rocks  on  which  they  are  dropped 
to  break  the  shells,  and  then  the  bird  flies  down  to  feed  on  the 
soft  parts.  Certain  rocks  or  groups  of  rocks  are  often  used 
habitually  for  this  purpose,  and  in  time  accumulate  large  quanti- 
ties of  shells.  Some  of  these  shell  heaps  are  above  high  water 
line,  and  occasionally  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  shore. 
One  shell  heap  investigated  during  the  summer  of  1935  on  a  tidal 
inlet  at  Gloucester,  Massachusetts,  was  located  on  an  exposed 
ledge  near  spring  high-water  line  in  a  salt  marsh.  The  greater 
bulk  of  shells  was  made  up  of  Mytilus  edulis  L.,  the  blue  mussel, 
and  Modiolus  demissus  (Dillwyn),  the  ribbed  mussel,  both  of 
which  were  very  abundant.  Somewhat  less  numerous  were  shells 
of  Mya  arenaria  L.,  the  soft  shell  clam,  and  Littorina  litorea  (L.), 
the  English  periwinkle.  Several  shells  of  Polinices  heros  (Say), 
the  sand-collar  snail,  w-ere  also  found.  These  represent  the  most 
numerous,  the  largest,  and  the  most  accessible  moUusks  in  the 
nearby  inlet.  For  a  complete  list  see  the  Nautilus  5G  (2) :  57-01. 
Shells  of  Mya  arenaria  would  undoubtedly  have  been  more 
numerous  if  the  population  of  this  species  had  not  suffered  such 
a  drastic  decline  in  the  season  of  1934.  Some  of  the  older  shell 
heaps  are  composed  very  largely  of  the  shells  of  Mya  arenaria. — 
Ralph  W.  Dexter,  Kent  State  University,  Kent,  Ohio. 


70  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

Mussel  Poisoning  on  the  Pacific  Coast. — The  source  of  the 
poison  is  a  microscopic  marine  organism  called  Gonyaulax  catanella 
which  at  times  occurs  in  sea  water  in  enormous  numbers.  The 
mussel  ingests  this  organism,  along  with  the  rest  of  the  plankton 
elements  which  form  its  food,  without  suffering  harm;  but  the 
human  being  who  eats  the  mussel  may  die,  if  the  numbers  of 
Gonyaulax  in  its  digestive  tract  are  suflBciently  abundant.  The 
chain  then  is  a  very  simple  one:  the  poisonous  Gonyaulax  goes 
into  the  mussel,  which  it  does  not  harm,  and  then  A\ith  the  mussel 
into  the  human  being,  which  it  does  harm.  The  mussel  is  merely 
a  vehicle  for  the  transportation  of  Gonyaulax  from  the  sea  water 
into  the  human.  Pismo  clams  and  Washington  clams  have  at 
times  been  found  to  contain  this  organism,  but  mollusks  which 
live  in  lagoons  and  situations  remote  from  the  open  sea  are  pro- 
tected from  contact  with  it.  The  abalone  does  not  feed  on  plank- 
ton, and  is  therefore  free  from  it. 

There  is  no  way  of  distinguishing  poisonous  from  sound  mussels 
by  their  appearance,  or  by  their  behaviour  while  cooking.  Heat 
does  not  destroy  the  poison.  Gonyaulax  is  much  more  abundant 
along  the  California  coast  in  the  summer  months  than  at  other 
times,  all  recorded  poisoning  cases  having  occurred  between  May 
15th  and  October  15th.  According  to  Drs.  Sommer  and  Meyer, 
there  is  one  simple,  safe  rule:  "Do  not  eat  the  viscera  (dark  meat) 
of,  nor  drink  the  juice  from  mussels,  clams  or  similar  shellfish 
from  the  open  Pacific  Coast  between  the  first  of  May  and  the  first 
of  November." — Brian  Curtis,  in  California  Fish  and  Game, 
29:  151). 

Further  Remarks  about  Labels. — The  article  about  the 
human  element  in  writing  labels  bj'^  Calvin  Goodrich  in  the  April 
number  of  THE  NAUTILUS  appeals  to  me  and  prompts  me  to 
report  a  few  that  have  come  to  my  attention.  Recently,  I  came 
into  possession  of  a  collection  of  shells  that  had  been  assembled 
by  the  official  in  charge  of  prohibition  enforcement  in  San  Diego. 
His  official  activities  were  duly  entered  in  a  card  catalog,  and 
after  repeal  the  cards  were  made  to  do  duty  as  labels  for  the  shell 
collection.  Thus,  occasionally  one  is  confronted  by  a  label  read- 
ing like  this:  " Em/ina  lineala  Reeve,  Loyalty  Islands.  John  Doe 
arrested  with  Richard  Roe."  This  form  is  occasionally  varied, 
and  we  find:  "Corbicula  insularis  Prime.     Taihoku,  Formosa. 


Oct.,    1943)  THE    NAUTILUS  71 

John  Doe  arrested  with  Mrs.  Richard  Roe."  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, John  Doe  succeeded  in  evading  arrest,  with  a  result  like  this: 
"  JIdicoslyhi  virgata  Jay.  Philippines.  John  Doe,  fugitive  in  case 
of  U.  S.  vs.  Blank."  Finally,  I  may  mention:  "Adeocina  inculta 
Gould.  San  Diego  Bay,  Calif.  Dodge  roadster  seized  in  ca.se 
of  John  Doe  and  Richard  Roe."  This  is  just  the  way  the  labels 
occur.  The  only  alteration  I  have  made  is  to  substitute  fictitious 
names,  for  obvious  reasons. — Joshua  L.  Baily,  Jr. 

Epiphragm  removal  and  fecal  string  deposition  by  Hel- 
MiNTHOGLYPTA  NiCKLiNiANA  (Lea). — Thcsc  observations  are 
based  on  one  individual  of  Helminthoglypta  nickliniana  (Lea) 
collected  in  June  1941  at  Golden  Gate  Park,  San  Francisco. 
The  individual  was  placed  in  a  dry  chamber;  in  three  hours  when 
it  was  examined  a  non-transparent,  complete  epiphragm  had 
been  secreted.  Twelve  hours  later  the  snail  was  examined  again. 
It  had  removed  the  first  epiphragm  and  had  secreted  another. 
The  first  epiphragm  had  apparently  been  pushed  aside  by  the 
foot  alone,  and  was  adhering  by  one  point  to  the  shell.  Close 
examination  showed  that  the  radula  had  not  been  employed  as  a 
tool  in  the  epiphragm  removal  process.  This  is  contrary  to 
observations  made  on  two  eastern  helices,  Triodopsis  albolabris 
(Say)  and  Mesodon  thyroidus  (Say),  at  Ithaca,  New  York  and 
on  the  Edmund  Niles  Huyck  Preserve,  Rensselaerville,  New  York 
where  it  was  found  that  both  the  foot  and  the  radula  were  used 
in  cutting  the  epiphragm  away  from  the  aperture. 

The  second  epiphragm  which  was  secreted  over  the  aperture 
after  the  first  had  been  pushed  aside  was  transparent,  thus  the 
observer  was  enabled  to  look  within  the  shell.  This  epiphragm 
was  complete.  Eighteen  hours  elapsed  before  the  snail  was 
again  examined.  This  examination  revealed  that  the  snail  had 
punctured  the  epiphragm,  making  an  irregular  opening  approxi- 
mately 3  by  4  mm.  A  black  fecal  string  had  been  deposited 
through  this  epiphragm  opening.  Such  cleanliness  has  not  been 
observed  by  the  writer  among  the  many  species  of  helices  that 
he  has  observed  aestivating.  Among  aestivating  helices  fecal 
strings  are  usually  deposited  between  the  foot  and  the  epiphragm, 
thus  such  strings  are  allowed  to  remain  within  the  shell  until  the 
aestivating  period  terminates. 


72  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (2) 

Forty-eight  hours  after  the  fecal  string  had  been  deposited  a 
ten  degree  maximum  rise  in  temperature  (from  70  to  80  degrees 
Fahrenheit)  the  snail  formed  a  third  complete  epiphragm.  This 
was  of  the  same  non-transparent  nature  as  the  first;  both  were 
parchment-white  in  color.  Apparently  the  third  epiphragm  was 
secreted  to  prevent  dessication  (with  a  lowered  humidity  which 
accompanied  the  raised  temperature)  which  could  have  taken 
place  through  the  opening  in  the  second  epiphragm.  In  sum- 
mary: three  epiphragms  were  naturally'  secreted  in  approximately 
81  hours;  two  of  the  epiphragms  were  parchment- white  in  color 
and  were  non-transparent,  one  was  transparent;  the  foot  alone 
was  used  in  removing  an  epiphragm;  a  fecal  string  wa^  deposited 
outside  of  the  shell  through  an  opening  in  the  second  epiphragm. 
— William  Marcus  Ingram 

PUBLICATION   RECEIVED 

JoHNSONiA,  No.  7,  pp.  28,  Littorina,  b.y  Joseph  C.  Bequaert. 
No.  8,  pp.  20,  Fissurella,  Lucapina  and  Lucapinella,  by  Isabel 
Perez  Farfante.  These  careful  and  well  illustrated  studies  of 
genera  of  common  occurrence  will  be  much  appreciated  by  collec- 
tors. In  many  cases  there  has  been  confusion  in  specific  nomen- 
clature, which  is  here  fully  discussed. — H.A.P. 

The  Poison  Cone  Shell.  By  Wm.  J.  Clench  &  Yoshio 
Kondo  (Amer.  Jour.  Tropical  Medicine  23,  No.  1.  1943).  The 
authors  have  brought  together  from  many  sources,  the  various 
accounts  of  victims  of  venomous  Conus,  together  with  anatomical 
notes  and  figures  of  the  radula  and  other  details  of  the  poison 
apparatus  of  Conus  striatus.  The  shells  of  species  known  to  be 
dangerous  are  figured:  C.  textile,  C.  tulipa,  C.  marnwreus,  C. 
geographus  and  C.  aulicus,  all  of  the  western  Pacific.  A  timely 
and  useful  j^apcr. — H.A.P. 

Abbi{kvl\tions  of  Author's  Namks  in  Malacology.  By 
Leo  A.  Jachowski  &  Donald  C.  Scott.  Ann  Arbor.  Lithoprint, 
pp.  38.  Additional  to  the  abbreviations  actually  in  use  in  con- 
chological  works,  there  arc  not  a  few  newly  composed  by  the 
authors,  and  many  for  authors  practically  unknown  in  mala-- 
cology. 


The  Nautilus 

Vol.  57  January,  1944  No.  3 

CALIFORNIAN  OLIVELLAS 

By  D.  S.  and  E.  W.  GIFFORD 

The  following  paper  presents  further  data  on  Olivella  hiplicata, 
a  species  already  considered  in  our  two  earlier  papers/  and  a 
discussion  of  the  variation  in  Olivella  pedroana  ~  and  Olivella 
pycna. 

Olivella  hiplicata 

On  August  26,  1942,  a  large  series  of  young  of  this  species 
was  collected  at  Crescent  City,  Del  Norte  County,  while  we  were 
gathering  Olivella  pycna.  The  young  hiplicata  were  approxi- 
mately of  the  same  size  as  the  pycna,  so  we  garnered  both  spe- 
cies, especially  since  the  indication  in  each  case  was  the  same; 
namely  a  small  ridge  in  exposed  sand,  a  groove  in  sand  in  pools. 
The  larger  ridges  we  assumed  were  all  made  by  adult  hiplicata. 
This  large  series  of  young  hiplicata  (now  in  the  collection  of  Mr. 
Allyn  G.  Smith)  suggests  that  summer  is  the  breeding  season  for 
this  species  at  Crescent  City. 

On  May  22,  1943,  we  visited  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Cruz  County, 
and  there  saw  many  hundreds  of  this  species.  Large  numbers 
were  seen  in  tidal  pools,  while  others  were  exposed  by  raking  the 
sand  with  our  fingers.  In  all  only  three  very  small  young  ones 
were  seen.  The  adults,  however,  were  apparently  breeding,  for 
we  found  many  couples  in  contact.  In  the  large  series  of  adults 
observed  we  discovered  four  orange-colored  individuals,  but  these 


1  Color  Variation  in  Olivella  hiplicata,  The  Nautilus,  vol.  55,  pp.  10-12, 
1941 ;  Color  Variation  in  Olivella  hiplicata  in  Various  Localities,  The 
Nautilus,  vol.  56,  pp.  43-48,  1942. 

2  We  are  leaving  to  the  taxonomists  the  moot  question  of  whether  this 
species  should  be  called  pedroana  or  haetica  (^boetica),  or  whether  these  two 
names  stand  for  two  distinct  species.  All  our  shells  called  pedroana  ap- 
pear to  be  but  a  single  species. 

(73) 


74  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

had  more  or  less  purple  in  the  canal  region,  so  that  none  was 
truly  comparable  to  our  unique  orange  shell  from  Bolinas,  which 
lacks  all  trace  of  purple.  They  are,  however,  similar  to  a 
second  ^  Bolinas  orange  specimen  with  purple  in  the  canal  region. 

At  Monterey,  Monterey  County,  on  November  21,  1942,  there 
were  no  small  young  shells  of  Olivella  hiplicata,  but  a  consider- 
able number  of  half-grown  ones  was  taken.  Since  we  do  not 
know  the  rate  of  growth  of  this  species,  we  are  still  uncertain  as 
to  the  breeding  season  at  Monterey,  but  assume  that  it  may  be 
summer. 

Our  1942  paper  on  color  variation  in  this  species  lacks  ade- 
quate series  south  of  Santa  Barbara.  Hence,  the  following  are 
of  interest.  At  Anaheim  Landing,  Orange  County,  on  January 
31*  and  February  2,  1943,  eleven  adult  shells  were  taken,  one 
albino,  the  others  of  normal  coloration.  These  lack  any  trace  of 
orange  in  the  aperture,  but  (with  the  exception  of  the  albino) 
have  much  purple  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  body-whorl.  A 
series  of  267  young  shells  was  collected,  ranging  from  tiny  indi- 
viduals with  striped  ventral  surface  to  others  a  third  grown. 
Out  of  the  total  of  278  specimens  (adult  and  young)  none  shows 
orange  in  the  aperture.  Of  this  total  sixteen  are  albinos,  thus 
yielding  a  frequency  of  about  six  per  cent.  This  correlates  with 
the  five  per  cent  occurrence  at  Santa  Barbara.^  Sixteen  dark, 
steel-gray,  young  and  immature  shells  were  taken.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  series  is  "normal"  in  coloration.  The  evidence 
seems  to  point  to  a  winter  breeding  season  at  Anaheim  Landing, 
as  at  Santa  Barbara. 

From  False  Bay,  San  Diego  County,  we  now  have  a  series  of 
twenty-five.  Twenty-two  of  these  were  collected  by  ]\Iiss  Edna 
N.  Wilson  on  January  21,  1943,  and  three  by  ourselves  on  Feb- 
ruary 3,  1943.  None  of  these  twenty-five  shows  any  trace  of 
orange,  nor  do  four  specimens  previously  recorded  from  Ense- 
nada,  Lower  California.  Two  False  Bay  specimens  are  albinos, 
thus  yielding  a  frecpieiicy  of  eight  per  cent,  which  is  probably 
much  nearer  the  truth  tiian  the  twenty-five  per  cent  for  Enseuada 


3  The  Nautilus,  vol.  55,  pp.  10-12;  vol.  56,  p.  44. 

*  Our  thanks  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joiin  Q.  lUircli  for  taking  us  to  this  collect- 
ing ground. 

0  The  Nautilus,  vol.  56,  p.  45. 


Jan..  1944]  toe  naftilus  75 

based  on  one  out  of  four  specimens."  Eijilit  per  cent  is  not  far 
from  the  six  per  cent  freciuency  of  albinos  at  Anaheim  Landing 
and  the  five  per  cent  at  Santa  Barbara.  The.se  fi^'ures  (8,  6,  5) 
probably  jrive  an  approximate  idea  of  the  frequency  of  albinos 
on  the  soutiiern  Californian  and  northern  Lower  C'alifornian 
coast. 

Apparently  corroborative  of  a  probable  winter  breeding  sea- 
son at  Bolinas  "  is  a  considerable  number  of  one-third  grown 
shells  collected  at  Bolinas  on  May  2:5.  1943.  We  are  a.ssuming 
that  these  may  represent  winter-hatched  shells.  However,  after 
writing  the  above  statement  concerning  May  23,  we  spent  June 
18-21,  July  18,  and  August  15,  1943  at  Bolinas  in  search  of 
Olivella  pycna.  In  the  course  of  collecting  the  latter,  we  han- 
dled many  young  Olivella  hiplicata,  which  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate a  late  spring,  as  well  as  a  winter,  breeding  season  at  Bolinas, 
or  perhaps  the  breeding  is  continuous  through  several  months. 

The  late  Mr.  T.  S.  Oldroyd  has  described  and  figured,  on  the 
bases  of  shape  and  size,  a  number  of  "varieties"  of  Olivella 
hiplicata.^ 

The  figure  (pi.  5,  tig.  5)  which  Oldroyd  presents  as  typical  for 
Monterey  is  a  bit  too  obese  to  be  typical,  but  it  does  fall  within 
the  range  of  shapes  for  the  locality.  His  figure  indicates  the 
breadth  as  58  per  cent  of  the  length.  Our  specimens  from 
^Monterey  range  from  50  to  60  per  cent  in  breadth-length  index 
(i.e.,  breadth  divided  by  length). 

Oldroyd 's  figure  (pi,  5,  fig.  4)  of  his  Olivella  hiplicata  fucana 
yields  an  index  of  51;  his  measurements  (p.  118)  yield  an  index 
of  50.  Suggesting  these  in  relative  slimness  and  height  of  spire 
is  our  series  from  Port  Orford,  Curry  County,  Oregon :  broadest 
with  index  of  55,  narrowest  44. 

Oldroyd 's  figure  (pi.  5,  fig.  6)  of  his  Olivella  hiplicata  angeUna 
yields  an  index  of  48;  his  Olivella  hiplicata  parva  (pi.  5,  fig.  7) 
an  index  of  62.  His  length  and  breadth  figures  for  the  type,  p. 
119,  however,  yield  an  index  of  57,  suggesting  that  the  figure  in 
the  plate  has  been  retouched  badly.     From  Southern  and  Lower 


«  The  Nautilus,  vol.  56,  p.  4.1. 

7  The  Nautilus,  vol.  56,  p.  47. 

8  Some  Varieties  of  Western  Olivellas,  The  Nautilus,  vol.  34,  pp.  117-119, 
pl.  5,  1921. 


76  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (3) 

California  our  series  yield  the  following  ranges  in  breadth-length 
index :  ]\Iorro  Bay  51-58 ;  Santa  Barbara  50-60 ;  Anaheim  Land- 
ing 47-55 ;  Mission  Beach,  False  Bay  48-58 ;  Ensenada,  Lower 
California  49-52. 

At  Bolinas,  Marin  County,  the  range  in  breadth-length  indexes 
is  48-59 ;  at  Tomales  Bay,  I\Iarin  County,  49-57 ;  at  Trinidad 
Head,  Humboldt  County,  50-62;  at  Crescent  City,  Del  Norte 
County,  48-57 ;  at  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Cruz  County,  52-62. 

Scanning  large  series  from  various  localities,  one  is  impressed 
with  the  relative  obeseness  of  Monterey,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Trini- 
dad shells,  the  relative  slimness  of  Port  Orford,  Bolinas,  and 
southern  Californian  shells.  The  mean  figures  from  south  to 
north  are  as  follows :  Ensenada  50.5,  False  Bay  53,  Anaheim 
Landing  51,  Santa  Barbara  55,  Morro  Bay  54.5,  Monterey  55, 
Santa  Cruz  56,  Bolinas  53.5,  Tomales  Bay  53,  Trinidad  56, 
Crescent  City  53.5,  Port  Orford  49.5. 

The  range  in  shapes  represented  by  the  above  breadth-length 
indices  seems  to  indicate  that  Mr.  Oldroyd  dignified  mere  indi- 
vidual variations  by  names,  rather  than  geographic  variations. 
Thus,  his  Monterey  "typical"  specimen  with  index  58  could 
have  come  from  False  Bay,  Santa  Barbara,  ]\Iorro  Bay,  Santa 
Cruz,  Bolinas,  or  Trinidad.  Ilis  fucana  type  with  index  50  or 
51  could  have  come  from  Port  Orford,  Crescent  City,  Trinidad, 
Tomales  Bay,  Bolinas,  Morro  Ba3%  Santa  Barbara.  Anaheim 
Landing,  False  Bay,  or  Ensenada.  Ilis  angcUna  with  index  48 
in  the  figured  specimen  could  have  come  from  Ensenada,  False 
Bay,  Anaheim  Landing,  Bolinas,  Crescent  City,  or  Port  Orford. 
Similarly,  his  parva  type  with  index  62  from  his  figure,  or  57 
from  his  measurements,  could  have  come  from  various  places 
other  than  Point  Abreojos,  Lower  California. 

Olivella  pedroana 

We  are  using  the  name  pedroana  instead  of  hoctica  or  hactica 
on  the  assumption  tliat  both  names  apply  to  the  same  species, 
Conrad's  name  pedroana  being  the  earlier. 

Our  personally  collected  littoral  series  of  pedroana  are  from 
Anaheim  Landing,  Orange  County  (986  specimens),  January  31 
and  February  2,  1943,  and  from  Mission  Beach,  False  Bay,  San 


Jan.,  1944]  the  naitilus  77 

Diejio  County  (156  specimens),  February  3,  1943,  Miss  Edna 
X.  Wilson,  our  hostess  and  guide  at  Mission  Beach,  contributed 
419  additional  specimens  from  that  locality.  Our  Anaiieim 
Landing  series  was  increased  by  seven  specimens  from  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Q,  Burch,  who  liad  collected  them  in  October,  1940. 

The  ^Mission  Beach  shells  are  in  general  larger  than  those 
from  Anaheim  Landing.  On  the  whole  Olivella  pedroana  has  a 
liigiier  glo.ss  and  more  porcelaneous  surface  than  Olivella  pycna. 
The  color  range  is  much  greater  also,  being  from  white  (albino) 
to  chestnut  brown  and  deep  grayish  olive.  The  commonest  colors 
are  Ridgway's  olive  lake,  smoke  gray,  and  light  grayish  olive. 
Moreover,  examples  with  pale  blue  coloration  (mostly  burn  blue) 
were  common.  No  xanthochroistic  specimens  were  seen,  unless 
one  considers  as  such  a  few  specimens  that  match  buffy  olive, 
cream  buff,  chamois,  and  cartridge  buff,  not  all  over  but  in 
patches.  The  pattern  of  brown  markings  in  some  instances  sug- 
gests somewhat  that  of  the  vertical  wavy  lines  of  Olivella  pycna, 
especially  in  some  grayish-olive  specimens  from  Anaheim  Land- 
ing. Other  shells  of  this  color  are  virtually  without  markings. 
In  some  shells,  particularly  albinistic  or  pale  bluish  ones,  the 
markings  may  take  on  a  partial  plaid  or  checker  pattern. 
Dredged  shells  (from  the  Burches)  are  frequently  reddish  brown 
in  general  color,  a  feature  noted  also  for  dredged  specimens  of 
Olivella  pycna.  The  nearest  approach  we  have  in  a  littoral 
specimen  is  light  vinaceous  gray.  None  of  our  pedroana  has  the 
reddish  brown  spot  alongside  the  fold  at  the  base  of  the  colu- 
mella, which  is  so  common  in  pycna.  The  colors  described  above 
are  not  over  the  entire  shell,  but  chiefly  on  the  body  whorl. 

The  color  of  the  inner  surface  of  the  body-whorl  varies  with 
the  color  of  the  exterior.  Albinos  are  white,  darker  shells  have 
dark  coloration  on  the  inner  surface. 

Certain  specimens  of  Olivella  pedroana  have  a  lip  callus  on 
the  inner  surface  of  the  body  whorl.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a 
ridge  lying  roughly  parallel  to  the  lip  and  a  millimeter  or  so 
within,  but  not  extending  for  the  full  length  of  the  lip.  It  is 
usually  white,  in  which  case  it  can  be  readily  seen.  But,  whether 
white  or  blending  in  color  with  the  surrounding  surface,  it  can  be 
felt  with  a  pin  point  moved  transversely  over  the  inner  surface 
of  the  shell.     It  occurs  most  frequently  in  False  Bay  specim< 


!(■ 


LKRAR 


78  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

45  per  cent  of  them  having  it,  as  against  a  frequency  of  only  six 
per  cent  in  Anaheim  Landing  specimens.  These  are  the  only 
localities  from  which  we  have  adequate  series  of  specimens  (575 
from  False  Bay,  993  from  Anaheim  Landing). 

In  certain  smaller  series,  which  we  have  received  from  gener- 
ous friends,  the  callus  occurs.  From  Newport  Bay,  Orange 
County,  a  series  of  72  from  Mr.  Allyn  6.  Smith  shows  a  fre- 
quency of  4  per  cent.  From  San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles  County, 
10  fathoms  depth,  a  series  of  11  specimens  from  Mr.  and  IMrs. 
John  Q.  Burch  contains  two  specimens  with  the  lip  callus.  Three 
Redondo  Beach,  Los  Angeles  County,  dredged  series  from  the 
Burches  show  the  following  frequencies:  15  fathoms,  17  speci- 
mens, none  with  callus ;  20  fathoms,  118  specimens,  1  with  callus ; 
25  fathoms,  39  specimens,  1  with  callus.  Five  specimens  from 
San  Diego  Bay,  also  from  the  Burches,  lack  the  callus. 

Mr.  Walter  J.  Eyerdam  has  sent  us  Alaskan  specimens,  all 
lacking  the  lip  callus:  11  from  Hinchinbrook  Island;  12  from 
Drier  Bay,  Knight  Island,  Prince  William  Sound. 

To  the  eye,  Olivella  pedroana  is  distinctly  slender,  Olivella 
pycna  obese.  Relatively  stout  specimens  of  pedroana  and  rela- 
tively slender  specimens  of  j^ycna  suggest  the  possibility  of  over- 
lapping, but  so  far  as  our  series  are  concerned  there  is  no  over- 
lapping. The  range  of  shapes,  expressed  by  the  breadth-length 
index,  is  36  to  47  for  pedroana,  49  to  58  for  pycna.  The  pro- 
portion of  lip  length  to  shell  length,  however,  has  virtually  the 
same  range  in  the  two  species.  For  pedroana  lip  length  ranges 
from  51  to  67  per  cent  of  shell  length.  For  pycna  tlie  range  is 
54  to  66  per  cent. 

The  fold  at  the  base  of  the  columella  is  usually  slightly  re- 
flexed  in  both  species.  It  tends  to  be  tiiick  in  pedroana,  delicate 
by  comparison  in  pycna.  On  the  whole  pycna  is  a  tliinnor  shell 
than  pedroana. 

Olivella  pycna 

Described  as  a  hitlierto  unrecognized  species  by  Dr.  Berry," 
this  species  seems  to  be  valid,  and  so  far  as  our  series  of  speci- 
mens are  concerned  does  not  intergrade  with  Olivella  pedroana, 


"  8.  Stillman  Bi-rry,  An  Undcscribed  Californian   Olivella,  Proc.  Malaco- 
logical  Society,  vol,  21,  pp.  262-265,  193.'). 


Jan.,  1H44]  the  nautilus  79 

which  is  piesimuibly  its  nearest  relative.  At  least  the  series  of 
more  than  a  thousand  pycna  which  we  have  collected  alive,  chiefly 
at  Crescent  City,  Del  Xorte  County,  and  at  Bolinas,  Marin 
County,  appears  distinct  from  a  series  of  more  than  a  thousand 
Olivella  pedroana  which  we  took  at  Anaheim  Landinj?,  Orange 
County,  and  at  ^Mission  Beach,  False  Bay,  San  Diejro  County. 
Apparently  Dr.  Berry  has  clarified  the  Olivella  situation  in  Cali- 
fornia. We  have  nothing  to  add  to  his  discussion  of  the  literary 
references,  except  to  remark  that  the  four  Olivella  hoctica  pic- 
tured by  T.  S.  Oldroyd  ^°  do  not  appear  attributable  to  pycna, 
but  to  pedroana,  using  that  name  as  a  prior  synonym  for  hoetica. 

The  lip  callus  frequently  present  in  Olivella  pedroana  is  ab- 
sent in  all  of  the  1149  Olivella  pycna  in  our  collection.  The 
aperture  opening  in  pycna  is  larger  in  proportion  to  the  shell 
than  in  pedroana  which  is  notably  slenderer  than  pycna.  Also 
the  lip  callus  in  many  pedroana  reduces  still  further  the  size  of 
the  aperture. 

In  coloration,  or  better  color  pattern,  Olivella  pycna  is  rela- 
tively uniform.  There  is  no  such  color  range  as  in  Olivella 
hiplicata  or  Olivella  pedroana.  A  single  xanthochroistic  pycna 
is  the  only  departure  from  the  normal  color  range.  The  color 
brownish  buff  described  by  Dr.  Berry,  as  in  the  paratype  which 
he  kindly  presented  to  us,  appears  chiefly  in  our  younger  speci- 
mens. Our  older  specimens  have  more  of  a  glaucous  gray  or 
olive  gray  ground  color. 

Under  date  of  August  1,  1943,  Dr.  Berry  writes  us:  "So  far 
as  I  am  aware  all  of  my  paratypes,  inclusive  of  yours,  are  shells 
collected  in  the  living  state,  or  if  any  of  them  were  dead  shells  I 
feel  sure  they  were  not  long  dead.  I  wonder  whether  the  differ- 
ence in  coloring  noted  by  you  may  not  be  due  either  to  the  time 
that  my  shells  have  been  cabinet  or  else  to  the  fact  that  they 
were  all  dredged  or  trawled  shells."  Dr.  Berry  writes  that  he 
used  Robert  Ridgway,  Color  Standards  and  Color  Xomendature, 
1912,  in  determining  colors.  We  are  using  the  same  work  in  this 
connection. 


10  T.  S.  Oldroyd,  Some  Varieties  of  Western  Olivellas,  The  Nautilus,  vol. 
34,  pp.  117-119,  pi.  5,  figures  1,  la,  2,  3,  1921. 


80  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

Our  single  xanthochroistic  specimen  is  eapucine  buff  in  gen- 
eral color,  with  the  vertical  striping  obsolete  and  discernible  only 
as  a  slightly  different  tone.  The  interior  of  the  aperture  is  even 
richer  in  color  than  the  exterior. 

The  brown  zigzag  lines  running  longitudinally  on  the  shell 
vary  in  spacing  and  in  the  extent  of  the  zigzag  or  wave.  In 
some  cases  the  lines  are  veiled  by  glaucous  gray  or  olive  gray 
ground  color,  which  seems  most  prevalent  in  the  older  and 
thicker  shells.  In  the  thin  young  shells  the  brown  lines  are  most 
conspicuous  and  equally  clear  from  inside  or  outside  of  the  shell. 

A  color  character,  not  mentioned  by  Dr.  Berry,  but  occurring 
in  72  per  cent  of  our  specimens,  is  a  maroon  or  reddish  brown 
spot,  sometimes  obsolete  or  veiled  by  white,  beside  the  fold  at  the 
base  of  the  columella.  This  feature  is  absent  in  four  dredged 
specimens  from  Tomales  Bay,  Marin  County,  presented  to  us  by 
Mr.  Allyn  G.  Smith  ;■  in  our  single  specimen  from  Port  Orford, 
Curry  County,  Oregon;  and  in  the  afore-mentioned  paratype. 
It  is  present  in  some  of  the  shells  from  other  localities  ranging 
from  Morro  Bay  ^^  in  the  south  to  Crescent  City  in  the  north. 

The  following  are  the  dates  and  places  we  have  collected 
Olivella  pycna  alive  littorally:  Port  Orford,  Curry  County, 
Oregon,  June  10,  1941,  1  adult  specimen;  Crescent  City,  Del 
Norte  County,  June  9,  1941,  7  adult  specimens;  August  26,  1942, 
650  specimens,  many  immature  and  young  as  well  as  adults ; 
Bolinas,  Marin  County,  May  23,  1943,  2  adults;  June  18-21, 
1943,  357  adult,  immature,  and  a  tew  young  specimens;  July 
18,  1943,  79  adult  and  half  grown  specimens;  August  15,  1943, 
6  adult  and  half  grown  specimens ;  Monterey,  IMonterey  County, 
May  31,  1942,  24  adult  and  immature  specimens  (including  the 
adult  xanthochroistic  one  already  mentioned)  ;  November  21, 
1942,  6  adult  specimens.  This  gives  a  time  range  from  I\Iay  23 
to  November  21,  for  littoral  occurrence,  with  the  peaks  of 
abundance  at  l^>olinns  in  laltor  June  and  at  Crescent  City  in 
hitter  Auijrust. 


11  We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  and  Mra.  Jolin  Q.  Kurdi  for  Morro  Bay  and 
Morro  Rock  specimens,  tlie  latter  dredged  from  seven  fathoms. 


Jan.,  1944]  toe  nautilus  81 

TROPICAL  CENTRAL  PACIFIC  CYPRAEIDAE 

By  WILLIAM  MARCUS  INGRAM 
MUla  College,  California 

The  knowledge  of  the  distribution  of  the  Cypraeidae  is  here 
supplemented  and  extended  by  listing  the  species  of  this  mollusk 
family  occurring  on  specific  tropical  central  Pacific  islands. 
New  records  for  Pacific  islands  are  listed,  and  cowry  faunas  are 
revealed  for  islands  from  which  the  Cypraeidae  have  not  yet 
been  reported. 

The  following  islands  are  included  here  in  separate  sections 
with  a  discussion  of  the  reef  waters  about  each,  United  States 
Navy  Department  (1933)  :  Mortlock  Islands,  Caroline  Island 
Group ;  Nassau  Island,  Pukapuka  Island,  Jarvis  Island,  Line 
Island  Group ;  Baker  Island,  and  Howland  Island.  The  species 
listed  here  from  the  above  islands  are  housed  in  the  Bernice  P. 
Bishop  ]\Iuseum,  Honolulu,  Hawaii.  All  were  collected  by  re- 
liable collectors. 

Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939)  in  the  most  recent  published 
summary  of  the  distribution  of  the  Cypraeidae  generally  include 
cowries  from  areas  and  not  from  specific  islands,  i.e.,  "Marquesas 
Is.,  Flint  I.  to  Palmyra  I.  and  Johnston  I."  The  writer  believes 
that  since  so  many  of  the  published  records  of  the  Cypraeidae 
were  based  on  collections  where  locality  data  were  inadvertently 
mixed,  that  specific  island  lists,  based  on  known  reliable  collec- 
tions, are  necessary  to  clarify  the  distribution  of  this  well  known 
family.  Thus  the  writer's  earlier  work  is  continued  in  an  at- 
tempt to  clarify  the  somewhat  mixed  geographical  distribution 
of  the  Cypraeidae,  Ingram  (1937)  (1937a)  (1938)  (1939) 
(1939a)  (1940).  Examples  of  past  and  present  mixing  of 
cowry  distributional  data  are  found  in  Hawaii.  The  examples 
cited  here  are  only  incidental  to  the  many  that  the  writer  has 
found  in  examining  collections  in  the  United  States.  Specimens 
brought  into  the  Hawaiian  Islands  by  the  missionary  ship, 
Morning  Star,  from  distant  islands  filtered  into  local  Hawaiian 
collections,  when  in  reality  they  were  found  elsewhere  in  Poly- 
nesia. Published  reports  on  Hawaiian  cowries  have  included 
Morning  Star  material,  thus  giving  a  distorted  report  of  the 


82  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

cowries  actually  found  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  (Bryan,  1915), 
(Schilder  and  Schilder,  1939).  In  recent  years  specimens  were 
brought  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands  by  the  Pan-American  colonizers 
from  Johnston,  Baker,  and  Rowland  Islands.  The  writer  saw  a 
number  of  very  fine  Cypraeidae  for  sale  from  the  above  islands 
while  collecting  in  Ililo,  Hawaii  in  1937.  No  doubt  this  mate- 
rial will  eventually  filter  into  collectors  hands  as  being  from 
Hawaii,  and  once  again  the  cowry  fauna  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands 
will  be  distorted.  One  accurate  and  complete  list  of  the  Ha- 
waiian Cypraeidae  was  published  in  1937  (Ingram,  1937),  based 
on  personal  collecting  and  on  the  collections  of  the  following 
scientifically  trained  men  who  had  collected  in  the  islands  for 
twenty  years,  Mr.  W.  G.  Anderson,  Mr.  David  Thaanum.  Mr. 
Ted  Dranga,  Prof.  Jens  M.  Ostergaard,  and  the  late  Mr.  L.  A. 
Thurston.  This  list  has  already  been  distorted  by  accepting  un- 
reliable data,  namely  Bryan's  1915  data  (Schilder  and  Schilder, 
1939).^ 

Cypraeidae  from  the  ]\Iortlock  Islands,  Caroline 
Island  Group 

The  Mortlock  Islands,  Nomoi  Islands,  consist  of  three  distinct 
groups  of  coral  islands  and  reefs  known  as  Lukunor,  Satawan, 
and  Etal.  The  Lukunor  Islands  are  situated  on  a  reef  approxi- 
mately eighteen  miles  in  circuit,  and  enclose  an  oval-shaped 
lagoon  lying  in  a  northwest  and  southwest  direction.  Satawan 
Reef  consists  of  sixty  small  islets  surrounding  an  oval-sliapcd 
lagoon,  about  seventeen  miles  in  length  with  approximately  the 
same  trend  as  the  above  island  group.  The  Etal  Islands  lie  to 
the  north  of  Satawan,  and  are  about  seven  miles  in  circuit. 
They  consist  of  a  number  of  low,  thickly  wooded  islets,  connected 
by  a  reef  in  whose  center  there  is  a  lagoon. 

The  mollusks  from  these  islands  were  prc'sented  to  the  Bernice 
P.  Bishop  Museum  by  Mr.  'I.  S.  Kmerson.  There  are  tliirty-two 
species  represented  in  the  collection.      Based  on  the  number  of 


1  Two  of  the  specific  mimes  used  by  Iiij;i;iin  (1!>;{7,  op.  cit.)  have  cor- 
rectly been  placed  in  synoiiomy  by  Schilder  and  Schilder  (1939,  op.  cit.) 
i.e.,  Cypraca  "pcasci  Sowerby  =  Cypraca  pasknini  Rt^eve;  Cyprara  punrtuhitn 
(imelin  was  incorrectly  used  to  refer  to  Cyprara  teres  Qnielin. 


Jan.,  1944 


THE    NAUTILUS 


83 


iiulividuals  of  any  one  species  in  this  collection  the  following  are 
the  most  common:  Cypraea  carmola  Linnaeus,  C.  tigris  L.,  C. 
arabica  L.,  C.  atuiulus  L.,  C.  moncia  L.,  C.  lynx  L.,  and  C. 
poraria  L. 

One  of  the  notable  specimens  in  this  collection  is  a  large 
Cypraea  lynx  L.  which  measures  approximately  73  mm.  along  an 
anterior-posterior  axis.  Both  the  white  and  pink  base  color  va- 
rieties of  Cypraea  mappa  L.  are  in  the  collection.  The  cylindri- 
cal and  oval  forms  of  Cypraea  carneola  L.  are  represented  in  the 
cabinet,  the  latter  form  being  the  so-called  variety,  propinqua 
Garrett.     The  list  follows : 


Cypraea  annulata  Gray 
Cypraea  annulus  L. 
Cypraea  arahica  L. 
Cypraea  are)iosa  L. 
Cypraea  argus  L. 
Cypraea  asellus  L. 
Cypraea  caput serpentis  L. 
Cypraea  carneola  L. 
Cypraea  caurica  L. 
Cypraea  clandestina  L. 
Cypraea  cruenta  Gmelin 
Cypraea  cumingii  Gray  ^ 
Cypraea  erosa  L. 
Cypraea  errones  L. 
Cypraea  felina  Gmelin 
Cypraea  hclvola  L. 


Cypraea  intermedia  Gray 
Cypraea  isahella  L. 
Cypraea  lynx  L. 
Cypraea  mappa  L. 
Cypraea  moneta  L. 
Cypraea  poraria  L. 
Cypraea  scurra  Chemnitz 
Cypraea  stolida  L. 
Cypraea  teres  Gmelin  ^ 
Cypraea  talpa  L. 
Cypraea  tigris  L. 
Cypraea  ventriculus  Lam. 
Cypraea  vitellus  L. 
Nuclearia  staphylaea  (L.) 
Ipsa  childreni  (Gray) 
Pustularia  cicercula  (L.) 


Cypraeidae  from  Line  Islands 

The  cowries  from  Pukapuka  Island  were  collected  by  Ernest 
Beaglehole;  those  from  Nassau  Island  were  taken  by  F.  L,  Mc- 
Fall.  The  collection  from  Jarvis  Island  was  gathered  by  the 
members  of  the  Whippoorwill  Expedition  from  the  Beruice  P. 
Bishop  Museum. 

Pukapuka  Island,  one  of  the  three  Danger  Islands,  10°  53'  S., 
165°  49'  W.,  is  a  coral  atoll  with  a  maximum  height  of  eighty 
feet  above  sea  level.     Fifteen  species  are  in  the  collection  from 

-  As  illustrated  in  G.  B.  Sowerby,  Thesaurus  Conchylioruni,  pi.  3,  figs. 
349-350,  1870. 

3  As  illustrated  in  G.  B.  Sowerby,  Thesaurus  Conchyliorum,  pi.  27,  fig.  261, 
1870. 


84  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

this  island;  of  these  Cypraea  arenosa  L.,  is  the  most  common. 
Two  individuals,  Cypraea  vitelhis  L.  and  Cypraea  lynx  L.,  are 
extremely  large.  The  specimen  of  the  former  species  has  an 
anterior-posterior  length  of  84  mm.,  the  specimen  of  the  latter 
species  measures  65  mm.  along  the  anterior-posterior  axis.  List 
follows. 

Cypraea  annulus  L.  Cypraea  moneta  L. 

Cypraea  arenosa  L.  Cypraea  talpa  L. 

Cypraea  fimbriata  Gmelin  Cypraea  testudinaria  L. 

Cypraea  intermedia  Gray  Cypraea  tigris  L. 

Cypraea  irrorata  Gray  Cypraea  ventriculus  Lam. 

Cypraea  isahella  L.  Cypraea  vitellus  L. 

Cypraea  lynx  L.  Nuclearia  nucleus  (L.) 
Cypraea  mauritiana  L. 

Nassau  Island 

Nassau  Island,  11°  33'  S.,  165°  25'  W.,  is  approximately  forty- 
five  miles  southeast  by  south  of  the  Danger  Islands.  A  fringing 
reef  surrounds  the  island.  Cypraea  ventriculus  Lamarck,  Cy- 
praea mauritiana  L.,  and  Cypraea  poraria  L.  are  the  most  com- 
mon of  the  species  in  the  collection. 

Cypraea  arenosa  L.  Cypraea  isahella  L. 

Cypraea  caputserpentis  L.  Cypraea  mauritiana  L. 

Cypraea  helvola  L.  Cypraea  poraria  L. 

Cypraea  intermedia  Gray  Cypraea.  testudinaria  L. 

Cypraea  irrorata  Gray  Cypraea  ventriculus  Lam. 

Jarvis  Island 

Jarvis  Island,  0°  23'  S.,  160°  02'  W.,  is  a  small  coral  island  of 
one  and  eight-tenths  miles  in  length.  Cypraea  caputserpentis  L. 
is  the  mo.st  common  of  the  nine  species  in  tlie  collection. 

Cypraea.  arenosa  L.  Cypraea  moneta  Ij. 

Cypraea  caputserpentis  L.  Cypraea  poraria  L. 

Cypraea  intermedia  Gray  <'y})rava  scurra  Chemnitz 

Cypraea  isahella  L.  Cypraea  vitellus  L. 
Cypraea  lynx  L. 

Cypraeidae  from  Baker  and  IIowland  Islands 

The  specimens  from  those  islands  were  collected  by  members 
of  tiie  scientific  staff  of  the  Bernice  B.  Bishop  Museum's  Whip- 
pqorwill  Expedition  in  1924  (Edmondson,  1924). 


Jan..  1044]  the  nautilus  85 

Baker  Island 

Baker  Islaiul.  0°  13'  N.,  17G°  XV  W.,  is  a  coral  island  of  about 
a  mile  in  lenjrtli.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  coral  reef  from  two 
hundred  to  four  hundred  feet  in  breadth. 

Cypraca  crihraria  L.  Cypraca  scurra  Chemnitz 

Cypraea  crosa  L.  Cypraca  talpa  L. 

Cypraea  isahcUa  L.  Cypraea  tcstudinaria  L. 

Cypraea  lynx  L.  Cypraea  tigris  L. 

Cypraea  monefa  L.  Cypraca  vitelhis  L. 

Cypraca  poraria  L.  Nuclearia  nucleus  (L.) 
Cypraea  teres  Gmelin  * 

Rowland  Island 

Ilowland  Island,  0°  49'  N.,  176°  43'  W.,  possesses  a  fringing 
reef  and  is  about  two  miles  long.  Seventeen  species  are  in  the 
collection,  of  these  Cypraea  intermedia  Gray,  Cypraea  caput- 
serpentis  L.,  and  Cypraea  mauritiana  L.  are  common. 

Cypraea  annulus  L.  Cypraea  poraria  L. 

Cypraea  caput  serpent  is  L.  Cypraea  teres  Gmel. 

Cypraca  carneola  L.  Cypraea  reticulata  Martyn 

Cypraca  hclvola  L.  Cypraea  scurra  Chemu. 

Cypraea  intermedia  Gray  Cypraea  talpa  L. 

Cypraea  isahella  L.  Cypraea  tcstudinaria  L. 

Cypraca  lynx  L,  Cypraea  vitellus  L. 

Cypraca  mauritiana  L.  Nuclearia  nucleus  (L.) 
Cypraca  moneta  L. 

Bibliography 

Bryan,  W.  A.,  Natural  history  of  Hawaii,  pp.  1-596,  1915. 
Edmondson,  C.  II.,  B.  p.  B.  Mus.  Bull.  27,  pp.  i-148,  1925. 
Ingram,  W.  U.,  Nautilus,  50:  3,  pp.  77-82,  1937. 

.,  Cypraeidae  from   Christmas,   Palmyra,   Washington, 

and  Fanning  Islands,  Nautilus,  51 :  1,  pp.  1-3,  1937a, 

.,  Cypraeidae   from   Guam,    Nautilus,   52:   1,   pp.   5-7, 


1938. 

.,  Cypraeidae  from  American  Samoa  with  notes  on  spe- 


cies from  Palmyra  Island,  Nautilus,  52,  pp.  103-105,  1939. 
-.,  Cypraeidae   from    Makatea    Island,    Tuamotu    Archi- 


pelago.    Occ.   Pap.,   B.   P.   B.   Mus.,   14:   18,   pp.   323-325, 
1939a. 


*  As  illustrated  in  G.  B.  Sowerby,  Thesaurus  Conchylioruni,  j>l.  27,  fig.  261, 
1870. 


86  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (3) 

Cypraeidae  from  Atafu  Island,  Union  Group,  Jour. 


of  Conch.,  21 :  7,  pp.  213-214,  1940. 

ScHiLDER,  F.  A.,  and  M,  Schilder,  Proc.  Malac.  Soc.  London,  23 : 
4,  pp.  119-231,  1939. 

United  States  Navy  Department  Hydrograpliic  Office,  Sailing  di- 
rections for  the  Pacific  Islands  (Eastern  Groups),  vol.  2,  pp. 
1-560,  1933. 


A  WEST  AMERICAN  JULIA 
By  H.  a.  PILSBEY  and  A.  A.  OLSSON 

As  living  mollusks,  species  of  Julia  are  known  in  the  central 
Pacific  (J.  exquisita  Gould,  Hawaii)  and  Indian  Ocean  (Re- 
union). Fossil  forms  have  been  described  from  lower  to  middle 
Miocene  of  Florida  {J.  floridana  Dall)  and  the  West  Indies 
(J.  gardncrae  Woodring),  and  Woodring  mentions  three  from 
slightly  older,  Helvetian  and  Aquitanian,  French  beds. 

The  Panamie  species  here  described  as  J.  equatorialis  is  the 
first  living  American  species.  It  seems  to  be  the  smallest  of 
these  little  clams  now  known.  Its  rather  long  and  narrow  an- 
terior end  is  most  like  J.  horbonica  (Desh.),  but  that  species 
differs  by  having  a  straight  ventral  margin.  J.  exquisita  Gld., 
as  figured  by  Dall,  Bartsch  and  Rehder,  differs  by  the  same  fea- 
ture.    According  to  Gould  it  attains  a  length  of  5  mm. 

Julia  equatorialis,  n.  sp.     Plate  9,  figs.  10,  11. 

Shell  small,  usually  between  2  and  3.8  nun.  in  leniitli.  When 
fresh,  the  color  of  the  shell  is  green  or  greenish  yeUow  but  on 
weatliering  it  soon  becomes  white.  The  valves  are  moderately 
convex,  subcjuadrate  in  form,  the  dorsal  margin  more  strongly 
convex  than  the  ventral ;  the  anterior  end  is  produced  to  form  a 
short  to  fairly  long  wing,  somewhat  pointed  at  the  end.  Beaks 
prosogyrate,  their  position  varying  somewhat  with  the  length  of 
the  anterior  wing.  Hinge  edenlnlons.  Lnniile  is  deeply  snnken. 
In  the  left  valve  its  inner  edge  is  strongly  thickened  so  that  it 
resembles  a  large  rounded  tooth,  projecting  into  the  valve  cavity. 
Li  front  of  this  toothliUe  process  and  below  the  beak  it  is  exca- 
vated. In  the  right  valve  the  lunule  does  not  project  so  far  in- 
ward and  is  not  enlarged  at  the  end,  but  tlie  central  part  is 
raised,  toothlike,  fitting  into  the  excavation  mentioned  in  the 
lunule  of  the  otiier  valve.     Texture  of  valves  is  somewhat  trans- 


Jan.,  1944]  the  nautilus  87 

liuont,  the  exterior  smoothish,  but  obscurely  marked  with  about 
'JO  very  sliallow  radial  lines.     Greatest  inflation  of  the  valves 
situated  just  back  of  and  below  the  beaks. 
Length  3.7  mm.,  height  2.7  mm.  (type). 

Although  rare,  as  far  as  we  may  judge  from  present  records, 
the  species  seems  to  have  a  general  distribution  through  the 
southern  part  of  the  Panamie  province,  from  southern  Panama 
to  northern  Peru.  We  have  specimens  from  the  following  lo- 
calities : 

Panama  :  Bucaru,  at  the  southern  tip  of  the  Los  Santos  Pen- 
insula, one  specimen. 

Colombia:  Isla  del  Gallo,  to  the  north  of  Tumaco,  one  specimen. 

Ecuador  :  Punta  Callo,  on  the  coast  west  of  Jipijapa,  Prov.  of 
Manabi,  three  or  four  specimens. 

Peru  :  Caleto  Sal,  north  of  Mancora,  Department  of  Tumbex,  2 
specimens,  T>T)e  179845  ANSP. 

The  photographic  figures  might  give  one  the  impression  that 
the  projection  of  the  lunule  into  the  valve  cavity  stands  free 
from  the  valve  below  it.  This  is  not  the  case,  as  it  forms  a  little 
buttress,  with  slightly  spreading  base,  lost  in  shadow  in  the 
photograph.  The  type  is  a  left  valve,  fig.  10,  but  a  paratypic 
right  valve  is  mounted  with  it  in  the  collection.  No  entire  speci- 
men was  found. 


NEW  PERUVIAN  LAND  MOLLUSKS 
By  H.  a.  PILSBRY 

The  collections  of  Dr.  W.  Weyrauch,  of  Lima,  Peru,  sub- 
mitted to  me  for  study,  contain  many  interesting  land  shells,  a 
considerable  number  being  new  to  science.  A  paper  describing 
these  will  soon  appear;  meantime  I  select  two  which  have  been 
named  in  his  honor,  for  illustration  in  Nautilus. 

BosTRYX  WEYRAUCHI,  u.  sp.     Plate  9,  fig.  5. 

Shell  having  the  general  appearance  of  B.  crcmothaumn  Pils. 
being  wider  than  iiigli,  acutely  carinate  and  openly  umbilicate; 
opaque,  nearly  white,  with  four  indistinct  spiral  bands  of  pink- 
ish-cinnamon on  the  base  and  some  faint  streaks  above.  Surface 
matt,  with  rather  fine,  uneven  sculpture  of  strongly  retractive 


88  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

wrinkles  on  the  upper  surface,  tlie  base  with  some  low  axial 
ridges  and  traces  of  a  few  impressed  spirals.  "Whorls  5V2>  the 
first  two  whorls  convex,  projecting  as  an  apical  mucro,  smooth 
and  white.  Following  whorls  flattened,  concave  above  the  pe- 
ripheral keel,  which  projects  above  the  suture  on  the  penult 
whorl.  Lower  surface  concave  below  the  keel,  then  sloping  to  a 
strong  keel  around  the  broad,  funnel-shaped  umbilicus.  The 
suture  descends  rather  deeply  in  front.  Aperture  semicircular, 
cinnamon  colored  within,  the  peristome  paler,  expanded,  some- 
what angular  at  the  termination  of  the  peripheral  angle,  the 
margins  approaching  rather  closely.  Height  17.8  mm.,  diameter 
20  .mm. 

Ninabamba,  near  Ayacucho,  Peru,  at  2000  meters  elevation. 
Type  179979  ANSP. 

This  is  a  second  member  of  the  subgenus  Plaiyhostryx.  It  is 
larger  than  B.  eremothauma  with  more  elevated  spire,  narrower 
umbilicus  and  less  angular  outer  lip.  The  color  markings  de- 
scribed are  rather  faint.     Named  in  honor  of  Dr.  W.  Weyrauch. 

Neopetraeus  WEYRAUcin,  n.  sp.     Plate  9,  fig.  4. 

The  shell  is  acutely  and  broadly  ovate  with  an  umbilicus  nar- 
row within  but  becoming  very  wide  by  deviation  of  the  last  half 
whorl.  Rather  solid  though  not  thick.  Pale  pinkish  buff,  with 
chestnut-brown  markings  in  form  of  three  spiral  series  of  spots 
on  the  penult  whorl,  and  on  the  last  a  subsutural  irreguhir  series 
of  streaks,  a  band  of  small  spots  at  periphery  and  another  in 
middle  of  upper  surface ;  immediately  below  periphery  a  con- 
tinuous nearly  black  band,  with  a  narrower  one  in  the  middle 
of  the  base,  the  space  below  it  streaked  with  chestnut-brown. 
Whorls  6y^,  the  apex  somewiiat  mucronate,  with  Nc()})ctracu,^ 
sculpture  typical  in  pattern  but  extremely  weak;  following 
whorls  nearly  flat,  with  rather  weak,  uneven,  wrinkle  slriation. 
Suture  hardly  ini})ressed,  ascending  to  the  lip.  Ajierture  oval. 
j)inkisli  vinaceous  and  showing  the  bands  within.  Peristome 
thin,  whitish,  the  outer  and  basal  margins  very  little  expanded, 
columellar  margin  dilated  forward.  Lengtli  28.5  mm.,  diameter 
20  mm.,  length  of  aperture  16  mm. 

liuaraz,  Santa  Vallev,  Peru,  at  :{200  meters.  Tvpe  179980 
ANSP. 

Near  A'.  (ihiliiKilixi  (I)olii-ii),  but  if  dilTci's  l)y  luiviug  the  su- 
ture not  at  all  imi)r('sscil,  hciug  tilled  by  the  keel  of  the  whorls, 
which  continues  nearly  to  the  last  whorl.  The  outlines  near  the 
summit  are  more  concave,  becoming  convex  on  the  last  two 
whorls.  A^.  fcssrilatus  (Shuttl.)  has  a  more  straightly  conic 
spire. 


I'llK   N  A  1  Til. IS  .-.7    (:J) 


IM.A'rK   !i 


1,  2,   J'itrliKlIn    hialii.  C 

15,  (him  11(1    vaiiliiiiiiiii/i.  7 

4,  N<  tipi  Iratiis    in  )iraiic]ii.  H 

.").  Biistriir    in  1/ ran  ell  i.  i* 

10,  11,  Julia  I ijiiaturialis  Csc 


I'll  liii-li,  ihis    iiirn'ml ji'i     I'ilshry. 
Iliili  mill  IIS  il.   iiiiuin  aims, 
liiiliiiiiiliis  il.  sfliii  ih  aims. 
ISiiliiiiiiliis   (I.    liiiiiahilis. 
ulc  lino  =  1  mm.)' 


THE  NAUTILUS  57   (3) 


PLATE   10 


Fussuhi   vciu'zucli'iisis. 


Jan.,  1!)44]  Tin:  nautilus  89 

A  VENEZUELAN  SPECIES  OF  FOSSULA 
By  H.  a.  PILSBRY  and  A.  A.  OLSSON 

Fossula  has  hitherto  been  known  by  several  speeies  from  south 
of  the  Amazon.  The  species  here  described  was  found  in  the 
Kio  Guarico  at  Barbacoas,  State  of  Guarico,  Venezuela  (Olsson, 
March  1941).  It  is,  we  believe,  the  first  from  northern  South 
America. 

Fossula  venezuelensis,  n.  sp.     Plate  10. 

The  shell  is  oblong,  the  height  58  percent  of  the  length,  moder- 
ately inflated,  of  medium  weight.  It  gapes  slightly  from  the 
middle  of  tiie  ventral  margin  to  the  anterior  end,  and  somewhat 
less  along  the  posterior-dorsal  slope.  Beaks  moderately  promi- 
nent, at  about  the  anterior  fourth  of  the  length.  Dorsal  and 
ventral  margins  but  slightly  curved,  roughly  parallel.  Anterior 
end  narrower,  rounded.  Posterior  end  oblique,  having  a  pro- 
jecting point  at  the  end  of  a  low,  black  ridge  running  from  the 
beaks.  Epidermis  yellowish  olive,  much  darker  towards  the  ends. 
The  interior  is  silvery  and  iridescent,  with  a  rather  wide  dull 
prismatic  border,  widest  (5.3  mm.)  near  and  at  the  posterior 
end.  Cavity  of  the  beaks  deep.  Anterior  muscle  impression 
distinct,  the  posterior  ill  defined. 

In  the  right  valve  there  is  an  erect,  elongate  anterior  cardinal 
tooth  (not  well  shown  in  the  plate,  as  it  did  not  catch  the  light, 
and  is  represented  by  a  dark  area  anterior  to  the  rim  below  the 
pit,  which  shows  white  in  the  photograph).  The  pit  below  the 
beak  is  large  (light  in  the  photograph),  and  there  is  no  tooth 
posterior  to  it.  The  left  valve  has  an  erect,  rather  long  irregular 
tooth  below  the  beak.  In  place  of  lateral  teeth  there  is  a  broad 
convex  hinge  plate,  terminated  by  a  nearly  black  triangular 
sinulus. 

Length  98  mm.,  height  57.5  mm.,  diameter  33  mm. 

Type  179759  ANSP.  The  arrangement  of  the  low  "teeth"  is 
substantially  as  in  F.  fossiculifera,  the  type  of  Fossula,  but  they 
are  longer.  The  pit  below  the  beak  in  the  right  valve  is  longer, 
and  it  is  bounded  below  by  a  more  prominent  callous  ridge.  The 
prismatic  internal  border  of  the  valves  is  not  so  wide  as  in 
fossiculifera  compared.  But  the  most  conspicuous  difference 
from  the  four  forms  described  from  south  of  the  Amazon  is  the 
much  lower,  oblong  or  elliptical  rather  than  subtriangular  out- 
line. 


90  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (3) 

OBSERVATIONS  ON  PSEUDOMONOTIS,   A  LATE 
PALEOZOIC  PELECYPOD 

By  DAVID  NICOL 
Stanford  University,  California 

While  the  writer  was  collecting  data  on  the  validity  of  reports 
of  Paleozoic  Ostreidae,  he  found  that  the  question  of  the  time  of 
origin  of  shell  attachment  in  pleurothetic  pelecypods  was  impor- 
tant. Especially  for  this  latter  problem,  it  was  necessary  to 
study  the  genus  Pseudomonotis,^  a  member  of  the  Paleozoic 
Pectinacea. 

The  writer  wishes  to  express  his  appreciation  to  Dr.  Norman 
D.  Newell  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin  for  his  interest  and 
helpful  suggestions  on  this  subject. 

The  earliest  pelecypods  are  equivalve  free  living  types.  Byssal 
attachment  also  is  found  in  many  ancient  pelecypods,  but  some 
of  the  other  adaptations  to  various  kinds  of  environment  appear 
much  later.  One  of  the  latter  is  the  oyster-like  habit  of  having 
one  valve  cemented  to  the  substrate.  This  adaptation  has  origi- 
nated independently  many  times  in  various  pelecypod  stocks  and 
is  common  from  the  Mesozoic  to  the  Recent.  Occurrences  in  the 
Paleozoic  are  apparently  meager. 

There  is  infrequent  mention  in  the  description  of  Paleozoic 
pelecypods  about  the  occurrence  of  shell  fixation  by  cementation. 
Jackson  (1890,  pp.  325,  326)  points  out  that  the  earliest  oyster 
is  one  described  by  Barrande  (1881,  pp.  233,  234)  as  Praeostrea 
bohemica  from  the  Upper  Silurian.  In  the  description  of  this 
species  Barrande  does  not  refer  to  attachment  of  either  valve  or 
to  an  attachment  scar,  although  fig.  4  of  plate  111  may  sliow 
either  tliat  there  is  an  attachment  scar  or  that  the  umbo  of  the 
specimen  is  broken.  This  is  apparently  the  only  reference  to  a 
Pre-Carboniferous  oyster.  In  a  few  scattered  monographs,  most 
of  which  were  written  before  1900,  a  few  poorly  preserved  speci- 
mens have  been  described  as  members  of  the  family  Ostreidae. 

According  to  Newell  (personal  communication)  these  speci- 
mens of  so-called  Ostrea  from  the  Pennsylvanian  and  Permian 

1  Pseudomonotis  is  here  used  in  the  same  generic  sense  as  Newell  (1938, 
p.  92)  applied  it,  genotype  Gryphitcs  speluncaritis  Schlotheim,  by  subsequent 
designation. 


Jan.,  1944]  the  nautilus  91 

can  probably  all  bo  allocated  to  the  ^ronus  Pseudomonotift.  A 
careful  check  of  descriptions  and  fifrures  lias  led  the  writer  to  the 
same  conclusion.  Pscudomonotis,  unlike  the  oyster,  wa.s  attached 
by  the  right  valve  and  not  by  the  left  one.  IMorpholoprically  the 
genus  comprises  a  large  and  heterogeneous  group  which,  because 
of  its  attached  habit,  showed  a  reduction  of  the  ears  and  as- 
sumed the  form  of  an  oyster.  Some  species  are  gryphaeoid  in 
form  while  others  have  typically  flat  valves  and  show  a  pro- 
nounced attachment  scar.  Pseudomonotis  hawni,  as  figured  by 
Newell  (1938,  pi.  17,  figs.  8,  11a),  clearly  shows  the  scar  of 
fixation. 

Newell  (personal  communication)  believes  that  Pseudomonotis 
may  have  had  a  method  of  attachment  like  Anomia  because  in 
many  forms  the  byssal  notch  seems  to  have  been  so  overgrown  at 
the  periphery  that  it  was  in  effect  a  perforation.  The  irregular 
growth  of  the  adult  specimens  during  later  life  and  the  fact  that 
some  Pennsylvanian  species  show  the  transfer  of  surface  orna- 
mentation of  the  host  to  which  the  shell  was  attached  has  con- 
vinced Newell  that  Pseudomonotis  was  fixed  by  its  shell.  On  the 
other  hand  specimens  of  Pseudomonotis  speluncaria  in  the  pale- 
ontology collection  at  Stanford  University  show  no  signs  of  at- 
tachment. Large,  flat,  oyster-like  specimens  from  the  Gamma 
member  of  the  Kaibab  formation  of  Arizona  clearly  indicate  that 
they  were  attached  during  the  adult  stage. 

Pseudomonotis,  which  has  a  geologic  time  range  from  Pennsyl- 
vanian through  Permian,  is  the  only  Paleozoic  pelecypod  defi- 
nitely proved  to  have  acquired  shell  fixation.  From  Triassic  on- 
ward the  occurrence  of  this  adaptive  habit  appears  widespread 
among  this  da.ss  of  molluscs. 

Why  this  adaptation  was  not  more  common  and  did  not  occur 
early  in  the  Paleozoic  is  not  known.  Certainly  the  number  of 
genera  and  species  of  Paleozoic  pelecypods  is  great.  Perhaps 
the  best  explanation  for  the  scarcity  of  this  modification  is  given 
by  Dacque  (1921,  p.  296)  who  states  that  the  brachiopods  were 
the  dominant  group  of  animals  in  the  same  type  of  environment 
in  the  Paleozoic  that  the  pelecypods  occupied  from  the  Mesozoic 
to  the  Recent.  Many  brachiopods  during  the  Paleozoic  attached 
themselves  to  the  hard  .substrate  by  shell  fixation.  With  the 
rapid  disappearance  of  numerous  brachiopod  genera  at  the  end 


92  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

of  Permian  time,  and  their  continued  decrease  in  numbers 
throughout  the  Mesozoic,  the  similarly  adapted  pelecj'pods  could 
take  over  the  environmental  niches  left  by  the  brachiopods. 
Adaptive  radiation  in  the  pelecypods  has  been  developed  to  its 
fullest  extent  from  Mesozoic  time  onward. 

As  a  resume  the  following  conclusions  can  be  presented : 

1.  ]\Iembers  of  the  family  Ostreidae  do  not  appear  in  the 
Paleozoic  Era,  and  species  described  in  this  family  belong  to  the 
genus  Pseudomonotis,  a  member  of  the  superfamily  Pectinacea. 

2.  Fixation  to  the  hard  substrate  with  the  accompanying  modi- 
fications of  shell  morphology  have  so  far  definitely  been  proved 
to  occur  only  in  Pseudomonotis  which  has  a  geologic  time  range 
from  Pennsylvanian  through  Permian.  Further  investigation 
may  find  other  examples  of  this  adaptation  and  even  earlier  cases 
of  it  than  are  recorded  here.  However,  these  additional  cases 
will  not  alter  the  fact  that  shell  fixation  by  cementation  in 
pelecypods  occurs  rarely  in  the  Paleozoic  Era. 

Bibliography 

Barrande,  J.,  1881,  Extraites  du  Systeme  Silurien  du  centre  de 

la  Boheme,  v.  6,  Acephales,  ch.  1  (See  pp.  233,  234,  pi.  Ill, 

figs.  1-4). 
Dacque,  E.,  1921,  Vergleichende  biologische  Formenkunde  der 

fossilen  niederen  Tiere,  Borntraeger  (See  pp.  291-297,  334— 

347). 
Haas,  F.,  1935,  Dr.  H.  G.  Bronn's  Klassen  und  Ordnungen  des 

Tierreichs,  Bd.  3,  Abt.  3,  T.  1,  Leipzig,  Akad.  Vorlagsge- 

sellsehaft  M.  B.  II.  (See  pp.  179-186,  561). 
IIiND,   W.,    1904,   A   monograph   of   the    British    Carboniferous 

Laniellibranehiata,   v.   II,   pt.   III.   Paleontograpiiical    Soc, 

London,  v.  LVIII  (See  pp.  125,  126.  pi.  XXV,  fig.  7). 
laBERG,  O.,  1934,  Studien  fiber  Lamellibranchiaten  des  Leptaena- 

kalkes  in  Dalarna,  Lund,   llikan   Ohlssons   Buchdruckerei 

(See  pp.  402-405). 
Jackson,  K.  T.,  1890,  Phylogenv  of  the  Peleevpoda,  Mem.  Boston 

Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  V.  IV,  no.  VIII  (See  pp.  325.  326). 
KoNiNCK,  L.  (i.  de,  1885,  Faune  du  Cak-aire  Carboiiilerc  do  la 

Belgi(iue,  Ann.  tlu  Mus.  d'llist.  Nat.  de  l>elgi(jue,  t.  XI,  pt. 

5,  Lamellibranches  (Soc  pp.  201,  202,  pi.  XL,  figs.  1-5). 
MuR(;iiisoN,  R.  1.,  E.  de  Verneuil,  and  A.  do  Keyserlincj,  1845, 

The  Cioology  in  Europe  and  the  rral  Mountains  (See  v.  I, 

p.  225,  v.  2,  pt.  3,  pp.  330,  331,  pi.  XXI,  tigs.  13a-c). 


Jan.,  1944]  the  nautilus  93 

Newell,  N.  D.,   1938,  Late   Paleozoic  Pelecvpods:   Pectinacea, 

Geol.  Surv.  Kansas,  v.  10  (See  pp.  10,  92,  9;'),  97-102,  pis. 

16-18). 
Xeweli..  N.  D.,  and  F.  E.  Mek(1I.\nt,  1939.  Discordant  valves  in 

Pleurotlietie  Pelecvpods,  Am.  J.  ISei.,  v.  2:}7,  no.  3,  pp.  175- 

177.  1  pi. 
White,  C.  A.,  1884,  A  Review  of  the  Fossil  Ostreidae  of  North 

America,  U.  S.  G.  S.  4th  Ann.  Kept.  (See  pp.  284,  288,  pi. 

XXXIV,  fifrs.  1,2). 
WiKCHELL,  A.,  1865,  Descriptions  of  New  Species  of  Fossils,  etc., 

Pr.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia  (See  p.  124). 


THE  SPHAERIIDAE,   A   PRELIMINARY    SURVEY 
By   STANLEY  TRUMAN  BROOKS  and  H.   B.  HERRINGTON 

Although  Temple  Prime,  Dr.  Victor  Sterki  and  others  have 
paid  much  attention  to  the  taxonomy  of  the  Sphaeriidae,  that 
group  is  in  a  chaotic  state.  Identifications  are  difficult  or  im- 
po.ssible. 

Not  only  have  the  present  students  found  the  Sphaeriidae  to 
be  an  exasperating  portion  of  our  fauna  but,  also,  Dr.  Sterki  has 
long  put  his  complaints  into  writing.  Writing  to  Chief  Justice 
Latchford,  Sterki  made  the  following  comment,  "It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  offer  you  excuse  or  explanation  for  doubtfully 
identified  forms,  as  in  the  list;  you  certainly  understand  that 
"species"  are  not  always  "clear  cases."  Some  of  our  Sphae- 
riidae are  so  perplexingly  variable  that  it  is  impossible,  at  pres- 
ent, to  outline  them,  or  more  practically,  to  know  whether  a  given 
"form"  is  inside  or  outside  that  limit.  One  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult is  e.g.,  Sphacrium  striatinum,  with  apparently  no  end  of 
variation,  or  varieties  and  local  forms;  similar  cases  are  those  of 
M.  securis,  rosaceum,  truncatum,  and  a  number  of  Pisidia." 
Nineteen  years  later  (January  10,  1930),  writing  to  the  same 
individual  as  he  returns  material  he  has  been  examining.  Dr. 
Sterki  writes  in  the  same  vein:  "Most  of  the  spp.  are  very 
variable  and  some  are  very  difficult  to  define  and  confine,  e.g. 
striatinum,  stamineum,  even  solidulum."  And  these  statements 
can  be  duplicated  many  times  from  Sterki 's  notes  in  the  Carnegie 
Museum. 


94  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (3) 

A  comprehensive  programme  of  research  should  include: 

1  (a)  A  re-study  of  all  shell  characters,  especially  hinge  teeth, 
general  shape,  the  young,  etc.,  of  both  recent  and  fossil  forms. 

(b)   Comparison  with  the  original  descriptions. 

2  Preparation  of  clear  descriptions  and  good  figures  of  each 
species. 

3  Anatomical  investigations. 

As  a  first  step  in  this  direction  these  preliminary  remarks  are 
offered. 

The  authors  have  been  gathering  data  about  the  larger  eastern 
forms  of  the  family  Sphaeriidae  (genera  Siphaerium,  Muscu- 
lium),  and  have  found  the  following  principles  involved: 

1.  That  the  myriad  forms  hitherto  placed  under  the  genera 
Sphaerium  and  Musculium  are  generalized  groups  and/or,  in 
some  cases,  species  which  are  even  today  still  undergoing  evolu- 
tionary development.  The  generalized  forms  are  exactly  repre- 
sented by  the  groups  Sphaerium  sulcatum  and  Sphaerium  stria- 
tinum,  both  of  which  form  a  complex  evolutionary  structure  of 
interrelated  (ecological  and  geographical)  units. 

2.  That  the  genus  (so  called)  Musculium  is  in  reality  a  di- 
vision of  the  genus  Sphaerium,  and  cannot  be  separated,  on  the 
basis  of  conehological  characters,  from  that  genus.  In  this  state- 
ment we  are  in  harmony  with  older  American  and  European 
opinion.  The  calyculae  of  the  shells  are  not  a  character  of 
generic  standing.  It  is  noted,  however,  that  in  this  genus  a 
further  speciation  has  taken  place  than  within  the  genus  Sphae- 
rium (in  the  strict  sense). 

3.  That  the  species  Sphaerium  rhomhoideum,  Sphaerium 
walkeri,  Sphaerium  occidcntale,  and  Sphaerium  corncum  form  a 
separate  group  belonging  together.  Tliese  have  been  included 
by  Dr.  Victor  Sterki  in  the  "corncum  group."  They  impress 
one  as  a  group  of  true  species  rather  than  as  a  species  with  varia- 
tions. They  are  all  loosely  linked  together  by  the  embryonic 
forms,  however. 

4.  That  the  sulcatum,  complex  is  distinguished  by  the  uniform 
striae  and  the  shape  and  large  size  of  the  embryonic  specimens. 
In  all  these  species  (so  called)  the  similarity  of  the  very  young 
and  unborn  shells  is  a  striking  feature.  One  can  trace  the  de- 
velopment of  these  into  the  various  described  kinds,  but  funda- 


Jan.,  1944] 


THE   NAUTILUS 


95 


mentally  they  form   (the  embryos)   one  group.     The  following 
are  forms  of  sulcatum: 


S.  sulcatum  Lam. 

"         insigyie  St. 
"        albcscetise  St. 

fallax  St. 
"        dakotense  St. 
"        ohscurum  St. 


S.  sulcatum  plannium  St. 

dccisum  St. 

lincaium  St. 
"  "        crassum  St. 

ellipticum  St. 

scidptum  St. 


5.  That  Sphocrium  striatinum  (as  a  group)  is  distinguishable 
from  tiie  others  by  the  more  widely  spaced  striae  (when  striae 
are  present,  specimens  may  be  smooth  or  heavily  striated),  and 
by  the  shape  of  the  embryos;  i.e.,  although  the  texture  of  the 
shell  is  the  same  in  sulcatum  and  striatinum,  if  you  take  an 
embryo  of  the  same  size  from  each  of  these  the  dorsal  margin  of 
the  sulcatum  will  be  straight,  that  of  striatinum  will  be  some- 
what bent  downward  in  front  of  the  beak.  This  make  striatinum 
less  equilateral  in  shape.  Even  though  one  can  see  the  first 
steps  toward  speciation  within  this  group  the  indefinite  limits  of 
variation  are  not  sufficiently  stable  to  constitute  ascertainable 
species.     The  following  are  forms  of  striatinum: 


S.  striatinum  Lam. 

"  corpulentum  St. 

"  modestum  St. 

hadium  St. 
"  rugosum  St. 

"  solidum  St. 

"  decorum  St. 

"  novangliae  St. 

"  tenerum  St. 

"  attenuatum    St. 

"  Icvissimum  St. 

S.  stamincum  Conrad 

forbesi  St. 
laeve   ? 
S.  notatum  St. 

"         gihhosum  St. 
"         glahrum  St. 
S.  acuminatum  Prime 

"  diaphanum  St. 

"  lacuum  St. 

S.  cumherlandicum  St. 
S.  nylandcri  St. 
S.  emincns  St. 


S.  lilycashense  Baker 

8.  wrighti  St. 

S.  solidulum  Prime 

8.  canadense  St. 

8.  bakeri  St. 

8.  torsum  St. 

8.  emarginatum  Prime 

8.  wisconsinense  St. 

8.  altilc  St. 

8.  pilsbryanum  St. 

8.  hendersoni  St. 

8.  declive  St. 

8.  obtusum  St. 

8.  browni  St. 

8.  concinnum  St. 

8.  elegans  St. 

8.  vcrmontanum  Prime 

8.  ornatum  St. 

N.  regular c  St. 

8.  cerinum  St. 

8.  redense  St. 

8.  laevigatum  St. 

8.  ohioense  St. 


96  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

6.  That  the  Musculia  {Musculium)  stand  close  to  the  corneum 
frroup.  The  fine  texture  of  the  shell  is  much  the  same,  and  very 
unlike  that  of  sulcatum  or  striatinum  which  is  coarser.  Most  of 
the  Musculia  are  also  markedly  more  fragile  than  the  Sphaeria. 
But  the  tougher  forms  are  as  rugged  as  Sphaerium  walkeri  St. 
When  one  studies  the  entire  group,  neither  by  means  of  adult 
characters  nor  young  specimens  can  one  determine  where  one 
"species"  leaves  off  and  another  begins  (within  this  "genus"). 
Mr.  Herrington  has  found  that  by  taking  the  extreme  forms  of 
Musculia  and  placing  them  along  with  the  less  extreme  that  they 
"fit  together  like  the  pieces  of  a  puzzle."  One  might  say  that 
this  group  is  on  the  verge  of  speciation  but  still  retains  too  many 
of  the  general  characteristics  to  be  divided  successfully  now. 

The  Pittsburgh  member  of  this  present  survey  feels  that  per- 
haps we  have  been  too  greatly  overshadowed  by  the  complex  in 
our  comprehension  of  the  Sphacriidae.  Perhaps  it  is  simply  a 
case  of  great  simplicity — a  few  groups  widely  dispersed  and  ex- 
tremely variable.  At  any  rate  tliis  represents  our  present  out- 
look. We  are  seeing  some  light — the  more  light  as  we  see  more 
and  more  relationships  within  the  mass  of  specimens.  Each 
major  group  is  found  to  have  a  pattern  of  distribution  and  a 
pattern  of  anatomical  features  which  will  undoubtedly  lead  to 
the  proper  vision  of  this  vast  complex  of  animal  life. 

To  assist  us  in  this  work  we  are  asking  fellow  conchologists  to 
make  an  especial  effort  at  collecting  both  Pleistocene  and  recent 
material.  The  Pleistocene  picture  we  liope  will  be  the  secret 
door  to  the  apparent  present  day  complexity  of  the  group. 
There,  we  hope,  will  our  siinplification  be  more  strongly  illus- 
trated— the  pattern  more  broadly  iiluinlMated.  Today,  and  with 
the  specimens  of  today's  evolution  we  arc  laboring  under  a 
burdensome  mass  of  observation  and  speculation  frciglited  with 
misconceptions  and  fallacies. 

We  ask  that  each  collector  will  please  give  data — date,  eleva- 
tions, flood  condition,  watershed,  lake,  or  stream,  etc.,  with  speci- 
mens sent  in. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  others  to  know  that  the  Carnegie 
Musenm  is  keeping  the  Sterki  Collection  intact  under  the  names 
Sterki  used.  Only  a  small  portion  has  been  removed  and  reno- 
vated for  this  study.     We  still  need  collections  from  many  areas 


Jan.,  1944]  the  nattilus  97 

and  especially  from  the  Pleistocene.  Wiierever  the  older  (and 
some  of  tlio  present)  collei'tors  live  or  iiave  lived,  that  area  is 
usually  well  repi'esented  in  our  (.'abiiiet.  The  newer  students  of 
moUusks  can  greatly  extend  our  ranpfe  of  material  into  newer 
fields. 

Specimens  may  be  sent  to  Dr.  Stanley  Truman  Brooks,  Car- 
negie Museum,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  or  to  the  Rev.  H.  B.  Herrington, 
Xewburgh,  Ont.,  Canada. 


A  NEW  VITRINELLA  FROM  MARYLAND  ^ 
By  HARALD  a.  EEHDER 

Associate  Curator,  Division  of  Mollusks 
United  States  National  Museum 

Among  the  numerous  mollusks  that  Dr.  S.  F.  Blake  has  found 
in  his  researches  on  the  Pleistocene  fauna  of  Maryland  is  this 
small  Vitrinella  that  seems  to  be  undescribed,  and  which  I  am 
pleased  to  name  for  the  discoverer. 

Vitrinella  blakei,  new  species.     Plate  9,  Figures  1,  2, 

Shell  very  small,  depressed-helicoid,  with  a  low  spire,  opaque 
white.  The  last  whorl  is  large,  strongly  convex,  and  sculptured 
on  the  upper  surface  by  well-defined,  short,  axial  wrinkles  of 
varying  length,  running  down  from  the  suture,  and  stronger, 
more  crowded  ones  around  the  deep  narrow  umbilicus;  there  are 
likewise  numerous  fine  spiral  grooves  in  the  peripheral  region. 
Aperture  suborbicular,  flattened  somewhat  in  the  columellar 
portion  and  bluntly  angled  at  the  base  thereof. 

The  type,  r.S.X.:M.  No.  ;')37834,  measures:  Height,  0.7  mm.; 
greatest  diameter,  1.2  mm. 

It  was  collected  in  Bed  1  (lowest  bed)  of  the  Talbot  formation 
of  the  Pleistocene  at  Wailes  Bluff,  near  Cornfield  Harbor,  at  the 
southern  tip  of  St.  ]\Iary's  County,  Maryland. 

The  axial  wrinkles  in  the  umbilical  and  sutural  region,  and 
the  narrow  umbilicus,  will  distinguish  this  species  from  other 
West  Atlantic  forms.  It  will  very  likely  be  found  to  be  also 
living  along  our  coast. 


1  Published  by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 


98  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

THE  "APERTURAL  RIDGE"  IN  BULIMULUS 

By  GORDON  K.  MacMILLAN 

Carnegie  Museum 

]\Iany  species  of  the  genus  Bidiinulus  in  the  southern  section 
of  the  United  States  are  characterized  by  the  presence  of  a  ridge 
on  the  lower  portion  of  the  aperture.  This  ridge,  which  I  have 
designated  as  the  "apertural  ridge,"  varies  greatly  in  thickness 
and  is  usually  present  close  to  the  peristome,  about  Ys  the  dis- 
tance within  the  aperture,  or  so  far  back  as  to  be  nearly  hidden 
by  the  parietal  wall.  There  are  a  few  specimens  in  which  there 
are  two  of  these  ridges  very  close  together,  but  in  the  majority 
of  the  specimens  there  is  present  only  one  ridge.  Specimens 
with  such  ridges  are  illustrated  in  Plate  9,  figures  7,  8,  9. 

The  presence  of  these  "apertural  ridges"  might  indicate  a 
resting  stage  in  the  life  of  the  snail,  much  as  the  varices  of  some 
of  the  larger  snails  of  the  family  Orthalicidae.  The  thickness  of 
the  ridge  probably  indicates  a  longer  or  shorter  period  of  estiva- 
tion. In  those  specimens  in  which  there  is  an  absence  of  the 
ridge,  it  might  have  been  absorbed  by  the  animal  as  it  continued 
to  grow  and  enlarge  its  shell.  For  some  reason,  during  the  subse- 
quent growth  of  the  animal,  many  of  these  ridges  were  not  ab- 
sorbed and  are  thus  present  on  the  apertural  floor. 

The  "apertural  ridge"  has  been  observed  in  the  following 
snails : 

Bulimuhis  dealhatus  dealhatus  Buliniulus  dcalbatus  liquahilis 

(Say)  (Reeve).    Fig.  9. 

Buliniulus  dealhatus  ragsdalci  Bulimidus  dealhatus  ozarkensis 

(Pilsbry)  Pi  is.  &  Ferr. 

Bidimulus      dealhatus      patri-  Bulimulus    alter  )iat  us     mariae 

archus  (W.G.B.)  (Albers) 

Bulimulus    dealhatus    schiede-  Bulimulus  alteniatus  altcruatus 

auus  (Pfr.).    Fig.  8.  (Say) 
Bulimulus  dealhatus  mooreanus 

(W.G.B.) .    Fig.  7. 

There  are  only  a  few  references  in  molluscan  literature  which 
mention  the  existence  of  the  "apertural  ridge"  in  any  of  the 
species  of  Bulimulus.  W.  G.  Binney  on  page  127  in  a  Supple- 
ment to  the  Terrestrial  Air-Breathing  Mollusks  of  the  United 
States  and  Adjacent  Territories  of  North  America,  4,  1859,  men- 


Jan..  1!U41  THE  nautilus  99 

tioiis  in  the  description  of  Bulinutlus  dlhrnaius  Say  tliat  the 
"hibniin  (in  some  species)  with  a  tliickened  line  or  rib  on  the 
inner  submarfjin."  This  is  repeated  in  the  Land  and  Fresh 
Water  Shells  of  North  America,  part  1,  1869,  on  pajre  200  and 
in  A  Manual  of  American  Land  Shells,  1885,  on  pa<;e  396.  On 
paj^es  1200  and  397  respectively  of  the  latter  two  publications  are 
the  followinsi:  remarks  concerning  this  species,  "The  aperture, 
however,  is  always  dark,  and  has  a  white,  thickened  rim  within 
the  peristome."  and  "This  species  is  readily  distinpruishable 
from  the  allied  forms  by  ...  its  dark-colored  aperture,  bordered 
within  with  the  white  internal  margin  of  the  aperture.  The 
aperture,  however,  is  always  dark,  and  has  a  white,  thickened 
rim  within  the  peristome." 

The  description  of  B.  dcalbatus  mooreanus  (W.G.B.)  in  the 
Land  and  Fresh  Water  Sliells  of  North  America,  part  1,  is  found 
on  page  200.  Part  of  this  includes  the  following  notation, 
"peristome  ....  with  an  internal  delicate  white  rim."  This 
is  repeated  by  Binney  in  A  Manual  of  North  American  Land 
Shells  on  page  400. 

In  Biologia  Centrali-Americana,  Land  and  Freshwater  Mol- 
lusca,  1893,  on  page  244,  Eduard  von  INIartens,  after  having  ex- 
amined a  number  of  specimens  of  "B.  mariae"  from  Texas  in 
German  collections,  endorses  W.  G.  Binney 's  remarks  concerning 
Bulimuhis  altcrnatus  and  quotes  part  of  it  as  follows,  "This  spe- 
cies is  readily  distinguishable  from  the  allied  forms  by  .  .  .  its 
dark-colored  aperture,  with  the  white  internal  margin  of  the 
peritreme."  von  Martens  also  says  that  "the  thickened  white 
line  or  rib  on  the  inner  submargin"  agrees  well  witli  our  species 
of  Bulimiilus  altcrnatus. 

Dr.  PL  A.  Pilsbry,  Manual  of  Conchology,  11,  1897,  129,  men- 
tions that  the  "peristome  acute.  ...  or  with  a  rib  within"  of 
Bidimulus   (Orthotomium)   dealhatus   (Say). 

Among  the  large  list  of  mollusca  collected  in  the  southwestern 
States  were  specimens  of  Bulimulus  dcalbatus  liquahilis  (Reeve) 
and  B.  d.  ragsdalci  (Pilsbry).  These  are  listed  in  the  "]\Iollusca 
of  the  Southwestern  States,  II,"  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  58,  1906,  135  &  137. 
Of  the  former,  Pilsbry  and  Ferriss  state  that  the  shells  of  Lee 
Co.,  Texas,  has  a  "lip-rib  present  in  adults"  and  in  the  l3J"^irm ^"v. 
the  "lip-rib  strongly  developed."  /\^   }s^^ 


^  I  L  U  R  A  R  Y 


100  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

VARIATIONS  OF  SPISSULA  SOLIDISSIMA  DILLWYN 
By  MORRIS  K.  JACOBSON 

The  species  tha-t  is  the  subject  of  this  paper  manifests  certain 
pronounced  variations.  Verrill  in  1872  noted  (Report  upon  the 
Inv.  Animals  of  Vineyard  Sound,  p.  358)  :  ".  .  .  there  is  great 
variation  in  the  form  of  the  shell,  some  being  oval,  others  more 
oblong  or  elliptical,  and  others  nearly  triangular ;  some  are 
swollen,  others  quite  compressed,  but  all  the  intermediate  grades 
occur."  This  observation  can  be  made  by  anyone  who  examines 
even  cursorily  a  series  of  mature  shells.  It  might  be  of  interest 
to  have  these  variations  mathematically  expressed.  The  chief 
variations  may  be  defined  as  follows :  the  degree  of  ovalness  (the 
ratio  of  height  to  length)  ;  the  degree  of  inequilateralness  (the 
distance  of  the  umbo  from  the  center) ;  the  askewness  (the  angle 
formed  by  the  greater  and  lesser  diameters)  ;  and  the  obesity. 
This  paper  will  discuss  the  first  three,  leaving  the  last  for  a 
subsequent  essay. 

This  species  is  easily  the  most  prominent  molluscan  feature  of 
our  east  coast  ocean  beaches.  Though  in  actual  numbers  it  may 
be  second  to  Mytilus  edulis  Linne,  the  latter  is  not  so  noticeable 
because  of  its  much  smaller  size  and  definite  localization  on 
rocks,  jetties  and  posts.  Spissula  is  occasionally  thrown  upon 
our  beaches  in  incredible  numbers.  Arthur  Jacot  (Naut.  34: 
59f)  estimated,  after  a  violent  winter  storm,  that  no  less  than 
5,000,000  animals  to  the  mile  had  been  cast  up  along  a  beach 
that  extends  five  miles  in  either  direction.  Almost  every  winter, 
when  severe  storms  undercut  large  reefs,  our  beaches  are  literally 
piled  high  with  live  bivalves,  where,  preserved  by  the  natural 
refrigeration  of  winter,  they  provide  a  lasting  feast  for  the  gulls. 

The  shells  represented  in  this  study  were  collected  at  random 
on  the  beach  at  Rockaway,  New  York,  care  being  taken  however 
to  reject  valves  too  badly  eroded  or  broken,  and  to  limit  the  se- 
lection to  shells  of  medium  or  large  size.  The  shells  studied 
varied  in  length  from  182  mm.  to  103.5  mm.,  the  average  size 
being  136.1  mm.  Although  no  attempt  was  made  to  select  right 
or  left  valves  (actually  there  happened  to  be  54  left  valves  and 
46  right),  in  no  case  were  both  valves  of  the  same  animal  chosen. 


Jan..  1944]  the  nautilus  101 

Abnormal  shells,  shells  that  had  been  severely  broken  and  sub.se- 
quently  repaired  by  the  animal,  where  this  repair  work  altered 
the  outlines,  or  where  damagre  to  the  mantle  resulted  in  abnormal 
development  of  the  ventral  margin  (ef.  R.  T.  Jack.son  Phylogcny 
of  the  Pclccypoda,  quoted  by  Chas.  B.  Davenport,  Am.  Nat. 
XXXIV,  No.  407,  p.  871)— such  shells  were  discarded.  How- 
ever it  must  be  understood  that  few  if  any  of  the  shells  ex- 
amined were  perfect,  since  the  {grinding  action  of  wave  and  sand 
on  such  an  exposed  beach  as  Kockaway  resulted  in  pronounced 
if  unimportant  imperfections.  Thus  in  almost  all  cases  the 
periostracum  was  largely  or  entirely  removed,  the  ventral  margin 
more  or  less  severely  chipped  and  the  posterior  shell  structure 
surrounding  the  siphon — this  being  the  area  most  frequently  ex- 
posed to  the  action  of  the  elements — was  much  battered,  eroded 
and  thickened.  In  some  cases  the  interior  of  the  shell  disclosed 
an  encysted  mass  of  sand,  which  had  probablj^  been  forcibly 
driven  into  the  area  between  the  mantle  and  the  interior  shell 
wall  and  had  there  been  covered  over  with  shell  matter.  One 
shell  found  (not  included  in  this  study)  had  its  capacity  reduced 
by  as  much  as  20%   (estimated)  by  such  a  sand  cyst. 

The  tables  given  below  will  indicate  mathematically  the  fact 
and  extent  of  structural  variation  in  the  species.  In  most  cases 
the  tables  need  no  explanation  with  the  exception  perhaps  of  the 
first.  Here  the  clumsy  term  "umbo/length  ratio"  is  used.  By 
this  is  meant  the  ratio  between  the  greater  diameter  (the  length) 
and  the  distance  of  the  umbo  from  the  center  of  this  line.  To 
arrive  at  this  figure  the  diameter  is  drawn  and  to  it  is  dropped  a 
perpendicular  from  the  umbo.  The  distance  from  the  point  of 
contact  to  the  center  of  the  diameter  is  then  measured  and  the 
ratio  easily  arrived  at.  If  the  umbo  were  perpendicularly  above 
the  center,  the  ratio  would  be  zero.  Hence  a  ratio  of  .163  shows 
a  considerable  degree  of  inequilateralness.  The  smallest  ratio 
was  found  to  be  .030.  The  actual  measurements  of  this  distance 
varied  from  28.5  mm.  on  a  diameter  of  182  mm.  to  4  mm.  on  a 
diameter  of  132  mm. 

Ecologically  the  findings  are  without  significance,  since  habitat 
data  of  all  specimens  studied  are  substantially  identical.  Nor, 
as  table  IV  shows,  is  there  any  correlation  between  the  two  ratios 
discussed ;  thus  a  shell  with  the  height/length  ratio  of  .744  might 


102  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

have  an  umbo/length  ratio  of  anywhere  between  .037  and  .157. 
Similarly  an  umbo/length  ratio  of  .094  might  have  its  corre- 
sponding height/length  between  .655  and  .833.  The  findings, 
then,  as  far  as  the  deduction  of  formulae  or  rules  is  concerned, 
are  completely  negative,  and  the  author  leaves  in  the  hands  of 
competent  biologists  and  paleontologists  the  determination  of  the 
morphological  significance  of  the  variations  studied. 

The  kind  interest  and  advice  of  Dr.  William  A.  Clench  of 
Harvard  is  acknowledged,  and  thanks  expressed  to  Mr.  Randolph 
Gunthert  of  John  Adams  High  School,  New  York  and  ]Miss 
Frieda  Rosenfeld  of  Hunter  College  for  aid  in  the  mathematical 
and  statistical  aspects  of  the  paper. 

Table  I 

The  first  column  expresses  the  umbo/length  ratios,  the  second 
the  number  of  shells  for  each  ratio. 


Ratio  from 

.030-.034 

2 

.100-.104 

6 

.035-.039 

3 

.105-.109 

3 

.040-.044 

3 

.110-.114 

7 

.045-.049 

1 

.115-.119 

2 

.050-.054 

7 

.120-.124 

1 

.055-.059 

1 

.125-.129 

2 

.060-.064 

1 

.130-.134 

5 

.065-.069 

5 

.135-.139 

2 

.070-.074 

5 

.140-.144 

3 

.075-.079 

7 

.145-.149 

3 

.080-.0S4 

5 

.150-.154 

0 

.085-.089 

4 

.155-.159 

2 

.090-.094 

5 

.160-.  164 

1 

.095-.099 

13 

.165-.  169 

1 

Total  100 
Tlie  moan  is  .093,  the  .standard  deviation  .032. 


Jan..  1944] 

THE 

NAUTILUS 

Table 

II 

The  first  ( 

I'olunin 

represents 

the  hei 

ght/length  ratios 

.650- 

.654 

1 

.750-.  754 

5 

.655- 

.659 

1 

.755-.759 

3 

.660-.664 

0 

.760-.764 

6 

.665- 

.669 

1 

.765-.769 

5 

.670- 

.674 

0 

.770-.774 

6 

.675- 

.679 

2 

.775-.779 

2 

.680-.684 

1 

.780-.784 

0 

.685- 

.689 

2 

.785-.789 

0 

.690-.694 

2 

.790-.794 

1 

.695- 

.699 

4 

.795-.799 

0 

.700- 

.704 

1 

.800-.804 

0 

.705- 

.709 

2 

.805-.809 

1 

.710- 

.714 

10 

.810-.814 

0 

.715- 

.719 

7 

.815-.819 

3 

.720- 

.724 

4 

.82(>-.824 

1 

.725- 

.729 

6 

.825-.829 

0 

.780- 

.734 

3 

.830-.834 

1 

.735- 

.739 

5 

.740- 

.744 

6 

Total 

100 

.745- 

.749 

8 

103 


The  mean  is  .737,  the  standard  deviation  .035. 


Table  III 

In  this  table  are  represented  the  variations  in  the  anjrle  formed 
by  tlie  intersection  of  the  greater  and  lesser  diameters,  i.e.  the 
a.skewness  of  the  shells. 

Degrees  Shells 

105-109  23 

110-114  6 

Total  100 


Degrees 

Shells 

90-94 

7 

95-99 

27 

100-104 

37 

104 


THE   NAUTILUS 


[Vol.  57    (3) 


Table  IV 

This  table  represents  the  correlation  between  the  ratios  of 
Table  I  and  Table  11. 


Height/length 

Actual 

Total 

ratios 

umbo/length  ratios 

shells 

.650-.654 

.102 

1 

.655-.659 

.094 

1 

*.665-.669 

.063 

1 

*.675-.679 

.071, 

.079 

2 

.680-.684 

.065 

1 

.685-.689 

.079, 

.097 

2 

.690-.694 

.119, 

.132 

2 

.695-.699 

.042, 

.071,  .078,  .130 

4 

.700-.704 

.068 

1 

.705-.709 

.098, 

.108 

2 

.710-.714 

.054, 

.053,  .083,  .094, 

.096, 

.100, 

.103, 

.101,  .131,  .163 

10 

.715-.719 

.030, 
.155 

.058,  .075,  .083, 

.100, 

.114, 

7 

.72a-.724 

.044, 

.094,  .097,  .144 

4 

.725-.729 

.030, 

.077,  .097   (2), 

.114, 

132 

6 

.730-.734 

.038, 

.098,  .112 

3 

.735-.739 

.070 

(2),  .087,  .092, 

.113 

5 

.740-.744 

.037, 

.051,  .053,  .096, 

.116, 

.157 

6 

.749-.749 

.044, 

.050,  .065,  .086, 

.089, 

.104, 

.113, 

.139 

8 

.750-.754 

.082 

(2),  .099,  .105, 

.148 

5 

.755-.759 

.071, 

.097,  .127 

3 

.760-.764 

.052, 

.066,  .076,  .098, 

.109, 

.110 

6 

.765-.769 

.035, 

.052,  .120,  .127, 

.146 

5 

.770-.774 

.078, 

.081,  .097,  .114, 

.138, 

.144 

6 

.775-.779 

.132, 

.144 

2 

•.790-.794 

.147 

1 

*.80r)-.809 

.049 

1 

♦.815-.819 

.069, 

.089,  .160 

3 

.820-.824 

.096 

1 

•.830-.834 

.094 

1 
100 

•  H/1  ratios,  not  rcpresontod  by  corrosponding  u/1  ratios,  arc  omitted. 


Jan..  1944]  the  nautilus  105 

NOTES  AND  NEWS 

The  Desert  Museum  at  Palm  Sprinp:s,  Calif.,  which  was 
closed  for  the  summer  on  I\Iay  15,  was  opened  on  October  16.  In 
the  absence  of  the  Curator,  Professor  and  ]\Irs.  T.  D.  A.  Cockerell 
have  taken  charge  of  the  museum. 

Dr.  Henry  van  der  Sciialte,  assistant  curator  of  mollusks  at 
the  museum  of  zoology  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  lias  been 
awarded  the  Walker  Prize  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  His- 
tory. The  value  of  the  prize  was  increased  this  year  from  $50 
to  $100  in  recognition  of  the  excellence  of  Dr.  van  der  Schalie's 
work  on  "The  Value  of  Mussel  Distribution  in  the  Tracing  of 
Stream  Confluence." — Science,  Dec.  3. 

After  fifty  years  of  academic  service  Dr.  Henry  E.  Crampton 
has  retired  with  the  title  of  emeritus  professor  of  zoology  of  Co- 
lumbia University.  The  authorities  of  the  American  IMuseum 
of  Natural  History  have  provided  him  with  facilities  to  continue 
his  researches  on  the  distribution,  variation,  evolution  and  he- 
redity of  gasteropod  mollusca,  especially  in  Partula  and  in 
Lymnaea.  Dr.  Crampton  has  made  several  expeditions  to  the 
South  Seas  for  the  collection  of  series  of  individuals  of  the  spe- 
cies of  Partula,  having  about  250,000  individuals  of  that  genus. 
Three  volumes  of  the  results  of  his  work  have  appeared,  and  the 
material  for  still  others  is  undergoing  preparation. — Science, 
Oct.  14,  1943. 

Otala  vermiculata  Miiller  and  O.  lactea  Miiller  in  Texas — 
Among  some  land  shells  collected  at  Bryan,  Brazos  County,  Texas 
and  submitted  by  j\Irs.  Laura  Sebesta  for  determination,  I  was 
surprised  to  note  the  occurrence  of  Otala  vermiculata  and  0. 
lactea.  Subsequent  inquiry  elicited  the  information  tiiat  this 
colony  was  started  seventeen  years  ago  when  an  Italian  merchant 
bought  two  bushels  of  snails  from  New  York  for  his  retail  trade. 
After  selling  a  portion,  the  remainder  were  dumped  behind  his 
store,  assuming  they  were  dead.  Evidently  some  were  alive  as  a 
colony  of  both  species  exists  as  attested  by  living  examples  sub- 
mitted.— Ralph  W.  Jackson. 

A  new  Subspecies  of  Conus  verrucosus  Ilwa.ss  from  Florida  ' 

— Some  time  ago  Dr.  T.  Van  Ilyning  sent  to  the  National  Mu- 

1  Published  by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 


106  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (3) 

seum  some  specimens  of  a  Conus  from  Florida  that  undoubtedly 
is  close  to  Conus  verrucosus,  but  deserves  a  distinct  subspecific 
designation.  In  honor  of  the  indefatigable  student  of  Florida 
malacology,  to  whom  we  owe  this  striking  form,  I  am  calling  it : 

Conus  verrucosus  vanhyningi,  new  subspecies.  It  resembles 
verrucosus  but  has  a  ground  color  of  a  distinct  pinkish  tint,  with 
the  interior  of  the  outer  lip  similarly  colored  near  the  edge,  be- 
coming orange-brown  deeper  within  the  aperture.  In  the  typical 
form  the  aperture  is  white  within.  The  type,  U.S.N.M.  No. 
537863,  measures :  Height,  17  mm. ;  diameter,  10.4  mm.  It  and 
four  paratypes  were  collected  by  W.  A.  Royce  on  a  beach  off 
Pompano,  Broward  County,  Florida. — II.  A.  Rehder. 

Smaragdia  viRiDis  viRiDEMARis  Maury. — On  December  31,  1940, 
Dr.  Henry  D.  Russell  published  "Some  New  Neritidae  from  the 
West  Indies,"  wherein  he  proposed  calling  the  European  green 
nerite,  Smaragdia  viridis  Linne,  and  giving  the  West  Indian 
form  the  new  subspecific  name  of  S.  v.  weyssei.  In  his  descrip- 
tion he  does  not  include  the  white  form,  and  remarks  that  only 
3  to  15  per  cent  of  the  specimens  from  any  one  lot  have  the 
brownish-red  broken  lines. 

In  the  recent  dredgings  of  T.  L.  McGinty  in  fms.  off  Palm 
Beach,  Florida,  were  found  several  Smaragdia,  pure  white,  with 
milky  zigzag  maculations,  these  in  part  outlined  witli  donble, 
thread-like,  dark  brown,  broken  lines.  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry 
states  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  1921,  p.  396)  that  the  zigzag 
stripes  are  quite  prevalent  on  specimens  from  the  Gabb  collec- 
tion, Santo  Domingo  Miocene,  giving  them  more  the  appearance 
of  the  European  species. 

There  being  no  subspecific  name  for  the  recent  West  Indian 
specimens  of  Smaragdia  with  the  broken  lines,  we  wouUi  jiropose 
to  call  them  S.  v.  viridemaris  Maury  (1917),  used  by  AVoodring 
for  the  Santo  Domingo  and  Jamaican  Miocene  form,  either  green 
or   white,   whidi    h;is    the   zigzag,    brownish    lines. — Jeanne    S. 

SCIIWENGEL. 

OiiiXKLLA  VA.Miv.NiNci,  ncw  spccics.  Plate  9,  Figure  3.  Shell 
minute,  cylindro-conic,  \)n]o  horn  colored  with  irregular  axial 
white  markings  that  give  to  the  surface  a  watered-silk  eflVct. 
Nucleus  (leei)ly   immersed   in  the  first   postnudear  whorl  which 


Jan..  1044]  the  nautilus  107 

lends  to  the  shell  a  truncated  aspect.  Postnuclear  whorls  rather 
liiirli  between  .sununit  and  suture,  marked  by  irrcfxular  incre- 
mental lines  \vlii(.'li  somewhat  simulate  axial  ribs.  Suture  very 
ileeply  constricted.  Periphery  well  rouiuled.  Base  somewhat 
inflated,  well  rounded,  narrowly  umbilieated.  Aperture  rather 
larj?e,  ovate;  outer  lip  thin,  evenly  curved;  inner  lip  rendered 
sigmoid  by  the  strong  folds  at  the  insertion  of  the  columella. 

The  tjT)e,  U.S.N.M.  No.  346650,  was  collected  by  T.  Van  Ilyn- 
ing  in  Big  Bayou,  St.  Petersburg,  Florida.  It  has  5  postnuclear 
whorls  and  measures :  Height,  2.3  mm. ;  greater  diameter,  .8. 
U.S.N.M.  No.  346651  contains  4  topotypes  from  the  same  source, 
and  17  more  are  in  Mr.  Van  Ilyning's  collection. — Paul  Bartsch. 

Taraninl — In  attempting  a  supergeneric  classification  of  the 
family  Turridae,  using  soft  parts,  radula  and  shell  for  expressing 
relationship,  the  disposition  of  Casey's  tribe  Taranini  (1904. 
Transactions  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  of  St.  Louis,  volume  14, 
pages  168-169)  has  come  up  for  consideration. 

The  type  genus  Taranis  Jeffreys  (1870.  Annals  and  Magazine 
of  Natural  History,  series  4,  volume  5,  page  447)  has  for  the  type 
Taranis  mijrchi  ]\Ialm.  A  re-examination  of  the  animal  of  this 
species  enables  us  to  agree  with  Krause's  statement  (1887. 
Beitrag  zur  marinen  Fauna  des  Nordlichen  Norwegen,  page  20) 
that  the  operculum  and  radula  are  absent  and  that  the  siphon  is 
moderately  long  and  the  single  feather-like  gill  has  the  fila- 
ments on  one  side.  To  this  may  be  added  that  very  small  eyes 
are  present  and  situated  not  on  the  tentacles  as  is  usually  the 
case  in  Turrids,  but  slightly  on  each  side  of  the  median  line  be- 
tween them.  There  is  no  pronounced  posterior  sinus.  Casey 
evidently  mistook  the  median  keel  for  it.  The  nuclear  whorls 
bear  numerous  fine  spiral  threads  and  incremental  lines  which 
give  the  spaces  between  them  a  somewhat  pitted  appearance. 

In  summing  up  all  of  these  characters,  I  am  led  to  believe  that 
this  genus  is  not  Turrid.  I  am  equally  undecided  where  else  to 
place  it.  It  seems  possible  that  Casey's  tribal  name  Taranini 
may  have  to  be  changed  to  Taranidae. 

Nuclear  characters  exclude  the  West  Atlantic  species  referred 
here  by  Verrill  and  Dall.  The  Raphitoma  amocna  Sars  listed 
as  Taranis  amoena  by  subsequent  authors,  while  it  resembles 
Taranis,  bears  no  relationship  to  it.  Radula  and  the  rest  of  the 
characters  are  Turrid. — Paul  Bartsch. 


108  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (3) 

Hemphill's  Catalogue  of  the  Land  and  Freshwater 
Shells  op  Utah. — This  title  appears  on  a  small  16  mo.  leaflet 
published  in  Oakland,  California  in  1878  by  Henry  Hemphill. 
This  must  be  a  rare  publication.  It  is  not  quoted  at  all  in  the 
bibliography  of  Chamberlin  and  Jones — A  Descriptive  Catalog 
of  the  Mollusca  of  Utah  (Bull.  Univ.  of  Utah,  19,  no.  4,  pp.  10  + 
203,  1929).  Again,  it  is  not  quoted  in  Pilsbry's  Land  Mollusca 
of  North  America  (Monographs  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia  no. 
3,  1,  pt.  1,  1939),  where  the  names  are  credited  to  Binney  or 
** Hemphill"  Binney  under  the  date  of  1886. 

Though  the  title  covers  the  State  of  Utah,  the  brief  introduc- 
tion states  "this  remarkable  series  of  land  shells,  collected  by  me 
during  last  summer  and  fall  in  the  canyons  of  the  Wassatch 
Mts.,  Utah."  The  list  of  26  species  of  freshwater  shells,  how- 
ever, would  indicate  that  these,  at  least,  were  obtained  in  terri- 
tory beyond  the  limits  of  the  Wahsatch  Mountains.  [Wassatch 
and  Wasatch  are  alternate  spellings.]  Hemphill  has  included 
the  Oquirrh  range  as  part  of  the  Wassatch  Mountains  and  Utah 
Lake  is  in  the  basin  between  these  two  mountain  chains.  IMany 
of  the  freshwater  shells  were  obtained  from  this  lake. 

The  few  descriptive  remarks  hardly  constitute  "description" 
of  the  few  names  first  introduced  in  this  list,  all  in  the  genus 
"Patula"  [Oreohelix].  However,  the  terms  do  cover  briefly  the 
varieties  in  question  and  are  certainly  equal  in  value  to  a  host  of 
names  that  have  been  employed  by  many  of  his  contemporaries, 
and  now  accepted  as  valid. — William  J.  Clench. 


The  Nautilus 

Vol.  57  April,  1944  No.  4 


NOTES  ON  LAND  SLUGS  OF  LOS  ANGELES  AND 
ORANGE  COUNTIES.  CALIFORNIA 

By  WENDELL  O.  GREGG 

Though  during  the  past  23  years  much  coUectinpr  of  non- 
marine  mollusks  has  been  done  by  the  writer  in  this  area,  it  has 
been  only  durinfr  the  past  three  years  that  a  particular  effort 
has  been  made  to  study  the  local  land  slup^s.  Our  present 
knowledgre  of  this  group  as  represented  in  Los  Angeles  and 
Orange  Counties,  California,  includes  eight  species.  Of  these, 
six  species  belong  to  the  family  Limacidae.  Two  species,  Ana- 
denulus  cockerelli  (Hemphill)  and  Hesperarion  hemphilli  (Bin- 
ney),  belong  to  the  Arionidae.  We  have  three  indigenous  spe- 
cies of  slugs.  Five  species,  all  belonging  to  the  Limacidae,  have 
been  introduced. 

LiMAX  MAXIMUS  Linuacus 

Though  relatively  common  in  the  San  Francisco  Bay  region, 
records  from  southern  California  are  few.  Since  it  was  for- 
merly confused  with  Limax  marginatus,  at  least  some  of  the 
older  records  are  no  doubt  referable  to  that  species.  The  writer 
has  never  taken  it  in  southern  California.  A  single  specimen  in 
the  Los  Angeles  Museum  collection  (No.  104)  bears  the  follow- 
ing data,  "Hallenbeck  Park,  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  Dec.  4,  1923. 
Gordon  Grant,  collector."  Live  specimens  collected  by  A.  G. 
Smith  in  Golden  Gate  Park,  San  Francisco,  Calif.,  were  exhibited 
at  the  May,  1943  meeting  of  the  Conchological  Club  of  Southern 
California.  No  member  present  recalled  having  ever  seen  it  in 
southern  California.  Mabel  Guernsey  '  reported  it  as  common 
at  Laguna  Beach,  Orange  County,  Calif.     Her  statement,  "LV- 

1  First  Annual  Report  of  the  Laguna  Marine  Laboratory,  Pomona  Col- 
lege, p.  81,  May,  1912. 

(109) 


110  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (4) 

max  maximus  is,  when  fully  grown,  about  two  inches  long;  Li- 
max  flavus  is  somewhat  smaller,"  would  indicate  that  she  was 
unfamiliar  with  the  species  mentioned  and  that  she  was  dealing 
with  other  slugs.  In  later  years  both  Morris  Caruthers  and  the 
writer  have  failed  to  find  L.  maximus  at  Laguna  Beach. 

It  is  said  by  some  authors  that  this  species  will  not  eat  green 
chlorophyllaceous  vegetable  matter.  Specimens  of  L.  maximus 
which  I  had  in  confinement  did  eat  the  dark  green  leaves  of 
romaine.  In  addition  to  various  tender  vegetables  they  also  ate 
raw  beef  and  were  observed  to  attack  and  readily  devour  live 
specimens  of  Deroceras  agreste  and  Arion  intermedius. 
LiMAX  FLAVus  Linuacus 

This  is  the  largest  of  our  common  slugs  in  southern  California. 
An  unusually  large  specimen  (preserved  in  4%  formaldehyde) 
collected  in  my  yard  at  2200  S.  Harvard  Blvd.,  Los  Angeles, 
measures  4%  inches  (112  mm.)  in  length.  In  a  yard  in  Long 
Beach,  I  found  a  colony  of  about  three  dozen  individuals  which 
made  their  home  in  a  fissure  in  the  earth  about  eight  inches  deep. 
At  night  they  would  come  out  and  crawl  about  the  yard  in 
search  of  bits  of  garbage.  It  is  fond  of  fungus  growths  and  is 
commonly  found  about  rotten  wood.  I  have  frequently  taken  it 
in  a  cavity  in  a  rotten  log.  At  one  time  I  examined  a  rotten  tree 
trunk  immediately  after  it  had  blown  down  and  this  species  and 
Limax  marginatus  were  found  in  cavities  in  the  wood  at  least 
12  feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  trunk.  There  were  numerous 
slime  trails  over  the  outside  of  the  bark.  It  is  fond  of  tender 
vegetables  and  specimens  in  captivity  have  readily  eaten  lettuce, 
romaine,  cabbage,  carrot,  potato  and  turnip.  It  was  particu- 
larly found  of  romaine  root. 

A  single  specimen  taken  in  El  Monte,  Calif.,  May  1,  1942,  and 
which  when  fully  extended  to  slender  proportions  measured  25 
mm.  long  (approximately  30  days  old)  was  placed  in  confine- 
ment and  isolated  from  other  slugs.  It  was  fed  principally  on 
lettuce.  It  was  approximately  2Vij  inches  long  on  December  26, 
1943  (about  634  days  or  21  months  old).  On  this  date  two  eggs 
were  deposited.  Apparently  self-fertilization  had  taken  place 
as  the  eggs  hatched  15  days  later.  On  January  23,  1944,  three 
more  eggs  were  deposited  but  these  were  sterile.  The  two  young 
specimens  have  since  continued  to  grow. 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  111 

I  have  personally  collected  Limax  flavus  from  numerous  locali- 
ties in  Santa  Barbara,  San  Bernardino.  Los  Anf?eles  and  Oranp^e 
Counties. 

Limax  maroinatus  Miiller 

This  species  is  second  only  to  Deroceras  agreste  in  its  abun- 
dance and  wide  distribution  in  southern  California.  The  writer 
has  personally  collected  Limax  marginatus  from  numerous  lo- 
calities in  Santa  Barbara,  San  Bernardino,  Riverside,  Los  An- 
greles  and  Orange  Counties.  The  collection  of  the  California 
Academy  of  Sciences  contains  specimens  from  as  far  north  as 
Kirkwood.  Tehama  County,  California.  In  spite  of  its  abun- 
dance and  wide  distribution,  there  are,  to  date,  but  two  pub- 
lished records  of  its  occurrence  in  North  America.  In  1917, 
Cockerell  reported  it  from  a  greenhouse  in  Boulder,  Colorado  ;- 
and  again  in  1930,  he  reported  it  from  Santa  Catalina  Island.' 
The  lack  of  records  of  this  slug  seems  due  to  its  confusion  with 
certain  color  forms  of  Limax  maximus.  Internally  L.  margi- 
natus is  characterized  by  a  posteriorly  directed  rectal  caecum 
and  a  digitiform  appendicular  structure  which  is  attached  to 
the  penis.  Both  of  these  structures  are  absent  in  L.  maximus. 
Specimens  in  confinement  fed  on  decayed  wood,  lettuce,  po- 
tato, turnip,  cabbage  and  calla  lily  flowers.  A  lady  once  told 
me  that  something  was  ruining  her  calla  lilies  and  that  she  sus- 
pected that  the  damage  was  being  done  by  slugs.  A  few  days 
later  I  received  from  her  a  small  box  containing  two  or  three 
calla  lily  flowers.  The  slugs  (L.  marginatus)  were  there  too, 
still  eating. 

Another  interesting  observation  on  Limax  marginatus  is  the 
tendency  to  auto-urotomy,  or  self-amputation  of  the  posterior 
end  of  the  body.  I  have  frequently  noticed  specimens  in  my 
yard  with  a  noticeable  constriction  about  three-fourths  of  the 
di.stance  back  from  the  posterior  edge  of  the  mantle.  A  speci- 
men taken  from  my  yard  on  May  30,  1943,  showed  this  constric- 
tion quite  pronounced  with  the  area  posterior  to  it  shrunken  as 
if  from  atrophy  resulting  from  restricted  circulation.  The 
specimen  was  confined  and  furnished  an  abundance  of  food. 


2  Nautilus,  vol.  30,  p.  120,  February,  1917. 

3  Ibid.,  vol.  52,  p.  136,  April,  1939. 


112  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (4) 

Two  weeks  later  the  posterior  end  was  quite  filled  out  but  a  re- 
maining slight  constriction  was  definitely  noticeable.  When  the 
slug  was  handled  the  constriction  again  became  more  pro- 
nounced. The  only  instances  observed  of  complete  self- 
amputation  of  the  posterior  portion  of  the  body  have  been  in 
specimens  while  in  the  drowning  jar.  I  have  before  me  a  set  of 
eleven  specimens  of  L.  marginatus  taken  in  my  yard  on  No- 
vember 15,  1941.  After  drowning  they  were  preserved  in  alco- 
hol. Of  these  eleven,  three  show  no  signs  of  constriction ;  four 
show  definite  evidence  of  constriction ;  two  are  short  with  blunt 
posterior  extremities,  suggesting  constriction  when  very  young 
with  consequent  non-development  of  their  tails;  two,  with  defi- 
nite constriction  at  time  of  collecting,  accomplished  complete 
self-amputation  of  their  tails  while  in  the  drowning  jar.  Though 
this  habit  in  Prophysaoyi  has  long  attracted  attention,  it  has  ap- 
parently been  overlooked  in  Limax  marginatus. 

Deroceras  agreste  (Linnaeus) 

In  southern  California  this  is  by  far  the  most  abundant  spe- 
cies of  slug,  both  in  numbers  and  in  locality  records.  There  are 
numerous  color  forms  which  are  united  by  complete  intergrada- 
tion.  Interbreeding  has  been  observed  to  take  place  between 
diverse  color  forms  indiscriminately.  Internally  the  species  is 
characterized  by  a  many  lobed  penial  gland  and  by  the  presence 
of  a  rectal  caecum.  The  penial  gland  varies  greatly.  There  is 
absolutely  no  relation  between  the  variation  in  color  and  the 
variation  of  the  penial  gland.  Though  described  as  having  a 
pointed  tail,  certain  of  the  fully  mature  individuals  have  a  some- 
what chisel-shaped  tail  resembling  in  this  respect  Deroceras 
laeve  (Miiller).  Some  of  our  color  forms  have  been  confused 
with  D.  laeve.  The  latter  may  be  readily  distinguished  by  the 
absence  of  a  rectal  caecum.  Deroceras  agreste  usually  exudes 
milky  slime  when  handled  roughly  while  laeve  exudes  clear 
colorless  slime  at  all  times.  Though  abundant  in  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay  region,  I  know  of  no  instance  of  the  occurrence  of 
Deroceras  laeve  in  southern  California. 

Deroceras  oracile  (Rafines(iue) 

This  slug  is  quite  generally  distributed  over  Los  Angeles  and 
Orange  Counties  though  I  have  at  no  place  found  it  abundant. 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  113 

This  species  has  been  confused  with  Dcroceras  laevc.  D.  gracile 
is  smaller,  more  slender;  has  a  pointed  tail  while  D.  laeve  has 
a  chisel-shaped  tail  when  viewed  in  profile.  The  penis  of  D. 
gracile  is  spiral  in  form  while  that  of  D.  laeve  is  hammer-shaped 
with  three  or  four  tubular  plands.  These  differences  were  con- 
stant in  all  specimens  examined  in  which  there  were  fully  devel- 
oped male  genitalia.  The  difficulty  in  making  these  determina- 
tions is  that  most  specimens  collected  are  in  the  female  phase. 
In  this  female  phase  the  female  reproductive  organs  are  mature 
and  egg  production  has  begun  although  male  reproductive  or- 
gans have  not  yet  developed.  Many  individuals  die  after  a  pe- 
riod of  active  egg  production  and  before  the  male  genitalia  have 
developed.  Apparently  only  a  small  percentage  of  specimens 
enter  the  hermaphroditic  phase  in  which  the  male  organs  as  well 
as  the  female  organs  are  fully  developed.  It  is  believed  by  some 
that  there  is  an  atrophy  of  the  female  organs  resulting  in  a 
purely  male  phase.  The  numerous  specimens  which  I  have  ex- 
amined were  either  female  or  hermaphrodite.  What  is  said  here 
of  these  sex  phases  applies  equally  to  both  gracile  and  laeve. 
The  truncate  or  chisel-shaped  tail  of  D.  laeve  is  to  be  looked  for 
only  in  specimens  approaching  their  maximum  size.  These  large 
specimens  with  truncate  tails  have  fully  developed  male  geni- 
talia. In  my  comparative  study  of  these  two  species,  which  is 
by  no  means  complete,  I  have  utilized  numerous  living  speci- 
mens of  D.  laeve  from  the  San  Francisco  Bay  region  kindly  fur- 
nished by  Allyn  Smith. 

Specimens  of  Dcroceras  gracile  from  Los  Angeles  and  Orange 
Counties  are  generally  of  a  light  slate  gray  with  a  gelatinous 
appearance  although  in  some  colonies  the  specimens  are  nearly 
black  with  the  dark  pigment  diffused  over  a  dark  brown 
background. 

MiLAX  GAGATEs  (Drapamaud) 

Fairly  common.  Specimens  have  been  collected  in  Santa  Bar- 
bara, Lbs  Angeles,  Orange  and  San  Diego  Counties.  Most  of 
these  varied  from  dark  gray  to  nearly  black.  The  lighter  col- 
ored specimens  were  more  heavily  pigmented  along  the  longi- 
tudinal grooves.  Specimens  from  Refugio  Canyon,  Santa  Bar- 
bara County,  were  much  lighter  than  any  of  the  others  with  a 


114  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (4) 

decided  yellowish  east  while  the  slugs  were  living  but  less  notice- 
able in  the  preserved  specimens.  A  single  large  specimen  from 
Elysian  Park,  Los  Angeles,  had  a  definite  dorsal  stripe  of  the 
keel,  suggesting  M.  sowerhii  (Ferussac).  It  had  the  character- 
istic globose  spermatheca  which  would  identify  it  as  gagates. 

Anadenulus  cockerelli  (Hemphill) 

When  originally  described  the  type  locality  was  given  as  Cuya- 
maca  Mts.,  San  Diego  County,  Calif.  Hemphill's  types,  now 
in  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences,  are  indicated  as  being 
from  "Julian,  San  Diego  County,  Calif."  For  over  fifty  years 
Anadenulus  was  known  only  from  the  type  lot  originally  col- 
lected by  Henry  Hemphill.  The  writer  has  succeeded  in  finding 
specimens  at  the  following  localities :  Upper  Millard  Canyon, 
San  Gabriel  Mts.,  Los  Angeles  County;  Calbaden  Canyon, 
Puente  Hills,  Los  Angeles  County;  Carbon  Canyon,  Puente 
Hills,  Orange  County;  Limestone  Creek  above  Santiago  Reser- 
voir, Orange  County. 

This  species  bears  a  superficial  resemblance  to  a  small  speci- 
men of  Prophysaon  andersoni  but  the  tripartite  sole  of  Ana- 
denulus is  sufficient  for  easy  recognition.  One  specimen,  appar- 
ently fully  adult,  measures  28  mm.  long  when  fully  extended. 
The  longest  preserved  specimen  in  my  collection  measures  20 
mm.  The  color  varies.  Some  individuals  are  nearly  black. 
Young  specimens  are  generally  darker  than  adult  specimens. 
There  are  generally  two  undulating  longitudinal  yellow  stripes 
on  the  mantle.  These  may  be  bordered  on  either  side  by  black 
stripes.  In  a  specimen  from  Millard  Canyon  the  outer  black 
stripes  are  conspicuous  with  the  area  between  the  two  yellow 
stripes  only  slightly  darker  than  the  yellow  stripes  themselves. 
The  distinct  dorsal  keel  is  lighter  in  color  than  the  rest  of  the 
back  and  in  some  individuals  there  is  a  definite  dorsal  stripe. 
The  distinctly  tripartite  sole  is  irregularly  dotted  with  black. 
These  black  dots  are  more  numerous  along  the  longitudinal 
grooves  which  separate  the  luedian  area  of  the  sole  from  the 
lateral  areas. 

IIesperarion  HEMPHILL!  (Blnncv) 

Previously  known  only  from  Ahimeda  and  San  Mateo  Coun- 
ties, the  writer  has  found  it  to  be  quite  widely  distributed  in 


April.  1044]  the  nautilus  11. •) 

the  wooded  canyons  in  Los  Atij^eles  and  Oranpe  Counties.  I 
have  taken  it  in  the  followinp  southern  California  localities: 
Elysian  Park,  Los  Anpeles;  Arroyo  Seco  Canyon,  Millard  Can- 
yon and  Santa  Anita  Canyon,  San  Gabriel  Mountains,  Los  An- 
jreles  County;  Santa  Ana  Canyon,  Black  Star  Canyon,  Silverado 
Canyon  and  Trabuco  Canyon,  Santa  Ana  Mountains,  Oranpe 
County. 

Southern  California  specimens  are  somewhat  darker  alonj?  the 
dorsal  area  than  specimens  I  have  seen  from  the  San  Francisco 
Bay  regrion  but  they  have  the  characteristic  markings  on  the 
sides  and  the  milky  white  sole.  Internally  the  structures  agree 
with  descriptions  of  the  northern  specimens. 


BURCHIA,  A  NEW  GENUS  OF  TURRIDS 
By  PAUL  BAETSCH 

Thanks  to  the  kind  offices  of  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Burch  of  Redondo 
Beach,  California,  I  have  been  able  to  examine  the  animal  of 
paratypes  of  the  mollusks  that  he  described  (Nautilus,  vol.  52, 
1938.  pp.  21-22)  as  PseudomeJaioma  semiinflata  redondoensis, 
dredged  by  him  in  25  fathoms  on  gravel  bottom  off  Redondo 
Beach.  The  placing  of  this  mollusk  was  quite  puzzling.  In 
shell  characters  it  suggests  the  African  Clionella,  w'hose  type  is 
Buccinum  sinuatum  Born.  The  radular  structures,  however, 
quite  remove  this  from  that  relationship,  for  Clionella  has  a 
rachidian  tooth  as  well  as  Y-shaped  marginals,  which  places  it 
in  the  subfamily  Clavatulinae.  Burch 's  mollusk,  on  the  other 
hand,  shows  not  a  trace  of  a  rachidian  tooth,  but  possesses  Y- 
shaped  marginals  only,  a  character  that  places  it  in  the  sub- 
family Turrinae.  Since  there  is  no  genus  in  this  subfamily  to 
which  redondoensis  may  be  referred,  I  here  propose  for  it  the 
name : 

BuRCHiA,  new  genus 

Shell  large,  turrited,  covered  by  a  strong  periostracum.  Nu- 
clear whorls  small  (badly  eroded  in  all  our  specimens).  Post- 
nuclear  whorls  with  a  concave  sinal  area  which  extends  over  the 
posterior  third  of  the  turns.     The  anterior  two-thirds  are  convex 


116  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (4) 

and  crossed  by  strong,  low,  broad,  retractively  slanting  axial 
ribs  which  evanesce  on  the  base.  The  sinal  area  shows  a  few 
incised  spiral  lines,  while  the  entire  rest  of  the  surface  bears 
feeble,  rather  distantly  spaced,  spiral  threads  which  become  in- 
tensified on  the  base  and  columella.  Suture  well  impressed. 
Base  moderately  rounded.  Columella  short  and  stout.  The 
aperture  is  ovate.  The  outer  lip  with  a  deep  posterior  V-shaped 
sinus  below  the  summit ;  anterior  canal  rather  broad ;  inner  lip 
reflected  over  the  columella  and  parietal  wall  as  a  heavy  callus 
which  may  be  somewhat  thickened  at  the  posterior  angle  of  the 
aperture.  Operculum  small,  oval,  with  a  low  ridge  on  the  right 
side  and  apical  nucleus,  marked  on  the  outside  by  concentric  lines 
of  growth.     Radula  with  Y-shaped  marginals  only. 

Type:  Burchia  redondoensis  (Bureh)  {=Pseudom€latoma 
semiinflata  redondoensis  Burch). 

Here  I  am  likewise  placing  Burchia  clionella  (Dall)  (=  Leuco- 
syrinx  f  clionella  Dall)  described  in  1908  in  the  Bulletin  of  the 
Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  volume  43,  page  270.  The 
type,  U.S.N.M.  No.  123125,  of  this  species  was  dredged  by  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Fisheries  steamer  Albatross  at  station  3394  in 
the  Gulf  of  Panama  in  511  fathoms.  An  additional  series  of 
specimens,  U.S.N.M,  No.  97069,  was  dredged  by  the  Albatross  at 
station  2792  off  Manta,  Ecuador,  in  401  fathoms.  These  speci- 
mens agree  in  radular  characters  as  well  as  shell  appearance 
with  Burch 's  species. 


TAXONOMIC  HEADACHES 

By  PAUL  BARTSCH 

**The  Sphaeriidae,  a  Preliminary  Survey,"  Brooks  and  Her- 
rington,  Nautilus,  vol.  57,  pp.  93-97,  is  most  interesting  and  I 
hope  as  the  title  indicates  will  result  in  tlieir  preparation  of  a 
summary  volume  upon  this  family. 

Shortly  after  coming  to  "Washington,  almost  a  half  century 
ago,  we  had  a  visit  from  Dr.  Sterki,  and  the  two  of  us  in  our 
leisure  hours  combed  the  streams  about  the  nation's  capital  for 
fresh-water  mollusks.  This  gave  me  an  excellent  opportunity 
of  becoming  acquainted  not  only  with  Sterki  as  the  man  (a  lov- 
able character)  but  his  wide  knowledge  as  a  field  naturalist  and 
a  laboratory  worker.     His  knowledge  was  not  confined  to  Mol- 


April,  1944]  thk  nautimis  117 

lusoa  but  he  was  equally  versed  in  Protozoa  as  attested  by  many 
of  his  observations  published  in  Bronn,  Die  Klassen  und  Ord- 
nunjren  des  Tierroichs.  vol.  1,  Protozoa,  by  0.  Biitschli. 

About  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  when  a  great  deal  of  the 
niiseellaneous  determinations  we  are  called  upon  to  make,  fell 
upon  my  shoulders.  I  came  to  realize  that  our  collecttions  of 
Sphaeriutn,  Pisidium  and  similar  folk  were  in  a  chaotic  nomen- 
clatorial  state  and  I  prevailed  upon  Dr.  Dall  to  persuade  Dr. 
Sterki,  who  was  at  that  time  deemed  the  only  man  who  really 
knew  the  subject,  to  come  to  Washington  and  revise  our  collec- 
tion, which  he  did. 

A  lot  of  this  material  he  seemed  to  easily  allocate;  a  lot  he 
asked  to  be  sent  to  him  for  more  detailed  study.  Some  of  this 
was  returned  definitely  determined  by  him,  and  some  with  "  ?" 

Dr.  Sterki  possessed  unique  eyes,  eyes  that  were  not  confocal 
so  that  when  critical  comparison  requiring  low  power  magnifica- 
tion was  made  he  would  shove  his  spectacles  upon  his  forehead 
and  hold  the  specimens  within  a  couple  of  inches  of  his  right 
eye,  attaining  thereby  a  considerable  magnification — a  decided 
advantage  over  the  ordinary  mortal.  I  am  mentioning  this  fact 
which  I  believe  has  not  before  reached  print. 

In  the  years  following  his  revisional  visit,  we  sent  him  all 
things  that  stumped  me  in  the  groups  in  question,  of  which  quite 
a  bit  became  type  material.  This  brings  me  to  another  phase  of 
Sterki :  In  spite  of  all  my  urging  to  have  him  designate  a  type 
and  type  locality,  most  of  his  species  were  described  without 
this,  and  given  a  wide  zoogeographical  range.  This  distribution 
seemed  in  many  instances  almost  fantastic. 

Since  then,  however,  a  new  phase  of  Ornithology,  Bird  Band- 
ing, has  developed,  in  which  I  believe  I  put  forth  the  first  effort 
in  America,  and  this  has  resulted  in  the  acquisition  of  an  im- 
mense amount  of  information,  covering,  among  other  things,  the 
flyways  of  our  waterfowl,  ducks,  herons  and  waders,  which  in 
turn  throws  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  distribution  of  those  small 
bivalves  and  other  aquatic  things  carried  from  place  to  place 
by  these  birds. 

I  hope  when  Brooks  and  Herrington  begin  plotting  the  distri- 
bution of  the  species,  subspecies,  etc.,  they  may  have  a  flyway 
chart  before  them  and  check  its  bearing  upon  this  distribution 


118  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

problem.  It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  how  some 
of  our  waterfowl  still  follow  the  westward  course  at  the  foot  of 
the  glaciers  of  long  ago,  when  they  proceed  westward  from  the 
eastern  seaboard. 

Then  there  is  a  second  problem,  probably  the  much  greater, 
namely,  the  question  of  hybridization.  This,  when  specifically 
distinct  species  are  able  to  mate,  appears  to  produce  not  Men- 
delian  features  such  as  we  get  in  intraspecific  crossings,  but  an 
endless  number  of  variants  most  of  which,  as  far  as  experiments 
in  mollusk  breeding  show,  are  evanescent,  but  some  are  capable 
of  continuing  their  kind.  Some  of  these  mutating  complexes 
occupy  limited  areas  and  may  be  the  result  of  a  mixing  of  an 
immigrant  waif  with  a  local  race.  It  seems  to  me  what  is  neces- 
sary in  the  study  of  these  small  bivalves  is  the  gathering  of  a 
large  series  of  specimens  (not  a  few  isolated  individuals  as  usu- 
ally reach  the  Museum  taxonomists)  to  seew  how  fixed  or  vari- 
able the  forms  from  each  locality  may  be.  Experimental  breed- 
ing also  seems  indicated.  Finally  I  am  mindful  that  when  one 
uses  aquaria,  in  many  cases  a  depauperization  occurs  in  suc- 
ceeding generations  due  to  possibly  a  change  in  Ph  or  food,  or 
a  combination  of  other  ecologic  factors.  I  can't  help  but  feel 
that  immigrants  brought  into  new  environments  may  respond 
similarly. 

The  working  laboratory  taxonomist  pondering  upon  the 
whence  and  why  does  not  face  an  easy  task  in  endeavoring  the 
fixation  of  a  name  that  is  to  hold  for  all  time  to  come. 

The  geologic  record,  interesting  as  it  may  be,  will  furnish  more 
factors  but  not  a  complete  solution,  for  the  days  of  yesterday 
presented  problems  with  as  many  ramifications  and  interdigita- 
tions  as  the  problems  of  today. 


PERUVIAN  LAND  MOLLUSCA— II 
By  henry  a.  PILSBRY 

The  following  snails  were  selected  as  new  from  a  long  series 
of  Peruvian  species  sent  by  Dr.  W.  Weyrauch  of  Lima.  They 
were  collected  by  him  during  travels  in  the  interior  in  the  course 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  119 

of  his  work  on  economic  entomology.     Further  species  will  form 
a  third  installment  of  this  series. 

PsADARA  piZARRO,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Figs.  6,  6a 

The  very  thin  shell  is  narrowly  umbilicate,  the  spire  convex, 
periphery  well  rouiuled.  The  4V;(  whorls  are  convex  and  joined 
by  a  deeply  impressed  suture,  the  last  whorl  only  ver}'  slightly 
descending  in  front.  Color  very  pale  brown  marked  with  three 
narrow  dark  brown  bands  which  are  interrupted  into  hyphen- 
shaped  spots,  the  spots  of  the  upper  series  connected  with  the 
suture  by  short  radial  brown  streaks;  the  first  ly^  whorls  whit- 
ish. The  surface  is  dull,  the  first  whorl  smooth,  next  whorl  with 
close  microscopic  radiating  striae.  Subsequent  whorls  have  low 
uneven  wrinkles  of  growth  and  low  papillae  arranged  in  ob- 
liquely descending  order  though  not  very  regular;  on  the  base 
the  papillae  become  lower.  The  aperture  is  wide,  lunate,  the 
peristome  rather  narrowly  expanded  in  its  outer  and  basal  mar- 
gins, dilated  near  the  axial  insertion,  covering  a  small  part  of 
the  umbilicus.     Height  11  mm.,  diameter  18.7  mm. 

Yanango,  near  Huacapistana,  Peru,  at  1800  meters.  Type 
180355  ANSP. 

It  belongs  to  the  group  of  P.  catenifera  (Pfr.),  of  Colombia, 
and  differs  from  P.  incarum  (Philippi)  and  other  Peruvian  spe- 
cies by  the  convex  spire. 

Epiphragmophora  atahualpa,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Figs.  4, 
4a,  5 

The  shell  is  umbilicate,  the  umbilicus  rapidly  widening  in  the 
last  half  turn,  contained  about  41/4  times  in  the  diameter;  de- 
pressed, the  height  contained  2.4  times  in  the  diameter,  the  spire 
being  but  slightly  convex,  the  periphery  rounded.  Color  warm 
white  with  a  chocolate  band  about  1.6  mm.  wide  above  the 
periphery,  bordered  by  a  whitish  band  of  the  same  width  above 
and  a  wider  one  below.  The  peripheral  whitish  band  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  cinnamon-brown  band,  fading  at  its  lower  edge. 
The  upper  surface  has  a  dull  chamois  tint  above  the  light  band, 
with  two  rather  faint  cinnamon-brown  bands.  The  surface  is 
glossy,  with  scupture  of  fine,  unequal  growth  wrinkles  and  a 
fine,  weak  malleation  on  the  last  whorl,  which  also  shows  some 
scattered  traces  of  weak  spiral  grooves,  the  embryonic  1];^  whorls 
being  smooth.  The  rather  weakly  convex  whorls  increase  slowly 
to  the  wide  last  turn.  The  suture  descends  rather  deeply  to  the 
aperture.  The  aperture  is  strongly  oblique,  rounded,  a  little 
wider  than  high,  showing  dark  and  white  bands  inside.     The 


120  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57    (4) 

peristome  is  nearly  white,  the  parietal  wall  forming  less  than 
one-fourth.  It  is  narrowly  reflected  on  the  outer  and  basal 
margins,  and  the  upper  are,  which  is  less  curved,  is  narrowly 
expanded. 

Height  12.3  mm.,  diameter  29.5  mm. ;  width  of  aperture  with 
peristome,  14.2  mm. ;  4%  whorls. 
Andahuaylas,    Peru,    3100    meters    elevation.     Type    180206 

ANSP. 

This  species  resembles  "Helix"  macasi  Higgins  ^  in  general 
form  and  coloration.  It  differs  by  the  smaller  aperture,  its 
greatest  width  less  than  one-half  of  the  diameter  of  the  shell. 
In  Higgins'  figure  of  mascasi,  as  well  as  in  that  of  Kobelt,-  the 
width  of  aperture  exceeds  half  of  the  diameter.  The  width  of 
umbilicus  is  about  alike,  being  contained  about  4.25  times  in  the 
diameter  in  our  shell,  and  in  macasi  about  5  times.  In  Kobelt 's 
figure  it  is  distinctly  smaller,  contained  7  times  in  the  diameter. 
Both  of  these  authors  give  the  number  of  whorls  as  5,  while  our 
shell  has  only  4^/^, 

In  view  of  these  differences,  and  the  rather  wide  separation 
of  the  localities,  a  specific  status  for  the  Andahuaylas  snail  seems 
indicated. 

Fig.  5  is  a  smaller  form  of  the  species,  from  Ninabamba,  near 
Ayacucho,  Peru,  at  1900  meter  elevation.  The  specimen  figured 
measured  23.5  mm.  diameter,  another  27.2  mm. 

BULIMULIDAE 

When  I  revised  the  classification  of  the  Bulimulidae  nearly 
fifty  years  ago  the  genus  Bulimulus  ^  was  left  with  rather  wide 
limits.  The  subgenera  were  grouped  in  three  divisions  accord- 
ing to  the  sculpture  of  the  apical  whorls.  As  genera  are  some- 
what more  narrowly  limited  now,  it  seems  desirable  to  allow 
some  groups  of  Bulimuli  the  generic  status.  I  am  therefore 
treating  the  mainly  Peruvian  "Division  I,  Ruliniuli  with  smooth 
apical  whorls"'  as  genus  Bostnjx.  The  limits  of  Bosiryx  re- 
main as  in  Man.  Conch.  10:  127-193. 


1  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  1872,  p.  686,  pi.  56,  figs.  6,  6a.     Macaa,  Ecuador. 

2  8y8t.  Conchylicn-Cabinct,  Ilelix,  pi.  182,  figs.  10-12. 

8  1896,  Nautilus  9:  112;  Man.  Conch.  10:  127;  1902,  Man.  Conch.,  Supple- 
ment to  vol.  14,  p.  xxii. 

♦  Nautilus  9:   114;  Man.  Conch.  14,  Suppl,  p.  ixiii. 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  121 

As  in  some  other  genera  of  Bulimulidae,  the  general  shape  of 
the  shell  is  widely  varied.  Our  fipr.  19  represents  one  of  the 
most  slender  species,  and  fig.  8,  Bostryx  {Platybostryx)  wey- 
rauchiy  one  of  the  shortest;  but  there  are  many  transitions  be- 
ween  these  extremes. 

Thaumastus  (Scholvicnia)  weyrauch,  new  species.     Plate  11, 
Figs.  2,  2a 

The  shell  is  perforate,  turreted,  slender,  regularly  taperi)ig  to 
an  obtuse  apex,  moderately  solid  though  rather  thin ;  nearly 
black  with  a  narrow  white  band  nearly  1  mm.  below  the  suture 
and  two  about  1.5  mm.  apart  in  the  peripheral  region,  the  upper 
peripheral  band  being  visible  above  the  suture  on  the  spire ; 
there  is  also  a  small  light  umbilical  area.  The  apex  is  turned 
in,  the  first  whorl  subangular  above  with  sculpture  of  thin  axial 
riblets,  the  second  rounded  and  somewhat  shouldered,  with 
strong  axial  riblets  extending  to  the  middle  of  the  whorl,  the 
lower  half  having  fine  striae.  Later  whorls  are  regularly  and 
rather  weakly  convex.  The  oval  aperture  is  acutely  angular, 
above,  broadly  rounded  at  base,  showing  the  bands  within.  The 
peristome  is  whitish,  rather  narrowly  expanded,  the  columellar 
margin  reflected.     Parietal  callus  very  thin  and  transparent. 

Length  39.5  mm.,  diameter  15  mm.;  length  aperture  15.7  mm.; 
6Vo  whorls.     Type. 

Length  46.5  mm.,  diameter  16  mm. 

Carpapata,  on  the  Rio  Tarma,  near  Palca,  Peru,  2300  meters. 
Type  and  paratype  179996  ANSP. 

This  is  a  slender,  vividly  colored  species,  with  the  apical  sculp- 
ture strongly  developed. 

Thaumastus  robertsi  satipoensis,  new  subspecies.    Plate  11, 
Fig.  1 

This  shell  is  more  slender  than  T.  robertsi  Pilsbry,  with  the 
apical  whorls  forming  a  higher,  narrower  cone. 

Length  74.4  mm.,  diameter  34  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  with 
peristome  39.6  mm. ;  6^/4  whorls. 

Satipo,  near  Iluancayo,  Peru,  at  600  meters.  Type  179990 
ANSP. 

Bostryx  huara2IENsis,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Fig.  17 

The  shell  is  ovate  with  short,  conic  spire  and  a  rather  large 
umbilicus;  white  with  interrupted  bands  of  dark  brown.  In 
the  type  the  last  whorl  has  a  series  of  small  spots  against  the 


122  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

suture,  and  two  nearly  continuous  narrow  bands,  one  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  upper  surface  (and  ascending:  the  spire),  the  other 
just  below  the  periphery.  The  upper  band  is  surmounted  by  a 
series  of  oblong  spots  which  are  partially  connected  at  their  up- 
per ends.  There  is  a  double  spiral  series  of  dots  at  the  periph- 
ery and  another  on  the  base.  The  whorls  are  rather  strongly 
convex,  the  first  2^/2  uniform  dull  buff,  smooth;  subsequent 
whorls  with  irregularly  spaced  and  partly  rather  coarse  wrinkles 
of  growth.  The  ovate  aperture  shows  the  bands  within.  Peri- 
stome thin  and  sharp,  the  columellar  margin  dilated  above, 
white. 

Length  16.5  mm.,  diameter  11.4  mm.;  aperture  8.5  mm.  long; 
6  whorls. 

Huarez,  Santa  Valley,  3100  meters  elevation.     Type  180000 

ANSP. 

Closely  similar  to  B.  tumidulus  (Pfr.),  but  it  is  wider  and 
more  openly  umbilicate. 

BosTRYX  MEGOMPHALUS,  uew  specics.     Plate  11,  Figs.  15,  16 

The  shell  is  ovate  with  a  nipple-shaped  apex  and  large  umbili- 
cus contained  about  four  times  (more  or  less  in  different  ex- 
amples) in  the  diameter;  rather  thin  but  calcareous;  white,  with 
some  small  dark  dots  scattered  on  the  spire.  It  becomes  gray 
towards  the  lip.  Surface  matt,  the  embryonic  whorls  smooth, 
the  later  whorls  having  irregular,  low  wrinkles  of  growth.  The 
initial  IY2  whorls  are  quite  convex,  following  whorls  somewhat 
flattened,  with  a  peripheral  angle  or  low  keel  which  is  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  covered  by  the  following  whorl.  Last 
whorl  is  rounded  at  periphery  and  narrowly  rounded  around 
the  umbilicus.  The  ovate  aperture  is  somewhat  oblique,  claret 
brown  within.  Peristome  thin  and  sharp,  the  terminations  ap- 
proaching, outer  margin  unexpanded,  the  columellar  margin 
running  forward,  dilated  and  claret  brown. 

Length  19.3  mm.,  diameter  13  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  10 
mm. ;  6V3  whorls.     Type. 

Lengtii  15.8  mm.,  diameter  11.6  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  8.4 
mm. ;  6  whorls. 

Acobamba  (near  Tarma),  Peru,  3200-3400  meters  elevation. 
Type  and  paratypes  180036  ANSP. 

This  species  belongs  to  a  little  group  including  B.  binghami 
Dall  and  B.  ptyalum  Dall  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  38:  180,  181), 
from  the  Rio  Pami)as.  Both  are  larger  than  B.  megomphalus. 
3.  ptyalum  has  a  dark  interior,  like  mcganiphalus,  but  it  differs 
by  having  spiral  striation  and  in  various  details  of  shape. 


TIM-:    NAITII.rs  :)7    (4) 


ri.ATi':  11 


17    ^       18     '^'      19 
Poruviiin  Land  MolIuskH. 


April,  1!)44]  the  nautilus  123 

Tlu'  mucroiiate  apex  in  />.  mKjomphnlua  varies  in  eolor,  being 
uniform  white  in  some  examples,  in  otliers  bieolorcd,  wliite  above 
and  dark  below,  or  entirely  dark.  The  extent  of  dusky  suffu- 
sion on  the  latter  part  of  the  last  whorl  varies,  and  in  some  ex- 
amples it  is  wanting  or  faint.  In  one  shell  there  is  a  brown 
band  at  the  lower  third  of  the  third  whorl. 

BosTRYX  DERELICTUS  ASCENDENS,  new  subspecics.     Plate  11,  Fig. 
14 

The  base  around  the  umbilicus  is  broadly  rounded,  not  com- 
pressed and  almost  to  be  called  bluntly  angular,  as  it  is  in 
derelict  us. 

Length  26.2  mm.,  diameter  16  mm. ;  length  aperture  14  mm. ; 
6V1>  whorls. 

Ninabamba,  near  Ayacucho,  Peru,  1900  meters  elevation. 
Type  180017  ANSP. 

BosTRYX  ABANCAYENSis,  ncw  specics.    Plate  11,  Fig.  20 

The  ovate  shell  has  a  conic  spire  and  rather  narrow  umbilicus. 
It  is  white,  becoming  pale  brow-n  on  the  spire  and  apex.  The 
whorls  are  moderately  convex,  joined  by  a  well  impressed  suture. 
The  surface  is  slightly  gloss}',  marked  with  ver}"  slight  growth 
lines,  but  the  last  whorl  becomes  somewhat  plicate  as  it  ap- 
proaches tiie  aperture.  The  ovate  aperture  is  white  within. 
Peristome  sharp,  unexpanded,  but  thickened  within. 

Length  0.2  nnn.,  diameter  5  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  4.2  nnu. ; 
5%  whorls.     Type. 

Length  11.4  nnn.,  diameter  5.7  mm.;  length  of  aperture  5.2 
mm. ;  G^'a  whorls. 

Abancay,  near  Cuzco,  Peru,  2300  meters  elevation.  Type  and 
paratype  180001  ANSP. 

BosTRvx  (Peronaeus)  anomphalus,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Fig. 

7 

The  turreted  shell  has  an  almost  closed  umbilical  perforation, 
and  tapers  regularly  to  the  slightly  obtuse  apex.  It  is  white 
with  gray  dots  quite  irregularly  scattered.  The  somewhat 
glossy  surface  is  smooth  except  for  very  inconspicuous  lines  of 
growth.  The  apex  is  somewhat  obtuse,  sometimes  with  a  brown- 
ish tip,  but  white  in  other  shells.  The  whorls  are  moderately 
convex,  the  last  two  sometimes  a  little  more  convex  than  those 
preceding.     Suture   well   impressed.     The   aperture   is  oblique, 


124  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (4) 

peristome  thin,  the  columeUa  strai^rht,  its  margin  reflected  and 
appressed,  nearly  ek^sinir  the  perforation. 

Length  18.2  mm.,  diameter  5.9  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  5.3 
mm. ;  9^4  whorls.     Type. 

Length  17.8  mm.,  diameter  5.7  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  5  mm. ; 
934  whorls. 

Santa  Eulalia  Valley,  near  Chosiea.  Peru.  Type  and  para- 
types  180002  AXSP. 

It  agrees  with  B.  acromela^  (Morelet)  in  the  almost  closed 
umbilical  fissure  and  the  scattered  dots,  but  it  is  less  slender  and 
not  cylindroid  in  the  lower  part. 

BosTRYX  (Geoccras)  multivolvis,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Fig.  19 

The  shell  is  minutely  subperforate.  column-shaped,  the  upper 
third  tapering;  white,  the  upper  8  or  10  whorls  faintly  brown 
tinted  with  a  few  indistinct  bro\Mi  streaks.  The  surface  is 
slightly  glossy,  with  sculpture  of  very  weak  lines  of  growth,  the 
first  whorl  smooth.  The  shell  increases  slowly  in  diameter  up 
to  about  the  twelfth  whorl,  after  which  it  is  cylindrie.  The 
whorls  are  rather  weakly  convex,  the  last  being  bluntly  angular 
at  the  periphery,  the  base  very  slightly  convex.  The  snuill  aper- 
ture is  oblique.  Peristome  thin  and  unexpanded.  the  columellar 
margin  reflected  and  appressed  except  for  a  very  minute  crevice. 

Length  27.8  mm.,  diameter  4.2  mm.,  at  the  penult  whorl  4 
mm.;  length  of  apertures  3.2  mm.;  22^ 2  "whorls. 

Ninabamba  (near  Ayacucho),  Peru,  2000  meters  elevation. 
Type  179994  ANSP. 

This  .strange  bulimulid  shell  is  related  to  B.  cuspidatus  (More- 
let),  but  of  narrower  form.  It  is  more  slender  than  any  other 
Geoceras  known,  and  has  more  whorls. 

Bostryx    (Phenacotaxus)    endoplax,    new    species.     Plate    11, 
Figs.  9,  9a 

The  regularly  tapering,  conic  shell  is  slender,  the  diameter 
less  than  half  of  the  length,  broadly  umbilicate,  the  umbilicus 
occupying  about  one-third  of  the  diameter;  warm  white  with  a 
few  indistinct  brownish  streaks.  Surface  matt,  the  first  two 
whorls  smooth,  the  rest  evenly  sculptureil  with  close,  thread-like 
striae  about  equal  to  their  intervals.  The  whorls  are  nearly  flat, 
joined  by  an  impressed  suture,  the  last  whorl  convex,  carinate 
around  the  umbilicus.  The  rather  narrow  aperture  is  angular 
above  and  bluntly  angular  at  the  base.  Peristome  thin  and 
simple,  the  margins  approaching  above.     The  large  columellar 


April,  1!»44|  THE  nautilus  126 

axis  bears  a  horizontal  lamella  in  the  latter  half  of  the  penult 
and  be^'inninjr  of  the  last  whorl.  This  lamella  becomes  very 
broad,  reaehin*?  nearly  to  the  outer  wall  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
penult  wh(»rl,  and  its  edjre  is  stron<j'ly  thickened  there. 

Lenjrth  11.9  mm.,  diameter  5  mm.;  8%  whorls. 

Lentrth  12  mm.,  diameter  4.7  mm.;  8Vli  whorls. 

Xinabamba,  near  Ayacueho,  Peru,  at  1900  meters  elevation. 
Type  and  paratype  180006  ANSP. 

It  is  larfjer  and  more  strongly  tapering  than  B.  endoptyx  Pils. 
(Xotulae  Naturae  No.  56),  from  Huanuco,  in  the  Iluallaga  river 
valley,  Peru. 

Drymaeus  angulobasis,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Fi*:.  10 

The  fusiform  shell  is  rather  openly  umbilieate  but  the  cavity 
narrows  rapidly  to  a  narrow  perforation ;  moderately  strong ; 
white,  with  festooned  axial  stripes  of  dull  plum  purple  (nearly 
black)  speckled  with  white,  and  crossed  by  three  narrow,  inter- 
rupted spiral  bands  of  the  same  dark  color,  a  brownish  smear 
behind  the  lip.  There  are  7  whorls,  the  first  with  Drymaeus 
sculpture,  the  rest  weakly  convex  with  low  growth  wrinkles; 
the  last  whorl  concave  above  a  prominent  rounded  ridge  around 
the  umbilicus.  The  aperture  is  vertical,  oval,  angular  at  both 
ends,  being  spout-shaped  at  the  base.  The  peri.stome  is  white, 
expanded  and  sharp-edged,  thickened  w'ithin,  with  a  purple  in- 
terior, darkest  on  the  callus  within  the  lip.  Columellar  margin 
concave,  purple  within,  reflected.  The  thin  parietal  callus  is 
purple. 

Length  37  mm.,  diameter  13.5  mm. ;  aperture  16  mm.  long. 

Oreja  de  Capelo,  Peru,  1600  meters  elevation.  Type  180022 
ANSP. 

The  type  of  this  species  was  associated  with  the  following 
Drymaeus  which  I  have  referred  to  D.  interpictus  (Martens), 
as  a  special  "form."  D.  suhhyhridus  (Da  Costa)  is  a  decidedly 
wider  shell,  but  apparently  near  akin. 

Drymaeus  interpictus  (Martens)  form  diversipictus,  new  form, 
Plate  11,  Fig.  11 

These  shells  have  broad,  irregular  axial  stripes  flecked  with 
white  dots,  and  with  traces  of  two  or  three  spiral,  interrupted 
bands  of  almost  black  color.  It  differs  from  inierpicius  in 
markings,  that  species  have  narrower,  straight  stripes.  The 
rather  widely  expanded  lip  is  pure  white  on  both  sides,  hardly 


126  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

thickened  within.     Interior  purple,  darkest  near  the  white  lip. 
There  is  a  small  white  umbilical  area. 

Lennfth  35.4  mm.,  diameter  12  mm.;  aperture  16.4  mm.  long; 
6%  whorls. 

Orejo  de  Capelo,  Peru,  1600  meters  elevation.     180021  ANSP. 

Drymaeus  punctatus  Da  Costa.     Plate  11,  Fig.  12 

The  fusiform  shell  is  subperforate,  of  colonial  buif  color,  with, 
on  the  last  two  whorls  narrow  brown  stripes  dotted  with  white, 
a  cinnamon-rufous  streak  behind  the  lip.  Whorls  slightly  over 
6,  the  later  ones  rather  weakly  convex,  the  earlier  more  strongly 
convex.  The  aperture  is  slightly  more  than  half  of  the  length, 
long  ovate,  broadly  rounded  at  base,  lilac  within  the  lip,  fading 
to  white  with  dusky  stripes  farther  in.  The  rather  broadly  ex- 
panded outer  and  basal  margins  of  the  peristome  are  white. 
Columellar  margin  narrow,  but  triangularly  reflected  above,  re- 
ducing the  perforation  to  a  minute  crevice.  Parietal  callus  dull 
bluish  violet. 

Length  31  mm.,  diameter  12.7  mm. ;  length  of  aperture  16.3 
mm. 

Rio  Toro,  Chanchamayo  vallej'-,  Peru,  1400  meters  elevation. 
179997  ANSP. 

It  resembles  D.  punctatus  Da  Costa  closely,  but  differs  some- 
what in  color. 

Drymaeus  torallyi  peruvianus,  new  subspecies.     Plate  11,  Fig. 
13 

The  shape  and  color  are  much  as  in  7).  torallyi  (Orb.),  from 
which  it  differs  by  the  decidedly  more  open  umbilicus  and 
stouter,  less  slender  shape.  The  shell  is  moderately  solid, 
opaque,  white  with  numerous  unevenly  spaced  hazel  stripes,  with 
carob  brown  stripes  at  wider  intervals;  the  apex  dusky,  interior 
of  umbilicus  carob  brown. 

Length  27.3  mm.,  diameter  13.5  nun.;  length  of  aperture  12.9 
mm.;  7y2  whorls. 

Iluaraz,  Sanla  Valley.  Peru,  3100  meters.  Type  180008 
ANSP. 

D.  torallyi  was  described  from  llie  proxinces  of  La  Laguna 
and  Valle  Grande,  Bolivia.  A  form  jHTliaiis  identical  with  our 
peruvianus  was  reportetl  from  Jiear  Camana,  west  coast  of  Peru, 
at  2000  ft.  elevation  (Dall,  1912,  Smiths.  Misc.  Coll.  59,  No. 
14,  p.  2). 


April.  1944]  the  nautilus  127 

Dkymaeus  flexuosus  megas,  new  subspecies.     Plate  11,  Fip.  3 

Spoclmeii  I'ollected  by  A.  A.  Olsson  from  near  Suesa,  in  the 
upper  !Majrilaleiia  valley,  Dept.  of  Iluila,  Colombia,  are  marked 
like  D.  fUxuosus  Pt'r.  of  Marmato.  Colombia,  but  the  shell  is 
larp:er  ami  more  solid,  with  broadly  expanded  white  lip,  the 
interior  pale  bluisli  laveiulor  and  showing  the  external  dark 
markings. 

Length  50.3  mm.,  diameter  21  mm.;  length  of  aperture  24.8 
mm. 

Type  179981  ANSP. 

SUBULINIDAE 

Obeliscus  latispira,  new  species.     Plate  11,  Fig.  18 

The  shell  is  imperforate,  slender,  slowly  tapering  to  the  ob- 
tuse apex.  Color,  rather  pale  straw  yellow.  Surface  glossy, 
with  sculpture  of  rather  weak,  arcuate  wrinkles  of  growth.  The 
whorls  are  nearly  flat,  joined  by  a  moderately  impressed  and 
quite  obliquely  descending  suture.  The  summit  is  rounded. 
Aperture  is  oblique,  narrow  with  straight  outlines  in  the  upper 
half,  the  ba.se  broadly  rounded.  The  columella  is  somewhat 
thickened. 

Length  27.5  mm.,  diameter  6.2  mm.;  length  of  aperture  6.8 
mm. ;  9  whorls. 

Huacapistana,    Peru,    at    1800    meters   elevation.     Type   and 

paratype  179987  ANSP. 

By  its  thick  spire  this  snail  stands  near  0.  paircnsis  (Hig- 
gins),  of  Ecuador,  but  the  Peruvian  species  is  smaller  and  more 
slender.  The  type  is  a  faded  specimen,  so  that  the  color  as- 
signed is  that  of  an  immature  paratype  19.2  mm.  long. 


VERTIGO  PARVULA   STERKI 

By  GORDON  K.  MacMILLAN 
Carnegie  Museum 

In  1890  Dr.  V.  Sterki  described  a  new  North  American  Vcr- 
iigo  as  V.  parvula  (Naut.,  3,  136).  Seven  years  later,  appar- 
ently having  forgotten  that  he  had  described  parvula,  Sterki 
redescribed  it  as  Vertigo  mimiscula  (5th.  Ann.  Rept.  Ohio  State 
Acad.  Sci.,  1897,  29).     However,  Dr.  Sterki  first  mentioned  the 


128  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

existence  of  V.  minuscula  in  the  3rd.  Ann.  Kept.  Ohio  State 
Aead.  Sci.,  1895,  34. 

In  "Notes  on  some  Northern  Pupidae  with  Description  of  a 
New  Species,"  appearing  in  the  number  of  the  Nautilus  men- 
tioned above,  Dr.  Sterki  made  the  following  notation : 

Among  several  hundred  Pupidae  collected  in  Northwestern 
Ohio  (Summit  and  Lake  Counties)  by  Mr.  A.  Pettingell,  there 
were  two  examples  of  a  doubtless  new  species,  which  I  in  the 
same  way  name  V.  parvula.  It  is  about  the  same  size,  shape, 
and  appearance  of  V.  {Angustida)  milium  Gld. ;  but  ranges  in 
quite  another  group,  having  a  quite  simple  palatal  wall  and  mar- 
gin, and  only  3  lamellae." 

Dr.  H.  A.  Pilsbry,  Manual  of  Conchology,  25,  1919,  105,  gave 
Summit  County,  Ohio,  as  the  type  locality  for  parvula,  and  said 
that  it  was  also  found  by  A.  G.  Wetherby  in  the  Mountains  of 
North  Carolina  according  to  Dr.  Sterki. 

Mitchell  County,  North  Carolina,  was  the  first  definite  locality 
given  for  parvula  in  that  section  of  the  country  by  H.  A.  Pilsbry 
and  E.  G.  Vanatta  in  "A  Partial  Revision  of  the  Pupidae  of 
the  United  States"  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  52,  1900,  608). 

Dr.  Sterki,  in  "Some  Notes  on  Recent  Mollusca  of  Ohio"  (3rd 
Ann.  Rept.  Ohio  State  Acad.  Sci.,  1895,  34),  makes  the  follow- 
ing notation : 

About  five  years  ago,  among  numerous  Pupidae  kindly  sent 
by  Mr.  A.  Pettingell  of  Hudson,  0.,  two  specimens  of  a  small 
Vertigo  were  found,  different  from  all  species  kno^^^l.  They 
were  mature  and  exactly  alike ;  yet  it  was  considered  unsafe  to 
establish  a  new  species  upon  them.  This  year  (1894)  a  few 
more  were  seen  among  material  collected  in  tiie  mountains  of 
North  Carolina  by  Prof.  A.  Wetherby,  fonnorly  of  Cincinnati, 
and  sent  for  examination,  and  thus  the  validity  of  this  species 
was  confirmed.  Probably  it  has  its  main  distribution  in  the 
North,  and  extends  southward  in  the  Alleghenies,  as  so  many 
other  animals  and  plants  do.     It  is  named  Yrriicjo  minuacula. 

On  page  35  of  tiic  above  mentioned  i)ul)lii-ati()n  Dr.  Sterki 
gave  Summit  County  as  the  locality  for  minumcula. 

The  description  of  V.  minuscula  appeared  in  an  article  en- 
titled "Analytical  Keys  for  Identifying  the  Land  Mollusca  of 


April.   1!)44]  the  nautilus  129 

Ohio"  (5th  Ann.  Uopt.  Ohio  State  Aead.  Sci.,  1897,  29).     This 
is  g:iven  bek)W : 

Alt.  1.5.  diam.  .scarcely  1  mill.;  .sh.  tliin,  horn  colored,  trans- 
lucent; palatal  wall  without  crest  and  inside  callus,  with  one 
(the  inferior)  small  fokl;  1  parietal,  1  columellar;  peristome 
scarcely  everted;  alt.  1.4,  diam.  0.8  mill. 

For  comparison  Dr.  Pilsbry's  description  of  V.  parvula  (Man. 
Conch.,  25,  1919,  105)  is  given  below.  I  have  italicized  the 
words  that  correspond  to  Dr.  Sterki's  description  of  V. 
minuscula: 

The  shell  is  minute,  subcyliudric,  tapering  very  little  upwards, 
the  summit  obtuse;  thin,  suhtransparent,  slightly  yellowish, 
smooth  and  glossy,  becoming  finely  striate  behind  the  outer  lip. 
The  whorls  are  moderately  convex,  the  last  whorl  well  rounded, 
slightly  impressed  behind  the  projection  of  the  outer  lip.  The 
aperture  is  somewhat  triangular,  with  three  teeth :  parietal 
lamella  rather  short  and  high;  columellar  lamella  short,  steeply 
ascending  inwardly ;  lower  palatal  fold  rather  high  in  front,  rap- 
idly becoming  lower  as  it  recedes,  penetrating  to  the  dorsal  side. 
Peristome  very  little  everted,  slightly  thickened,  and  having  a 
distinct  callus  ridge  within.  The  outer  lip  projects  forward  and 
is  slightly  bent  inward  above  the  middle.  Length  1.55,  diam. 
0.85  mm.;  barely  5  whorls. 

In  one  Dr.  Sterki's  handwritten  catalogues  of  North  American 
Pupidae  he  mentions  two  sets  of  V.  parvula.  The  first  was  col- 
lected by  A.  Pettingell  in  northeastern  Ohio,  "Summit  or  Lake 
County,"  the  type  specimen,  which  was  figured  by  Dr.  Pilsbry 
in  the  25th  volume  of  the  Manual  of  Conchology.  The  second 
set,  consisting  of  two  specimens,  is  from  Hollow  Poplar  Creek, 
Mitchell  County,  North  Carolina,  and  collected  by  A.  G.  Weth- 
erby  in  1894. 

Vertigo  parvula  has  precedence  over  V.  minuscula,  based  on 
a  priority  in  time,  and  for  this  rea.son  V.  minuscula  becomes  a 
synonym  of  V.  parvula. 


130  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57     (4) 

A  SMALL  COLLECTION  OF  LAND  SHELLS 
FROM  NEBRASKA 

By  GORDON  K.  MacMILLAN 
Carnegie  Museum 

During:  the  summer  of  1941  the  Carnep:ie  Museum  Expedition 
for  Vertebrate  Fossils,  under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  J,  LeRoy 
Kay,  spent  a  few  days  in  northwestern  Nebraska,  with  the  First 
Field  Conference  of  Vertebrate  Paleontology,  on  its  return  east- 
ward. In  the  short  time  spent  in  this  section  of  Nebraska  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  collecting  some  mollusks  at  two  localities, 
northwest  of  Crawford  and  at  Agate. 

The  western  section  of  Nebraska  consists  of  soils  which  vary 
from  those  of  fine  texture  to  those  of  rough  stony  land,  with 
frequent  rock  outeroppings,  including  broad  plateaus,  deep  and 
steep-walled  canyons,  bold  escarpments,  buttes,  and  here  and 
there  areas  of  "bad  lands."  This  area,  the  plains  region,  is 
characterized  by  short-grass  communities,  dominated  by  grama 
grass,  buffalo-grass,  and  certain  grass-like  sedges,  and  with 
straggling  western  yellow  pines  scattered  over  the  canyon  sides, 
the  buttes,  ridges,  and  the  talus  slopes.  The  topography  con- 
sists of  broad,  slightly  uneven,  grassy  plains,  streams  running  in 
canyons  which  are  frequently  deep  and  rock-walled,  dry  "sand- 
draw"  canyons  carrying  water  onlj^  after  rains  or  from  melting 
snow,  rocky  escarpments,  ridges  and  buttes  with  scattering 
pines,  deciduous  trees  or  shrubbery  in  the  bottoms  of  the  can- 
yons, along  the  streams,  or  about  the  ranches,  and  an  increasing 
amount  of  cultivated  land. 

The  "bad  lands,"  due  to  excessive  erosion,  is  a  habitat  in  the 
plains  region,  and  is  characterized  by  their  sparse  flora  and 
fauna,  restricted  to  only  those  forms  which  cini  withstand  the 
severe  conditions  of  this  environment. 

About  eight  miles  northwest  of  Crawford,  ajiproximatoly  be- 
tween Remington  and  Orcliii,  a  small  ])raiH'h  of  Sand  Creek, 
itself  a  tributary  of  the  White  Kivor,  has  cut  a  wide  canyon 
through  the  bad  lands  of  tiiat  section  of  Dawes  County.  The 
rains,  snows,  temperatures,  ami  winds  have  iiad  their  eroding 
effects  ill  this  area,  exposing  the  white  siiiuis  ;nul  tine  clays  in  a 


I 


April.  1944]  the  nautilus  KU 

steep  outcrop  a  few  hundred  yards  from  State  Hiphway  No.  2. 
From  the  face  of  this  outcrop  were  collected  Succinea  pros- 
vcnorii  Lea  and  /8.  oregotiensis  Lea.  It  is  presumed  that  these 
amphibious  snails  were  origrinally  from  this  outcrop  as  they  were 
white  and  devoid  of  epidermis.  In  the  field  above  the  outcrop 
there  were  no  lakes  or  other  types  of  water  from  which  it  was 
possible  for  these  snails  to  have  originated. 

At  the  base  of  a  small  "sand-draw"  the  small  branch  of  Sand 
I'rcek  had  deposited  a  fine  layer  of  particles  of  vegetation  from 
which  were  gathered  the  following  species  of  land  snails: 

Gastrocopta  pentodon  (Say)     Hawaiia  minuscula  (Binney) 
Vallonia  costata  (Muell.) 

At  Agate,  in  Sioux  County,  Capt.  James  H.  Cook  established 
a  cattle  ranch  extending  ten  miles  on  both  sides  of  the  Niobrara 
River.  The  water  from  this  river  has  been  used  for  irrigation 
purposes,  some  of  the  ditches  traversing  the  lawn  of  the  ranch. 
Along  these  ditches  are  found  growing  cottonwoods,  willows, 
small  bushes  and  shrubs.  A  number  of  small  forms  of  terres- 
trial mollusca  were  found  under  the  layer  of  leaves  and  logs  and 
branches  close  to  the  edge  of  the  ditches  under  the  willow 
growths  or  shaded  places  in  the  stands  of  cottonwoods.  The 
species  are: 

Succinea  grosvenorii  Lea         Vallonia  albula  Sterki 
Vertigo  ovata  (Say)  Vallonia  costata  (Muell.) 

Vallonia  costata  montana  Sterki 

The  discovery  of  Vallonia  costata  montana  (teste  Pilsbry!)  at 
Agate,  Neb.,  extends  the  distribution  of  this  variety  farther  east- 
ward than  hitherto  known.  Previous  to  that  time  the  distribu- 
tion of  V.  c.  montana  was  confined  to  an  area  that  included  east- 
ern Idaho,  northeastern  Utah,  central  and  western  Colorado, 
Wyoming,  and  eastern  and  southwestern  Montana.  The  east- 
ernmost distribution,  that  closest  to  Agate,  Neb.,  is  Laramie. 
Wyo.,  which  is  approximately  120  miles  northeast  of  the  latter 
locality. 

The  Niobrara  River  at  Agate  has  cut  a  winding  course  through 
and  across  the  uneven  plains  of  that  section  of  Sioux  County, 
exposing  steep  banks  of  white  sands.     These  banks  are  consid- 


132  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

ered  either  of  late  Pleistocene  or  early  modern  times.  From 
one  of  these  banks  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  about  500  yards  from 
Agate,  the  following  terrestrial  mollusca  were  collected : 

Hawaiia  minuscula  (Binney)     Valloniu  costata  (Muell.) 

Vertigo  ovata  Say  Succinea  grosvenorii  Lea 

Succinea  oregonensis  Lea 

Species  of  Physa,  Lymnaea,  Helisoma,  Gyraulus,  and  Sphae- 
riidae  were  also  dug  from  the  bank,  which  contained  also  the 
jaw  of  a  young  Bison  about  fifty  feet  from  the  top  of  the 
exposure. 


AN  OVERLOOKED  DESCRIPTION  OF  A 
NORTH  AMERICAN  GASTROPOD 

By  GORDON  K.  MacMILLAN 
Carnegie  Museum 

Joseph  True  described  a  new  gastropod,  which,  as  far  as  I  can 
ascertain,  has  not  been  mentioned  in  any  of  the  leading  works 
on  North  American  conchology  or  in  any  of  the  monographs  on 
Helix.  This  overlooked  shell  appeared  in  the  Proceedings  of 
the  Essex  Institute,  vol.  2,  1857,  p.  193,  as  "Helix  minima,  True, 
sp.  nov.?"  and  was  described  as  follows: 

An  exceeding  small  species — shell,  minute,  rounded-conical, 
smooth  apex  abtuse,  epidermis  of  a  uniform  reddish  horn  color; 
whorls  four,  rounded  above,  and  below,  with  a  well  defined  su- 
ture. Aperture  rounded,  lip  simple  and  thin,  umbilicus  broad 
and  deep.     Diameter  about  one-twentieth  of  an  inch. 

Helix  minima  was  collected  at  Salem,  Mass.,  and  was  "found 
under  loose  stones,  wood,  and  decayed  leaves,  within  half  a  mile 
of  Great  Swamp-meadow,  which  is  situated  in  the  limits  of 
Salem."  This  species  was  a.s.sociated  with  (I  modernize  the 
nomenclature)  :  Mcsodon  alholahri^  (Say),  Anguispira  alternata 
(Say),  Strohilops  labyrinthica  (Say),  Hawaiia  mijutscula  (A. 
Binney),  Haplotrcma  concavum  (Say),  Discus  cronkhitci  an- 
thonyi  (Pils.),  Zonitoidcs  arborcus  (Say),  RciincUa  clcctrina 
(Oould),  R.  indentata  (Say),  Helicodiscus  parallclus  (Say), 
Kuconulus  chcrsinus  (Say),  and  Vailonia  pulchella  (Muell.). 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  133 

From  the  above  description  I  am  inclined  to  call  Jlelix  minima 
a  synonym  of  Punctum  minutissimum  (Lea).  The  broad  and 
deep  umbilicus  places  it  close  to  Sfriatura  milium  (Morse)  and 
S.  ferrea  (Morse),  but  these  are  much  lijrhter  in  color  than  Helix 
minima,  which  is  closest  in  that  character  to  P.  minutisaimum. 

This  is  not  Helix  minima  of  E.  F.  Schlotheim,  Mineralopisches 
Taschenbueh,  1818,  340,  nor  Helix  (Hyalina)  minima  of  J.  C. 
Cox,  Monojrraph  of  Australian  Landshells,  in  1868,  10.  Louis 
Pfeiffer  mentions  another  Helix  minima  in  his  Monographia 
Heliceorum  Viventium,  vol.  7,  1876,  p.  112,  but  this  species  was 
described  as  Macrochlamys  minima  by  H.  Adams  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Zoological  Society  of  London  in  1867  on  page 
303. 

W.  G.  Binney  in  the  Smithsonian  Miscellaneous  Collections, 
vol.  5,  1863,  in  the  "Bibliography  of  North  American  Conchol- 
ogy  previous  to  the  year  1860,"  on  page  253,  lists  Joseph  True's 
article  "Shells  Gathered  about  Salem,  Mass.,  with  particular 
localities  designated,  and  remarks  on  the  species,"  but  does  not 
give  the  complete  list  of  shells.  Binney 's  list  ends  with  Cre- 
pidula  fornicata,  which  in  True's  list  is  at  bottom  of  page  192 
in  the  Proceedings  Essex  Institute,  at  the  end  of  signature  24 
of  volume  2.  Signature  25  begins  on  page  193,  the  part  which 
contains  the  description  of  Helix  minima,  which  part  apparently 
Binney  did  not  see,  otherwise  he  would  have  mentioned  this  spe- 
cies in  his  Manual  of  American  Land  Shells  and  other  works. 

From  the  above  evidence  Helix  minima  True  can  be  regarded 
as  a  synonym  of  Punctum  minutissimum  (Lea). 


A  MOLLUSCAN  MASS  GRAVE 
By  morris  K.  JACOBSON 

Our  larger  eastern  American  land  molluscs,  with  some  excep- 
tions, are  notoriously  solitary  in  habits.  Hence  reports  of  any 
large  congregations  of  a  pulmonate  so  persistently  solitary  as 
Triodopsis  tridentata  (Say)  might  prove  of  some  interest,  espe- 
cially if  such  congregations  take  place  in  so  unfavorable  a  loca- 
tion as  the  limeatone-free  and  granitic  region  about  Peekskill, 
New  York. 


134  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

On  July  30,  1943,  I  uncovered  a  "grave"  of  thirty-one  mature 
bleached  and  eroded  but  completely  identifiable  specimens  of 
the  above  named  species  in  a  crevice  between  two  soil-covered 
rocks  on  the  eastern  slope  of  a  small  ravine.  The  space  the 
shells  occupied  was  about  three  inches  deep  and  two  inches 
across  and  was  generously  filled  with  gravelly  sand.  The  mol- 
luscs were  packed  tightly  one  against  the  other,  with  a  thin  layer 
of  sand  between. 

That  this  congregation  was  not  brought  together  by  a  me- 
chanical agent,  but  rather  resulted  from  the  voluntary  actions 
of  the  animals  themselves,  must  be  assumed  from  the  following 
facts : 

(1)  Since  only  one  species  was  represented  among  the  speci- 
mens, it  is  hardly  likely  that  a  bird  or  animal  collected  them, 
since  the  existence  of  so  selective  a  molluscophage  has  not  been 
demonstrated  in  this  section  of  our  country. 

(2)  There  were  no  streams  or  rivulets  near  the  grave  site, 
even  if  it  could  be  assumed  that  a  stream  could  bring  such  a 
collection  together. 

(3)  Had  a  conchologist  collected  the  molluscs,  it  is  incon- 
ceivable that  he  would  have  left  so  rich  a  haul  in  the  field. 

It  must  be  assumed  then  that  our  unfortunate  molluscs  gath- 
ered under  conditions  described  as  follows  by  Biuney  in  1869 
(Smith.  Misc.  Coll.  194,  Part  I,  P.  2)  : 

In  the  early  days  of  spring,  they  (the  Geophila)  sometimes 
assemble  in  considerable  numbers,  in  warm  and  sunny  situa- 
tions, where  they  pass  hours  of  indolent  enjoyment  of  the 
warmth  and  animating  inHuence  of  the  sunsliino.  Whether 
these  meetings  serve  any  useful  purpose  in  the  economy  of  the 
animal,  or  are  caused  by  the  pleasurable  sensation,  and  renewed 
strength  derived  from  the  warmth  of  the  situation  after  the 
debility  of  their  winter's  torpidity  is  uncertain;  it  is  probable, 
however  tluit  they  precede  tlie  business  of  procreation.  It  is 
certain  tliat  they  last  but  a  short  time,  and  that  after  early 
spring,  the  animals  are  to  be  found  in  their  usual  retreats." 

The  answer  to  the  question  of  what  caused  the  wholesale 
slaughter  I  uncovered,  can  perhaps  be  seen  in  an  uprooted  tree, 
.some  yards  above  the  grave  site.  In  early  March  some  years 
ago,  while  our  molluscs  were  thus  basking  in  the  warming  rays 


April,  1944  J  the  nautilus  135 

of  the  sun,  a  sudden  storm  uprooted  the  tree  and  the  ensuing 
rain  washed  a  miniature  landslide  over  our  luckless  eonpre{?ation 
in  the  stone  crevice.  Just  below  the  prave  I  found  seven  more 
shells,  probably  members  of  the  same  group. 

Although  such  an  occurrence  must  be  very  rare  indeed,  per- 
haps it  can  find  a  place  among  the  list  of  natural  controls  of 
the  molluscan  population.  At  any  rate  it  shows  that  the  effect 
of  storms  and  rains  cannot  be  entirely  excluded. 


I 


SNAILS  HOARDED  BY  BLARINA  AT  ITHACA, 
NEW  YORK 

By  WILLIAM  MARCUS  INGRAM 
Mills  College,  California 

It  is  well  known  that  the  short-tailed  shrew,  Blarina  brevi- 
cauda  (Say),  hoards  snail  and  insect  food  (Merriam  1886), 
(Shull  1907),  (Hamilton  1930).  Additional  information  is  pre- 
sented here  concerning  the  interesting  storage  habit  of  Blarina 
These  data  were  gathered  from  a  small,  rock  strewn,  sycamore 
flood  plain  in  Six  Mile  Creek  near  Cornell  University,  Ithaca, 
New  York.  The  period  of  observation  extended  from  Septem- 
ber 15.  1940,  to  January  3,  1941.  Shrews  were  found  hoarding 
snail  food  in  both  the  fall  and  winter.  Previous  observations 
made  from  June  15  to  September  1,  1940,  on  the  Edmund  Niles 
Huyck  Preserve,  Rensselaerville,  Albany  County,  New  York, 
have  shown  that  Blarina  will  also  hoard  food  during  the  summer 
months  even  though  a  food  supply  is  abundant. 

One  shrew  storage  chamber  opened  in  September  revealed 
living  individuals  of  the  following  species  of  mollusks:  one 
Anguispira  altcrnata  (Say),  three  Stenotrema  hirsutum  (Say), 
and  two  Ventridens  intertextus  (Binney).  These  snails  were 
active  and  were  in  no  way  injured.  Five  days  later  the  storage 
chamber  was  reopened;  all  of  the  snails  but  two  S.  hirsutum  had 
been  broken  open  and  eaten.  The  two  unaccounted  for  S.  hir- 
sutum were  nowhere  to  be  found;  no  additions  had  been  made 
to  the  storage  chamber  in  the  five  day  interval. 


136  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (4) 

On  December  24  a  flat  rock,  6x8  inches,  was  overturned  re- 
vealing a  vacated  shrew  discard  shell  chamber.  Fairly  fresh 
shrew  scats  showed  that  it  had  not  long  been  abandoned. 
Twenty-nine  empty  mollusk  shells  and  two  opened  chrysalis 
cases  were  scattered  about.  The  snail  species  were :  Triodopsis 
alholahris  (Say),  three  adult  and  ten  young;  Mesodon  thyroidus 
(Say),  six  adult  and  three  young;  Triodopsis  tridentata  (Say), 
five  adult;  Succinea  ovalis  Say,  one  adult;  and  Haplotrema 
concaviim  (Say),  one  adult.  All  individuals  but  the  S.  ovalis 
and  the  H.  concavum  had  been  opened.  The  majority  had  had 
the  spires  cut  away  by  Blarina  in  order  that  the  soft  bodies 
could  be  removed  by  the  small  mammal.  The  breaking  open  of 
large  shells  by  the  short-tailed  shrew  as  well  as  small  is  contrary 
to  Shull  (1907)  who  states,  "It  seems  from  these  observations 
that  in  the  ease  of  large  shells,  breaking  is  a  last  resort."  Dr. 
William  J.  Hamilton,  Jr.,  of  Cornell  University  in  studying 
Blarina  about  New  York  State,  has  observed,  as  has  the  writer, 
that  when  large  shells  are  found  in  shrew  runs  they  are  usually 
broken.  Two  of  the  species  of  mollusks  that  Shull  (1907)  stud- 
ied in  Michigan  abound  in  shrew  runs  in  Ithaca;  these  are  T. 
alholahris  (Say)  and  M.  thyroidus  (Say). 

On  January  16  while  conducting  an  invertebrate  zoology  field 
trip  two  winter  storage  piles  of  Blarina  were  observed.  One  of 
these  contained  twenty-seven  individuals  representing  five  spe- 
cies, and  the  second  fifteen  individuals  representing  two  species. 
In  the  first  storage  chamber  all  mollusks  were  stacked  in  a  cavity 
in  a  sycamore  stump.  They  were  resting  on  the  ground ;  snow 
had  filtered  into  the  cavity  and  was  bauked  around  the  bottom 
layer  of  shells.  The  shells  were  frozen  together  and  formed  a 
roundly  triangular-shaped  mound.  When  these  mollusks  were 
carried  into  the  laboratory  all  were  prodded  with  a  ghiss  rod  but 
none  showed  signs  of  life.  All  were  gradually  thawed  out  over 
forty-eight  hours,  but  noue  recovered  from  the  freezing  to  which 
they  had  been  subjected  in  the  shrew  storage  chamber.  The 
fact  that  the  snails  were  apparently  frozen  solid  would  have 
prevented  these  mollusks  from  crawling  away.  Twelve  indi- 
viduals had  complete  ej)ipliragms,  three  had  incomplete  ones, 
and  twelve  had  no  epiphragms.  Five  M.  thyroidus  without 
epiphragms  showed  that  epiphragms  had  at  one  time  been  pres- 


April,   1044]  THE  NAUTILUS  137 

eiit,  for  fra<zinents  were  found  adheriu*!  to  the  aj^ertures  of  the 
shells.  These  epiphrafrm  fraprments  possibly  indicate  that  the 
epiphrafrms  had  been  broken  by  the  shrews  in  their  collecting 
efforts;  too,  the  indication  may  be  that  in  transportin}^  the  large 
shells  Blarina  often  carries  them  by  •^[ripping  the  outer  lip.  The 
entrance  into  the  shrew  run  was  just  behind  the  pile  of  mollusks. 
Several  shell  fragments  and  scats  in  the  region  of  the  pile  indi- 
cated that  mollusks  in  the  storage  pile  were  being  fed  upon 
above  the  ground.  The  raollusk  species  were :  M.  thyroidus 
(Say),  fourteen  mature  and  nine  immature,  and  one  adult  of 
each  of  the  following  species,  Ventridens  iniertextus  (Binney), 
Anguispira  alternata  (Say),  Mesompkix  cupreus  (Rafinesque), 
and  Triodopsis  notata  (Deshayes). 

The  second  winter  storage  chamber  was  three  feet  from  the 
first,  situated  between  two  small  sycamore  stumps.  Snails  of 
this  group  were  not  piled  but  were  scattered  over  the  ground. 
When  they  were  subjected  to  the  prodding  test  none  showed 
signs  of  life,  nor  did  any  become  active  during  the  gradual 
forty-eight  hour  thawing  period.  The  snail  species  in  the  pile 
were  eight  adults  and  six  young  of  M,  thyroidus  (Say)  and 
one  adult  of  A.  alternata  (Say). 

No  empty  shell  were  found  in  either  of  the  above  storage  piles, 
indicating  that  shrews  probably  distinguish  empty  shells  from 
occupied  ones  by  smell  or  weight  and  generally  do  not  bother 
to  carry  empty  shells  to  their  storage  piles.  None  of  the  mol- 
lusks in  the  storage  piles  had  cracked  shells  indicating  that  for 
the  Blarina  studied,  freezing  rather  than  injury  is  "relied  upon" 
to  prevent  the  food  supply  from  wandering  off. 

Bibliography 

Hamilton,  W.  J.,  Jr.,  1930,  The  food  of  the  Soricidae,  Journal 

of  Mammalogy,  vol.  11,  no.  1,  pp.  26-39. 
Merriam,  C.  H.,  1886,  The  mammals  of  the  Adirondack  region, 

Henry  Holt,  316  pp. 
Shull,  J.  F.,  1907,  Habits  of  the  short-tailed  shrew,  BUrina 

hrevicauda  (Sav),  The  American  Naturalist,  vol.  XLI,  pp. 

495-522. 


138  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.  57    (4) 

SHELL  CLEANING  AND  EPIPHRAGM  REMOVAL  BY 
TRIODOPSIS  ALBOLABRIS  (SAY) 

BY  WILLIAM  MAECUS  INGRAM 
Mills  College,  California 

The  included  data  show  that  the  land  snail,  Triodopsis  albo- 
labris  (Say),  will  on  occasion  spend  a  considerable  period  re- 
moving foreign  material  from  the  surface  of  its  shell.  The  re- 
moval of  the  epiphragm  terminating  aestivation  is  also  described. 
The  included  information  is  based  on  observations  of  specimens 
collected  during  the  last  week  in  August  1940  on  the  Edmund 
Niles  Huyck  Preserve,  Rensselaerville,  Albany  County,  New 
York. 

Shell  Cleaning — The  15  specimens  upon  which  these  obser- 
vations are  based  were  transported  to  Cornell  University,  and  in 
January  1941  were  moved  to  the  zoological  laboratory  of  Mills 
College  where  the  shell  cleaning  occurred. 

The  snails  were  placed  in  a  terrarium  supplied  with  a  covering 
of  black  loam  soil  planted  with  Wandering  Jew.  Soon  after  the 
snails  were  transferred  to  the  terrarium  it  was  observed  that  the 
loam  soil  often  became  caked  on  their  shells,  and  occasionally 
accumulated  in  such  quantity  that  the  suture  lines  were  obscured. 
The  initial  cleaning  action  was  noted  after  the  snails  had  been  in 
the  terrarium  2  months.  One  snail  was  first  observed  greatly 
extended  with  its  anterior  foot  region  curved  over  the  dorsal 
shell  surface.  On  close  examination  its  lips  were  observed  mov- 
ing, and  the  soil  covering  the  shell  could  be  seen  being  filed  away 
through  the  action  of  the  radula.  The  soil  was  not  scraped  off 
and  dropped  by  the  snail,  but  was  carried  into  its  alimentary 
canal.  Continued  observation  of  the  15  snails  showed  that  on 
occasion  all  were  scraping  soil  from  their  shells. 

One  snail  continued  cleaning  the  surface  of  its  shell  for  75 
minutes.  This  individual  was  especially  active  in  removing  soil 
which  had  become  caked  in  the  shell  sutures.  Its  posterior  foot 
region,  about  one-third  of  the  total  length  of  the  foot,  held  the 
animal  on  one  upright  wall  of  the  terrarium.  The  remainder  of 
the  foot  was  stretched  back  over  the  shell  as  far  as  the  apex. 
The  individual  was  seen  to  be  moving  its  head  slowly  along  the 


I 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  139 

sutures  with  its  lips  coiitiuually  in  motion.  The  cleaned  shell 
areas  stood  out  in  hold  contrast  to  the  uneleaned  shell  portions. 
The  preat  extensibility  of  the  foot  allowed  this  snail  to  move  its 
head  around  the  apex;  considerable  time  was  spent  in  riddin? 
the  apex  of  the  accumulated  soil. 

Other  snails  were  observed  lying:  on  the  bottom  of  the  ter- 
rarium  with  the  foot  held  free  of  the  substratum.  In  such  a 
position  they  would  twist  and  turn  their  heads  about,  filing  at 
their  fouled  shells.  One  area  which  was  continually  cleaned 
was  the  umbilical  region. 

The  fecal  strinfrs  of  snails  which  had  but  recently  cleaned  their 
shells  of  accumulated  soil  were  commonly  black  in  color;  on  oc- 
casion fecal  masses  were  sprinkled  with  black  spots.  The  dark 
colored  soil  in  the  fecal  strings  was  easily  distinguishable,  for 
due  to  the  snails'  lettuce  diet  green  colored  scats  were  produced. 
If  shell  cleaning  does  occur  in  the  natural  habitat  of  this  species 
the  obsers'er  would  not  likely  be  able  to  detect  the  presence  of 
soil  in  the  fecal  strings  without  a  careful  examination,  for  the 
soil  color  would  blend  in  with  the  typical  dark  green  to  dark 
brown  and  greyish-black  fecal  strings  which  are  characteristically 
deposited  by  this  snail  species  under  natural  conditions. 

Such  shell  cleaning  employed  by  T.  albolahris  if  carried  on  in 
its  natural  environment  would  probably  reduce  shell  corrosion. 
Extensive  corrosion  of  the  apical  whorls  if  continuous  might 
expose  vital  parts.  Thus  soil  removal  in  riding  the  shell  of  ac- 
cumulated soil  and  organic  matter  possibly  enhances  the  sur- 
vival rate  of  individuals  to  some  slight  degree.  Collected  data 
indicate  that  under  natural  conditions  soil  probably  does  not 
accumulate  on  shells  to  any  great  extent.  Of  500  shells  of  living 
snails,  T.  albolahris,  examined  only  11  individuals  collected  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1940  on  the  Huyck  preserve  had  badly  fouled 
shells;  8  of  the  11  were  taken  from  a  flood  plain  beneath  water 
carried  debris  piles  resting  on  loam  soil.  All  but  3  specimens 
from  beech-hemlock,  beech-maple,  and  maple  areas  had  clean 
appearing  shells.  Under  the  hunius-log  habitat  in  the  above 
forest  areas  snails  are  not  directly  associated  with  a  soil  sub- 
stratum ;  thus  situated,  soil  would  not  accumulate  to  any  great 
extent  on  the  shell. 


140  THE   NAUTILUS  [Vol.    57     (4) 

Two  other  species  of  snails,  Mesomphix  cupreus  (Raf.)  and 
Helicodiscus  parallelus  (Say),  were  kept  in  the  same  terrarium 
with  T.  albolahris.  Individuals  of  these  two  species  were  never 
observed  cleaning  their  shells.  Five  specimens  of  the  former 
species  possessed  corroded  apical  whorls  after  2  months ;  the 
apical  whorls  were  without  noticeable  corrosion  when  they  were 
placed  in  the  terrarium.  The  2  individuals  of  HeUocodiscus  did 
not  have  corroded  shells  at  the  end  of  the  same  period. 

Epiphragm  Removal — Five  individuals  form  the  basis  for 
these  observations.  They  were  forced  into  aestivation  by  re- 
moving all  moisture  from  their  container  through  the  medium  of 
cotton.  They  were  allowed  to  remain  aestivating  for  72  days. 
They  were  then  returned  to  a  moist  container  with  food  con- 
sisting of  apple,  carrot,  and  carrot  leaves.  One  hour  after  they 
had  been  transferred  to  the  more  favorable  situation  they  had 
commenced  to  break  through  the  epiphragm. 

Concerning  epiphragm  removal  by  land  snails  in  general  after 
hibernation  Binney  (1885)  writes, '*.  .  .  the  animal  breaks  down 
and  devours  the  membraneous  partitions  [epiphragms]  and 
comes  forth  to  participate  in  the  warmth  and  freshness  of  the 
season.  At  first  it  is  weak  and  inactive,  but,  recovering  in  a 
short  time  its  appetite,  resumes  its  former  activity."  Binney 
does  not  state  in  detail  how  epiphragm  removal  is  accomplished. 
The  feat  of  a  snail  ridding  itself  of  this  resistent  membrane 
warrants  a  complete  description  of  the  removal  process. 

In  the  5  individuals  observed  pressure  by  the  posterior  tip  of 
the  foot  initiated  the  removal  process.  The  foot  tip  was  brought 
into  contact  with  the  epiphragm  and  by  continual  pressure  was 
finally  thrust  through  it  at  the  columellar  region.  When  the 
foot  emerged  it  carried  a  portion  of  the  epiphragm  with  it  and 
left  an  opening  through  which  the  remainder  of  the  snail's  foot 
and  the  head  could  make  an  exit.  The  time  taken  by  the  foot  to 
pierce  the  membrane  after  it  iiad  made  (M)ntact  varied  from  1 
to  2  minutes. 

After  the  foot  had  torn  a  part  of  the  epiphragm  away  the  re- 
mainder was  left  attached  at  the  lip  of  the  shell  around  the  aper- 
ture. As  the  anterior  body  region  of  the  snail  continued  to 
emerge  still  more  of  the  adhering  epiphragm  was  carried  away. 
As  the  head  appeared  it  was  brought  in  contact  with  the  epi- 


April,  1944]  the  nautilus  141 

phrafrm.  and  soon  the  mouthparts  of  the  snail  were  observed 
filing'  away  at  the  epiphrafrm  remnants.  Eaeh  of  the  T)  snails 
bopan  a  systematic  cuttinfj  away  the  epiphrajTrm  at  the  lip  region 
opposite  the  columella.  As  the  frap:ments  were  torn  away  in 
this  re«jion  the  snail  continued  its  feedinpr  around  the  aperture 
lip  until  all  the  membrane  had  been  cleared  away.  Then 
the  snail  moved  its  head  into  the  interior  of  the  body  whorl  just 
behind  the  lip  and  bepan  cleaninj;  the  internal  shell  surface. 
This  done  the  snail  thrust  the  mantle,  which  had  mitil  up  to  this 
time  been  held  back  from  the  lip,  forward  into  its  normal  posi- 
tion and  bejran  to  crawl  over  the  substratum.  The  time  taken 
to  clean  the  epiphragm  away  and  to  explore  body  whorl  behind 
the  lip  varied  from  5  to  10  minutes  in  the  5  individuals. 

The  weakness  which  exists  in  snails  just  emergino;  from  hiber- 
nation as  reported  by  Binney  ^  (1885)  was  not  noticeable  in 
these  snails  emerging  from  aestivation.  Generally  speaking 
hibernating  snails  go  through  a  dormant  period  from  approxi- 
mately 4  to  7  months,  and  a  weakness  can  be  readily  understood. 
However,  the  five  72  day  aestivating  snails  immediately  began 
to  feed  on  the  provided  food  supply. 

In  summarizing  the  mechanics  of  epiphragm  removal  both  the 
foot  and  the  radula  are  employed.  Evidence  indicates  that  the 
part  of  the  epiphragm  that  is  cut  away  by  the  radula  is  swal- 
lowed bv  the  snail. 


NOTES  AND  NEWS 

We  have  to  record  the  death  at  the  age  of  78  of  Frank  Harvey 
Eno,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  on  August  7th  of  last  year.  Professor 
Eno's  vocation  was  civil  engineering,  but  as  a  hobby  he  was  in- 
terested in  mollusks. 

Precedence. — Before  the  idea  came  to  Dr.  Merrill  Moore,  in 
fact  just  a  little  short  of  one  hundred  years  ago,  Fredricka 
Bremer,  the  traveler  and  writer,  wrote  home  to  Sweden  from 
Philadelphia:  "There  is  a  beautiful  museum  [here]  of  stuffed 
birds  and  other  animals,  with  collections  of  shells  and  minerals, 
where  the  diseased  mind  may  divert  itself  and  derive  instruc- 
tion."— Calvin  Goodrich. 


1  Manual  of  American  Land  Shellfl,  Bull.  28,  U.  8.  Nat.  Mus. 


142  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (4) 

An  Autobiography  of  Norman  Wallace  Lermond,  to  be 
published  by  subscription,  has  been  announced. 

Extended  Ranges  of  Four  Alaskan  Marine  Shells. — In 
checking  over  part  of  my  rather  extensive  collection  of  Alaska 
shells  four  species  were  noted  that  were  taken  from  beyond  pre- 
viously reported  geographic  ranges.  All  except  Chrysodomus 
saturus  Martyn  were  known  previously  only  from  the  type  lo- 
calities. In  two  issues  of  The  Nautilus,  January  and  April, 
1938,  I  reported  "Extended  ranges  of  seventy-five  species  of 
north  Pacific  shells  collected  by  Walter  J.  Eyerdam  and  Ingvard 
Norberg. ' ' 

(1)  Liocyma  schefferi  Bartsch  &  Rehder.  Type  locality, 
Chuginidak  I.,  Aleutian  Is. ;  coll.  by  W.  J.  Eyerdam,  two  speci- 
mens. Taken  at  Atka  I.,  Aleutian  Is.,  1932.  Extended  range, 
about  250  miles  westward. 

(2)  Volutopsius  fragilis  Dall,  1891.  Type  locality,  Unimak 
I.,  Aleutian  Is. ;  coll.  by  W.  J.  Eyerdam  at  Dutch  Harbor,  Aleu- 
tian Is.,  one  perfect  live  adult  specimen  found  on  a  rock  at  low 
tide  mark.  It  is  nearly  the  exact  dimensions  of  the  type  speci- 
men.    Extended  range,  about  200  miles  westward. 

(3)  Cingula  eyerdami  Willett.  Type  locality,  Evans  I., 
Prince  William  Sound;  coll.  by  W.  J.  Eyerdam  at  Shuyak 
Strait,  Afognak  I.  Numerous  specimens  from  the  second  lo- 
cality were  taken  from  the  siftings  of  nullipores  by  W.  J.  E.  in 
1924.     Extended  range,  about  200  miles  westward. 

(4)  Chrysodomus  saturus  Martyn.  Type  locality.  King 
Georges  Sound,  Hudson  Strait,  Labrador.  Range,  Arctic  Ocean 
from  Hudson  Strait  to  Bering  Strait ;  Plover  Bay,  Siberia,  South 
and  East  to  Cape  Douglas,  Alaska.  While  studying  some  of  the 
marine  shells  in  the  museum  of  the  University  of  Tomsk,  Siberia, 
in  1930  I  was  given  several  Arctic  Siberian  shells  collected  by 
the  Nordenskjold  Expedition  in  1878,  from  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Yenisei  River  at  the  village  of  Pustoje.  One  of  these  shells 
is  a  near  typical  example  of  C.  safunis  although  slightly  more 
slender  and  not  quite  so  heavy.  Extended  range,  about  3000 
miles  westward. — Walter  J.  Eyerdam. 

Note  on  Fasciolaria  Distans  Lam. — This  past  summer 
(1943)  after  a  collecting  trip  to  Bogue  Sound,  near  Beaufort, 
N.  C,  all  of  tilt'  live  specimens  were  placcil  in  a  large  basin  of 


I 


April.  1944]  the  nautilus  143 

sea  water  for  further  observation.  Amonpr  them  were  several 
Fa^^ciolaria  distans  Lam.  and  a  number  of  Urosalpinx  cinereus 
Say.  One  of  the  Urosalpinx  crawled  onto  the  shell  of  a  Fas- 
ciolaria  distans  and  was  observed  moving  its  shell  from  side  to 
side,  as  if  starting  to  bore.  Almost  immediately,  the  Fasciolaria 
twisted  its  foot  and  jumped  no  less  than  a  good  two  inches.  It 
continued  doing  this  for  several  minutes,  travelling  in  a  zigzag 
manner  which  threw  the  shell  violently  from  side  to  side,  until 
it  had  succeeded  in  dislodging  the  Urosalpinx. 

Fasciolaria  is  common  in  this  locality  and  I  have  been  able  to 
observe  many  of  them.  Prior  to  this,  I  had  found  them  to  be 
very  sluggish,  but  this  animal  jumped  as  much  as  any  Strombus 
pugilis  alatus  Gmel.  that  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  wondered  if  this 
was  a  common  means  of  protection  against  the  borers.  Later  I 
examined  the  shells  of  some  fifty  Fasciolaria  which  I  had  col- 
lected at  various  times  and  found  that  not  one  of  them  showed 
any  visible  signs  of  having  been  attacked  by  Urosalpinx.  This 
is  not  to  say  that  the  borer  is  never  successful  in  its  attacks,  but 
it  does  seem  to  indicate  that  the  usually  slow-moving  Fasciolaria 
probably  uses  this  means  of  defense  to  its  advantage,  and  that 
it  manages  to  escape  its  unwelcome  guest  more  often  than  many 
of  the  more  active  mollusks. — Anne  Gray  Hackney. 

Note  on  Busycon  Carica  (Gmelin). — Busycon  carica  is  a 
common  species  in  the  Sound  in  the  vicinity  of  Beaufort,  N.  C. 
Occasionally,  a  specimen  is  found  which  has  a  double  row  of 
spines ;  that  is,  an  extra  row  between  the  suture  and  the  periph- 
eral keel,  on  the  body  whorl.  LTsually,  in  the  specimens  that 
the  writer  has  seen,  they  are  noticeable  only  in  this  position  on 
the  shell,  but  sometimes  a  definite  ridge  is  apparent  in  the  same 
relative  position  on  the  spire.  The  writer  has  in  her  collection 
Busycon  carica,  from  New  Jersey,  Maryland,  Virginia  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  but  none  of  these  has  any  indication  of  this 
supposed  abnormality.  This  aberrant  form  may  be  common 
elsewhere,  but  the  writer  thought  it  worthy  of  mention,  as  she, 
at  least,  has  not  found  them  in  any  other  locality. — Anne  Gray 
Hackney. 

Albino  Specimen,  of  Busycon  Perversum  L. — On  one  of  our 
collecting  trips  near  Beaufort,  N.  C,  my  younger  son  found  a 
live  specimen  of  what  we  supposed  was  an  albino  Busycon  per- 


144  THE  NAUTILUS  [Vol.   57    (4) 

versum  L.  The  shell  was  pure  white,  both  inside  and  out,  but 
the  animal  was  quite  as  jet  black  as  any  other  normal  B.  per- 
versum.  A  thin  yellow  periostracum  was  present  and  we  were 
able  to  see  no  difference  in  the  coloring  of  the  operculum  from 
any  other  B.  perversum.  I  have  not  had  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  any  other  live  albino  specimens,  and  I  can  find  very  little 
written  on  the  subject. — Anne  Gray  (Mrs.  J.  M.)  Hackney, 
1333  Cornwall  Place,  Norfolk  8,  Va. 

"Hemphill's  Catalogue  of  the  land  and  freshwater  shells  of 
Utah,"  1878,  was  noticed  in  January  Nautilus.  It  is  a  little 
4-leaf  sale  catalogue.  The  following  names  occur  among  many 
unnamed  varieties  listed  by  number,  each  followed  by  a  word 
or  two  noting  some  peculiarity. 

"Patula  Hemphilli  var.  Utahensis,  keeled,  smooth. 

"  *'  var.  Oquirrhensis,  revolving  ribs. 

"        Haydeni  var.  Gabbiana.     Ribs  nearly  obsolete. 

"  Idahoensis  var.  Wassatchensis. "  (No  definition, 
though  this  together  with  21  other  varieties  of  idahoensis  listed 
by  numbers,  are  said  to  "have  more  than  double  the  number  of 
ribs  or  plicate  striae  than  the  typical  form.")  ) 

In  a  prefatory  note  Hemphill  states  that  the  shells  in  the  cata- 
logue were  collected  "in  the  canyons  of  the  Wassatch  Mts., 
Utah."  But  his  specimens  of  the  first  three  varieties,  according 
to  the  specimens  he  sent  out,  and  later  publications,  were  from 
the  Oquirrh  range,  mountains  entirely  distinct  from  the  Wa- 
satch range.  This  misstatement  of  locality,  together  with  the 
brevity  of  the  remarks,  in  no  case  diagnostic,  and  the  reference 
of  utahensis  and  oquirrhensis  to  the  Nevadan  "Patida"  hemp- 
hilli, would  leave  the  forms  quite  unrecognizable  without  the  aid 
of  subsequent  literature  or  specimens. 

The  question  whether  this  sale  catalogue  and  other  similar 
leaflets  sent  out  by  Hemphill  to  advertise  his  shells,  would  be 
considered  published,  in  the  sense  of  the  International  Rules, 
is  also  to  be  decided,  and  of  course  opinions  may  differ.  I  did 
not  consider  it  a  scientific  publication ;  it  was  evidently  not  so 
intended ;  and  I  think  that  it  would  be  an  error  to  date  from  it 
the  oreohelices  subsequently  described  under  similar  names. 
The  line  has  to  be  drawn  somewhere! — Pilsbry. 


Vol.  57 JULY,  1943 No.  1 

T  H  F 

NAUTILUS 

A  QUARTERLY 
DEVOTED  TO  THE  INTERESTS  OF  CONCHOLOGISTS 

EDITORS    AND    Pl'BLISnERS 

Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Mollusca, 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia 

H.  Bi-RRiNGTON  Baker,  Professor  of  Zoology, 
University  of  Pennsylvania 


CONTENTS 

Travelling:  and  Collecting:  in  Mexico.     By  A.  Sorenscn  ....       1 

Observations  on  the  Local  Movements  of  Littorinn  Litorcn 

(L.)  and  Thais  Lapillus  (L.).     By  Ralph  W.  I).  Dexter      6 

Life  Cycle  of  Lymnaea  Stag:nalis  Completed  at  Room  Tem- 
perature without  Access  to  Air.  By  Lowell  E.  Noland 
and  Eleanor  Reichel   8 

Two  New  Orinoco  Unionids,  with  Notes  on  Unio  Granadensis 

Lea  and  U.  Patulus  Lea.     By  J.  P.  E.  Morrison 14 

A  New  Amphidromus  from  Burma.     By  Tom  Iredale 16 

Ilelicostvla  from  the  Talaud  Islands,  Molucca  Islands,  East 

Indies.     By  William  J.  Clench 17 

Two  New  Genera,  Two  New  Species,  and  Two  New  Names 

of  Chinese  Melaniidae.     By  Sui-Fong  Chen 10 

Comments  on  F.  A.  Schilder's  "Cypraeat-ea  from  Hawaii," 
and  Schilder  and  Schilder's  "Prodonio  of  a  ^lono- 
jrraph  on  Living:  Cypraeidae."  By  William  Marcus 
Ingram   2*2 

Two  New  Species  of  Drymaeus  from  Mexico.     By  Harald 

A.  Rchdcr   28 

Notes  and  News  29 

Mrs.  W.  II.  Eshnaur.     Bv  E.  M.  Chacc 35 


$2.00  per  year   ($2.15  to  Foreign  Countries)   50  cents  a  copy 

HORACE  B.  BAKER,  Bumness  Manager 

"University  of  Pennsylvania,  Zoological   Laboratory, 

38th  and  Woodland  Avenue,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Entered  as  Second-Class  mattor.  October  29.  1932.  at  the  Post  Office  at 
Philadelphia.  Pa.,  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1879. 


THE   NAUTILUS 


THE  NAUTILUS: 

A  Quarterly  Journal  devoted  to  the  study  of  Mollusks,  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  and  H.  Burrington  Baker. 

Matter  for  publication  should  reach  the  senior  editor  by  the  first  of  the 
month  preceding  the  month  of  issue  (January,  April,  July  and  October). 
Manuscript  should  be  typewritten  and  double  spaced.  Proofs  will  not  be 
submitted  to  authors  unless  requested. 

Eeprints  are  furnished  at  printer's  rates.     Orders  should  be  written 

ON    OR    ATTACHED    TO    FIRST    PAGE    OF    MANUSCRIPT. 

4  pp.  8  pp.  16  pp. 

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Additional    100s    1.00  1.50  3.00 

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The  Nautilus  is  the  official  organ  of  the  American  Malacological  Union. 
Information  regarding  membership  in  the  Union  may  be  obtained  from  Mrs. 
Imogene  C.  Robertson,  Financial  Secretary,  Buffalo  Museum  of  Science, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


EXCHANGE  NOTICES 

Wanted:  One  dollar  each  will  be  paid  for  July,  1938,  copies  of  The 
Nautilus.  Also  Wanted:  Back  Volumes  and  Numbers  of  The 
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of  these  volumes.     Address  Horace  13.  Baker,  Zool.  Lab.,  Univ.  Penna. 

For  Exchange:  Fifteen  varieties,  Florida  tree  snails  (Liguns)  including 
three  of  the  rare  L.  solidvs,  to  exchange  for  Achatinella,  Amphidromus, 
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Send  your  list  to  Paul  P.  McGinty,  Boynton,  Florida. 

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Prof.  C.  M.  Steenbero,  Univ.  of  Copenhagen,  Norregade  10,  Denmark. 

New  England  Coast  Shells  for  sale  or  exchange.  List  sent  on  request. 
List  of  foreign  shells  for  sale  on  request. 

Mrs.  F.  K.  Hadley,  Box  33,  West  Newton,  Mass. 

West  Coast  Shells  for  exchange.     My  list  sent  on  request. 

Tom  Burch,  1611  S.  Elena  Ave.,  Redoudo  Beach,  Calif. 


THE    NAUTILUS  111 


For  Exchange :  My  list  of  duplicate  sholls,  personally  taken  in  sontliwcHt 
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For  Exchange:  Native  material  for  live  land  Mollusca,  especially  Cepaca 
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Wanted:    Exchange   of   books  and   pamphlets  on  malacology.     Send   your 
list ;  ask  for  mine. 

Dr.  F.  Haas,  Curator  of  Lower  Invertebrates,  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


MARINE  SHELLS  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST 
FLORIDA  COAST 

By 
Louise  M.  Perry 

Chapters  on  generalia,  collection  and  preparation  of  specimens;  with 
clear,  definitive  descriptions  of  species  and  thirty-nine  plates  engraved 
from  photographs  of  specimens. 

Copies  may  be  ordered  from — 

THE  PALEONTOLOGICAL  RESEARCH   INSTITUTION 
126  Kelvin  Place,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

(Paper  cover,  $3.50;  cloth  bound,  $4.50) 

WORLD-WIDE  SEA  SHELLS  by  Maxwell  Smith 

Now  ready 
Illustrations  of  more  than  1600  species,  1900  separate  figures,  151  pages, 
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ple pages  free. 

MAXWELL  SMITH, 
Lantana,  Florida 


IV  THE    NAUTILUS 


123  Years  of  Research — 

LAND   MOLLUSCA   OF 
NORTH   AMERICA 

(NORTH  OF  MEXICO) 
By  henry  a.  PILSBRY 

Since  1817  when  Thomas  Say's  papers  appeared  in  the  first 
volume  of  its  "Journal,"  the  Academy  has  occupied  an  outstand- 
ing position  in  increasing  the  world's  knowledge  of  Mollusks. 
As  the  years  followed,  Haldeman,  Conrad,  Isaac  Lea  and  Tryon 
carried  on  in  Say's  steps. 

In  1887  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  succeeded  Tryon  as  Curator  of 
Mollusks,  and  during  the  past  52  years  has  carried  forward  the 
Academy's  traditional  position  as  a  center  of  conchological  dis- 
coveries. During  these  years  his  researches  have  so  broadened 
our  knowledge  of  the  phylogeny  and  classification  of  land  mol- 
lusks that  the  Joseph  Leidy  Medal  was  conferred  upon  him  in 
recognition  of  his  discoveries. 

Today,  the  Academy  takes  pleasure  in  announcing  the  publi- 
cation of  "Land  Mollusca  of  North  America  (North  of  Mexico)  " 
by  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  the  first  comprehensive  treatment  of 
this  subject  in  half  a  century.  Here  are  presented  the  sum- 
marized conclusions  of  over  fifty  years  of  field  and  laboratory 
investigations  by  an  outstanding  authority  on  the  subject.  Pre- 
viously unpublished  observations,  descriptions  of  new  genera  and 
species  as  well  as  vitally  important  original  drawings  of  the  soft 
anatomy  make  the  volumes  comprising  this  IMonograph  indis- 
pensable to  students  of  land  mollusks. 

The  two  volumes  are  offered  by  subscription  for  $25.00, 
payable  proportionately  as  each  section  is  issued. 

Volume  I  (divided  into  two  Parts)  will  treat  the  helicoid  mol- 
lusks while  Volume  II  will  cover  the  remaining  terrestrial  groups. 

Volume  I,  Part  One  (issued  Dec.  6,  1939)  by  subscription, 
$7.50;  if  purchased  separately,  $10.00.  Volume  I,  Part  Two 
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For  sale  by 

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Vol.  57  OCTOBER,  1943  No.  2 

T  H  F 

NAUTILUS 

A  QUARTERLY 
DEVOTED  TO  THE  INTERESTS  OF  CONCHOLOGISTS 

EDITORS    AND    PUBLISHERS 

Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Mollusoa, 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia 

H.  BiRRiNGTON  Baker,  Professor  of  Zoology, 
University  of  Pennsylvania 

CONTENTS 

Anotlior    Specimen    of    Xenophora    Kobusta.     By    M.    E. 

Bourgeois  37 

Ploridan  Species  of  Rimula.     By  H.  A.  Pilsbry 37 

Typhis  Fordi,  A  New  Bahaman  Muricid  Mollusk.     Bv  H.  A. 

Pilsbry    ! 40 

Colleetin<r  Shells  in  the  Solomon  Islands.     By  Walter  J. 

Eyerdam 41 

Abundance-Areas  of  Mesodon  Pennsylvanicus  (Green).     Bv 

Glenn  R.  Webb  '.      42 

Marl  Deposits  in  Bonaventure,  North  of  Bay  Chaleur,  Que- 
bec, Canada,  and  in  Houlton,  Maine.  By  Olof  0. 
Nylander    45 

A  New  Type  of  Fresh  Water  Clam  from  British  Guiana. 

By  ./.'  P.  E.  Morrison 46 

Variability,  Deyelopmental  Changes,  and  Denticle-Replace- 
ment in  the  Radula  of  Lymnaea  Stagnalis  Appressa  Sav. 
By  M.  R.  Carriker .' .     52 

New  Species  of  Cerion,  Nenia  and  Drymaeus.     By  Maxwell 

Smith 50 

Notes  on  the  Names  Poteria,  Ptychocochlis,  and  Aperostoma. 

By  Paul  Bartsch  and  Harold  A.  Rehder 62 

Papuina  Gartneriana  Pfeiffor.     By  William  J.  Clench   ....      64 

Notes  and  News   66 

Publications  Receiyed    72 

$2.00  per  year   ($2.15  to  Foreign  Countries)   50  cents  a  copy 

HORACE  B.  BAKER,  Business  Manarjer 

University  of   Pennsylvania,  Zoological   Laboratory, 

38th  and  Woodland  Avenue,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Entered  as  Second-Class  mattor.  October  29.  19.12,  at  the  Post  Office  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1879. 


11  THE    NAUTILUS 


THE  NAUTILUS: 

A  Quarterly  Journal  devoted  to  the  study  of  Mollusks,  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  and  H.  Burrington  Baker. 

Matter  for  publication  should  reach  the  senior  editor  by  the  first  of  the 
month  preceding  the  month  of  issue  (January,  April,  July  and  October). 
Manuscript  should  be  typewritten  and  double  spaced.  Proofs  will  not  be 
submitted  to  authors  unless  requested. 

Eeprints  are  furnished  at  printer's  rates.     Orders  should  be  "written 

ON    OR    attached    TO    FIRST    PAGE    OF    MANUSCRIPT. 

4  pp.  S  pp.  16  pp. 

50  copies  $2,50  $4.00  $6.50 

100   copies  3.00  4.75  8.00 

Additional    100s    1.00  1.50  3.00 

Plates  (pasted  in):  $2.00  for  50;  additional  1.5c  each 
[Postage  Extra] 

The  Nautilus  is  the  official  organ  of  the  American  Malacological  Union. 
Information  regarding  membership  in  the  Union  may  be  obtained  from  Mrs. 
Imogene  C.  Eobertson,  Financial  Secretary,  Buffalo  Museum  of  Science, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


EXCHANGE  NOTICES 

Wanted:  One  dollar  each  will  be  paid  for  July,  1938,  copies  of  The 
Nautilus.  Also  Wanted:  Back  Volumes  and  Numbers  of  The 
Nautilus.  Especially  vol.  3,  nos.  1-4,  6,  7,  9,  10;  vol.  4,  no.  1;  vol. 
6,  no.  3;  vol.  9,  no.  1;  vol.  13,  no.  4;  vol.  17,  nos.  5,  6,  8,  10;  vol.  18, 
nos.  3,  9,  11,  12;  vol.  19,  nos.  7-10;  vol.  20,  nos.  6-8,  12;  vol.  21,  all 
nos.;  vol.  22,  nos.  1,  3,  6,  9;  vol.  23,  no.  5;  vol.  24,  nos.  7,  11;  or  any 
of  these  volumes.    Address  Horace  B.  Baker,  Zool.  Lab.,  Univ.  Penna. 

For  Exchange:  Fifteen  varieties,  Florida  tree  snails  (Liguus)  including 
three  of  the  rare  L.  solidus,  to  exchange  for  Achatinella,  Amphidromus, 
Bulimulus,  Cochlostyla,  Orthalicus,  Porphyrobaphe  and  Placostylus. 
Send  your  list  to  Paul  P.  McGinty,  Boynton,  Florida. 

Wanted:  Pupillidac  preserved  in  alcohol  for  dissection. 

Prof.  C.  M.  Steenberq,  Univ.  of  Copenhagen,  Norregade  10,  Denmark. 

New  England  Coast  Shells  for  sale  or  exchange.  List  sent  on  request. 
List  of  foreign  shells  for  sale  on  request. 

Mrs.  F.  K.  Hadley,  Box  33,  West  Newton,  Mass. 

West  Coast  Shells  for  exchange.     My  list  sent  on  request. 

Tom  BuRcn,  1611  S.  Elena  Ave.,  Redondo  Beach,  Calif. 


p 


THE    NAUTILUS 


Fob  Exchange:  My  list  of  duplicate  shells,  personally  taken  in  southwest 
Mexico,  contains  some  rather  attractive  items.  Send  list  with  first 
letter.  H.  R.  Bales,  M.D.,  149  W.  Main  St.,  Circleville,  Ohio. 

For  Exchange:  Native  material  for  live  land  Mollusca,  especially  Cepaea 
nemoralis,  Otala  species,  and  IIcUx  aspcrsa. 

Glenn  R.  Webb,  5348  Ohmcr  Ave.,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Wanted:  Exchange  of  books  and  pamphlets  on  malacology.  Send  your 
list ;  ask  for  mine. 

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Beschreibung  der  Nati'ralien-Sammlung  der  Universitat  zu  Rostock  : — 
Facsimile  reprint  of  H.  F.  Link's  rare  book  at  cost  of  $4.00. 
J.  R.  LE  B.  ToMLiN,  23  Boseobel  Road,  St.  Leonards-on-Sea,  England. 


Four  green,  rough  Abalone  shells  (Haliotis  fulgens),  very  colorful.     $1. 

Aldrich-Museum,  Balboa,  Calif. 


MARINE  SHELLS  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST 
FLORIDA  COAST 

By 

Louise  M.  Perry 

Chapters  on  generalia,  collection  and  preparation  of  specimens;  with 
clear,  definitive  descriptions  of  species  and  thirty-nine  plates  engraved 
from  photographs  of  specimens. 

Copies  may  be  ordered  from — 

THE  PALEONTOLOGICAL   RESEARCH   INSTITUTION 
126  Kelvin  Place,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

(Paper  cover,  $3.50;   cloth  bound,  $4.50) 


WORLD-WIDE  SEA  SHELLS  by  Maxwell  Smith 

Now  ready 

Illustrations  of  more  than  1600  species,  1900  separate  figures,  151  pages, 
special  features,  map,  cloth  bound,  $4.50  postpaid  in  United  States.  Sam- 
ple pages  free. 

MAXWELL  SMITH, 
Lantana,  Florida 


IV  THE    NAUTILUS 


123  Years  of  Research — 

LAND    MOLLUSCA   OF 
NORTH   AMERICA 

(NORTH  OF  MEXICO) 
By  henry  a.  PILSBRY 

Since  1817  when  Thomas  Say's  papers  appeared  in  the  first 
volume  of  its  "Journal,"  the  Academy  has  occupied  an  outstand- 
ing position  in  increasing  the  world's  knowledge  of  Mollusks. 
As  the  years  followed,  Haldeman,  Conrad,  Isaac  Lea  and  Tryon 
carried  on  in  Say's  steps. 

In  1887  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  succeeded  Tryon  as  Curator  of 
Mollusks,  and  during  the  past  52  years  has  carried  forward  the 
Academy's  traditional  position  as  a  center  of  conchological  dis- 
coveries. During  these  years  his  researches  have  so  broadened 
our  knowledge  of  the  phylogeny  and  classification  of  land  mol- 
lusks that  the  Joseph  Leidy  Medal  was  conferred  upon  him  in 
recognition  of  his  discoveries. 

Today,  the  Academy  takes  pleasure  in  announcing  the  publi- 
cation of  "Land  Mollusca  of  North  America  (North  of  Mexico)  " 
by  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  the  first  comprehensive  treatment  of 
this  subject  in  half  a  century.  Here  are  presented  the  sum- 
marized conclusions  of  over  fifty  years  of  field  and  laboratory 
investigations  by  an  outstanding  authority  on  the  subject.  Pre- 
viously unpublished  observations,  descriptions  of  new  genera  and 
species  as  well  as  vitally  important  original  drawings  of  the  soft 
anatomy  make  the  volumes  comprising  this  Monograph  indis- 
pensable to  students  of  laud  mollusks. 

The  two  volumes  are  offered  by  subscription  for  $25.00, 
payable  proportionately  as  each  section  is  issued. 

Volume  I  (divided  into  two  Parts)  will  treat  the  helicoid  mol- 
lusks while  Volume  II  will  cover  the  remaining  terrestrial  groups. 

Volume  I,  Part  One  (issued  Dee.  6,  1939)  by  subscription, 
$7.50;  if  purchased  separately,  $10.00.  Volume  I,  Part  Two 
(issued  August  1,  1940)  by  subscription,  $7.50;  if  purchased 
separately,  $8.00.  Volume  II  (in  preparation)  by  subscription, 
$10.00 ;  if  purchased  separately,  $12.00. 

For  sale  by 

THE  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES  OF 

PniLADKLl'lllA 

19tii  Street  and  the  Pakkwav 
PiiiEAmcLi'iiiA.  Pa. 


Vol.  57 JANUARY,  1944 No.  3 

T  H  F 

NAUTILUS 

A  QUARTERLY 
DEVOTED  TO  THE  INTERESTS  OF  CONCHOLOGISTS   ^XfTp^"^ 

EDITORS   AND   PUBLISHERS  C^^^.^——^^ 

Henry  A.  Pilsbrt,  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Mollusca, >Vj    .'q02^\ 


Acadcmv  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia  3,  Pa.       /  Qj  /\P  /-^ 

H.  BcRRiNGTON  Baker,  Profcssor  of  Zoology,  uj  / 

University  of  Pennsylvania  jr  I  L  I  C  R  A  R  \ 

CONTENTS  \  >^>5t*ii^ 

V 


Californian  Olivellas.     By  D.  S.  and  E.  W.  Gifford 

Tropical  Central  Pacific  Cypraeidae.    By  William  Marcus 

Ingram    81 

A  "West  American  Julia.     By  H.  A.  Pilshry  and  A.  A.  Olsson    86 

New  Peruvian  Land  Mollusks.     By  H.  A.  Pilshry 87 

A  Venezuelan  Species  of  Fossula.    By  H.  A.  Pilshry  and 

A.  A.  Olsson 89 

Observations  on  Pscndomonotis,  a  Late  Paleozoic  Pelecypod. 

By  David  Nicol  90 

The  Sphaeriidae,  A  Preliminary  Survey.     By  Stanley  Tru- 
man Brooks  and  H.  B.  Herrington 93 

A  New  Vitrinella  from  Maryland.     By  Harold  A.  Rehdcr     97 

The   "Apertural   Ridge"   in   Bulimulus.     By   Gordon  K. 

MacMillan   98 

Variations  of  Spi^sula  Solidissima  Dillwyn.     By  Morris  K. 

Jacohson 100 

Notes  and  News  105 

$2.00  per  year  ($2.15  to  Foreign  Countries)   50  cents  a  copy 

HORACE  B.  BAKER,  Business  Manager 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  Zoological   Laboratory, 

38th  and  Woodland  Avenue,  Philadelphia  4,  Pa. 

Entered  as  Serond-riass  matter,  October  29,  1932.  at  the  Post  OflQce  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1879. 


11  THE   NAUTILUS 


THE  NAUTILUS: 

A  Quarterly  Journal  devoted  to  the  study  of  MoUusks,  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  and  H.  Burrington  Baker. 

Matter  for  publication  should  reach  the  senior  editor  by  the  first  of  the 
month  preceding  the  month  of  issue  (January,  April,  July  and  October). 
Manuscript  should  he  typewritten  and  double  spaced.  Proofs  will  not  be 
submitted  to  authors  unless  requested. 

Eeprints  are  furnished  at  printer's  rates.     Orders  should  be  written 

ON    OR   attached    TO    FIRST    PAGE    OF    MANUSCRIPT. 

4  pp.  8  pp.  16  pp. 

50  copies  $2.50  $4.00  $6.50 

100  copies  3.00  4.75  8.00 

Additional    100s    1.00  1.50  3.00 

Plates  (pasted  in):  $2.00  for  50;  additional  1.5c  each 
[Postage  Extra] 

The  Nautilus  is  the  official  organ  of  the  American  Malacological  TTnion. 
Information  regarding  membership  in  the  Union  may  be  obtained  from  Mrs. 
Imogene  C.  Robertson,  Financial  Secretary,  Buffalo  Museum  of  Science, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


EXCHANGE  NOTICES 

Wanted:  One  dollar  each  will  be  paid  for  July,  1938,  copies  of  The 
Nautilus.  Also  Wanted:  Back  Volumes  and  Numbers  of  The 
Nautilus.  Especially  vol.  3,  nos.  1—4,  6,  7,  9,  10;  vol.  4,  no.  1;  vol. 
6,  no.  3;  vol.  9,  no.  1;  vol.  13,  no.  4;  vol.  17,  nos.  5,  6,  8,  10;  vol.  18, 
nos.  3,  9,  11,  12;  vol.  19,  nos.  7-10;  vol.  20,  nos.  6-8,  12;  vol.  21,  all 
nos.;  vol.  22,  nos.  1,  3,  6,  9;  vol.  23,  no.  5;  vol.  24,  nos.  7,  11;  or  any 
of  these  volumes.    Address  Horace  B.  Baker,  Zool.  Lab.,  Univ.  Penna. 

Foe  Exchange:  Fifteen  varieties,  Florida  tree  snails  (Liguus)  including 
three  of  the  rare  L.  solidus,  to  exchange  for  Achatinclla,  Amphidromus, 
Bulimulus,  Cochlostyla,  Orthalicus,  Porphyrobaphe  and  Placostylus. 
Send  your  list  to  Paul  P.  McGinty,  Boynton,  Florida. 

Wanted:  Pupillidae  preserved  in  alcohol  for  dissection. 

Prof.  C.  M.  Steenberg,  Univ.  of  Copenhagen,  Norregade  10,  Denmark. 

New  England  Coast  Shells  for  sale  or  exchange.  List  sent  on  request. 
List  of  foreign  shells  for  sale  on  request. 

Mrs.  F.  K.  Hadley,  Box  33,  West  Newton,  Mass. 

West  Coast  Shells  for  exchange.     My  list  sent  on  request. 

Tom  Burch,  1611  S.  Elena  Ave.,  Eedondo  Beach,  Calif. 


I 


THE   NAUTILUS  111 


Fob  Exchange:  Mj  list  of  duplicate  shells,  personallj  taken  in  southwest 
Mexico,  contains  some  rather  attractive  items.  Send  list  with  first 
letter.  B.  R.  Bales,  M.D.,  149  W.  Main  St.,  Circleville,  Ohio. 

Fob  Exchange:  Native  material  for  live  land  Mollusca,  especially  Cepaca 
nemoralis,  Otala  species,  and  Ilclix  aspersa. 

Glenn  R.  Webb,  5348  Ohmer  Ave.,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Wanted:  Exchange  of  books  and  pamphlets  on  malacology.  Send  your 
list;  ask  for  mine. 

Dr.  F.  Haas,  Curator  of  Lower  Invertebrates,  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  Chicago,  Hlinois. 

Beschreibunq  dee  Naturalien-Sammlunq  der  Univeesitat  zu  Rostock: — 
Facsimile  reprint  of  H.  F.  Link's  rare  book  at  cost  of  $4.00. 
J.  R.  LE  B.  ToiiUN,  23  Boscobel  Road,  St.  Leonards-on-Sea,  England. 


Four  green,  rough  Abalone  shells  (Haliotis  fulgent),  very  colorful.     $1. 

Aldrich-Museum,  Balboa,  Calif. 


MARINE  SHELLS  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST 
FLORIDA  COAST 

By 

Louise  M.  Perry 

Chapters  on  generalia,  collection  and  preparation  of  specimens;  with 
clear,  definitive  descriptions  of  species  and  thirty-nine  plates  engraved 
from  photographs  of  specimens. 

Copies  may  be  ordered  from — 

THE  PALEONTOLOGICAL  RESEARCH  INSTITUTION 
126  Kelvin  Place,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

(Paper  cover,  $3.50;  cloth  bound,  $4.50) 


WORLD-WIDE  SEA  SHELLS  by  Maxwell  Smith 

Now  ready 

Hlustrations  of  more  than  1600  species,  1900  separate  figures,  151  pages, 
special  features,  map,  cloth  bound,  $4.50  postpaid  in  United  States.  Sam- 
ple pages  free. 

MAXWELL  SMITH, 
Lantana,  Florida 


IV  THE    NAUTILUS 


123  Years  of  Research — 

LAND   MOLLUSCA   OF 
NORTH   AMERICA 

(NORTH  OF  MEXICO) 
By  henry  a.  PILSBRY 

Since  1817  when  Thomas  Say's  papers  appeared  in  the  first 
volume  of  its  "Journal,"  the  Academy  has  occupied  an  outstand- 
ing position  in  increasing  the  world's  knowledge  of  Mollusks. 
As  the  years  followed,  Haldeman,  Conrad,  Isaac  Lea  and  Tryon 
carried  on  in  Say's  steps. 

In  1887  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  succeeded  Tryon  as  Curator  of 
Mollusks,  and  during  the  past  52  years  has  carried  forward  the 
Academy's  traditional  position  as  a  center  of  conchological  dis- 
coveries. During  these  years  his  researches  have  so  broadened 
our  knowledge  of  the  phylogeny  and  classification  of  land  mol- 
lusks that  the  Joseph  Leidy  Medal  was  conferred  upon  him  in 
recognition  of  his  discoveries. 

Today,  the  Academy  takes  pleasure  in  announcing  the  publi- 
cation of  "Land  Mollusca  of  North  America  (North  of  Mexico)  " 
by  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  the  first  comprehensive  treatment  of 
this  subject  in  half  a  century.  Here  are  presented  the  sum- 
marized conclusions  of  over  fifty  years  of  field  and  laboratory 
investigations  by  an  outstanding  authority  on  the  subject.  Pre- 
viously unpublished  observations,  descriptions  of  new  genera  and 
species  as  well  as  vitally  important  original  drawings  of  the  soft 
anatomy  make  the  volumes  comprising  this  Monograph  indis- 
pensable to  students  of  land  mollusks. 

The  two  volumes  are  offered  by  subscription  for  $25.00, 
payable  proportionately  as  each  section  is  issued. 

Volume  I  (divided  into  two  Parts)  will  treat  the  helicoid  mol- 
lusks while  Volume  II  will  cover  the  remaining  terrestrial  groups. 

Volume  I,  Part  One  (issued  Dec.  6,  1939)  by  subscription, 
$7.50;  if  purchased  separately,  $10.00.  Volume  I,  Part  Two 
(issued  August  1,  1940)  by  subscription,  $7.50;  if  purchased 
separately,  $8.00.  Volume  II  (in  preparation)  bj^  subscription, 
$10.00;  if  purchased  separately,  $12.00. 

For  sale  by 

THE  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES  OF 
PHILADELPHIA 

19tii  Street  and  the  Parkway 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Vol.  57  APRIL,  1944  No.  4 

T  H  F 

N  A  U  T I L  U  S.„-,,. 

A  QUARTERLY  /cC^O^^-^^ 

DEVOTED  TO  THE  INTERESTS  OF  CONCHOLOGia^i*^#** ^ 

EDITORS   AND   PUBLISHERS  /         /^    ^>^ 

Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Mollfib4rf,i  •    i  ■  ■  a  p 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia  3      '  ^  I  L  •  •  r\  A  K 


H.  Bl'rrinoton  Baker,  Professor  of  Zoology,       .  ^ 
University  of  Pennsylvania  \  ^ 

CONTENTS 

Notes  on  Land  Slugs  of  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  Counties, 

California.     By  IVendell  0.  Gregg 109 

Burchia,  A  New  Genus  of  Turrids.     By  Paul  Bartsch 115 

Taxonomic  Headaches.     By  Paul  Bartsch 116 

Peruvian  Land  Mollusca — II.     By  Henry  A.  Pilsbry 118 

Vertigo  Parvula  Sterki.     By  Gordon  K.  MacMillan 127 

A  Small  Collection  of  Land  Shells  from  Nebraska.     By  Gor- 
don K.  MacMillan  130 

An  Overlooked  Description  of  a  North  American  Gastropod. 

By  Gordon  K.  MacMillan 132 

A  Molluscan  Mass  Grave.     By  Morri.s  K.  Jacobson 133 

Snails  Hoarded  by  Blarina  at  Ithaca,  New  York.     By  Wil- 
liam Marcus  Ingram 135 

Shell  Cleaning  and  Epiphragm  Removal  by  Triodopsis  Albo- 

labris  (Say).     By  William  Marcus  Ingram 138 

Notes  and  News 141 


$2.00  per  year   ($2.15  to  Foreign  Countries)   50  cents  a  copy 


HORACE  B.  BAKER,  Business  Manager 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  Zoological   Laboratory, 

38th  and  Woodland  Avcniif,  I'hiladelphia  4,  Pa. 

Entered  as  Second-Class  matter,  October  29,  1932,  at  the  Post  Office  at 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1879. 


11  THE  NAUTILUS 


THE  NAUTILUS: 

A  Quarterly  Journal  devoted  to  the  study  of  MoUuaks,  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Heney  a.  Pilsbey  and  H.  Bureinoton  Bakee. 

Matter  for  publication  should  reach  the  senior  editor  by  the  first  of  the 
month  preceding  the  month  of  issue  (January,  April,  July  and  October). 
Manuscript  should  be  typewritten  and  double  spaced.  Proofs  will  not  be 
submitted  to  authors  unless  requested. 

Reprints  are  furnished  at  printer's  rates.     Oedees  should  be  weitten 

ON    OE    ATTACHED    TO    FIRST    PAGE    OF    MANUSCRIPT. 

4  pp.  8  pp.  16  pp. 

50  copies  $2.50  $4.00  $6.50 

100   copies  3.00  4.75  8.00 

Additional    100s    1.00  1.50  3.00 

Plates  (pasted  in):  $2.00  for  50;  additional  1.5c  each 
[Postage  Extea] 

The  Nautilus  is  the  official  organ  of  the  American  Malacological  Union. 
Information  regarding  membership  in  the  Union  may  be  obtained  from  Mrs. 
Imogene  C.  Eobertson,  Financial  Secretary,  Buffalo  Museum  of  Science, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 


EXCHANGE  NOTICES 

Wanted:  One  dollar  each  will  be  paid  for  July,  1938,  copies  of  The 
Nautilus.  Also  Wanted:  Back  "Volumes  and  Numbers  of  The 
Nautilus.  Especially  vol.  3,  nos.  1-4,  6,  7,  9,  10;  vol.  4,  no.  1;  voL 
6,  no.  3;  vol.  9,  no.  1;  vol.  13,  no.  4;  vol.  17,  nos.  5,  6,  8,  10;  vol.  18, 
nos.  3,  9,  11,  12;  vol.  19,  nos.  7-10;  vol.  20,  nos.  6-8,  12;  vol.  21,  all 
nos.;  vol.  22,  nos.  1,  3,  6,  9;  vol.  23,  no.  5;  vol.  24,  nos.  7,  11;  or  any 
of  these  volumes.     Address  Hoeace  B.  Baker,  Zool.  Lab.,  Univ.  Penna. 

Foa  Exchange:  Fifteen  varieties,  Florida  tree  snails  (Liguus)  including 
three  of  the  rare  L.  solidus,  to  exchange  for  Achatinella,  Amphidromus, 
Bulimulus,  Cochlostyla,  Orthalicus,  Porphyrobaphe  and  Placostylus. 
Send  your  list  to  Paul  P.  McGinty,  Boynton,  Florida. 

Wanted:  Pupillidae  preserved  in  alcohol  for  dissection. 

Peof.  C.  M.  Steenbeeo,  Univ.  of  Copenhagen,  Norregade  10,  Denmark. 

New  England  Coast  Shells  for  sale  or  exchange.  List  sent  on  request. 
List  of  foreign  shells  for  sale  on  request. 

Mes.  F.  K.  Hadley,  Box  33,  West  Newton,  Masa. 

West  Coast  Shells  for  exchange.     My  list  sent  on  request. 

Tom  BuacH,  1611  S.  Elena  Ave.,  Redondo  Beach,  Calif. 


THS   NAUTILUS  lU 


For  Ezchanoe:  Mj  list  of  duplicate  shells,  personallj  taken  in  southwest 
Mexico,  contains  some  rather  attractive  items.  Send  list  with  first 
letter.  B.  R.  Bales,  M.D.,  149  W.  Main  St.,  Circleville,  Ohio. 

Fob  Exchauqk:  Native  material  for  live  land  MoUusca,  especially  Cepaea 
nemoralis,  Otala  species,  and  Helix  aspersa. 

Glenn  R.  Webb,  5348  Ohmer  Ave.,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

Wanted:  Exchange  of  books  and  pamphlets  on  malacology.  Send  your 
list;   ask  for  mine. 

Db.  F.  Haas,  Curator  of  Lower  Invertebrates,  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  Chicago,  Hlinois. 

Beschbeibuno  der  Natcralien-Sammlung  der  Univebsitat  zu  Rostock: — 
Facsimile  reprint  of  H.  F.  Link's  rare  book  at  cost  of  $4.00. 
J.  R.  LE  B.  Tomlin,  23  BoBCobel  Boad,  St.  Leonards-on-Sea,  England. 


Four  green,  rough  Abalone  shells  (Haliotis  fulgent),  very  colorful,     $1. 

Aldrich-Museum,  Balboa,  Calif. 


MARINE  SHELLS  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST 
FLORIDA  COAST 

By 

Louise  M.  Perry 

Chapters  on  generalia,  collection  and  preparation  of  specimens;  with 
clear,  definitive  descriptions  of  species  and  thirty-nine  plates  engraved 
from  photographs  of  specimens. 

Copies  may  be  ordered  from — 

THE  PALEONTOLOGICAL  RESEARCH   INSTITUTION 
126  Kelvin  Place,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

(Paper  cover,  $3.50;   cloth  bound,  $4.50) 


WORLD-WIDE  SEA  SHELLS  by  Maxwell  Smith 

Now  ready 

Illustrations  of  more  than  1600  species,  1900  separate  figures,  151  pages, 
special  features,  map,  cloth  bound,  $4.50  postpaid  in  United  States.  Sam- 
ple pages  free. 

MAXWELL  SMITH. 
Box  65,  Winter  Park.  Florida 


IV  THE    NAUTILUS 


123  Years  of  Research — 

LAND   MOLLUSCA   OF 
NORTH   AMERICA 

(NORTH  OF  MEXICO) 
By  henry  a.  PILSBRY 

Since  1817  when  Thomas  Say's  papers  appeared  in  the  first 
volume  of  its  "Journal,"  the  Academy  has  occupied  an  outstand- 
ing position  in  increasing  the  world's  knowledge  of  Mollusks. 
As  the  years  followed,  Haldeman,  Conrad,  Isaac  Lea  and  Tryon 
carried  on  in  Say's  steps. 

In  1888  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry  succeeded  Tryon  as  Curator  of 
Mollusks,  and  during  the  past  52  years  has  carried  forward  the 
Academy's  traditional  position  as  a  center  of  conchological  dis- 
coveries. During  these  years  his  researches  have  so  broadened 
our  knowledge  of  the  phylogeny  and  classification  of  land  mol- 
lusks that  the  Joseph  Leidy  Medal  was  conferred  upon  him  in 
recognition  of  his  discoveries. 

Today,  the  Academy  takes  pleasure  in  announcing  the  publi- 
cation of  "Land  Mollusca  of  North  America  (North  of  Mexico) " 
by  Dr.  Henry  A.  Pilsbry,  the  first  comprehensive  treatment  of 
this  subject  in  half  a  centurj'.  Here  are  presented  the  sum- 
marized conclusions  of  over  fifty  years  of  field  and  laboratory 
investigations  by  an  outstanding  authority  on  the  subject.  Pre- 
viously unpublished  observations,  descriptions  of  new  genera  and 
species  as  well  as  vitally  important  original  drawings  of  the  soft 
anatomy  make  the  volumes  comprising  this  Monograph  indis- 
pensable to  students  of  land  mollusks. 

The  two  volumes  are  offered  by  subscription  for  $25.00, 
payable  proportionately  as  each  section  is  issued. 

Volume  I  (divided  into  two  Parts)  will  treat  the  helicoid  mol- 
lusks while  Volume  II  will  cover  the  remaining  terrestrial  groups. 

Volume  I,  Part  One  (issued  Dec.  6,  1939)  by  subscription, 
$7.50;  if  purchased  separately,  $10.00.  Volume  I,  Part  Two 
(issued  August  1,  1940)  by  subscription,  $7.50;  if  purchased 
separately,  $8.00.  Volume  II  (in  preparation)  by  subscription, 
$10.00 ;  if  purchased  separately,  $12.00. 

For  sale  by 

THE  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES  OF 
PHILADELPHIA 

19th  Street  and  the  Pakkway 
Pnii.AnFJ.i'iiiA.  Pa. 


MBI.  WHOl   UHHARY 


UH    17X1    n