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BIOLOGY
LIBRARY

Land and Fresh Water Shells

— OF —

ONONDAGA COUNTY,

— WITH A —

Supplemental List of New York Species,

PREPARED BY

W. M. BEAUCHAMP,
BALDWINSVILLE, N. Y.

BALDWINS VILLE, N. Y.:

GAZETTE AND FARMERS* JOURNAL STEAM PRINT.
1886.

LIBRARY

Land and Fresh

— OF—

ONONDAGA COUNTY AND NW70RK STATE?

BY KEY. W. M. BEAUCHAMP.

Mollusca of Onondaga.

In these notes on Onondaga shells collected by me, sub-
generic names are omitted, and Dr. Lewis' general system
followed.

Helicodiscus lineatns. — Morse. — Small, flat, yellowish
green, with revolving lines. Wet places, under
wood.

Macrocyclis concava. — Say.— Medium, greenish white, com-
mon, carnivorous.

Slugs have short shields instead of shells, and the follow-
ing are found in gardens and fields. Prolific and active-
Li max agrestis. — L. — Grey slug, breathing hole large,
flavus.— L. — Larger and brownish,
campestris. — Binney. — Smaller, blackish and slender.
The following shells have simple lips and wide umbilicus.
Helix alternata. — Say. — Alternate spots of red, common,
perspective, — Say. — Small, saucer-shaped, reddish.
Dead wood.

striatella. — Antli. — Smaller, brown, with sharp ribs.
Stones.

The following have thick lips when mature, mostly with
teeth.

Helix lab vrinthica. — Say. — Small, conical, rare. Onondaga
Hill,

monodon. — Rackett. — Small, brown, downy, tooth-
linear. I have one with two parallel teeth. Also
variety fraterna.

palliata. — Say. — Larger, brown, hairy, several teeth,
rarer.

tridentata. — Say. — Smaller, reddish, 3-toothed,
smooth, common.

M90520

Helix albolabris. — Say. — Large, imperf orate, lip broad,
common. Dentate variety rarer, with a small tooth

iftyroides. --$«£/. — Large, perforate, tooth on pillar
Jip-- :. : ,\. *\

, flattened, perforate, teeth

small. Ravines.

pulchella. — Muller. — Wide mouth, minute, white.
Low lands.

The following three genera are of small cylindric shells,
and except the first, difficult to find. Mostly with teeth.
Cionella subcylindrica. — L. — Brown, shining. Gardens and

lowlands. Have found many hid in pi urn -stones in

the fall. Larger than the following.
Pupa pentodon. — Say. — Mouth with five teeth, whitish,

rare.

contracta. — Say. — Mouth contracted, toothed, white,

frequent.

corticaria. — Say.— Slender, glassy. Onondaga and

Skaneateles.
Vertigo ovata. — Say. — Ovate, dark chest nut, common. Wet-

grounds.

ventricosa. — Morse. — Similar, smaller, rare. Split

Rock.

Bollesiana. — Morse. — Ovate, almost translucent. Split

Rock.

Gouldii. — Binney. — Ovate, light chestnut, Split

Rock,

simplex. — Say. — Toothless, chestnut. Split Rock.
The Succineas, or Amber Shells, are almost amphibious,
in wet places and have pellucid shells with large apertures.
^Succinea ovalis. — Gould. — Oval, colorless to orange, com-

mon.

avara.— Say. — Shorter, stouter, with bristles. Seneca

river.

obliqua. — Say. — Large, yellow,very oblique, common.

Totteniana. — Lea. — Smaller and greener, less com-

mon.

The following snails have thin lips and shells.
IZonites fuliginosus. — Grif. — Large, brown, polished, com-

mon.

inornatus. — Say. — Similar, smaller and lighter.

Rocky woods.

Zonites intertextus.— Say. — Conical, angulated, reddish, me-
dium, common.

ligerus.— Say. — Similar, yellowish, polished. Very
rare.

nitidus. — Midler. — Amber hue, small, shining. Low
places.

arboreus. — Say. — Less polished and expanded, com-
mon.

viridulus. — Menke. — Small, thin, flat, brown, rare,
minusculus. — Binney. — Minute, white, rare,
limatulus. — Ward. — Small, thin, flat, whitish, rare,
indentatus. — Say. — Small, flat, whitish, shining, rare,
multidentatus. — Binney. — A beautiful minute red-
dish shell, with white teeth showing through. Rare,
fulvus. — Drap. — Smaller, conical, tawny, not abun-
dant.

Tebennophorus Carolinensis. — Bosc. — Our largest slug.
Woods,
dorsalis. — Binney. — Small, dark, slender. Woods.

Carychium exiguum. — Say. — A minute, white, thread-like
shell. Low places.

The water snails following are of several genera, the pul-
monates, without an operculum, coming flrst.

Limnaea stagnalis. — L. — Two inches long, spire slender,
mouth large, light tawny to reddish. Once
common in Onondaga and Cross Lakes ; now found
mostly in Oneida lake.

columella. — Say. — Yellow, delicate, resembling Suc-
cinea. On water lily leaves in Seneca river, rare,
elodes.— Say. — Fragile, brown, often faceted, com-
mon.

umbrosa. — Say. — Large, slender, aperture brown.
Wet woods.

desidiosa, — £ay.-^Small, slender, whorls angnlated,

common.

emarginata. — Say. — Inflated, solid, mouth large and

angular, common in lakes. A white variety in Cross

lake.

catascopium. — Say. — Similar, longer.

caperata. — Say. — Yellowish, with revolving striae,

common.

umbilicata.— Adams. — Differs little from the last.

Limnaea pallida. — Adams. — A beautiful white shell in
Onbndaga and Cross lakes, where most shells are
light colored.

hurailis. — Say. — Brown, common, our smallest local
species.

The translucent shining shells of the following two gene-
ra, revolve in the opposite way to most others.

Physa ancillaria, — So.y. — Large, inflated, spire depressed.
Skaneateles.

heterostropha. — Say. — Less inflated and depressed,
common, thinner.

Niagarensis. — Lea. — Similar, smaller, colorless, rare.
Onondaga lake.

gyrina. — Say.— Cylindric, yellowish, aperture long.
Forest ponds. There are several varieties, one like
P, Hildrethiana.

Bulinus hypnorum. — L. — Thin, slender, brown, shining.
Wet wroods.

The following two genera are flat orbicular shells of the
Planorbis family, feeding on decaying vegetation in still
waters.
Planorbis campanulatus. —Say. — Bell-shaped aperture,

common.

trivolvis. — Say. — Our largest species, common.

lentus. — Say. — Similar, more depressed, rarer.

bicarinatus. — Say. — Whorls sharp above and below?

common,

exacutns_ — Say. — Small, thin, margin acute, com-
mon. Swamps.

dilatatus.— Gould. — Small, perforation deep. Doubt-
ful identification.

deilectus. — Say. — Small, mouth depressed. Wet

woods.

albus. — Mall.— Thin, yellow, hairy, common.

parvus. — Say. — Corneous, common. Oar smallest

species..
Segrrientina armigera. — Say. — Olive, aperture with teeth.

Wet woods.

The next genus is of the small pyramidal fresh water
limpets, clriging to stones and plants. Not abundant.

Ancylus rivularis.— Say. — Seneca river, rare.

tardus. — /Stey. --Olive, on stones in rivers.

Ancylus parallelus. — Hald. — Dark, narrow, more common.

On plants.

The remaining fresh water snails close the aperture with
a horny door, or operculum, attached to the snail.
Valvata tricarinata. — Say. — Small, whitish, whorls with
sharp keels, common. Ecarinate varieties in On-
ondaga lake.

sine-era, — Say. — Brown, with ribs, no keels, habits
different from the last. Marshy spots on Seneca
river, rare.

The Melanthos are green or greenish, large, solid, varia-
ble, viviparous, found in all waters but Onondaga and
Cross lakes. Muddy bottoms Approaching other species.
Melantho decisus. — Say. — Green, worn at apex, common,
integer. — /Stoy.— Similar, longer and more perfect,
rarer.

rufus. — Hald. — Shorter, grayer, polished, rosy with-
in. Found only in canals and at Baldwinsville.
Abounds in canal.

Lioplax subcarinatus. — Say. — Smallei> more expanded, and
the six whorls more rounded than the last. But one
found, not typical. Canal; found also in the Hudson.
Bythinia tentaculata. — L. — An introduced European shell
found by me at Oswego in 1879, now abundant at
Syracuse. Resembles Melantho, but is small, yel-
lowish, grey or red.

Bythinella obtusa. — M. Tand. — Resembles Papa, Erie ca-
nal, rare.
Gilia nltilis.—Lea. -Small, green, orbicular. Abundant

in canals.
Somatogyrus isogonus. — *Say. — Similar, rare.

The genus Amnicola contains minute shells like the Me-
lantho, but perforate. Abundant in all waters on plants.
Amnicola Sayana. — Antli. —Elevated, six whorls, rare.
Erie canal.

Cincinnatiensis. — AntTi. — Rather slender, five whorls.
Canal.

orbiculata. — Lea. — Depressed, orbicular,
porata. — $ay. — Perforated, round, common,
pallida. — Hald. — Paler and slender, rarer. Ponds,
limosa. — Say. — Small, bulbous, common,
lustrica. — Say. — Small, very slender, rarer,
grana. — Say — Very small. Seneca river.

6

The next two genera are of slender species here, not
found south of the canal in this county, the first being here
confined to the Erie canal. The snails feed mainly on the
fresh water algae growing on stones and logs. They are
active quite late, as I collected Goniobasis Dec. 1, 1884, at
Baldwinsville.
Pleurocera subulare. — Lea,. — -A beautiful elevated shell,

apex grooved, aperture auger-like, somewhat rare.

intensum. — Lea. — Similar, intense dark and yellow\

pallidum. — Lea. — Similar, color pale.
Goniobasis livescens. — MenJce. — Bulbous, purple within.

A yellow variety.

depygis. — Say. — Yellowish, often with dull red lines.

Haldemani. — Try on. — Slender, rare. Erie canal.

Yirginica — GmeL— Large, beautiful, variable, smooth

or striate, banded or plain, thin or thick. Canal and

Seneca river.

gemma. — DeKay. — Variety of the last.
The next two genera are of small bivalve shells, the larg-
est not an inch long. Some living in wet leaves, others
burrowing in still or rapid waters. They have cardinal
teeth in the center and linear teeth at the ends of the hinge
margin.
Sphaerium simile. — Say. — The largest. Brown, inflated.

fabale. — Prime. — Similar, brown, compressed, hinge

margin curved, rare.

striatinum. — Lam. — Compressed, smoother, rare.

occidentale. — Prime. — Oval, yellow, shining, com-
mon. In wet woods.

partumeium. — Say. — White, angular, inflated, thin.

truncatum. — Linsley. — Similar, smaller, compressed.

transversum. — Say. — Long, thin, large. Erie canal.

secure. — Prime. — Small, rhombic, rare. Rivers.

solidulum. — Prime. — Yellow and brown,

stamineum. — Conrad. — Inflated, yellow.
The Pisidiums are smaller and more inequilateral.
Pisidium compressum. — Prime. — Compressed, beaks raised.

variabile. — Prime. — Ovate, thick, yellow, polished.

abditum. — Hold. — Oval, yellow, smooth, rare.

Noveboracense. — Prime. — Oval, inflated, thin, rare.

Yirginicum. — Bourg. — Large, thick, brown, rare.

ferrugineum. — Prime. — Globose, beaks raised, rusty.

The following three genera are fresh water clams or mus-
sels. Unio has cardinal and lateral teeth; Margaritana,
cardinal teeth; Anodonta is toothless. All crawl and bur-
row with the long foot, and when thrown ashore by waves
at Onondaga lake, I have seen them raise themselves and
get back to the water.
Unio alatus. — Say. — Brown, winged, variable.

cariosus. — Say. — Yellowish, inflated, rare. Oswego

river.

complanatus. — Sol. — The common flat species.

gracilis. — Barnes. — Resemble alatus, lighter, thinner.

iris. — Lea. — Resembles IT. Novi-Eboraci. Canal.

Liebii. — Lea. — A curious dead shell from Onondaga

lake, thus identified by Dr. Newcomb. Rare.

ligamentinus. — Lam. — Coarse, oval, brown, rare.

Cross lake.

luteolus. — Lam.— Ova\, teeth compressed, variable.

It is often difficult to distinguish this shell from IT.

radiatus.

Novi-Eboraci. — Lea. — Small, yellow, interrupted

rays.

occidens. — Lea. — Large, ovate, polished. Seneca

river.

parvus. — Barnes. — Small, cylindric. Erie canal.

pressus. — Lea. — Green, compressed, winged. Seneca

river.

radiatus. — Lam. — Oval, variable, teeth erect, common.

rectus. — Lam. — Long, black. Rifts of rivers.

rosaceus. — DeKay. — Like radiatus and luteolus.

Rosy within. Rare.

rubiginosus. — Lea. — Reddish, heavy, angular. Erie

canal.

siliquoideus. — Barnes. — Polished, inflated.

Tappanianus. — Lea. — Small, compressed. Canal and

Seneca river.

undulatus. — Barnes. — Large, brown, plicate, quad-
rate. Canal, rare.

ventricosus. — Barnes. — Large, oval, inflated. Seneca
river.

Margaritana marginata. — Say. — Inflated, truncated, com-
mon.

rugosa. — Barnes. — Compressed, one end wrinkled.
Rivers and canals. Occurs in Onondaga lake.

undulata — Say. — Inflated, stout, rare. Canal.

margaritif era — L. — Reported from Oneida lake.
Anodonta Benedictii. — Lea. — Large, inflated, green, thin.

decora. — Lea. — Oval, green. Canal.

edentula. — Say. — Thick, brown, beaks undulated.

Ferussaciana. — Lea. — Cylindric, inflated. Canal.

Footiana. — Lea. — Angular, inflated, rare.

fluviatilis. — Dill. — Thin, green, variable, common.

fragilis. — Lam. — Thin, inflated, fine. Lakes.

imbecillis. — Say. — Cylindric, hinge margin straight.

lacustris. — Lea. — Thin, brown. Lakes.

Lewisii. — Lea. — Angular, variable, often large.

pavonia. — Lea.— Thick, compressed. Canal.

Pepiniana, — Lea.— Thin, compressed, greenish.

Lakes.

salmonia. — Lea. — Compressed, orange within beaks.

subcylindracea. — Lea. — Small, cylindric, common.

Simpsoniana. — Lea. — Thick, compressed, rare.

Beaver Lake.

undulata. — Say. — Like edentnla, compressed, green.

Williamsii. — Lea. — Angular, nacre brilliant, rare.

Seneca river.

Of the foregoing but ten species have been found exclu-
sively south of the canal, while no land species are peculiar
to the northern towns. In water species the case is differ-
ent, for nearly seventy belong exclusively to the canal and
northern waters, many reaching us by the canals.

Other shells are likely to occur in Onondaga county,
among which are the following :

Helix dentifera. — Binney. — Medium, depressed, toothed.
Punctum minutissimum. — Lea. — Minute, subglobose.
Zonites cellarius. — Muller. — Glassy, greenish.
Sphaerium rhomboideum. — Say. — The name describes this.
Unio gibbosus. — Barnes. — Thick, compressed, gibbous.
Unio nasutus. — Say.— Smooth, long.

Land and Fresh W'ater Mollusks of
Eastern and Southern New York.

Vitrina limpida. — G$uld. — Small, wide aperture.

Helix hirsuta.— Say. — Like H. monodon, lip cleft.

hortensis. — Muller. — Yellow and red. Long Island,
nemoralis. — L. — Apartare black. Long Island,
harpa.— Say. — Small, conical, ribbed, fragile. Found
by me at the Thousand Islands, in 1883.

Limax maximus. — L. — Introduced. Mushroom beds.

Pupa fallax. — Say. — Long, tapering, smooth, brownish.

armifera. — Say. — Cylindric, smooth, aperture white,
rupicola. — Say. — Small, elongated, brownish,
muscorum. — L. — Obtuse, dark chestnut.

Vertigo milium. — Gould. — Very minute, dark amber.

Succinea aurea. — Lea. — Amber, oval. Staten Island.

Arion fusciis.— Mailer. — Ashy, a dorsal line.

Zonites exiguus. — Stimpson. — Minute, green.

ferreus. — Morse. — Minute, light steel gray,
suppressus. — Say. — Depressed, thin, teeth internal,

Alexia myosotis.— Drap. — Small, elongate, dark, shining.

Melampus bidentatus. — Say. — Ovate, toothed, banded.

Limnsea ampla.— MlgJiels. — Large inflated, aperture wide,
megasoma. — Say. — Large, aperture chestnut,
gracilis. — Jay. — Very slender. L. Champlain.
galbana. — Say. — Semi-fossil in calcareous ttffa.

Ancylus calcarius. — De Kay. — Large, conic, calcareous.

fuscus. — Adams. — Epidermis brown, shell translu-
cent.

Yivipara contectoides. — Binney. — Green,four brown bands.
Anculosa carinata. — Brug. — Conic, carinate. Varieties.
Sphserium rosaceum. — Prime. — Rosy, polished, sma

croceum . — Lew is. — Small, yellow.

Vermontanum. — Prime. — Full, oblique, green.
Pisidium ventricosum. — Prime. — Small, globose, yellow.
Unio ochraceus. — Say. — Oval, reddish.
Anodonta implicata. — Say. — Large, inflated.

excurvata. — De Kay. — Large, thick, inflated.

Mollusks of Wostorn Now York-

Helix solitaria. — Say. — Large, two or three bands.

fallax. — Say- — Elevated, resembles H. tridentata.

exoleta. — Binney. — Large tooth, resembles albola-

bris.

elevata.— Say. — Dentate, elevated, resembles albola-

bris.

profnnda. — Say. — Large, yellowish, banded.

multilineata. — Say?. — Yellowish, many red band&
Limnaea reflexa. — Say. — More slender than L. umbrosa.
Bulinus integer. — Hold. — Pointed, oval, yellowish.
Unio anodontoides. — Lea. — Yellow, polished, thick.

Boydianus. — Lea. — Resembles ochraceus.

cocclneus. — Lea. — Brown, roundish, nacre pink..

distans. — Lea. — Oval, smooth.

ellipsis. — Lea. — Brown, elliptical.

elegans. — Lea. — Angular, heavy, green.

fabalis. — Lea. — Ovate, small, black.

heterodon. — Lea. — Small, compressed, teeth re-
versed,

hippopseus.— Oval, plicate.

multiradiatus. — Lea. — Inflated, many green rays.

phaseolus. — Hild. — Dark, compressed, heavy,

pnstnlatas. — Lea. — Quadrate, nodulous.

spatulatus. — Yellowish, oblong ovate.

triangnlaris. — Barnes. — Triangular, green.

trigonus. — Lea. — Triangular, brown.
Margaritana complanata. — Barnes. — Winged, compressed.

Hildrethiana. — Lea. — Smooth, small.
Anodonta feimginea. — Lea. — Oval.

Tryonia. — Lea. — Oval, small.

Some will have access to De Kay's Shells of New YorkT
and may be glad to know of necessary changes in nomen-
clature. For Arion hortensis read A. fuscus, for Vitrina
pellucida, V, limpida ; in several places substitute Zonites
for Helix. H. electrina is Z. viridulus. H. subglobosa em-
braces H. hortensis and nemoralis ; H. diodonta is H.Sayii;
H. minuta is H. pulchella; H. chersinais Z. fulvus. For H.

11

lineata read Helicodiscus. Several are not given by De
Kay, and he mentions some not found in New York. Pupa
badia is mnscorum, and P.exigua is Carychium exiguum.
Change P. milium, ovata, and simplex to Vertigo. Suc-
cinea campestris and ovalis to S. obliqua; Bnlimus lubricus
equals Cionella subcylindrica, Auricula bidentatais Mel-
ampus bidentatus, and A. denticulata is Alexia myosotis.
Planorbis megastoma and corpulentus are P. trivolvis ; P.
obliqmis is dellectus ; hirsutus is albus ; elevatus, parvus ;
and P. armigerus is Segmentina. Limnaea fragilis equals
el odes; Linsleyi is humilis ; jugularis and appressa are
stagnalis. Physa cylindrica, plieata and aurea are heteros-
tropha ; elliptica is gyrina ; obesa is ancillaria ; and glabra
and elongata are Bulinus hypnorum. Paludina includes
Melantho and Somatogyrus. " Melania Niagarensis is Gon-
iobasis livescens; M. bizonalis is G. Virginica ; M. subulare
is Pleurocera subulare. For Anculotus read Anculosa. A.
trivittata is a variety of A. carinata. Unio compressus is
pressus. Alasmodon is now Margaritana, and A. arcuata
is considered M. margaritifera; M. corrngatais M. marginata,
and A Unadilla is Anodonta edentula.

De Kay also reckons Anodonta plana among New York
shells. Sphaerium and Pisidium now replace Cyclas. C.
d ubia and edentula are S striatinum, and C. elegans is S.
rhomboideum.

Those who wish fuller notes on the land and fresh water
shells, except the Unionidae, will lind the cheap publica-
tions of the Smithsonian Institute useful, but there is no
moderate priced manual of the Unionidae yet available.
The best of our cheap publications on shells of all kinds is
the valuable work on Structural and Systematic Conchology,
recently published by George AY. Tryon, Jr., of Philadelphia.

In collecting land shells a small wooden rake with an
adjustable handle is useful, and I have used a block with
a few nails in it. A deep skimmer, or a perforated basin
with a long handle, is best for water species. Cleanse the
outside of the shell in a pail of water with sharp sand, or
with a tooth brush, and extract the animal. Hot water
may be used for this. Some small species are better pre-
pared in alcohol. Oxalic acid is often used, but carefullyr
for removing iron stains.

Large shells may be placed in paper boxes ; smaller spe-
cies may be mounted on card-board, one end being turned
up sufficiently for the name and locality. All should be
arranged in drawers.

The spring and fall are the best seasons for collecting
most shells, as fewer immature specimens then occur, and

12

many then congregate on land under pieces of wood. Some,
however, may be taken at almost any time The land
snails having teeth and thickened lips at their apertures,
do not gain these generally until almost mature, and before
this may prove perplexing. When canals, creeks or mill-
races are drawn off, some species may be obtained which
are otherwise inaccessible. Fresh water mussels are best
obtained by wading, or from a boat, but some of the rarer
species will even then escape notice, so that dead shells may
prove of value when better ones cannot be obtained. A
judicious rubbing with vinegar will fairly restore the lus-
trous nacre

Occasionally sea-shells and others are found far inland.
Mr. E. P. Howe recently found a number of specimens of
Littorina litorea in the canal east of Syracuse, and I have
an uncommon New England sea-shell which was gathered
with others at Cross Lake, having been dropped there.

Limestone regions generally produce the thickest shells,
and the water and bottom make a great difference in water
species. At Kirkville the shells in the Erie canal are much
handsomer than elsewhere in the county ; and in Cross and
Onondaga lakes most Unios have a brown epidermis, while
other shells are light in color.

One interesting question is that of the occurrence of fra-
gile shells deep down in gravel, sand and clay. Such in-
stances are often seen when banks are cut away. Mr. E. B.
Knapp has a number of shells taken from the Skaneateles
cemetery in digging graves; among them one species not,
I think, now found in that town. A full explanation would
take time, but in some instances the change in the beds of
streams, the filling in of hollows, and the snails' practice of
following and feeding upon decaying roots, give a sufficient
answer. It is a subject worthy of further study. All
snails feed by use of jaws and sharp teeth. Our local bi-
valves have two siphons which draw in and throw out cur-
rents of water, retaining the solid nutriment, and also act-
ing like the gills of a tish.

The preceding list covers over ten years' workv so that
there will probably be very few additions, though some
may be expected. I have searched the county from the
highest hill-tops, over 2,000 feet above the sea, to the bot-
toms of many waters, and give the present results of my
knowledge.

ivi90520 Qif/r

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY