THE NAUTILUS A QUAKTERLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CONCHOLOGISTS VOL. 55 JULY, 1941 to APRIL, 1942 EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS HENRY A. PILSBRY Curator of the Department of MoUusks and Marine Invertebrate*. Academy of Natural Sciences H. BURRINGTON BAKER Professor of Zoology, University of Pennsylvania FHiLADBLrniA, Pa. THE SCIENCE IMIKS8 1-UINTINO COMl'ANY LANCA8TEU, I'ENNSYLVAN I A CONTENTS Names of new genera and species in italics Aeolidia papillosa. feeding of 80 Alabama, Land mollusks of Coosa Co 4 Aligena aequata Conrad 48 Aligena eerritensis Arnold 49 Aligena nueea Dall 49 Aligena redondoensis Burch 50 Aligena, survey of "West American 48 American Malacological Union 70 Amnicola proserpina Hubricht 105 Anguispira alternata carinata P. & R 23 Anguispira, notes on 21 Annulariidae, Cuban 34 Anodonta bahlikiana Pallary 20 Anodonta grandis, hermaphroditism 108 Anodonta vescoiana Bgt 20 Apolymetis, not Myrsus 64 Area incongrua, sculpture of 142 Arion circumscriptus in Michigan 61 Bahama Conchological Society 144 Bartlettia in Paraguay 93 Boriqucna H. B. Baker 26 Bulimulus alternatus mariae in Alabama 32 Cerion in Bermuda 104 Conus echinulatus Kiener 43 Corbula, sculpture of 142 Cosmomenus H. B. Baker 52, 54 Cooperella subdiaphana Cpr 113 Cyphoma mcgintyi rohustior Bayer 45 Cypraea exanthema and cervus 44 Deroceras on Baffin Island 30 Deroceras reticulatum (Miill.) 67 Diplodonta orbella Old Ill Discus, notes on 21 111 5724 i- IV THE NAUTILUS Epitonium subcoronatum Cpr 47 Epitoniiim tinctiim (Cpr.) 46 Epiionium tinctum hormanni Strong 47 Euglandina flammulata H. B. Baker 56 Englandina delicatula montivaga H. B. Baker 58 Euglandina saxatilis H. B. Baker 57 Euglandina saxatilis convallis H. B. Baker 58 Euglandina pupa H. B. Baker 57 Ghiesbreghtia H. B. Baker 52, 54 Guillarmodia H. B. Baker 52, 54 Gymnoceniruni Pilsbry 105 Gyraulus cressmani Baker 130 Haplotrema minimum Ancey, habits of 98 Helix laetea Miill. in California 31 Helix nemoralis L. in California 31 Helminthoglypta californiensis (Lea) 65 Helminthoglypta umbilieata, abnormal 107 Hypsolia tangi Chen 17 Johnsonia 107 Japonia barbata Gld 41 Japonia musiva Gld 42 Labels, remarks about 119 Laevarieella glabra (Pfr.) 30 Laevaricella intorrupta (Shuttl.) 29 Laevarieella playa H. B. Baker 20 Lagochilus, Chinese species of 40 Lake Baikal, excursions to 133 Limpkin, food of 3, 125 Liocentrum Pilsbry 105 Lithophaga plumula Hanley 109 Litiopa melanostoma Hang 125 Lohiger pilshryi Schwengel 40 Long Beach Shell Club 103 Lymnaea auricularia L. in Washington 18, 105 Lymnaea stagnalis L 105 MargincUa hartlcyana Schwengel 65 Melaniella Pfr 25, 26 Mexico, collecting in 113 THE NAUTILUS V Midway Island shells 1 Jlitra l"or«riisoni Sowb 78 Mitra florida Gld 45, 78 Mitra florida, livinp: 144 Moniliopsis jrrippi Dall 141 Myrsus H. & A. Adams 64 Naesiotus quitensis antisana Rehder 103 Natica sulcata Born 45 Oleaeinidae, outline of American 51 Oleaeinidae, Puerto Rican 24 Oleacinaf camcrata H. B. Baker 55 Oldroyd, Ida Sliepard 140 Oliva, corded 66 Olivella pycna Berry 92 Olivella biplicata, color variation 10 Obstructio Haas 31 Parapholyx effusa klamathensis Baker 16 Parapholyx packardi corrugata Baker 132 Psychiatrist's notes on shells 75 Pecten imhricatus mildredae Bayer 46, 106 Pine woods as habitat for land mollusks 94 Pittieria arhorea H. B. Baker 59 Pteranodon 64 Proameria H. B. Baker 52, 54 Pomacea paludosa Say 3, 125 Pyrene mercatoria (L.) 44 Samarangria quadrangularis A. & R 73 Shelter used by snails 13 Shuttleworthia H. B. Baker 52, 55 Sigmataxis laeviusculus (C. B. Ad.) 28 Simjlexja H. B. Baker 52, 54 Sinistral p:astropods 102 South African non-marine Mollusca 62 Streptostyla nicoleti atypica H. B. Baker 55 Succinea oralis, sinistral 67 Sculpture of inaequivalve mollusks 142 Tappan, Benjamin 66 Tectarius muricatus (L.) in New England 33 VI THE NAUTILUS Tritonalia beta (Cpr.) Dall 141 Tritonalia interfossa minor Dall 141 Tropicorbis Pilsbr.y 31 Trophon diazi Durham 122 Trophon lorenzoensis Durham 123 Urocoptis scohinata perfecta Pils 104 Utah, field notes from 68 Utah records 143 Vagavarix H. B. Baker 25 Varicella, anatomy and system 24 Varicella calderoni H. B. Baker 27 Varicella leucozonias striatella Pils 26 Varicella portoricensis (Pfr.) 27 Varicella sporadica H. B. Baker 28 Varicella sulculosa (Shuttl.) 28 Varicella vicina portlandensis H. B. Baker 27 Venus quadrangularis Adams & Reeve 74 Vitrinella guaymasensis Durham 124 Vitrinella tihuronensis Durham 124 Viviparns, American species 82 Viviparus georfjianus walkeri P. & J 115 Viviparus malleatus Rve. in Niagara River 102 Zonitid snails of Pacific Is 35 Zoogenetes harpa (Say) in Rocky Mts 97 INDEX OF AUTHORS Archer, Allan F 4, 94 Baily, Joslnia L., Jr 102 Baker, Frank C 16, 104, 130 Baker, H. Burrington 24, 34, 51 Bayer, Ted 43, 78, 106 Blake, J. Henry 33 Borinaini. Ralj>li 140 Burch, Tom 48 Carcelles, Alberto 93 Chace, E. P 65 Chen, Sui-Fong 17 THE NAUTILUS VU Clench, William J 73 Cockerel!. T. D. A 62 Cottam, Clarence 125 Durham, J. Wyatt 120 Eyerdam. W. J 18, 133 Gifford, D. S. & E. W 10, 66, 92 Goodrich, Calvin 66, 82, 115, 119 Gray, Arthur F 104 Grefrgr, Wendell 0 143 Haas, Fritz 20, 21, 109 Harper. Francis 3 Hill. Howard R 21 Hubricht, Leslie 105 Ingram, Marcus 13, 32, 67, 98 Lindermann. Leona 104 MacMillan. Gordon K 21, 32, 68 Marsh, Phil L 97 McLean, Richard A 143 Moore, Merrill 75 Oughton, John 30 Palmer. Katherine V. W 128 Pilsbry, Henry A 35, 64, 104, 108 Rehder, Harald A 64, 103 Robertson. Imogene C 70 Russell, Henry D 80 Sanford, S. N 33 Schmeck, Eugene H •. 102 Schwengel, Jeanne 37, 65, 144 Sorensen, A 113 Spicer, V. D. P 1 Strong, A. M 46 Van Hyning, T 106 Webb, Glenn R 107 Yen, Teng-Chien .^ 40 I The Nautilus Vol. 55 July, 1941 No. 1 SHELLS FROM MIDWAY By dr. V. D. P. SPICEE During' the current program of defense construction, the Mid- way Islands, formerly isolated sand bars on a coral reef, and serving as a cable station and over-night stop for trans-Pacific clippers, have been selected for extensive development b}^ the Navy Department. A large force of construction laborers have been employed for periods upward of a year. Lacking other entertainment they have become shell collectors. The beaches are being as thoroughly explored and patrolled as at Waikiki or Palm Beach. The screens and conveyer belts at the aggregate plant where coral heads from the lagoon floor are broken up for inclu- sion in the concrete foundations, are always lined with eagle-eyed shell collectors. As a result many shells are being carried away from Midway. The Guam boys employed at the Pan-Air Hotel have taken advantage of this shell enthusiasm by importing large numbers of colorful Guam shells and selling them to the construction employ- ees. These Guam shells are being mixed indiscriminately with the Midway shells, and some may eventually gravitate to museums and collectors bearing a Midway label. There is enough similarity between the molluscan fauna of Midway and Guam that one not familiar with the shells of both places could easily overlook such an error. In view of this possible confusion I have cheeked the collections being made and prepared the appended lists of Mid- way and Guam shells. I am fortunately situated in being on the only vessel regularly serving Midway, and the returning person- nel must travel with us. I have been able to inspect practically all shell collections on or returning from Midway. (1) THE NAUTILUS [Vol. 55 (1) Guam shells heing sold on Midway Cypraea caputserpentis annulus moiieta caurica intermedia talpa l.ynx carneola isabella erosa argus mappa Cypraea tig:ris mauritiana arabica vitellus Pteroeera bryonia lambis chira^ra Conns striatns Turbo petholatus Oliva erythrostoma Partnla jiibba Shells heing hrought from Midway and collected there Cypraea tesselata isabella madagaseariensis suleidentata scurra helvola fimbriata seraiplota ostergaardi Cassis kalosmodix vibex Dolium perdix melanostoma pomum Aleetrion hirtns Nassa sertnm Nerita picea Littorina pinctada Lioconeha hierofrlyphiea Tellina erassiplicata Pharaonolla venusta Charonia tritonis Cymatiuiii dilorostoma Poliniccs iiiiiniilla Distorsio anus Bursa affinis Mitra eucunierina Coritliinin mutatnni Cerithium obelisens eolnnnia Conns literatus millepunctatus lividus flavidus cinjjuiuni nanus abbreviatus nussatella striatns eylindraceus vitulinus elavus daetylosus Drupa dijritata (abundant) ricinus (rare) Turbo intorcostalis TroL'hns sandwichensis Terebra maeulata •ronldii croiHilata ciilorata spauidiufjcae Strombus hawaiiensis niaculatus i:il)bondus Rliizoc'hilus nuulreporai-uiH Coral! ioplii la neritoidea Cohnubt'lla livescons varians liirturiiia Modulus tcctuin July, 1041] THE NAl'TILrs 3 FURTHER NOTES ON THE FOOD OF THE LIMPKIN By FRANCIS HARPER Since the publication of recent papers on this subject (Cottani, inSfi; Harper, in3()a. lOSGb), some additional iulurmatiou has t'ome to hand. Bryant (1859, p. 13), in discussing the feeding habits of the Linipkiu (Aramus sculopaccus picfus), as observed by him at Lake Dexter or on neighboring portions of the St. John's River in Florida, says: "On the St. Johns it feeds principally on a species of Xatica, which is extremely abundant, and also on the small Unios. The large green snail [Pomacea], so common in the everglade, is not very often met with on the St. Johns." This report of Natica was accepted without question by Cottam (1936, p. 12). However, Dr. H. A. Pilsbry and Mr. Richard A. McLean have called mj' attention to the fact that Natica is a marine mollusk, whose occurrence as far up the St. John's as Lake Dexter is out of the question. The most abundant com- ponent of the shell mounds in the vicinity of Lake Dexter is Vivi- parus georgianus, and apparently this is the animal that Bryant should have recorded instead of Natica. It does not seem to have been included in any other report on the food of the Limpkin. Additional though purely circumstantial evidence on this point has come from the single locality in Georgia where the Limj^kin is known to occur at present with any degree of regularity — Mill Creek, a tributary of the St. Mary's River in extreme south- western Camden County. Here Frederick V. Hebard and I have failed to find any trace of Pomacea, the staple food of the Limpkin in nearly all parts of its range, but in the spring of 1940 John W. Burch collected a number of specimens of Viviparus georgianus. Cottam reports (1936, p. 12, and in litt., January 9, 1941) that a Limpkin collected at Bassenger on the Kissimmee River, Florida, had eaten at least ten individuals of the genus Campeloma. Since this mollusk and Viviparus georgianus are members of tiie same family (Viviparidae), and since they are also of about the same size and shape, it would appear quite likely that the latter serves as a mainstay for the Limpkin in Camden County, Georgia, espe- cially in view of the apparent absence or at least scarcity of Pomacea in that localitv. 4 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (1) The foregoing evidence on the Limpkin's utilization of Vivi- parus raises the question whether this bird, as well as aboriginal man, may not have played a part in the gradual building up of the vast shell mounds along the St. John's. A point remaining to be investigated, however, is whether or not the Limpkin breaks the shell of Viviparus in order to secure the fleshy parts. A very large proportion of these shells in the mounds along the St. John's appear to be more or less intact. It does not break the shell of Pomacea. Mr. Francis M. Weston {in litt., May 8, 1938) calls my atten- tion to the fact that in my previous paper (1936b, p. 39) Spring Creek was erroneously placed west, instead of east, of Marianna, Fla. He adds : "You might be interested to know that the Limp- kin not only occurs but also nests in the upper reaches of that creek. I have also found the Limpkin nesting some miles west of Marianna, at least nine miles west of Spring Creek. . . . There seems to be no good reason why Pomacea and the Limpkin should not be found in the S. E. corner of Alabama and the S. W. corner of Georgia." Hitherto the western limit of the Limpkin's known breeding range has been Wakulla County, Florida. Literature Cited Bryant, Henry. 1859. [Birds of East Florida.] Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 7, pp. 5-21. Cottam, Clarence. 1936. Food of the Limpkin. Wilson Bull., vol. 48, pp. 11-13. Harper, Francis. 1936a. The distribution of tlie Limpkin and its staple food. The Oriole, vol. 1. pp. 21-23, 1 fig., 1 nuip. Harper, Francis. 1936b. The distribution of the Limpkin and its staple food, Pomacea. The Nautilus, vol. 50, pp. 37^0, 1 fig., 1 map. (A revised reprint of the preceding paper.) THE LAND MOLLUSCA OF COOSA COUNTY, ALABAMA By ALLAN F. ARCHER Coosa County, Alabama, lies in the cast central portion of the state. It is of particular interest in ])()sscssing a characteristic Piedmont fauna, at least insofar as tlio lower section of the Pied- July. 1941] THE NAUTILUS 5 nioiit is concerned. The data presented are the result of ecolopji- cal and biol()«;ieal studies carried on under the auspices of the Department of Conservation of the State of Alabama. Some of the most sijrnificant collections were made durinp: the expedition of June. 1940, under the auspices of the Department of Conser- vation and the Alabama Museum of Natural History. Several other important visits to the county have been made by me. H. H. Smith made excellent collections of Mollusca in Cham- bers and Randolph Counties. The latter county resembles Coosa County in topography but is slightly less irregular in surface. Coosa County surpasses all Piedmont counties in Alabama in the variety of topography, and is therefore richest in suitable collect- ing spots. Not merely is the Piedmont represented over most of the county, but there is a minor representation of the Blue Ridge Province in the northwestern corner. There we find the Talla- dega Mountains. Their snail fauna is rather indifferent, although there are some special botanical features of interest. In the southwestern corner of the county are a few square miles of Coastal Plain country. The Talladega Mountains present a more or less mature topography. Otherwise Coosa County is characterized by irregu- lar uplands, almost mountainous in spots, ravines, valley slopes, and flat valleys. The ravines present a juvenile aspect, and at Hatchet Creek three obscure ravines have waterfalls. The soils of the county are reddish or gray sand-clay materials quite lack- ing in lime, but on the slopes at least fairly well mineralized. The poorest molluscan localities are found where mica schist out- crops. A considerable proportion of the county is underlain by mica schist (Ashland), granite (Pincknej'ville), and quartzite. Basic and acidic intrusive rocks are present. Chlorite schist, slate, and dolomite occur in the northwestern corner. It is thus obvious that we are dealing with an ancient continental area hav- ing a predominance of crystalline and metamorphic rocks. "Woodland covers a considerable portion of the country, being least in evidence on cultivated uplands and flat valleys. Upland areas have as their forest cover oak-pine communities (shortleaf pine, blackjack oak). Pine and oak-pine cover also occur on slopes, especially on spurs of interfluves, but more species of 6 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (1) pines, oaks, and various hardwood species of lesser importance are present. Beech, black, white, and Spanish oak occur even in top ravines. Typical ravines of the Piedmont area are character- ized b}' the following woody plants: Pinus echinata, Quercus alba, Q. horealis maxima, Q. velutina, Hicoria alba, Fagus grandi- folia, Magnolia macrophylla, Liriodcndron tulipifera, Aralia spinosa, Cercis canadensis, Cornus florida, Hamamelis virgin- iana, Nyssa sylvatica. The chestnut oak {Q. moniana) also occurs in the Talladega Mountains. Species of the lower story include Ilicium floridanum, Euonynius americanus. Hydrangea qtierci folia, H. arborescens, Azalea nudi flora. Rhododendron punctatum, Kalmia latifolia, Halesia diptera. By way of con- trast between subtropical and montane floras there is present in one locality of the Talladega Mountains Galax aphylla in com- pany with the palm, Serenoa serrulata. "Wherever there has been sufficient recovery from fires an ade- quate leaf litter, humus, and topsoil are formed. In the Talla- dega Mountains mam^ acres of timber lack the layer of humus between the leaf litter and soil (due to recent fires). In the Piedmont area, with few exceptions, conditions are much better. The hydrogen ion concentration of the humus and topsoil ranges from about 5.0 to a little above 6.0. The lower pH values occur at the bottoms of ravine slopes close to water wherever growths of laurel, rhododendron, and azalea prevail. Lower values like- wise may occur in impoverished .soils of the uplands. The higher pH values appear on the middle and upper zones of stream-valley slopes and ravines (of the lower series). Even here the humus is predominantly mouldy except in patches actively worked-over by soil arthropods, or under concentrations of twigs, limbs, bark, and hardwood logs, as well as where stones and rocks are numer- ous. Some slopes are entirely rocky, although there is no rc;il talus fornuition. In general the richest hunuis oci-urs in those zones where conditions of dryness or partial dryness jirevail. The lack of calcium carbonate is undoubtedly one factor in dctei'inining the rather acidic tVi- Nlieltt'i- IxMieatli Ininuis and lo^is ( wlicre moist soil exists), to slit'lter heiieatli stones where the three are found to'jcthei* on the forest Hoor. When lojjs and dehris piles arc not a\ailal)le snails seek sheltef heiu'ath stones rather than remain on top of the sul)- sli-atum beneath linnnis where the soil is (\vy. To fui-ther ol)ser\e the selection of shelter by land snails be- tween the stone and loLidiumus lial)itat. several sjx'cies wei"e removed from the Six Mile ('i-eek area and wei-e cari'ied into a beech woods. Here stoiu's. Iolis. and humus wei-c abundantly distributed over a moist foi-t^st Hoor. Tweidy iiulividuals repi-e- sentin^'' T. (ilhohibris, '/'. I fuh iihihi, II, ciiiicn ridii . and .1/. (■iij)r< iis wci-c removed to a staked-otV area in the beech woods. in '_*4 hours all twenty wei-e estal)lishe(l beneath the lop-hunuis lial)itat. l-'ui-ther examination of the ai'ea .']() days later showed that none had souiilit shcltei- beneath the axaiiable stones, but (»f 14 indi- viduals that the writer was able to locate all were in the lo.udiunnis habitat. 1!aki:i;. K. ('. 18f)8. The molhisca of tlu' Cliicai:'*) area. \)\ . 1: i'clccypoda. ('Idca^o Acad. Sci., liull. 3, ]^. 2(). I')i.\.\i;v. A. ls,")l. The tei-i-esti-ial air-broatliin^ niollusks of the Cnited States, etc.. p. 47. liostoii. Chai'les ('. Little c^ .1. Bi'ow n. r.l.v.vKV. W. (;.. A.M) T. r.l.A.xn. ISdlt. I.and and fi-esh water shells of Xoi'tii America, pt. 1 : I'ulmonata (ieophila. Smiths. Misc. Collee., no. 11*4. p. 'J. r,iN-XEV, W. G. 188."). A manual of American land shells. V. S. \. Museum Bull., 28, j). 11. Si.Mpso.x, (i. 15. IfHIl. Anatomy and |)hysioloj:y of Polyi^yra all)olabris and I>imax maximus, etc New York State Mu- seum \\[\\\.. 40. vol. s. |). •J4:{. 16 THE XAITlLrs [VoL. 55 ,1) A NEW RACE OF PARAPHOLYX EFFUSA By Fkaxk ('. Rakkk pAirAPIIOLYX EFFISA KLAMATHEN.S1S UOV. var. Ficrturc II. !).(): .\pci'tiii-c II. S.2: Type htcality: East side I'pper Klamath Lake. 13 miles north <»f Klamath Falls, Klamath Co.. (>re;ron. Collected by H. \\. P.akfM-. Types in r.S..\..M.. Xo. 406024. Some .50 specimens (»f this lar«:-e form of » ffusn have been e.\- amine as A. woodiana Lea, widely spread in East Asia and oven represented in the North American fauna by the species grouping themselves around .1. grandis Say. To my judgment, this group belongs to typical Anodonta, and can- not be separated into a special subgenus or section. This has been tried by P. Fischer, who (Man. Condi., 1886. ]>. 1003) projiosed the subgeneric natne of Pieranodon for Anodonta magnifica Lea, now considered a synonym of Anodonta woodiana Lea. Logi- cally, Euphrata r'nllary thus becomes a synonym of Pteranodon Fischer. .Iiil\. 1IM1 ' Tin: N.M Tins 'Jl (^)llitc |-fft'ilt l\ . Slijiilili ( l'";iliii(' (li- rrU'SS.. .M<.|li|si|iM's. 4. \.■{> I lias 1 1- it '(I to rciiil'urcc 1 lie scpar.i- tioii (tf tilt' iroixliii ml 'jroiip as a ilistiiit-t siili^fiius. I'li tdiimltni. Irtiiii A iiii(hiiitii propfr; hut tin- tlist iiu-t i\t' IVatiirt's nlVt'i-t'd. /.(.. sliajii' t>r tlif slit'll and nf tlif lilttfliidiiiiii. do iitit st't'in fonN iiit-iinj t»» ni«'. NOTES ON ANGUISPIRA AND DISCUS V,\ tiOUDO.X K. .M.\( .MII.I.AN (':iriK';xii' ^^lls^'lml This jiaptT is a siipph'iiu'iit tti "A Moiioiiraphic Stmly nl' the Snails ot tilt' (it'iit'i'a Aiuiitispini and Discus of Xortli AineiMca, I'Xtdusive (»f Mexico/' which appeared under my authorshi]) in the Aiinais ot" ilie ('arneull. Am. I\Ius. Xat. Ilisi.. \i)|. 14. 1!>!;1, |). I^OiS is a synonym of Discus bnimili uii/ro- iiiiiiifiiuus iPils. ). I had the o|)iiortunity this past spi-iii<:- of e.xaminin^' (Jratacaji's curiiidhi at the American Museum of Xatii- i*al IIist(»i-y. This vai"iety hatl pre\it)usly been placetl under Discus piitiilus iiiiijuldtus Kutclika as a (piestionable synou\iii. The tlisti'ihiit ional raniic of Discus /jdliihis ciinuiil us can he e.Nteiiileil wcstwai'd 1o (irand Kapids. Micliiiian. ami Whitehall, (ircenc ('oiinty. Illinois. This siihspccics has also heeii recortled from Uritihton aiitl ( Ihcrliii. nhio. and Xew Harmony, 1 m liana. I II t he Monoirrapli ic St ndy of A unii isjiini ami Discus \ intdinleil three idiarts showiinj the intcrrclat ionshi|) of the \arioiis species. ( Mil' of these charts showeil Discus ml u mid I us i. Mueller). D. iiiccl iiiliicki iV, ( '. liaker). and D. in. diii/uldtiis (K.(M). i ile- -'•eiidiiiL.'- from D. /idlulus. Since 15. Shimek found a lixiiii:- sjieci- iiieii of D. iiiccliiiliicki in jowa in llt2.s there is the possibility that this species is not ancestral to />. /uilulus, which opinion .). P. Iv .Morrison holds. From this it is moi'c plausible that D. iiicclni- tiicki ami D. III. d ui/iildl us are the ancestral or parental species of /idtiilus. or all. to'jt'ther with D. iitl u luhil us, are otVsJioots of the same common aiicestt)r that e.xisted in the jiast ;it'oloiscus in North Auieriea. 'I'o the list ol' species of Discus shoidd he added Discus idii- r/o/y;/n described ns ZoiiHoiihs ni iidnl pli i by II. A. Pilshi'v in the Xaftiij-s. vol. 12. ISf)!!. ]). ST. In an article entitled "TIk^ Catalogue of the l'>inne>' and Ulantl Colleetion of the Terrest I'ial Air-hreatiiinji' Mollnsks of the I'nitcMl States and Tei'ritoi'ies in the Aniei-ican Mnsenin of Xatni'al llis- t()i\\', with enniiierat ions of Types and Ki.iinred specimens; and supplemental^- notes" (Bull. Am. Mus. Xat. Hist., vol. U. 1!)()1), L. P. (ii'atacap. on pa^e 857 iindei- llili.r (Pdhihi) (ilhniuhi Say, makes the followinL; comment. "\'ai'ialion in the intensity and distribution of tlie coloi- mai'ks. pai'tial su|)pression and very coai'sc prominence of the striae, the lattei' in its exti'cmc foi'm in \ar. cdstifiiru Uld.. and flattcMunL: of the \\hoi-|s are the unstable featui'es of this shell, etc." 'flic \ai'iet.\' called coslif/fid by T. IJIand is a synonym ol' A iK/uispnu alh rinihi jiu ucicoslalu Kut<'hka. which had prexiously l)eeu |)laced as a synon.xiu of .1. Ill 1 1 riKihi cnstiila (Lewis), and which (iratacap thought was synonymous with .1. '/. costiita. .1. (/. jiiiucicoslniii has been found in Monroe County. Tennessee, by Mrs. (i. Auilrews and a s|)ecimen from the ('rooke ('ollection at the American Museum of Natural llistor.x is labeled "Smoky Abiniitains. " ' The (list ribiit ional raiejc of A ik/ii ispiid dl l< riinhi cnissu (Mapp can l)e e.xleiided to include localities in (Oklahoma and .Missouri. This subspecies had been separated from ulh rinihi as a \ariety by prexioiis workers on .North .\mericaii laiul snails. The Uinney iiiid l.laiid ("ollectioii contains ;i specimen of .1. ul h riiulu labeled "II I III (ilhriKihi \:\\\ Idi ritiul us of my notes 4. Is it nifichi I 'a rr. .'. ' " and a not her labeled " ul h riiula \;ir. 4 ; not i ii t ( cttC O) MP l'ij;s. l-o. Vark-iUa \< iivitzttnuis slriali lla. F\}X. I, Ldivnriclhi ;iliilirii. Fig. o, J', priiri rn. Fif^s. (>-7, Sif/ninfa.ris Idrviii.snihis. Fif^s. .S-<», C. uciili- roslnlti Jmrrithi. IH-S: .15 (1) Ki^rs. 1(1-11. I KiKs. Ml-. '■■ 'jn, /,. /ihii/ii. .v»/r///o.v,;. Imks. !<•' 17, l,ipl,i. Fi«s. 18- July. 1941] THE NAUTILUS 25 Labial lobes short but evident ; buccal bulb ellipsoid ; salivary {jfland rinjr fusiform. Oesophajrus (without crop) enterinf; near middle of buccal bulb. Radular teetii with subaculcate to acule- ate mesocone markedly dominant ; inner 3 or 4 centrifufjals often slijrhtly incrca.sinj; in size; ribbon 1/15 to 1/5 lenjjfth of shell (bifrp:er than in most Spiraxinae), with 46-164 (mainly 60+), mesally almost transverse to V-shaped rows of 29-181 teeth each. Nerve ring: more concentrated. The Cuban jrroup Glandinella (tentatively classed as section of Melaniella) and the Haitian p:roups Varicellidca and Varicellop- sis (larg:e shells with spiral sculpture) are omitted from the fol- lowing: key to the anatomically known subgenera of Varicella, Sigmataxis and Laevaricclla. 1. Genus Varicella Pfr. : radula (not over 1/8 shell length) with over 46 (mainly 60 +) fairly transverse rows of small teeth, tricuspid central and at least bicuspid centrifugals ; vagina not very short; penis, internally plicate, demarcated by constriction from long naked epiphallus, which receives retractor below vas and has flagellum ; spermatheca most sacculate above aorta; shell slender with w'idely spaced riblets; varices distinct, w'ith growth sculpture between them; columella weakly truncate; type V. acuticostata; Fla., Cuba & (?) Haiti: subgenus Melaniella Pfr. 2. Like 1, but central with ectocones vestigial or absent ; vagina very short; animal usually with dark radial bands; shell shape various but columella usually more truncate; type V. leucozonias; Jamaica & Haiti: subgenus Varicella s.s. 3. Like 2 but radula (1/6 shell) w'ith all teeth unicuspid and outer spatulate ones in rows curving caudad ; penial retrac- tor opposite vas entrance; shell varices not distinctly colored; type V. curvilabris; Jamaica: subgenus Varicellina Pils. 4. Like 3 but radula (1/5 shell) with all teeth aculeate in V-shaped rows; epiphallus opening through verge into thin-walled and usually small penis; penial retractor and shell varices more like 1; type V. portoriccnsis (Pfr.); Puerto Rico & Haiti : Vagavarix, new subgenus. 5. Like 4 but flagellum much reduced; radula (1/7 shell) witli fewer (30) rows of larger teeth; animal usually pale; columella spirally ascending (not truncate) and varices often vague; type 8. laeviusculus ; Jamaica: genus Sigmataxis Pils. 6. Like 4 but penis & epiphallus invested by heavy sheath, which apically receives retractor; plicate epiphallic cham- 26 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (1) ber demarcated from penial only by change to papillate lining- and base of large stimulator; spermatheca very sae- ciilate below aorta ; shell smoothish between distinct varices, with pupiform apex; type L. semitariim; Lesser Antilles to Haiti : genus & subgenus Laevaricella Pils. 7. Like 6 but epiphallus receiving vas apieally and opening through verge into small penis (without stimulator) ; radula 1/4 shell length; atrial opening distant from ten- tacles; shell with obtusely conic apex; type L. glabra (Pfr.) ; Puerto Rico: Boriqucna, new subgenus. Varicella (Melaniella) acuticostata horrida Pilsbry, pi. 1, figs. 8-9. Man. Conch. 19 : 54. The dissected animals were collected by Miguel L. Jaume at Mogote de Fonte, San Andreas, Consolaeion del Norte, Pinar del Rio, Cuba (ANSP. 163913). Melaniella is the least distinct of the 4 subgenera of Varicella. Foot fuscous laterally ; mantle collar pale. Lung pale, 2.7 base or kidney (little over base or 1.5 pericardium). Ovotestis (omitted from f. 9) with 5 alveoli. Penis internally with 5 pilas- ters, of which largest expands apieally into obcordate papilla (outlined at PP). Radula (f. 8) with 79 broadly V-shaped (T) rows of 51 teeth ; almost all centrifugals bicuspid ; 1 mm. long. [In V. gracillima floridana Pils. from Stock Island, animal pale with dark tentacles ; vagina much shorter and stouter, but as long as free oviduct.] V. (s.s.) leucozonias striatella Pilsbr}-, pi. 1, figs. 1-3. Man. Conch. 19 : 95. The figured animals were collected in the John Crow Mts. (EEJ), Jamaica (ANSP. 168242). Other species studied are, in the section Costavarix, V. mandevillensis, with 37 radular teeth in each of 61 rows, and V. adamsiana, with 55 in 69; in Vari- cellula, V. hlandiana, with 45 teeth (75 rows) ; in Variccllaria, V. procera, with 95 teeth (f. 5) in 80 rows (central with 1-3 very variable cusps) ; and, in EuvariccUa, V. similaris, with 91 teeth. V. hiplicatula dissimilis with 101 (77 rows), V. vcuusta with 113 (73), V. nnuorcnsis with 74 (69), V. spina with 29, and V. Levis with 33 (58). Foot (alive) blue-black with lighter sulci; long but stout; ten- tacles reddish orange; labial lobes short triangular. Surface of mantle collar (f. 3) and lappets dark, with light border. Lung .hily. 1941] THE xAt'TiLus 27 (lark with jet blotches. Carrcfour (X, 1". 1) imbedded. Epi- pliallus iiiteriiaily with ii-re^Mihirly rhoinljoid fohls; externally deniarcatcHl from penis by sphineter. [Flairellum sli;j:litly smaller in ]'. firoctra, subeipial in V. nunuh rilUnsis, bif^^^'r in V. simi- laris, abont len^Mli of rest of epii)liallus in V. spina and lonjrest in V. bhindiana ; all ^vitil retractor nearer epii>hallie base and rijrht eye muscle in atrial anjrle.] Penis internally with 5 beaded pilasters. Ki«rht eye muscle free from {lenitalia. Radula (f, 2) with 181 teeth in 149 rows (T) ; all centrifuosteri()r tip of tlie foot and finally breaking away from its hold on the surface film by a strong con- traction of the foot. When distiirbod, the creature may arch itself strongly upward, supported firmly upon the extreme anterior and posterior ends of the body, and annoyance is often manifested by the secretion of great amounts of clear, colorless iinicus. From this arched October. 1941] the naittilus 39 attitude the creature can assume an erect posture based either upon the anterior or the posterior extremity. My observations were made on two animals kept in a small aquarium where one of them lived about five weeks, February 20, 1941, to March 26. The shell (fif?. 4) is oval, involute, very thin and nearly trans- l>arent. The surface is closely and finely striate alon^ lines of {growth. Aperture greatly expanded. The columellar margin is reflected. My largest specimen is 12.5 mm. long, 8.5 mm. wide, with convexit}' of 5.5 mm. It is wholly external, the mantle only very narrowly covering the edges. There is some difficulty about the specific name of this snail, as all of the described species have much in common. Descriptions of the six supposed species of Lobiger can be found in the Manual of Conchology, vol. 16. The Mediterranean Lohiger was described in 1840 under the specific name serradifalci Calcara. In 1856 Fischer described a species from Guadaloupe. L. souverhii. This differs from the Mediterranean form by having only two epipodial lobes instead of four, one anterior, the other posterior; but as Lohiger has the faculty of self-amputating these appendages, it is quite likely, as Sir Charles Eliot has remarked, that L. souverhii was founded on a mutilated specimen. I cannot find that anything has been pub- lished about the markings of the mantle, under the shell, in the two above-mentioned species, and the published figures do not show any markings, but my Sanibel species shows very distinct reddish-purple lines on the mantle under the shell, as in fig. 5, a camera-lueida tracing of the mantle after death ; these lines showing through the shell in the living animal, as described above. In the Mediterranean species the epipodial lobes or wings are oblong. In the Pacific Lohiger viridis Pease, and the Indian Ocean L. nevilli Pils. (as figured by Eliot from a drawing by Mr. Crossland)^ the lobes are long and narrow, with deeply scalloped margins. In our Sanibel species we cannot tell which form would be assumed, as they had been cast off when it was found, and were apparently scarcely half grown in the specimen as drawn in fig. 2. This is an important point to be noticed when others are found. 2 See Sir Charles Eliot, Journ. of Conch. 11: 307, for figures and descrip- tion of L. nevilli. 40 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) In L. souverhii the lobes are shortly oval with regular outlines. In L. serradifalci anterior tentacles must be quite short, as they were not noticed. In L. viridis they are long. In our species they are quite noticeable in life, but not half as long as the rhinophores. In L. nevilli of the Indian Ocean, there are "thin dark green lines, expanding here and there into blue blotches" visible through the shell. This species appears to differ from L. serradi- falci in the shape of the wings, which are long, narrow, witli indented margins. There are also differences in coloration. The shells of all of the genus appear to be practically alike. On the whole, it appears best to recognize the Sanibel form as distinct. It may be called LoBiQER PELSBRYi new species ; mainly separated on account of the lines on the mantle (figs. 2, 5), which do not seem to exist in the Mediterranean Lobiger, or at least, they are not mentioned in the descriptions or shown in the figures of that species or L. souverhii. Plate 3, figs. 1, 2, are sketches of the living animal in oblique and dorsal views, the epipodial lobes partially grown out. Fig. 3 is a view from below as the animal appeared when first taken; length about 28 mm. Fig. 5 is a camera lucida drawing of the mantle of largest specimen, the shell removed, showing pattern of lines. In the other specimen there are more numerous similar lines (by error, this figure was reversed on the plate, the anterior end being placed below). The type figured has been placed in the collection of the Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, No. 178025, the smaller specimen in my own collection. NOTES ON THE GENUS LAGOCHILUS BLANFORD, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS CHINESE SPECIES By TENG-CHIEN YENi Lagochilus was a ni;uius('ri])t name of Theobold, published as a subgenus of Cycloplwrus Montlort by Blanford in 1864 (Ann. 1 Work was done with a grant-in-aid from the Johnson Fund of the Ameri- can Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pa. October. 1941] the nautilus 41 Mag. Nat. Hist. Loiul., Ill (13), p. 452). having' desipnated C. scissimargo Benson as its type-species and included C. iomotrcma Benson as another known species of this sub}renus. C. scissi- margo was described by Benson in 1856 from Tenasserim of Burma, and later on, it was fi{xured by Pfeiffer in 1860 (Novit. Couch.. II, p. 144, pi. 37, fi{,'s. 19-21) and Reeve in 1861 (Conch. Icon., XIII. sp. 105). Subsequently, it has been repeatedly recorded from Burma and its neighboring regions like Cambodia and Tonkin. Since then, Lagochilus has been generally recognized as a dis- tinct group of Cyclophorus by authors of Pfeifferian times, and occasionally adopted as a genus, by Stoliczka as well as Crosse. In 1885, Paul Fischer, in his Manuel de Conchyliologie, treated it as a distinct genus of Cyclophoridae. In the same year Moel- lendortf (Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 54 (II), p. 67), linked its rela- tionship with Japonia Gould, based on some specimens from F. W. Eastlake which he identified as Japonia barhata Gould, and considered it to be congeneric with species of Lagochilus, particu- larly with those being described from China. But he suggested that, if necessary, Japonia should be retained as a minor group of Lagochilus, despite the priority of the former. His view w'as partly based on the circumstance that Japonia was not sufficiently known by its original description, and partly because Lagochilus had been so well established. In other words, his conclusion was without sufficient morphological background ; and yet in his work in 1897 (Nachbl. d. m. Ges., 29, p. 82), which was in collaboration with Kobelt, this suggestion was adopted by them. Now then the confusion begins. Kobelt in 1902 (Das Tierreich, 16 Lief., Cyclophoridae) accordingly transferred a great number of species, hitherto considered as Lagochilus, into Japonia, and reversed Moellendorff's procedure by placing Lagochilus as a subgenus of Japonia on account of its priority. His treatment was followed by Gude 1921 (Fauna of British India, Mollusca, 3, Land Opercnlates) and Thiele in 1929 (Handbuch der .systema- tischen AVcichtierkunde). But Kobelt himself seems to have never investigated the status of Japonia and what its 3 original species really are. Japonia was proposed as a group of Cyclostoma by Gould in 42 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) 1859 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 6, p. 425) included his three new species, two of them described from Oushima, an island of Japan, and one without an exact locality, however, it is said also probably from Japan. These species are so in this order : Cyclo- stoma barhata, Cyclostoma citharella and C. musiva. Except that in 1885 there was a questionable record of C. harhata by Moellendorff (I.e.), none of these species has been elsewhere recorded. In Pf eifferian times, this group was generally treated as a section or subgenus of Realia Gray. No type-species was originally designated by Gould, and not until 1878, Kobelt (111. Conch., p. 200) made C harhata its genotype. The valid name of C. harhata, in fact, should be Japonia gouldi Kobelt 1902 {J-C, p. 60) because C. harhatum was preoccupied by Pfeiffer in 1855 for a Bornean species. In examining the Gould's type-specimens described from the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, I have searched the material still available in New York State Museum in Albany and l"^. S. National Museum in Washington, D. C., and I have found 2 examples representing C. musiva in Gould's collection now in possession of New York State Museum. Very luifortunately no specimens have been found for C. harhata (that is J. gouldi Kobelt), and C. citharella. I think tliat they must be considered as lost. So far as these 2 specimens of C. musiva are concerned, repre- senting one of the 3 original species of Japonia, they seem to be different from the typical forms of Lagochilus. They are illus- trated in Plate 3, figures 8, 8a. For comparison I figure Lago- chilus scxfilaris (Heude), Plate 3, figure 9. The figures are about 3 times actual size. How far Gould's other 2 species agree with Lagochilus, remains questionable, since their typo-specimens are no longer accessible and they are not sufficiently known by Gould's original descriptions without figures. But. nevertheless, judging l)y the size, they are small, about J of an inch or a little more than 3.0 iiiiii. in diaiiieter. No species of Lagochilus has been so far reported as a|)i)r()a('liiiig that dimension. l'>ven the 2 Chinese species L. irichophorus Moellendorff and L. scxfilaris Heude, as mentioned by MoellcMidorff {I.e., p. (iS), to be the close foiMus to .l.iponia, are almost twice the size of one-eighth of an October. 1041] the nautilus 43 inch. Moreover, Kobelt's designation in 1878 of C. barbata as the type of Japonia, which was tlien considered by him as a sub- genus of licalia, does not add any more detail to the orijrinal description of that species and genus. So that by insuflBcient knowledjre of the species, as already pointed out by Moellendorff, and lack of original material to prove their definite identification, Japonia remains a doubtful group. There is no reason to include the definitely known species of Lagochilus in such an indefinite group as Japonia. On tiie other hand, the available material of C. musiva does not show its congeneric features with L. scissimargo, while such Chinese species as Lagochilus glahratus Moellendorff, L. clath- ratus (Heude), L. hungcrfordianus (Moellendorff), L. longipilus (Moellendorff), L. pellicostus (Moellendorff), L. pilosus Moellen- dorff, L. sexfiluris (Heude), L. tenuipilns Gredler, L. trichophorns Moellendorff, etc., do show close resemblance to the genotype. In changing these species, and others as well, from Lagochilus to Japonia, Kobelt did not restudy the authentic material of Japonia to fix its exact position before he drastically included from dif- ferent groups more than one hundred species and varieties under the general heading of Japonia, and no fewer than 20 species, mostly from Lagochilus, in its restricted sense. It is evident that such changes were merely because of observing the law of priority that Japonia precedes Lagochilus, but not on comparison of the morphological features of authentic material of both groups, from which their systematic positions can be better ascertained. NOTES ON FLORIDA MOLLUSCA, WITH DESCRIP- TIONS OF TWO NEW VARIETIES By ted BAYER During the past few years several new records for the United States, as well as tw^o new varieties of marine mollusks, have been brought to my attention, and I take this opportunity to present them to students and collectors at large. CoNUs ECHiNULATUs Kicner. Some time ago a peculiar Conus turned up from Hillsborough Inlet, which could not be a.ssigned to any familiar local species. Finally some .specimens were sent 44 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) to Mr, Hugh Fulton of London, and he kindly identified them for me. His letter of August 28, 1940, reads, in part: "The box with the little cones arrived today. They are Conns echinulatus Kiener, which Tryon put as a variety of verrucosus Hwass. Its granulation separates it from verrucosus but there are possibly intermediates that link them together." "We have not seen such intermediates; on the contrary, the shells on hand are very con- stant in character of sculpture. There is wide variation in color, however. The shells range from straw color and b^o^^^l to rosy and lavender, with darker mottling. The animal is white or cream colored. Pyrene mercatoria Linnaeus. During the first few days of January, and again in August, 1941, the author collected speci- mens of Pyrene mercatoria on Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, that far surpass any other Florida specimens in size. These verj- large shells w^ere found in the same areas that were frequented by typical mercatoria. The largest typical mercatoria collected was 15 mm. in length, and the largest of the large form was 21 mm. The large form is rather consistent in size, averaging 19.3 mm., while typical mercatoria range between 11 mm. and 15 mm., with an average of 13.6 mm. In addition to larger size, this shell has finer spiral sculpture, bearing from 19 to 22 spiral costae, against 10 to 12 for t3'pical mercatoria. In color the large form runs from yellow and brown mottled to almost solid black, with only a few streaks of pure white. The typical mercatoria ranges be- tween brown mottled and pure white. Opinion is withheld until further studies and observations are made on both shells. Cypraea exanthema Linn, and C. exanthema cervus Lin- naeus. While collecting at the Tortugas in January and again in August, some remarkable specimens of these two shells were found. All were very much smaller than normal, though other- wise quite mature. The largest C. exanthema was 50 mm. long, and tlu' smallest only 39. The largest C. exanthema cervus was 62 mm. and the smallest only 50. These specimens came from Garden Key, where Dr. B. R. Bales also reported finding Ihem in the early spring. In all, six specimens were collected, tliree of the exanthema and three of the variety. The reason (or reasons) for tliis dwarfing of Cypraea is not apparent. Other Oi'tober. 1941] Tin: naitiu's 45 species of marine life tend to jjrrow larjrer than normal in this rojrion of pure water and abundant food. MiTKA FLORIDA (Jould. Plate ;i, fi}i:ure 18. Durinjr the past half year, two good specimens of this fine Florida shell have come to li«rht, one from the Dry Tortupras, the other from the lower Florida Keys. The specimen of this species from the Dry Tor- tupras was collected by the author on Logprerhead Key, January .'i 1941. The other specimen was obtained by A. II. Patterson, with exact locality not given. The latter example was found still containing the animal, and is no doubt the best and largest speci- men as yet brought to our attention. Although this species has been known for many years, it remains missing from most Florida check-lists, and should certainly be added. Xatica sulcata Born. During March of 1939, two living examples of this shell were found on the sand-bar at Peanut Island in the Palm Beach Inlet, by the present author. In the fall of the same year another living example was found at ap- proximately the same place, but in a grassy station. Early in the following year a living specimen was dredged west of Peanut Island in the Intracoastal Waterway channel by Captain and Mrs. E. S. Vail. Then, during the subsequent summer, speci- mens were collected by Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, as reported in the Nautilus 54 : 2, page 71. Cyphoma mcgintyi robustior nov. var. Plate 3, figures 10-15. During 1939 some very peculiar specimens of Cyphoma were obtained, which were collected by Greek sponge divers in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico, probably in Apalachee Bay. The affinity of this mollusk definitely lies with C. mcrjintyi Pils- bry (Nautilus, 53: 1, page 2) as the animal remaining in one specimen clearly indicates. The mantle pattern consists of solid brown spots on a white background. Shell similar to C. mcgintyi; broad, thick and heavy. The transverse dorsal ridge is high and very prominent; the callus is thick and very strong on the right, sharply defined ; callus more diffused on the left, though moderately thick; callus at the apex of the spire elevated dorsally into a little knob. Color, white, with a diffuse light fawn or lavendar tint on the back; callus and dorsal ridge snow white. Length of holotype 39 mm., width 19.5 mm. 46 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) Holotype as yet in the author's collection, cat. 3003, paratypes in the author's collection, and the collection of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Donovan. Pecten (Chlamys) imbricatus mildredae, nov. var. PI. 3, figs. 16, 17. Left valve raj^ed with eight rather prominent ribs and from 1 to 3 interstitial smaller ribs between each major rib. Large and small costae armed with elevated scales placed at regular inter- vals. Lower valve raj'ed with rather prominent scaly ribs in groups which correspond to the major ribs on the upper valve. Auricles unequal, with seven teeth in the byssal aperture. Color, ranging from a brilliant red flecked with white, through bro^\^l- ish-purple mottled with paler tan, to pure white. Holot^i^e pale brown, purple tinted at the margin, with spots of darker broAvn between the major costae. Lower valve pale tan or fawn, vrith faint suggestion of spotting. Interior yellow with clear purple at the margins and at the hinge. Alt. 37.5 mm. ; lat. 32 mm. Several factors link this shell with inibricatus : one is the similar scheme of ribbing; the enlarged, sometimes cupped scales; the yellow and purple interior; and the large size of individuals. Unfortunately, the type material selected by Frampton is not available. The shell ranges from Biscayne Bay to the Tortugas and the Bahamas. Holotype cat. 02948 in the author's cabinet; paratypes in collection of W. A. Royce. Named in honor of Mrs. W. A. Royce, who first collected it. NOTES ON EPITONIUM (NITIDOSCALA) TINCTUM (CARPENTER) By a. M. strong In a paper. Notes on Some Species of Epitonium (Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 6, No. 7, 1930), I have shown that Scalaria tincta Carpenter, described from Cedros Island (Cerros Island, Lower California) and San Pedro, Scdhiria suheoroiuita Carpenter, described from ]\Ionterey, and "Scala hiiidsii Car- penter" Arnold, described from the Pleistocene of San Pedro, are all three based on specimens representing a single species. Since writing this paper many additional specimens have come to hand. Among these it is found that there is a notable differ- ence in the shells from north and south of Point Conception, California. October. 1941] the nautilus 47 The shell described and lijnired as Epitunium (Nitidoscala) tinctum (Carpenter) in the above mentioned paper, from Point Vincent, near San Pedro, may be taken as the typical form. It has 8 post-nuclear whorls and measures 12 mm. in length. An average shell from Monterey with 8 post-nuclear whorls will measure 14 mm. or more in length; also the northern shell ap- pears to be heavier and somewhat broader. If it is desirable to recognize these differences the name suhcoronatum Carpenter can be used in a subspecific sense for the more northern form. These shells live in close association with sea anemones in sand pockets and sand-filled crevices in the rocks on the outer coast, wiiere they are exposed to the wash of the surf. Recently Mr. and Mrs. Bormann of Long Beach, California, collected a large number of specimens of apparently a distinct variety, associated with sea anemones in the quiet waters of Mission Bay, near San Diego. They are smaller than the typical form, with the varices almost entirely lacking the coronation below the sutures and averaging about two more to the whorl. The brown line below the suture is faint but visible in most of the living specimens. These may take the name of Epitonium (NixrooscALA) tinctum, var. BORMANNi. The type has been deposited as No. 1064 in the type collection of the Los Angeles County Museum. It has a little more than 7 post-nuclear whorls and 13 varices. The measurements are : length, 7.2 mm. ; diameter, 4.0 mm. Dall (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 112, 1921) gives the range of E. iincta as Monterey to the Gulf of California, and of E. suh- coronata as Vancouver Island to San Diego. Due to the con- fusion in the use of names and the uncertainty of the older identi- fications, little reliance can be placed on these ranges. I have seen no specimens from north of Monterey or south of San Martin Island, Lower California. These points can hardly be taken as the limits of range for the species, but it is very doubtful if the species occurs in the vicinity of Vancouver Island or in the Gulf of California. A considerable number of specimens from Van- couver Island were all found to be referable to E. imlianorum Carpenter. In the large collection of the California Academy of Sciences from many points in the Gulf of California no specimens were found closely resembling E. tinctum Carpenter. 48 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) A SURVEY OF THE WEST AMERICAN ALIGENAS WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES By TOM BURCH The University of Southern California This is a report on a group of small pelecypods of the genus Aligena Lea, with a review of the species from the eastern Pacific, including the description of one new to science. I am indebted to Dr. Myra Keen of Stanford University for her invaluable assistance in comparing types and verifying references, to Mr. A. Petersen of the Allan Hancock Foundation, The University of Southern California, for the drawings of the new species, to Dr. Paul Bartsch and Dr. H. A. Rehder of the United States National Museum for the other figures used, and to Dr. Olga Hartman of the Allan Hancock Foundation. Genus ALIGEN . C. Lea, 1843 Lea, H. C, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, vol. 3, p. 163, 1843 (Sept.) ; Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc, Ser. 2, vol. 9, p. 238, 1845. Dall, Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. 3, pt. 5, p. 1175, 1900. Genotype: Aligena striata H. C. Lea, 1845 (by subsequent designation, Dall, 1900) {= A. aequata (Conrad), 1843). Aligena aequata (Conrad), 1843 Amphidesma aequata Conrad, Proc. Phila. Acad. Sci., vol. 1, p. 307, 1843 (Oct.). Aligena aequata (Conrad), Dall, Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. 3, pt. 3, p. 919, pi. 24, fig. 8, 1895; ibid., vol. 3, pt. 5, p. 1175, 1900. This genus was originally (1843) described as follows: "Testa aequivalvi, subaequilaterali, postice et antice clausa; cardine dente cardinale uno, sulco sub natibus longo, minime prof undo. " Two names, A. striata and A. lacvis, were assigned to it, unaccom- panied by figures or descriptions, but followed (1845) with char- acterization. Dall (11)00, p. 1175) designated A. striata as type of the genus and placed it in synonomy with Amphidesma aequata Conrad (1843). At the same time Dall recharacterized the genus as having "a rounded triangular inflated shell with only a single small anterior tootli under the beaks, sei)aratod by a gap from the surface of attachment, under the posterior dorsal margins, of an elongate TIN-: \Ai Tii.rs: :,:, cj; I'LATIO 4 Fiy. 1. Jl,!/,,„i ,;rrilrn.si.s Aii.olfl. typr: J. h\um' of ii^r|,t v:ilvi'. li, A. »>icea Dall, type; 4. Iiingi- .,f left v.-ilvc .-,, J. ,vr/,>«//or«.v,.v. tyiu', U-ft valvi'; ;c of liinm. v;ii i.itioii. October, 1941 J the nautilus 49 internal resilium carrying a lithodesma. The pallial line is sim- ple, and the cardinal of the left valve is more feeble than the other." Aligina is known from the Pacific Coast of the Americas throu^'h three species — (1) A. cokeri Dall, (2) A. cerritensis Arnold, and (3) A. nucea Dall. A fourth, A. redundoensis, is now added. These species are believed to be separable as indi- cated in the following key : Shell with a median radial constriction A. cokeri. Shell without a median radial constriction. Anterior part of shell sloping abruptly down A. cerritensis. Anterior part of shell not sloping abruptly down. Posterior portion of shell sloping gently down, left valve with a tooth A. nucea. Posterior portion of shell sloping abruptly down, left value edentulous A. redondoensis. Aligena cokeri Dall, 1909. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 37, No. 1704, p. 155, pi. 28, fig. 5, 6. This is a Peruvian species and is one of the larger species on the coast, the type measuring 7.5 mm. in length. The hinge is edentulous with a small callosity in front of the ligament. It is about the shape of A. nucea Dall, but has a median radial depression. Aligena cerritensis Arnold, 1903. PI. 4, figs. 1, 2. ' ' Paleont. & Strat. of San Pedro, ' ' Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. 3, p. 138, pi. 13, fig. 3, 1903. A. cerritensis was described from the Pleistocene of San Pedro, California, and has been reported from La Jolla, Califor- nia, to Magdalena Bay, Mexico (Dall, 1921). The chondrophore of a topotype in the Stanford University Collection consists of a lamina which might almost be called a buttress, as it recedes into the shell above the posterior adductor muscle scar. The shell resembles Acila castrensis in outline and size. The type (fig- ured) was described as being 8.5 mm. long and 8 mm. high. It is U.S.N.M. 162529. Aligena nucea Dall, 1913. PI. 4, figs. 3, 4. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 45, No. 2002, p. 597; ibid., vol. 6G, art. 17, p. 2, pi. 28, fig. 2, 1925. 50 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) This was described from the Gulf of California. The shell was said to have the "beaks posterior, the anterior end of the shell shorter." Obviously the anterior end would have to be longer, if the beaks are posterior. The hinge of the left valve is de- scribed as having "a long, strong narrow chondrophore with a small pustular projection in front of it." Between the chondro- phore and the small tooth is a triangular socket for the reception of a tooth from the other valve. The chondrophore to which Dall refers is a little laminar plate ventral to the ligament (see fig. 4). The type (figured) is 4 mm. long; the anterior portion, 1.75 mm. long ; and its height is 3 mm. It is U.S.N.M. 267149. Dr. Keen informs me that the Aligena nucea Dall of her Check- list of West North American Marine MoUusca, 1939, based on U.S.N.M. lots No. 211882 and No. 331316a from 48 fathoms off Santa Rosa Island and 129 fathoms off La Jolla, California, respectively^ is Aligena redondoensis and not A. nucea as iden- tified by Dall. Aligena redondoensis sp. nov. PI. 4, figs. 5, 6, 7. During the summers of 1938 and 1939, while dredging in seventy-five fathoms in the submarine canyon off Redondo Beach, California, I recovered about seventy specimens of a minute pele- cypod. After comparing specimens with the types of closely related species in the United States National Museum, Dr. Myra Keen of Stanford University and Dr. H. A. Rehder of the National Museum pronounced them a new species of Aligena. The shells apparently live in a very limited ecologic habitat which occurs off Redondo Beach in but one very small area which is difficult to locate. The mollusk lives in mud mixed with some fine grey gravel. On all sides oi" this gravel bed the pure mud is barren of shells when compared with the rich fauna associated with the Aligena. Reference has already been made to the two lots of this species in the Ignited States National Museum from off Santa Ro.sa Island and La Jolla, California. Description : A minute, fragile, rounded, inflated shell with beaks somewhat j^ostcrior and twisted slightly forward; anterior portion longer, rounded, upper edge of shell posterior to umbones nearly straight and sloping abruptly down at an angle of about 45° with the hinge line, lower part of posterior extremity October, 1941] the nautilus 51 rounded ; sliell sculptured with incremental lines only, color white; all specimens covered with a chocolate brown mud very hard to remove; hin^e shelf below the apex somewhat broader than in other forms of this jrenus; hinge with a long, narrow chondrophore like A. nucca; left valve edentulous, with a laminar plate extending forward from below the umbo to the dorsal mar- gin of the shell, leaving a depressed area below the umbo, into which fits a single large tooth from the right valve; muscle scars large, pallial line weak and simple. Dimensions: length, 2.6 mm.; of anterior portion, 1.5 nun.; height of shell, 2.4 mm. Variation: The shape of the shell is fairly consistent, but the lamina in the left hinge ranges from being practically obsolete (fig. 7a), to being pronounced and resembling a spoon-shaped chondrophore (fig. 7b, c). In the most extreme variant there is a rounded pit above the spoon-like lamina behind which is a narrow uymph-Iike thickening resembling a tooth (fig. 7c). Type locality : Burch station 3833 in 75 fathoms off Redondo Beach. California, about latitude 33°38'50", longitude 118°26'30". Holotype : No. 382, Allan Hancock Foundation, The University of Southern California. Paratypes have been distributed to: Stanford University Paleo. type collection. No. 6924; The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; the United States National Museum; The California Academy of Sciences, The San Diego Society of Natural History, and the collections of George Willett, A. M. Strong, and S. S. Berry. The remaining paratypes are in the collection of the author. OUTLINE OF AMERICAN OLEACININAE AND NEW SPECIES FROM MEXICO By H. BUREINGTON BAKER This is part 8 of a series on Mexican mollusks collected for Dr. Bryant Walker in 1926. The first part appeared (1928) as Occasional Papers Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, no. 193, in which symbols for localities are explained on pp. 2-25. The types of all new species will be in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. In the plate, the small numbers over the scales indicate their lengths in millimeters. 52 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) Dissections of 48 species show that my former brief definition of the Oleacininae (Naut. 54: 135) might more accurately read: Kidney primitively triangular but becoming very oblique and much broader than long; ureter opening near apical corner of lung, which becomes strongly venate in advanced groups (exc. smallest species) ; genitalia without evident talon and with epi- phallus primitively well developed ; jaw absent ; radular central usually well developed and centrifugals with dominant mesocone and mainly without ectocones (exc. Varicella) ; salivary glands forming a ring around oesophagus (not complete in Eustrepto- styla) ; S-loops of hindgut large; shell elongate, imperforate (exc. Oryzosoma), with continuous or intermittent (varix) growth and with variously modified columella. New subgenera are : Singleya, type Euglandina singleyana (W.G.B.) ; Cosmomenus, type E. cumingii (Beck) from Vene- zuela (Occ. Papers Mus. Zool. Univ. Mich. 156 : 43, pi. 11, f. C, D) ; Guillarmodia, Ghiesbreghtia, Proameria and Shuttleworthia. The older group names, within the range of this paper, are listed in order of priority. Oleacina Roding (1798),' StreptosUjla Shuttleworth (1852), Chersomitra Martens (1860), ^ Strehelia Crosse et Fischer (1868), Euglandina C. & F. (1870),^ Salasiclla Strebel (1877), Oryzosoma Pilsbry (1891),' Pittieria Martens (1901),' Lacvolcacina Pils. (Aug., 1907), Rectoleacina,^ StreptostylcUa,^ PctenicUa^ and Varicoturris^ Pils. (Dec, 1907), Laeviglandina,'^ Varicoglandina^ and Flavoleacina Pil.s. (1908), Eitstrcptostijla H.B.B. (1927), Streptoskjlops Pils. (1933),' Pcri)usiUa H.B.B. (1941). In the following key, which outlines the anatomically kno^vn American groups, each subgenus or section is followed by its type species. 1. Tribus Varicellarum ; epipliallus (mainly with flagellum) continuous with penis; prostate as long as uterus; minor lung veins indistinct; labial jialps smallish; (12) spermatheca above aorta and shell able to contain animal; (13) ureter ah)iig margin of triangular kidney, with moderately broad and oblique base; left inantle-lai)i)ets widely separated; (25) vas deferens unbranehed ; Antillean: genera VAh'ICELLA, SliiMATAXIS, LAEVABWELLA.' 1 Anatomy completely unknown. 2 Anatomy of type spocica not known. 3 Subdivisions and types outlined in Naut. 55: 25 & 41) : 21. October, 1941] the nautilus 53 2. Streptostylarum ; like 1 but epiphallus a swelling of vas deferens distant from penis; prostate absent near uterine apex; minor lun-7, Kiif/laii(linii ililinti iihi monliritiia. Fiys. H-», K. pupa. Figs. 10-12. E. ftnniwiihilii. Figs. 1.3-1."). Pitticria arborca. Sf.-ili' liiH's = 1 & 2 iimi. .IS in.ukccl. October, 1941] the nautilus 61 3400 ft., AD, III, dead, 4, 5, 6; immature, with typical small whorls ami apex, but with swollen last whorl and more attenuate spire. THE MICHIGAN ARION CIRCUMSCRIPTUS COLONY By GLENN R. WEBB In view of the potential usefulness which colonies of exotic species may serve in furnishing data on problems of zoogeography, the continued existence of Arioii circumscriptus Johnston in Michigan should be reported. According to Walker (1918), the first specimens of circum- scriptus from Michigan were collected by Mr. Harold Cummins in 1913 at ". . . the 'Cat Hole,' a well-known sink-hole near Ann Arbor." Since then no other specimens seem to have been found at the locality, and recently it has been suggested that the species was unable to establish a colony (Goodrich, 1932). How- ever, in the early part of 1939, Mr. John P. Ragsdale, Jr., found a thriving colony of the species at the Michigan University arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and collected several speci- mens. These were to be shipped alive to Indianapolis, Indiana, for comparison with specimens of the local colony there, but they spoiled en route and only one specimen was suitable for preser- vation. It is desirable that Michigan collectors discover if the colony still exists. The source of the 1939 colony is problematic and represents either a separate introduction of the species or a continuation and extension of range of the old Walker colony. It may be that the species is wide-spread about Ann Arbor but only becomes locally or periodically sufficiently abundant to attract attention. References 1918. Walker, Bryant, "Foreign Land Snails in Michigan," Occ. Papers Univ. Mich., no. 58, pp. 2-3. 1932. Goodrich, Calvin, "The Mollusca of Michigan," Univ. Mich. Handbook Series, no. 5, p. 42. 62 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED The South African Non-Marine Mollusca. M. Connolly. A Monographic Survey of South African Non-Marine Mollusca. Annals South African Museum. Vol. XXXIII. December 1939. 660 pages. 19 plates. The long awaited account of the South African snails, by Major Connolly, is one of the greatest contri- butions to the knowledge of the mollusca which have appeared in modern times, and we can only hope that so great a gift will be received as it deserves to be, as a guide and stimulus to collec- tors and students all over South Africa, and a text to be referred to by malacologists all over the world. The South African snail fauna is a very rit-h one, 764 species being treated by Connolly. Many others will undoubtedly be found, but it seems certain that many of those now listed will eventually be reduced to tlie synonymy or treated as varieties. Connolly tells us that he has examined authentic examples, usually types or paratypes, of very nearly all the species, but in numerous cases the anatomy is still unknown, and very often the material is insufficient for a decision as to its specific standing. Under these circumstances, Connolly always gives the described species the benefit of the doubt, a very much better policj' than that of some authors who make long lists of supposed synonyms without knowing much about them, and sometimes without even seeing specimens. Comparing the work with Pilsbry's treatment of North American land snails, now in course of publication, we observe that Connolly's account is much more condensed, and the knowledge available is comparatively limited. Pilsbry's book represents a much more advanced state of the science, and it will probably be fifty or a hundred years before the African fauna can be treated as exhaustively as the North American. By that time the North American snails will also have been more inten- sively studied, so tli.it thcii- ti-catuu-ut will advance a stage. It should be cousidered a great privilege, — open to all interested persons — , to have some part in this nuirch of science through the decades. Students of African natural history today have great advan- tages over their j)rede('essors. With Connolly's account of the South African snails, and the (lescrii)tion of the snails of the Ot'tober. 1941] the nautilus 63 lieli^ian Conjro by Pilsbry and Bequaert, a large part of Africa lias been eovered in sueb a way as to make further work eompara- tively easy. Chapin's aeeount of the Birds of tlie B('lji:ian Con^'o, of which two volumes have been published by the American Museum of Natural History, contains an illuminating' discussion of the zoogeojrraphy of Africa in general, while the botanists have been active in organizing our knowledge of the plants. A recent little book on Vegetation of South Africa, by R. S. Adamson (British Empire Vegetation Committee, 1938) should be read in connection with studies of the snails. South Africa being deficient in lakes and rivers, it is not sur- prising that the freshwater molluscs are neither very numerous nor very peculiar. There is, however, an endemic genus Tomi- chia, which includes all the Hydrobiidae of the region. This genus has been minutely studied by Hugh Watson, whose results are all incorporated in Connolly's book. It is found that the species are numerous, and in addition to those recognized, T. ven- tricosa (Reeve) includes six races or closely allied species, with distinctive characters of the radulae, which are designated by Greek letters but not named. These shells occur in small lakes or ponds, where they are isolated and tend to develop distinctive characters. Among the land snails, Pilsbry and Bequaert (1927) cite twenty genera as restricted to the South African subregion. The most important are the Dorcasiinae, with three genera and numerous species, but the slugs Apcra and Oopelta are very peculiar. The original Oopelta was described as coming from Guinea, which would take it out of the list of genera peculiar to S. Africa. As what appears to be the same species has been found in the Cape Province, and several related species occur there, the Guinea record is to be considered doubtful. If veri- fied, the species might have been introduced from the Cape. The family Aperidae, with the genus Apcra {Chlamydophonis) ranges from Cape Town to Natal with numerous species, which have been studied by Watson. Sculptaria, of which Pilsbry and Bequaert say "family uncertain," is referred by Connolly to the Corillidae. Traveling in South Africa, one does not find regions where the snails are excessively abundant as in the Mediterranean region 64 TECE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) and the Madeira and Canary Islands. At first sight, many of the species seem to belong to familiar genera, but great numbers of small shells, with the aspect of Pupillidae, belong in fact to the totally different family Streptaxidae ; and many helicoid forms are found, on examination of the anatomy, to be little related to northern species having similar shells. South Africa has proved extremely rich in vertebrate fossils of different ages. It is probable that careful search will produce fossil shells, throw- ing much light on the ancestry of the African genera, but stu- dents of vertebrates rarely pay much attention to such things. — T. D. A. COCKERELL. Notes on Giant Fasciolarias. By Burnett Smith. Palaeon- tographica Americana, vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 2-8, pi. 1. 1940. Dr. Smith uses the name Fasciolaria papillosa Sowerby, 1825, for the species generally known as F. gigantea Kiener, describing two subspecies: F. p. duplinensis from the Miocene of Duplin Co., N. C, and F. p. acmensis from Waccamaw Pliocene, Acme, N. C. ; a specimen also found on the beach at Hatteras. — H. A. P. NOTES AND NEWS The Name Pteranodon. — ^With reference to the article by Dr. Haas (p. 20) it should be noted that the name Pteranodon is preoccupied (Marsh 1876) and so is not available in any case. — T. D. A. CoCKERELL. Dr. Henry D. Russell has been appointed Assistant Curator of Mollusks at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Dr. Russell has been associated with the Department of Mollusks since 1932 as a graduate student and later as Research Assistant. The Conchological Society of the Bahama Islands has recently been organized on New Providence, British West Indies. Mr. Paul D. Ford, its first president, writes: "Our meetings are growing in interest." Correction re Mrjrsus and Apolymetis. — In the last number of The Nautilus I published a note stating that Myrsus H. and A. Adams 1858 was a .substitulo name for Metis H. and A. Adams Octobor. 1941] thk nautilus 65 1856 and should replace Apolymetia Salisbury 1929. Throuj;h some stranue oversiprht I failed to note that Myrsus was a substi- tute for Metis II. and A. Adams 1857, proposed on pa^e 43() of the Genera of Recent Mollusca, and not for Metis 1856 on page 399. The latter will still bear the name Apolymetis and for the Metis of 1857 the name Katclysia Romer 1857 is in use. — H. A. Rehder. Marginella hartleyana, new species. PI. 3, figs. 6, 7. Shell small, polished, spire slightly conic, with obtuse apex, of about Ah whorls; suture shallow, aperture narrow and nearly as long as the shell, outer lip thickened and very slightly incurved. Four oblique plaits on the columella, the first, second and third being increasingly larger, the fourth diminishing to the size of the second. The shell is pale ochraceous-salmon color, thickly cov- ered with minute, irregular flecks of ochraceous-salmon, which form three very faint, indistinct bands around the body whorl. There is a narrow band below the suture which is without flecks, and they evanesce toward the heavily bevelled lip, which is much paler in color, being almost white. Length 8 mm., width 4.5 mm., type. Length 7.3 mm., width 4 mm. The Type 178026 A.N.S.P. was dredged off Santa Rosa Island, northwest Florida, in about 15 fathoms of water by Hartley Starkey, for whom the shell is named. Paratypes from the same lot are in the Beal-Maltbie Shell Museum, Winter Park, Florida, and in my collection. — Jeanne S. Schwengel. New Localities for Helminthogypta californiensis Lea. — The range of H. californiensis as given in "Land Mollusca of North America North of Mexico" is given as Point Pinos to Point Lobos, a distance of about 20 miles. During the last 8 months I have resided at Pacific Grove and have collected this species at several localities outside of its published range. I have found it at several localities north of Monterey in the sand dunes, the farthest north being at Marina Beach, 10 miles north of Mon- terey, and I have collected it at 3 points south of Point Lobos, the southernmost being just south of the mouth of the Little Sur River, about 15 miles south of Point Lobos. Our best collecting, both as to number of specimens and size of shells, was in the sand dunes about 3 miles north of Monterey. — E. P. Chace. 66 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (2) More "Corded" Olive Shells. — In The Nautilus, vol. 54, p. 32, Dr. Louise M. Perry described and figured (plate 1, fig- ure 7) specimens of Oliva sayana from Sanibel-Captiva, Florida, which bore "a well-elevated, rounded, cord-like ridge about 2 ram. wide, parallel with the suture and generally at or near the middle of the body whorl." Dr. B. R. Bales has sent us a similar exam- ple of this species collected by him at Bonita Springs, Florida. We have also an example of Oliva incrassata with the same pecu- liarity. It is from the gulf coast of Lower California between Angeles Bsiy and the settlement of San Felipe. It was obtained from a dealer. At Bolinas, Marin County, California, we col- lected one normally colored Olivella hiplicaia with this same feature. It is the only occurrence of this pathological anomaly in a series of 2757 specimens taken there. — D. S. and E. W. GiFFORD. A Senatorial Conchologist. — Benjamin Tappan who de- scribed Physa sayii appears in the history of Ohio as the second settler in one of the northern counties of the state, the founder of the town of Ravenna, presiding judge of a circuit court of common pleas and United States senator. Henry Howe, who might be termed a middle western collector of eccentricities, wrote that Tappan was * * cross-eyed, with a pair of sharp black eyes and talking through his nose in a whining, sing-song sort of style." Like many of the frontier judges he was given to making informal pronouncements from the bench. For example, when wearied with a verbose lawyer, he called on him to "shut up ! You don't know anything about it. You were a fool forty years ago, when I first knew you, and you have been failing every day since." Tappan politically was an almost violent Jackson Democrat ; for all tlwit, unlike Jackson, he was opposed to slavery lie was sent to tlie United States senate by a Democratic legislature which found IiItu acceptable on tlie ground of having an anti-slavery opinion apparently just short of abolition, whatever that could have meant. For a time he was the law partiuM* of Edwin M. Stanton who became Lincoln's secretary of war. A sketch of Tajipan's career says tliat he "devoted his last years to an inter- est in mineralogy and coiu-hology." His life covered the years 1773 to 1857.— Calvin Goodrich. October, 1041] the naitilus 67 A Sinistral Sitccinea uvalis. — The sinistral Succinea ovalis roi)orte(.l here was collected from beside a small stream at Ithaca, New York, on May 23. 1940. The writer sent it to Mr. Frank Collins Baker of the University of Illinois for identification con- firmation. The followinjr is a quotation from a letter received from Mr. Baker, "Number 2 [desi. M-. 1. sun.. XKI. xliowint; 1\v«. .•.•nlr.il ii.Mliilr>. The Nautilus Vol. 55 January. 1942 No. 3 A REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT OF PSEUDO- SCULPTURE ON A BIVALVE By WILLIAM J. CLENCH Through the kindness of ]\Ir. D. Thaanum of Honolulu, I have been privileged to study and report upon a very remarkable bi- valve, Samarangia quadrangularis Adams & Reeve (Veneridae), dredged by Dr. Thaanum and D. B. Langford off the Loo Choo Islands, Japan. This species is encased by agglutinated shell sand which com- pletely covers the entire outer surface of the shell, formed as well into a very definite sculptural arrangement. This agglutination not only covers the shell with a thick layer of cemented particles, but, in addition, produces radial sculpture of high nodules that are strikingly similar to those occurring on many species in the Pectenidae, Unionidae and other strongly sculptured laraelli- branchs. The posterior portion of the disk supports the strongest devel- opment of the radial ridges of nodules, and these extend beyond the margin of the valve but are even with the valves when the shell is closed. Under a low power magnification (10 x), the minute sand grains appear to be concentrically arranged, and are shingled or slightly overlapping (pi. 6, fig. 4). Mr. Thaanum cleaned off the cemented sand grains on one valve of the larger specimen (pi. 6, fig. 1). The cleaned surface is shining with a minute and normal sculpture of very fine con- centric growth lines. The opposite valve remained as originally found (pi. 6, fig. 2). The smaller specimen (pi. 6, fig. 3) was dredged in 15 fathoms off Kowan, the larger specimen in 40-50 fathoms off Itoman ; both localities are on Okinawa Island, Loo Choo Islands, Japan. Measurements (including the pseudosculpture) Height 43 Length 61 Width 30 mm. (M.C.Z. no. 141603) 16 " 21 " 11 " (Thaanum collection) (73) 74 the nautilus [vol. 55 (3) References Venus quadrangidaris Adams & Reeve 1850, Voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, Zoology, London, p. 79, pi. 24, fig. 7 (Corean Archi- pelago) ; L. Reeve 1864, Coneh. Icon. 14, Venus, species 129. Samarangia Dall 1902 [section under Venus] Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 26, p. 361, type, Venus quadrangularis ; Thiele 1934, Handb. Syst. Weichtierkunde, 3, p. 885 [as a genus]. J. E. Gray (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 4, p. 296, 1849) men- tions the development of siliceous spicula superimposed erectly upon the normal periostracum of the shell in the genus Trigona [= Tivela] which forms a plush-like surface. He believed that these spicula were produced by the mollusk and not those pro- duced by a commensal sponge, a belief held by certain of his colleagues. However, regardless of these two opposed views, our present case is still different inasmuch as the production of the pseudosculpture is the employment of a foreign substance by the mollusk itself and not, as in Gray's view, a production of the mollusk or, the view held by his colleagues, the production of a substance by a commensal organism upon the outer surface of the shell. It would appear that the original specimen described by Adams and Reeve was devoid of this sculpture as no mention is made of it. The specimen obtained was either dead or perhaps sub- sequently cleaned before Adams and Reeve saw it. Certain land snails, especially in the Sagdidae (Thysanophora) , cement foreign particles to the outer surface of the shell, possibly to offer protection by modifying the contour of the shell outline. Also, in the case of Xcnophora, among the marine snails, the cementing of other shells, small stones and even coal and cinders, is very well known. It is rather interesting, however, to note that this present con- dition is to be found in a family perhaps most outstanding among the marine bivalves for their elaborate sculptural development; that the mantle, so adopt in producing many shell structures on the outer surface, is also capable of building a pseudosculpture composed of a foreign material. .laniKiry, i;)42] TiiK NAiTiLus 75 A PSYCHIATRIST'S NOTE ON SHELLS By MKHKILL MOOHK, M.D. Director, Washingtonian Hospital, Boston, Mass. The collection and study of shells is a valuable form of occupa- tional therapy and, properly introduced, can be a helpful adjunct to some forms of psychotherapy. Shells should be more widely utilized in these fields for the pleasure and interest they afford. I believe that shells should be much more widely collected and studied by people, and that conchology should be more broadly and more generally applied on account of the psychological and social values inherent in its application. For example, I have found that certain tired, nervous and discouraged patients can find relaxation, recreation and enjoyment in collecting and study- ing shells. Some invalids and sick people who might otherwise be bored or irritable find considerable satisfaction and delight in conchology, once they are introduced to that subject and are helped and guided in developing their interest in it. Every sick child should be offered a box of shells to play with and should be given some instruction or a simple book to explain them. Shells are good for the mind, for * 'nerves." Buonanni was aware of this in 1681 when he published his book, "The Recrea- tion of the Eyes and of the Mind through the Observation of Shells."^ The ideas he expressed are basic to all scientific pur- suits and are as valuable now as they were then, or more so, and certainly now they are more needed, and more applicable, than ever before, especially in a complex and competitive society. The relations between science and society are extremely impor- tant. This fact should always be remembered when we think of the science of conchology — for we are too much inclined just to consider conchology as a science apart, to think of it in terms of itself, by itself and alone, and this is not really constructive. There is no such thing as a pure science, pursuing its ideal ^ " Bicrcadone dcW Occhio c dclla Mcnte ncll ' Osscrvation' dclle Chioc- ciole" Proposta a' Curiosi delle Opere della Natura dal P. Filippo Buonanni della Compagnia di Giesu Con quattrocento, e cinquanta figure di Tcstacei diversi, sopra cui si spicgano molti curiosi Problcmi In Roma, per il Varcse, MDCLXXXI con licenza de' Supcriori. 76 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (3) course in a social vacuum. Shells exist certainly, but so do people and without people shells would be lying on the bottom of the sea — or in the stomach of an otter or a codfish, or would be ground to nothing on a beach unseen. It is the social or human interest in shells that has made conchology what it is today — man's curiosity applied — and this interest should always be kept actively alive (if conchology is to become a socially useful science in the fullest sense) by means of exhibits, museums, by teaching and lectures, and by the giving of shells to children and to others who might be interested in them — sick people, for example, or persons who are bored and need a hobby or special interest that affords opportunities for scientific development and social relaxa- tion. There is really no sharp or essential distinction between pure and applied science, although these terms still have a useful prac- tical application and are convenient for us to use conversationally or as pegs or handles to help us deal with our thoughts. The cruder forms of the doctrine of economic determinism should not apply to the science of conchology any more than they do to other human activities, or less, if anything, for shells are easy to find and, generality speaking, are cheap compared with other kinds of the world's goods. I know of no greater "value" than one gets in a 25-cent shell. It could not be repro- duced for that sum. Beaches are accessible for millions of per- sons and the haunts of the land snails are accessible to all who will walk outdoors. As to shell dealers — "I often wonder what the vintners (shell dealers) buy, one half so precious as the wares they sell." Where can you got anything, or what can you get to compare with the beauty and wonder-making quality of a shell? Just as science in general is a social i'uiu'tion, so should the science of conchology in particular be a social function even though it also has its own momentum and is an activity which can be pursued for its own sake. Conchology, in its own way, sets forth some of the essential facts about biology. Conchologists have an opportunity to de- velop our knowledge of certain basic facts and ideas in their relation to social life, and in the hands of the more inspired and dvnamic leaders in conchologv this has been done and it can be il latiuarv. 19421 THE NAUTILUS 77 done a^aiii in a pithy and illuminating' manner. Witness the rich and choice diversion and instruction the literature on conch- olojry can ofTor one who is willing to take the time to read it. Pilsbry's writinprs, for example, or Bartsch's papers, or those of Tryon or Sowerby, or any number that could bo named offer us more than any one nuiu can take in in his lifetime. We should be grateful to these men for pointing: out to us what they have observed and for what they have sujrjiested to us by their observa- tions and reports. All these bear a direct relationship to general science and human activity as well, and many of the points they make and the inferences they draw are applicable to us in terms of our own life. Biolog}' has much to say in explanation of human activity. Biology supports philosophy and psychology in the efforts of these branches of knowledge to explain human behavior. Man is such a peculiar organism that his behavior needs a special set of categories for its description over and above those of biology, but we can begin with biology and profit by so doing. Of course we realize at the beginning the limitations of biological explanations for human activity. But, nonetheless, biological categories are basic for human affairs and it is useful to have them so clearly set forth as conchology can begin to set them forth. I know of no point where a scientific education can better begin than by an introduction to conchology. Science and sanity, science and mental health are deeply related. Conchol- ogy should be more widel}' introduced and more widely utilized in teaching and recreation and in therapy. I hope a day may come when the educational system of this country has been revised to take conchology more actively into consideration. Conchology should be a more important part of the educational programs of secondary schools. Science courses and nature projects in high schools and colleges should be altered to include conchology as a basic unit of practical study. Conchology is a branch of the tree of knowledge that is strong and beautiful enough to attract and hold the interest of the student. Any parent, or teacher, or phy- sician who has wit and intelligence enough to try this out for him- self will find that the bough is still golden, and every conchologist is fullv aware of that fact. 78 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (3) OBSERVATIONS ON MITRA FLORIDA GOULD By ted BAYER The University of Miami, Florida Mitra florida has been the source of no little confusion to con- chologists since its description in 1856 by Augustus A. Gould, in- asmuch as the soft parts have heretofore not been obtained. The specimen found by A. H. Patterson mentioned by the author in the last Nautilus (55: 2, page 45) contained remnants of the animal too badl}' decomposed to be of use. Verj' recently, how- ever, a living specimen, believed to be the first recorded, was dredged from 80 feet of water o ' Fisher Island, Dade County, Florida. It was collected November 8 y Mr. and Mrs. John Wentworth, to whom the author is much indebted for the privi- lege of examining the soft parts. The specimen was examined in the Zoology Laboratory of the University of Miami. Thanks are also due to Dr. F, 6. Walton Smith of the Department of Zoology. The shell of the living specimen, 49 mm. in length, conforms in all respects to the previous descriptions of the species. The shell is decidedly volutid in appearance, so much so that Dr. Gould referred to it as Scaphella.^ Tryon said of it: "Its characters are intermediate between Mitra and Voluta. My figure is from Gould's type, and I can add nothing to the above meager infor- mation concerning this curious form."- Tryon also described and illustrated^ Mitra fergusoui Sowerby, which appears to be nothing more than a worn specimen of Mitra florida. For the convenience of those to whom it is not readily available, I here quote A. A. Gould's description of this mollusk: Mitra (Scaphclla) Florida. T. ovato-fusiformis, solidula, albida, ferruginoo nubeculata et lineis nunierosis fuscis interrup- tis intcrduin alljo articnlatis cincta, (|noad rostrum ]ilieata et oblicjue lirata ; anfractibus 7 i ultimo spiram tor exccdente, antice angustato: apertura angusta, jiostico acuta; labro acuto; colum- ella sexplicata, plica postrema proximam bis superante; intus alba/ ' A. A. Gould, Otia Conchologica, page 221. 2 Tryon, G. W., Manual of Conchology, iv, page 116, plate 34, fig. 35. 3 Ibid., plate 34, fig. 32. * A. A. Gould, Otia Concholnrjira, page 221. TllK \.\l riLi S: :,.-, ^;{ I'LATK 7 aaAAA/VAAaaJ^ KaaA Vw\MAA/Vvw- <^'\^\Hf^hJ-i^^f\ ^i0 %t^^^^^^,i^i^fM^^ January. 1942] the nautilus 79 The diffii'ultics arisinj; as a result of the sliell characters may be readily appreciated. A typical volute is solid, ovate to fusi- form, with a moderately produced spire and a larj,'e papillary nucleus. Its columella is plicate, the outer lip reinforced but remaininf? sharp. The shoulder may be smooth, annulate, nodose, or spinose. Tyjiical dentition consists of a sinjzle multicuspid rachidian, with a p:eneral formula 0:1:0. See fij^'ure 1. On the other hand, a typical Mitra is heavy, thick and fusiform, with a produced spire and small non-papillary nucleus. The aperture is narrow, the outer lip sharp ; columella plicate, larjjest plication posteriorly located.^ Typical Mitra dentition has the general formula 1:1:1, with the teeth multicuspid. See PI. 7, f. 2 and 3. A transitional stage appears in Voluiomitra, which is retained in the Mitridae by some authors, Volutidae by others. The radula of the specimen under examination shows the multi- cuspid 1:1:1 formula. This is typical of Mitra. See fig. 3. The animal, when the drawing (Plate 7, fig. 5) was made two days after its capture, was very timid, and crawled about little. However, Mrs. "Wentworth said that it had previously been very active, especially after fresh sea-water was added. The head is small, the tentacles short and slender, bearing small black eyes a short distance out from their bases. The body is milky white, with blotches and cloudings of rich browTi irregularly scattered here and there over its sides. The tentacles, head, proboscis and siphon are white with very pale cloudings of brown. The sole of the foot is finely spotted with brown in a pattern similar to that on the shell. Mr. Patterson's specimen, illustrated on Plate 7, fig. 4, was recorded from wreckage raised from ten fathoms off the south end of Carysfort Reef. It is the largest specimen that has come to the author's attention, but it has unfortunately lost part of the protoconch.'' Dall reports the species as taken by a collector of the United States National Museum on the Swan Islands in the Caribbean between Cuba and Honduras," and as Mitra fer- gusoni it has been recorded from Panama. It has also been col- 5 G. W. Tryon, Jr., Manual of Conchology, iv, page 106. « Ted Bayer, Notes on Florida Mollusca in N.\UTILUS 55 : 2, page 45. ^ W. H. Dall, Letter in the Conchologists' Exchange 2: 1, page 9. 80 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (3) lected from the Dry Tortugas. Henderson reported it from Lone Key, near Key West,® and Patterson records it from Carysfort Reef. The rangfe, then, of Mitra ftorida seems to be from Miami, Florida, to Panama, if the record for Mitra fergusoni is not erroneous. The characters of the newly examined radula thus place this lovely species without doubt in the genus Mitra, and the uncer- tainty as to its position is finallj' removed. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FEEDING OF AEOLIDIA PAPILLOSA L., WITH NOTES ON THE HATCH- ING OF THE VELIGERS OF CUTHONA AMOENA A. & H. By henry D. RUSSELL At 10: 35 A.M. on December 9, 1937, a sea anemone {Metridium marginatum Oken) ^ in. in diameter was placed in a finrrer bowl with an Aeolidia papillosa L. 1^ in. long. Twice at this time the oral tentacles of the nudibranch touched the column of the anemone. Then with cerata characteristically bristling when initiating an attack, the mollusk opened the mouth, swelled the lips and completely enveloped the anemone. The prey was alternately drawn into and slightly extruded from the mouth. Each time it was drawn in, it was extruded less and less until after 22 minutes it was only visible as a dark mass within the mouth of the nudibranch. One minute later a small part of the prey appeared as continuous tissue. After six more minutes a brown fluid, presumably the macerated parts of the anemone appeared for a moment and were then quickly sucked back into the montli. During the process of feeding the lips remained in a bloated condition and only returned to their normal size at 11 : 06 A.M. when the animal started crawling about the dish with no sign of the anemone in its mouth. During the attack, a few nematocyst« bearing acontia were thrown out by the anemone, but these were sucked into the mouth of the nudibranch. No 8 J. B. Henderson, Jr., Extracts from log of the Eolis, Nautilus 25: 6, page 71. January. 1042] the nautilus 81 neniatocysts wore observed to explode. The total time of feeding was ;51 minutes. In the case of nudibranchs feeding upon larger Metridium the author has observed that tlie base of the anemone is attacked first. A great (juantity of mucous is extruded about the fore parts of the molhisk and in it are caught man}^ of the acontia of the anemone. The author has never noted that the neniatocysts of acontia thus caught were exploded. Eventually many of these and much of the mucous is eaten by the mollusk along with parts or all of the anemone itself. The rate, amount eaten and length of time involved, will prove of interest here and experiments concerned with this are cited below. Both the nudibranch and the anemone were dried with paper towels before and after the feeding to rid them of excess water and weighed at the same time. An Acolidia papillosa 1^ x ^ in. weighing 1.88 grams ate .68 grams of a sea anemone {Metridium marginatum) weighing 4.02 grams in 10 hours. Another A. papillosa IJ x i inches weighing 2.03 grams ate .40 grams of a M. marginatum weighing .50 grams in lOf hours. It appears from these results that there is a considerable dif- ference in the rate of feeding and of the amount eaten among animals of almost the same size. Hatching of the Veligers of Cuthona amocna Ald. «&, Hanc. On December 14, 1937, while the author was observing an qqq cap- sule of Cuthona amoena that was attached to the main stalk of the hydroid Ohclia commissuralis McCrady, the veligers con- tained in the capsule started to break out as noted below. The temperature of the surrounding sea water was 45° F. One veliger continually worked the cilia of the labial palps against the gelatinous wall of the capsule in one place while the others swam about within the capsule. Suddenly the wall yielded to the scratching action of the cilia and as if under the influence of pressure from within the capsule the veliger was forced into the hole with its anterior end slightly protruding into the surround- ing sea water. Several times it contracted into its shell only to emerge again and furiously beat the cilia. During this perform- ance the other veligers were swimming about and occasionally 82 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (3) colliding with the one that had broken through the capsular wall. Each collision forced it out a little farther into the sea water until after three or four such contacts it burst out of the capsule and swam about freely. The veliger was literally hurled from the capsule as if forced out by some internal pressure. As soon as the first one left, a second took its place in the opening and was blown or forced out into the surrounding sea water. The internal pressure within the capsule seemed to grow weaker as each veliger left the capsule until finally only one remained swimming about inside. No substance was observed to be ex- truded from the capsule with the veligers. It is entirely possible that osmotic pressure increases within the capsule as the veligers develop and that this is the force that propels them through the opening in the capsular wall and into the surrounding sea water. THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF VIVIPARUS By CALVIN GOODRICH Mr. T. Van Hyning of the Florida State iMuseum has recently submitted an accumulation of Floridian Viviparus for compari- son with examples of the genus in the Bryant Walker Collection. It w^as made clear very quickly that a good deal of basic informa- tion had first to be acquired. So all the available material hav- ing its source within the United States was examined, shell by shell. The literature on the subject was read. The geographical distribution of the several species was brought into such order as was possible. Since the study developed facts which appear not to have been published, or if so in scattered form and perfunctor- ily, I am venturing to set forth the findings. The genus Vivipan(s illustrates what may he a natural law governing molluscan nomenelatui-c. namely, that the more simple the shells of a group may be. the fewer aiul the least definite its characters and the more ditfieult to describe lucidly, then the heavier burden of specific names the group is compelled to carry. In this matter, Virifxirus lags a great way beliind Pleuroceridae or perhaps the French Anodontinae. but it is ])robably abreast of some of the genera of Zonitidae and even with the currently expanding Ccrlon. Kceve recognized about seventy species of .laiiuary. 1942 1 tiik NArriLrs 83 Paludina wliitli in liis day was an Island of Crete on which species panu'lnited in flocks. It included Viviparus, Caynpdomn, Tnln- toma, Lioplax and other jrenera that now are differentiated one from another. Kobelt undertook to treat of Viviparus alone, but left the American forms under Paludina. Notwithstandinp: limi- tations he established, his species and subspecies of Viviparus ran to 259. On the assumption that anything geologically old must be extinct, American paleontology has devised about thirty names, permitting only V. georgianus of the Florida Pliocene to survive into recent times. There have been additions since Kobelt, some cleaving and splitting, but hardly any recognition of the truth that Viviparus, like mo.st fresh water mollusks, is inconstant of shape and pigmentation. Generic characters, the same as specific characters, are variable. Embryo shells of western forms that have been seen are thin, whitish, transparent, but in specimens of a Florida form that Van Hyning sent which contained the animal parts the embryos ranged in color from j'ellowish white just after development from the egg to dark brown when the shell is ready for discharge. The young shell is so much broader than high that Say (1829) did not recognize it as mereh^ a juvenile and gave that of V. inter- tcxtus the name of Paludina trajisversa. The embryo has from two or three to a dozen or more lines of epidermal striations, raised into very fine hairs. In the un- cleaned lot of Van Hyning shells were numbers of adults which retained the lirations, but as any ordinary brushing will remove the bristles such examples are probably very rare in collections. Binney (1865) in Fig. 54 has illustrated a shell of the kind, and Say in his description of intcrtextus noted that his specimens had "minute, very numerous, obsolete revolving, deciduous lines." In the instance of Reeve's Paludina ciliata, of Siam, the raised parts of the lines are, as Reeve put it, "eye-la.shed." Wetherby (1876) found that Tulotoma coosaensis had a "coating of long spines or hairs, arranged in spiral rows around the whorls." Probably no cabinet specimen of coosaensis still has these "spines." So what is not simply a generic character, but also a family one, may be so evanescent as to escape general attention. The periphery of the embryo is rounded, roundly angled or 84 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 55 (3) sharply angled ; in V. viviparns it is said to be carinate. Possibly mechanical pressure in the marsupium determines the form of the keel. As growth proceeds, the shell alters its configuration rapidly from broad and depressed to conic or globose. The adult shell of American Viviparus is commonly short-spired. It has a large body whorl, a correspondingly large aperture and four equidistant bands of pigment, where banding exists, that are occa- sionally decreased or increased in number. The whorls do not, seemingly, exceed six or six and a half, although the count in some foreign species runs to seven. The green ground color usually mentioned in descriptions fades in old specimens to brown or dark yellow and, bleached by sun and rain on lake beaches, this may become almost white. The oldest individuals of a Georgia lot were black as were shells of about three whorls which came from the Santa Fe River of Florida. Mr. Van Hyning directed my attention to the fact that lake forms of the southeast are **much smaller than the ones from the rivers." Specimens of contectoides from two lakes of Indiana are of about the same size as material from Indiana streams. The operculum does not appear to vary as between species. It is thin, concentric, showing many rests or pauses, the later ones rougher than the earlier ones. Viviparus contectoides Binney, 1865. The mollusk is from five to six whorls in size, ordinarily thin, deeply sutured. The four bands when present are usually well marked, conspicuous. The uinuiiicai perforation is a mere chink or is entirely covered over by the columellar fold. Three embryos have an index of obesity averaging 107.1, showing the excess of diameter over altitude in the very young. Four shells from a lake of Putnam County, Illinois, lacking about a whorl of maturity, have an obesity index of 95.2. Because of the common erosion of apices in adults, com- parison or diameter with altitude in such specimens could be made only by measuring the height of the last three whorls. The range of indexes of lliirteen lots, measured in this way. is from 85.3 to 89.9. This can scarcely l)c lliouglit a with^ variation in degree of globosity, but in general appearance tliere is consid(M'- able variation as between colonies of different localities. It has been noticeable at the same lime that members of a given colony of the genus are very niuch alike. In other words, ajiin'oaeh to .lamiiiry, 19421 THE nautilus 85 equilibrium is reached in each locality, ami this applies to form, proportions, pi^Mueiitation of epidermis and bandin<^. Van Cleave and Kii-hey (1936) noted that the medians of the radula of this species have commonly 5-1-5 denticles, with a ranjxe of 4-6 — 1 — 6—4. This is a lower avera