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THE
NAUTILUS
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS
OF CONCHOLOGISTS
VOL. 51 JULY, 1937 to APRIL, 1938
EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS
HENRY A. PILSBRY
Curator of the Department of Mollusks and Marine Invertebrates,
Academy of Natural Sciences
H. BURRINGTON BAKER
Associate Professor of Zoology, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pa.
THE SCIENCE PRESS PRINTING CO. LANCASTER, PA.
CONTENTS
Names of new genera and species in italics
Acrorbis petricola Odhner 107
Admete viridula Fabr 116
Alabama, mollusks of a palmetto pasture 105
American Malacological Union 68
Anguispira rugoderma Hubricht 131
Anodonta cataracta Say, growth of 134
Archachatina marginata (Sw.) 33
Aurinia torrei Pils 37
Bela auct 118
Bulimulus dealbatus jonesi Clch 18
Callistochiton connellyi Willett 25
Carychium perexiguum F. C. Bkr 128
Cassis madagascariensis Lam., food of 34
Cerion fernandina Clch 20
Cerion malonei Clch 19
Cerion mcleani Clch 22
Cerion stevensoni Dall 23
Chama sinuosa firma P. & M 76
Chamidae of Florida 73, 143
Champlain Lake, fauna of 8
Circulus stirophorus M. Sm 67
Conus cumingi Reeve 3
Conus signae Bartsch 3
Cypraeidae from Central Pacific islands 1
Dinotropis harringtoni Pils. & Ckll 25
Drymaeus fusagasuanus Pils 33
Echinochama arcinella cornuta Conr 79
Engina turbinella Kien 89
Epiphragmophora Doering 24
Epiphragmophora orcutti Bartsch 33
Epitoniidae, West Coast 4
Epitonium cochlea Sowb 67
Family names, selection of 33
50779
IV THE NAUTILUS
Florida, Tertiary mollusks of 65, 88
Goniooasis effosa M. Sm 91
Goodrich, Calvin 144
Qyraulus pattersoni F. C. Bkr 129
Helminthoglypta arrosa mattolensis A. G. Sm 83
Helminthoglypta arrosa pomoensis A. G. Sm 81
Helminthoglypta arrosa williamsi A. G. Sm 79
Helminthoglypta ayresiana Nc 71
Helminthoglypta calif orniensis Lea 36
Helminthoglypta carpenteri Nc. 10
Helminthoglypta cuyama Hanna & Smith 15
Helminthoglypta hertleini Hanna & Smith 16
Helminthoglypta similans Hanna & Smith 13
Helminthoglypta sonoma Pils 35
Helminthoglypta traski misiona Chace 60
Helminthoglypta tudiculata rex Ch. & Sm 119
Helix badia Fer 27
Helix laetea Mull, in America 132
Helix pomatia in Jackson, Mich 61
Henderson, Junius 97
Hygromia striolata C. Pfr 137
Ilyanassa floridana M. Sm 89
Litorina minima Wood 113
Lora, Gistel 115
Loripinus schrammi Crse 65
Lymnaea palustris nuttaliana Lea 72
Maury, Miss Carlotta Joaquina 143
Menetus kansasensis F. C. Bkr 129
Micrarionta harperi orcuttiana Bartsch 33
Mitra compsa M. Sm 90
Monadenia fidelis klamathica Berry 31
Monadenia fidelis leonina Berry 29
Monadenia fidelis ochromphalus Berry 28
Monadenia semialba Hend 63
Morum macgintyi M. Sm 67
Murex glyptus M. Sm 89
Murex hexagonus oxytata M. Sm 89
Murex macgintyi M. Sm 88
THE NAUTILUS V
Neritina floridana M. Sm 66
Neritina virginea L., ecology of 39
Ohio, land mollusks of 55
Olivatrujilloi Clch Ill
Onehidiidae, nomenclature of 85
Opalia chacei Strong 5
Opalia evicta deBoury 6
Opalia montereyensis Dall 6
Opalia tremperi Bartsch 7
Opalia wroblewskii Morch 5
Pacific Shells, extended ranges of 100, 122
Pecten caurinus Old 144
Pecten pugetensis Oldroyd 118
Phalium erinaceum vibex L 112
Phos roycei M. Sm 90
Platevindex H. B. Baker 88
Pleurodonte guadeloupensis Pils 27
Pleurodonte guadeloupensis dominicana Pils. & Ckll 28, 34
Pleurodonte guadeloupensis roseolabrum M. Smith 27
Pleurodonte Idbeo Pils 26
Pleurotomoides Bronn 117
Polygyra appressa hubrichti Bkr 23
Polygyra chilhoweensis Lewis 17
Polygyra f errissi Pils 18
Polygyra herberti Wkr 17
Polygyra jonesiana Archer 135
Polygyra thyroidus (Say), life history 50
Pseudochama radians variegata Rve 77
Rhachista histrio Pfr 35
Rissoa bermudezi Aguayo & Rehder 35
Rixford, Dr. Emmet 141
Santo Domingo, Marine Molusks of 109
Say 's American Conchology, notes on 43, 91, 140
Scala australis Lam 6
Scalaria pleurocostata Cpr 6
Solaropsis gibboni fairchildi Beq. & Clch 115
Spissula solidissima peninsulae M. Sm 65
Spondylus of Florida 38
VI THE NAUTILUS
Strobilops sparsicostata F. C. Baker 127
Swift, Robert 142
Tellina cala M. Sm 66
Tellina perryae M. Sm 66
Terebra flammea Lam 114
Trochonanina, type of 104
Turbo castaneus tiara M. Sm 66
Turbonilla skogsbergi Strong 54
Vertigo hibbardi F. C. Bkr 126
Xenophora, an insect mimic of 105
Xesta, type of 104
INDEX OF AUTHORS
Andrews, E. A 39
Archer, A. F 55, 105, 135
Baker, Frank C 23, 126
Baker, H. Burrington 85, 104
Bartsch, Paul 33, 36
Bequaert, Jos 34, 115
Berry, S. Stillman 28
Cawston, F. Gordon 143
Chace, E. P 60
Church, Clifford C 119
Clench, William J 17, 18, 19, 34, 109, 115
Cockerell, T. D. A 24, 33, 35, 71, 97
Eyerdam, Walter J 63, 72, 100, 122
Foster, Thural Dale 50
Fulton, Hugh C 38
Gregg, Wendell 0 118
Hanna, G. Dallas 10
Hertlein, L. G 144
Howell, B. F 8
Hubricht, Leslie 131
Ingram, William Marcus 1
Lyman, Frank B 34, 143
MacGinty, Tom 73
Oughton, John 137
Pilsbry, Henry A 24, 26, 33, 35, 37, 73, 107
Rehder, Harold A 34
Richards, Horace G 8
Robertson, Mrs. Harold R 68
Rodeck, Hugo G 108
Smith, Allyn G 10, 79, 107, 119
Smith, Maxwell 65, 88
Strong, A. M 4, 54
Van Cleave, Harley J 50
Van der Schalie, Henry 132, 134
Wheeler, H. E 43, 91, 140
Willett, George 25
vii
The nautilus
Vol. 51 July, 1937 No. 1
CYPRAEIDAE FROM CHRISTMAS, PALMYRA,
WASHINGTON, AND FANNING
ISLANDS
BY WILLIAM MAECUS INGEAM University of Hawaii
Christmas, Palmyra, Washington, and Fanning Islands are situated in the north equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. This short chain of atolls has a northwest-southeast trend and is some- what parallel with the Hawaiian group, but about one thousand miles south of the latter and in close proximity to the equator.
Of the four islands Christmas is the most eastern and also near- est the equator, being 1° 57' N. Lat. and 157° 27' W. Long. Pal- myra is the most northern and western with a position of 5° 49' 4" N. Lat. and approximately 162° 11' 30" W. Long. Fanning Island lies about 145 miles northwest of Christmas Island in lati- tude 30° 51' 25", and 66 miles northwest of Fanning is Washington Island with Palmyra 126 miles to the northwest of it.
Very little information regarding this group of islands was available until recent times, and it has only been within the past few years that efforts have been made to carry out comprehensive scientific investigations of these typical mid-Pacific atolls.
The earliest contribution to the biology of the islands of this group was made in 1877 by Dr. Thomas H. Streets and Dr. Wil- liam H. Jones, surgeons in the United States Navy. Their sys- tematic report is based on material collected during a survey of the islands of the North Pacific by the United States ship Portsmouth in 1873-74.1 It records 13 species of plants, 13 of birds, 36 of fishes, and 10 of crustaceans collected at Christmas, Palmyra,
1 Streets, Thomas H., Contributions to the Natural History of the Ha- waiian and Fanning Islands and Lower California, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 7, 1877.
2 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
"Washington, and Fanning Islands. That a larger collection of invertebrate fauna was made at this time is indicated by Dr. Streets when he says, ' ' Excepting the crustaceans, the invertebrate portion of the collection is excluded from this bulletin" (foot- note, p. 7).
The purpose of this paper is to record cowries from the waters about these islands, and to supplement and extend knowledge of the distribution of the family Cypraeidae in the Pacific. The records are based on specimens collected in 1924 by the Whippoor- will expedition from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, and upon specimens from Palmyra in the author's collec- tion.
A total of twenty-six species is represented. Of this number all but six have also been reported from Hawaii.2 Apparently the most common species of cowries from these islands are Cypraea moneta Linnaeus, Cypraea intermedia Kiener, and Cypraea capnt-serpentis, Linnaeus.
Cypraea annulus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1179, 1767.
Cypraea arenosa Gray. Zool. Jour., i. p. 147, pi. 7, 12, f. 6, 1824.
Cypraea caput-serpentis Linnaeus. Syst. Nat.,. p. 1175, 1767.
Cypraea carneola Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1174, 1767. The specimens in the collections are uniformly small. This may be a racial character.
Cypraea childreni Gray. Zool. Journal, vol. i, p. 518, 1824.
Cypraea cicercula Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1181, 1767.
Cypraea cruenta Gmelin. Syst. Nat., p. 3420, 1790.
Cypraea erosa Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1179, 1767. The shells of this species are of good size, and much lighter in the dorsal coloration than shells from nearby Samoa and Fiji.
Cypraea fimbriata Gmelin. Syst. Nat., p. 3420, 1790.
Cypraea helvola Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1180, 1767. This common and widely distributed Indo-Pacific species varies geo- graphically in the intensity of its dorsal and ventral colorations. The variety from these islands is characterized by its deep orange base and margins.
Cypraea intermedia Gray. Zool. Jour., i, p. 77, 1824.
2 Ingram, William M., The Family Cypraeidae in the Hawaiian Islands, Nautilus, Jan., 1937.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 3
Cypraea irrorata Solander. Zool. Jour., iv, p. 80, 1828.
Cypraea Isabella Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1177, 1767. This species is not uncommon. The dorsal surface is very light, and in most cases the characteristic black flecks on the dorsal surface are much reduced and light brown in color. The extremities are deep orange.
Cypraea lynx Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1176, 1767.
Cypraea mauritiana Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., 1176, 1767.
Cypraea moneta Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1178, 1767.
Cypraea nucleus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1181, 1767.
Cypraea poraria Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1180, 1767.
Cypraea punctulata Gmelin. Syst. Nat., p. 3404, 1790.
Cypraea reticulata Martyn. Universal Conch., pi. 15, 1782.
Cypraea scurra Chemnitz. Conch., vol. x, pi. 144, p. 103, f. 1338, 1788.
Cypraea talpa Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1174, 1767.
Cypraea testudinaria Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1173, 1767.
Cypraea tigris Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1176, 1767. The shells from these islands are small compared with the large, heavy shells from Tongatabu.
Cypraea vitellus Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., p. 1176, 1767.
A NEW WEST AMERICAN CONE
BY PAUL BARTSCH
Conus signae, new species. Plate 2, figure 8.
1849. Conus cumingi Reeve, Conch. Icon. Suppl. pi. 8, f. 277. Not Conus cumingi Reeve, ibid., suppl. pi. 3, f. 282.
Shell biconic, with the spire very depressed and concave. The spire is brownish orange, blotched and variegated with white, while the body whorl is roseate with brownish suffusions and streaks of flesh color or white. A faint median pale zone is pres- ent. Nuclear whorls questionable. The shoulder of the whorls with a rounded thread at the periphery, crossed by rather strong, protractively curved lines of growth and numerous, very fine spiral lirations. The last whorl bears 20 or more slender spiral threads, which grow successively weaker from the base posteri- orly. The entire surface of the shell is marked by fine lines of growth and slender spiral lirations, with much finer, very wavy spiral striations, which give to the surface a beautiful silky tex- ture ; interior white with a rosy flush.
4 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
The specimen described and figured, U.S.N.M. Cat. No. 37399, comes from Guaymas, and measures : Length 58 mm. ; diameter 30.5 mm.
Another specimen, U.S.N.M. Cat. No. 23698, an even larger specimen, measuring : Length 65.5 mm. ; diameter 38 mm., also comes from Guaymas.
U.S.N.M. Cat. No. 111235 contains six tips from Panama; U.S.N.M. Cat. No. 96782, four tips from the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries Station 2837, off Cedros Island, 23 fathoms, on fine sand bottom, is believed to belong here.
As my references cite, Reeve created a homonym of Conus cumingi when he bestowed that name upon the specimen from Salango ''West Colombia." Specimens from the Gulf of Cali- fornia and off the coast of Lower California seem to satisfy Reeve's second description and figure, but it is possible that the Colombian form may be distinct. I am therefore describing the Lower Californian material as a distinct species with which Reeve's homonym will probably prove to be conspecific.
NOTES ON WEST COAST EPITONIIDAE
BY A. M. STRONG
The writer had occasion recently to study a number of speci- mens of Epitoniidae from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and in connection with this work it was found that changes will have to be made in the nomenclature of some west coast species. Dall in his "Summary of the Marine Shellbearing Mollusks of the Northwest Coast of America"1 included two species under the subgenus Opalia H. & A. Adams, 1853, namely 0. wroblewskii Morch, 1876, and 0. evicta De Boury, 1919.
The name S. wroblewskii was suggested by Morch for the shell which had previously gone under the name Scalaria borealis Gould, 1852, that name having been preoccupied by Beck in 1839. Grant has called attention2 to the fact that Tapparone-Canefri had also suggested3 the name gouldi for this shell in a paper dated
i Bull. 112, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1921, p. 113.
2 Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., No. 43, 1932, p. 1064.
3 Jour, de Conch., vol. 24, 1876, p. 154.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 5
April 1, 1876 (not 1874 as stated) . The paper by Morch to which Dall and Grant refer* was also dated 1876. Dr. Pilsbry in a re- cent letter states that the date on which the publication contain- ing the Morch paper was issued is not definitely known but that Morch first suggested the new name in a Danish paper5 presented in 1874 and published early in 1875. It therefore appears that the name wroblewskii has clear priority though the date and ref- erence will have to be corrected.
Opalia wroblewskii (PI. 2, fig. 10) is a northern shell not un- common at Vancouver Island and on the Alaskan coast. In im- mature specimens there are 8 to 10 strong varices, a strong basal keel and a distinct basal disk. Fully mature specimens, which reach a length of 35 mm. or more, have the lower whorls nearly smooth, with the basal keel faint and the base rounded. Exami- nation of a series of specimens from Forrester Island, Alaska, in the Willett collection, one of which is figured, show that a varying number of the upper whorls have a chalky outer layer which in the interspaces between the varices shows regular rows of micro- scopic punctations. This layer is rubbed off in beach-worn speci- mens and on the later whorls of the adult shell.
Opalia chacei, n. sp. (pi. 2, fig. 9). Closely related to the pre- ceding species, and in some collections confused with it, is a more southern shell which is somewhat smaller, heavier, and propor- tionately broader. The eight heavy varices continue over the body whorl to the well-defined basal disk at all stages of growth, and the punctation of the outer layer of the shell is distinct in well preserved specimens. This may take the name of Opalia chacei. The type, No. 1045, in the collection of the Los Angeles Museum, Los Angeles, California, was collected by E. P. and E. M. Chace at Crescent City, California. It measures : length 28.3, maximum diameter 11.1 mm. Additional specimens were col- lected by Mr. and Mrs. Chace at Crescent City and on the coast of Mendocino County, California. The writer has collected speci- mens at Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco, and Mr. George Willett has dredged a specimen off Catalina Island.
4 Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., ser. 3, vol. 8, 1876, p. 190.
5 Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra den nat. i Kjobenhavn, Aaret 1874, 1875, p. 251.
6 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
The type of Opalia is given by De Boury6 as Scala australis Lamarck, Recent, Australia, and is well figured by Reeve.7 It is quite similar to 0. chacei, having similar heavy varices and basal disk bounded by a cord. An examination of a fresh specimen in the collection of H. N. Lowe shows definite indications of a simi- lar punctate outer layer on the upper whorls. It would seem that this punctate outer layer should be considered one of the impor- tant systematic characters.
Opalia evicta De Boury, 19198 (PI. 2, fig. 11, Forrester Island, Alaska, Willett coll.), is a new name for a shell referred to as Scalaria pleurocostata Carpenter by Stearns, Berry and Dall in his earlier writings. Specimens were undoubtedly so labeled by Carpenter, but do not seem to have ever been described by him. Dall attempted to validate the name in 19179 by a description but the name was preoccupied by De Boury in 1913. The shell is quite similar to 0. chacei but only about half as large, with the first few whorls rapidly expanding and the later whorls more cylindrical, giving a more crowded appearance to the 8 or 10 strong varices. The punctate surface of the outer layer of the shell is very distinct in fresh specimens. The specimens exam- ined came from Forrester Island, Alaska; Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and off Catalina Island, California.
Opalia montereyensis (Dall), PI. 2, fig. 12, described as Cir- sotrema montereyensis Dall,10 was described from a single speci- men, "probably young," of five whorls, measuring 2.5 mm. in length. It has the punctate surface, 9 solid varices and a con- spicuous basal disk. The writer has a specimen dredged off Cata- lina Island which is very similar but with one more whorl and proportionally larger. It seems certain that this is the young of some species of Opalia and the only known species having similar apical whorls is 0. evicta. In the absence of a satisfactory growth series it is impossible to make a positive statement but if this sup- position is correct the name 0. evicta De Boury, 1919, will have
e Monog. Scalidae Viv. Fos., pt. 1, 1886, p. 26. 7 Keeve, Coneh. Icon., vol. 19, pi. 1, fig. 3. s Jour, de Conch., vol. 64, 1919, p. 26.
9 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 53, 1917, p. 473.
10 Nautilus, vol. 20, 1907, p. 28.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 7
to give way to 0. montereyensis (Dall), 1907. The type, 110431 U.S.N.M., from off Del Monte, Cal., in 25 fms., is figured, x 10. The type of Cirsotrema is given by De Boury as Scala varicosa Lamarck, which is quite different from typical Opalia, to which this shell belongs.
Dall placed four West Coast species in the subgenus Nodiscala De Boury11 and several species have since been added to the list.12 These all have the punctate surface and the basal disk but the varices are faint over the whorls, expanding to form cusps crenu- lating or pitting the sutures. The type of the subgenus Nodiscala is Scala oicarinata Sowerby according to De Boury. It is figured by Reeve13 as a recent shell from the Philippines. The descrip- tion calls for a shell sculptured with obscure axial ribs and spiral grooves, the sutures pitted and the body whorl with two heavy spiral ridges. It would seem probable that the West Coast species are more nearly related to typical Opalia than to this species.
Opalia tremperi Bartsch14 is described as having faint axial ribs forming cusps in the sutures. "The entire surface of the spire is marked by narrow spiral cords. The spaces which sepa- rate these cords are crossed by numerous, very slender, axial threads which give them a decidedly pitted appearance." The figure shows the characteristic punctate surface though the punc- tations are larger than in the species previously mentioned. There is no indication of a basal disk or peripheral cord. As far as is known this species is represented in the collections only by the type specimen. It is not typical of Opalia nor does it agree in all ways with the species which have been placed in the sub- genus Nodiscala.
The use of Opalia as a genus under which can be grouped the species mentioned and probably a few other West Coast forms would give a more satisfactory arrangement than that used by Dall. This would make necessary a few changes in the writer's "Key to the Subgenera of West Coast Epitoniidae,"15 but as
n Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 53, 1917, p. 474.
12 Proc. Calif. Acad. Sciv 4th ser., vol. 19, No. 5, 1930, pp. 43, 46.
13 Eeeve, Conch. Icon., vol. 19, pi. 8, fig. 60.
i* Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 70, 1927, p. 3, pi. 1, fig. 8.
is Proc. Calif. Acad. Sei., 4th ser., vol. 19, No. 5, 1930, p. 42.
8 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
many unfigured species remain to be investigated it is not at- tempted to do so at this time. Acknowledgment is made to Mr. George Willett of the Los Angeles Museum for the use of speci- mens, assistance in securing photographs and in the preparation of these notes.
THE FAUNA OF THE "CHAMPLAIN SEA" OF VERMONT
BY B. F. HOWELL Princeton University
AND
HORACE G. RICHARDS New Jersey State Museum
The Pleistocene ' ' Champlain Sea ' ' has long been recognized in Vermont, and scattered references to its fauna can be found throughout the literature. Goldring,1 discussing the mollusks of this sea in New York State, gives numerous references to Vermont localities.
During several brief field trips in the summers of 1933, 1934, and 1935, it was possible to visit most of the known Pleistocene fossil localities in the State of Vermont and to obtain material from them ; in addition, numerous new localities were discovered and their fauna studied. Furthermore, fossils from the Pleisto- cene of Vermont were examined in the Museum at the University of Vermont in Burlington, and were borrowed from the Vermont Historical Society at Montpelier.2
Deposits of the "Champlain Sea" are thought to be of late- Wisconsin age, and extend throughout the entire St. Lawrence Valley from the Gulf almost to Lake Ontario (Prescott, Ont.), as well as along various tributaries of the St. Lawrence, and south- ward into Lake Champlain. The extent of this sea has been well mapped by Goldring. In Vermont, fossil shells have been found as far south as Chimney Point.
i Goldring, Winifred : The Champlain Sea, N. Y. State Mus. Bull. 239-40, pp. 53-94 (1922).
2 These studies were made possible by funds from the Department of Geology of Princeton University and the Carnegie Institution of Wash- ington.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 9
Fossils can be found at a great many places near the shores of Lake Champlain from Chimney Point to the Canadian border. An accurate list of localities would be of little use because most of these localities were of a temporary nature, and new material could easily be obtained from shallow excavations in the same vicinity.
Fossils were collected near Alburgh, Isle La Motte, S. Hero, Grand Isle, Swanton, St. Albans, Colchester, Winooski, Malletts Bay, Charlotte, Vergennes, Panton, and Chimney Point. Those from the southern part of the lake suggest more brackish waters and at Chimney Point only Macoma balthica (L.) and Leda glacialis Wood were found.
Probably the best collecting localities were a small clay pit about a mile and a half west of St. Albans on the road to St. Albans Bay; bluffs along the Missisquoi River east of Swanton, and bluffs on Isle La Motte, on the road to the Chazy Ferry. The locality at Malletts Bay, frequently mentioned in the literature, was not found to be very fruitful.
A more complete study of the fauna with synonymy and detailed discussions of distribution, recent and Pleistocene, is to be pub- lished elsewhere. The following is the list of species examined by the writers from the Pleistocene of Vermont :
Macoma balthica (Linne). Abundant at practically every locality : Alburgh, Isle La Motte, S. Hero, Grand Isle, Swanton, St. Albans, Colchester, Winooski, Malletts Bay, Charlotte, Ver- gennes, Panton, Chimney Point.
Saxicava arctica Linne. Next to M. balthica the most abundant shell : Alburgh, Isle La Motte, S. Hero, Grand Isle, Swanton, St. Albans, Malletts Bay, Panton.
Mya arenaria Linne. Alburgh, Isle La Motte, Colchester.
Yoldia glacialis Wood. St. Albans, Malletts Bay, Chimney Point.
Macoma calcarea (Gmelin). Swanton, Malletts Bay.
Mytilus edulis Linne. Swanton, Isle La Motte (abundant), S. Hero, St. Albans, Malletts Bay.
Cryptodon gouldii Philippi. Malletts Bay.
Cylichnaalba (Brown). St. Albans. N^l'v-4^
10 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
Balanus crenatus Bruguiere. Isle La Motte, Grand Isle, St. Albans, Burlington.
A few other species have been reported in the literature : some are undoubtedly synonymous with certain of the species listed above. The presence of a few other species could not be verified, either from our field work or from the examination of the various collections, and therefore they are omitted here; they will, how- ever, be discussed in a later report.
SOME NOTES ON AN OLD RACE OF CALIFORNIA
LAND SNAIL WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF
THREE NEW FORMS
BY G. DALLAS HANNA and ALLYN G. SMITH
Helminthoglypta carpenteri (Newcomb). Plate 1, figure a.
This snail has long been imperfectly known, for good material has not been available for study and comparison with allied forms until the last few years. Because of the heat and consequent dry- ness of its habitat, H. carpenteri is a difficult shell to find in first- class adult condition. Although we have not examined them, Bartsch1 has no doubt correctly assigned specimens in the National Museum from Maricopa and McKittrick in western Kern County, California, to carpenteri. Eecent collecting has resulted in many lots of this shell, which add so much to knowledge of it that the following notes may be of interest, especially to students of the traskii group.
The shells are extremely variable in size, as a subsequent table of measurements shows, and we have good reason to suspect that this variability is due in large part to the variation in rainfall (and therefore in snail food) from season to season. The mea- surements also show, however, that the general form of the shell is remarkably constant.
In life the shells are semi-polished, of a beautiful straw color. The dark brown band has one of pale cream color below, and another rather indefinite one of the same color above. Spiral sculpture is faint but easily detected on the last two whorls under a magnification of x 10 and is fairly uniform over the surface of
i Bartsch, Paul, Proc. U. S. N. M., Vol. 51, No. 2170, 1916, pp. 617-8, pi. 115, figs. 4-6.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 11
these whorls. The nucleus is not sharply differentiated from the remaining whorls ; its sculpture consists (when most perfectly pre- served) of a series of tiny papulations, set on a background of silk-like radial lines of growth. Often neither one of these mark- ings is visible and at best they require excellent illumination and high magnification to be seen at all.
Dead shells of carpenteri are strewn over the border of the val- ley floor and among the foothills on the west side of Fresno, Kings, and Kern Counties. Frequently they are found far removed from what would appear to be suitable snail cover. Liv- ing specimens have been found mostly in rock slides on north slopes but sometimes in rather exposed locations. Exposures of Etche- goin, Temblor, Tejon, and Cretaceous sandstones furnish the best cover.
The coloration of the shell led us at one time to suspect that carpenteri might belong to the genus Micrarionta, but an exami- nation of the anatomy, shown in fig. 2, on page 14, indicates at once that it should be retained in H elminthoglypta. Even so, there are some striking features to the soft parts. The mantle is grayish- white in color with no other color markings of any kind. The mucous gland is double and located in a membranous sac that permits evagination of the organ, at least in part. The details of the genitalia are believed to be sufficiently shown in the figure so that minute description is unnecessary.
The table of measurements following shows the extreme varia- tion in size :
Max. Diam. Min. Diam.
Largest shell (from Lot No. 27615) 23.6 mm. 15.4 mm.
Smallest shell (from Lot No. 24807) 15.0 10.7
Average of 111 shells 19.1 12.0
The shell illustrated in the accompanying figures is haplotype No. 7137 (Calif. Acad. Sci., Paleo. Type Coll.), from Loc. No. 27612 (C.A.S.), Chico Martinez Creek, Kern Co., California, coll. by G. D. Hanna and C. C. Church. We have examined the lots shown in the table on p. 12.
The last-named lot comes from the Salinas Valley, far removed from what appears to be the normal range of carpenteri, which is found along the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. How-
12
THE NAUTILUS
[Vol. 51 (1)
|
C.A.8. |
No. of |
|
loc. |
speci- |
|
number |
mens |
|
24808 |
3 |
24809
|
24810 |
10 |
|
24844 |
5 |
|
24876 |
3 |
|
26809 |
3 |
|
24805 |
1 |
|
24134 |
10 |
|
24807 |
20 |
|
25605 |
13 |
|
27615 |
9 |
|
27612 |
6 |
|
24126 |
6 |
|
27614 |
3 |
|
27613 |
15 |
|
23350 |
2 |
|
27617 |
32 |
Locality
S. end of Panoche Hills 4th large creek N. of Panoche Cr. Fresno Co., Calif. Sec. T18S, R15E, Domingene Ranch Road, Fresno Co., Calif.
Jacalitos Cr., Fresno Co., Calif.
Arroyo Ciervo, Fresno Co., Calif.
Sec. 34, T22S, R18E, Kettle- man Hills, Kings Co., Calif. E. flank of N. Dome, Kettle- man Hills, Kings Co., Calif.
1 mi. S. of Big Tar Canyon, Kings Co., Calif.
Extreme S. end of Reef Ridge, Kings Co., Calif. NE. cor. Sec. 28, T25S, R18E, on W. side of road from Dev- il 's Den to Keek's Station, Kern Co., Calif. Wagonwheel Mountain, Kern Co., Calif.
Carneros Cr., "W. side of Kern Co., Calif.
Chico Martinez Creek, Kern Co., Calif.
N. end of Gould Hills, Kern Co., Calif.
Upper end of Salt Cr., "W. side of Kern Co., Calif. SE. side of Orchard Peak, Kern Co., Calif.
2 mi. ~W. of Maricopa, Kern Co., Calif.
1 mi. NE. of San Lucas, Mon- terey Co., Calif.
Coll. by
G. D. Hanna & C. C. Church
G. D. Hanna & C. C. Church
G. D. Hanna
C. C. Church
G. D. Hanna &
F. A. Menken
G. D. Hanna
G. D. Hanna & J. H. Show G. D. Hanna & J. H. Show
C. C. Church
G. D. Hanna & C. C. Church C. C. Church & G. D. Hanna G. D. Hanna
C. C. Church & G. D. Hanna G. D. Hanna
G. D. Hanna
F. A. Menken
ever, a critical examination fails to show any marked differences between these shells and carpenteri, and future collections may prove that its range extends across the ranges of hills that sepa- rate the two major valleys.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 13
Helminthoglypta similans, new species. PL 1, fig. d. Fig. 1.
Holotype small, thin, with slightly depressed spire; apical angle about 105° ; umbilicus narrow; whorls 5£, well rounded, the last more convex below than above the periphery, descending slightly at the aperture ; peristome simple, thin, with very little reflection, set at an angle of 30° with the vertical, its basal termi- nation well reflected but only barely obscuring the umbilicus; callus wash between terminations very thin. Nuclear whorls nearly 2, wrinkled on the first half turn, the wrinkles consisting of low, irregular ridges ; these give way on the remaining nuclear whorls to irregularly spaced, rounded papulations, moderately closely placed, which continue over the post-nuclear whorls above and below and into the umbilicus; on the upper portion of the last whorl these papulations are set more closely and in a some- what descending spiral arrangement; lines of growth irregular, merging into one another, not prominent ; spiral sculpture absent or very faint ; periostracum exceedingly thin, brownish-buff, with a revolving dark band bordered above and below by bands much lighter in color than the remainder of the shell; bands not sharply defined. Max. diam., 25.8 mm.; min. diam., 13.7 mm.; alt., 9.6 mm. ; diam. of umbilicus, about 1.4 mm.
Holotype: No. 7136 (Calif. Acad. Sci., Paleo. Type Coll.), from Loc. No. 25624 (C.A.S.), | mile SE. of Oil City, Fresno Co., Calif. ; G. H. Hanna and C. C. Church colls.
The separation of this form from H. carpenteri (Newc), with which it is sometimes associated in locality range and to which it is similar, is rather difficult in old, white-weathered dead shells. With live or even well-preserved adult dead shells, however, the two are easily distinguished. H. similans averages smaller in size but the two overlap in all measurements. No good characters separate them in the nuclear structure or shape of shell. The shell of similans is covered with small papulations, lacking in car- penteri, which has well-incised spiral sculpture, obsolete or not present at all in similans. Also, the growth lines of similans join together in an irregular manner, which is not true in carpenteri. Shells of living specimens of the latter are more highly polished than the former, which is duller because of its peculiar sculptur- ing.
Of the named species of the traskii group, similans resembles cuyamacensis, but this form is larger, has a wider umbilicus, and is much more densety covered with papulations that do not fol-
14
THE NAUTILUS
[Vol. 51 (1)
low any particular arrangement, at least on a series of specimens at hand from Warner's Springs, San Diego Co., Calif.
The mantle of the animal of similans is densely blotched with black, whereas in carpenteri the mantle is entirely free of such markings.
The range of similans lies within that of carpenteri along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. Except for one colony dis- covered in the drainage of Big Tar Canyon, Kings Co., and an- other in the Salinas Valley, it has only been found in a limited area in the vicinity of Coalinga, Fresno Co. Usually it seems to occupy rocky hillsides farther removed from the valley floor than carpenteri and this may possibly account for its relatively recent discovery in a well-known territory. The two species do not occur in the same colonies, at least not normally.
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Max. diam. Altitude
Largest shell 18.5 mm. 12.0 mm.
Smallest shell 14.0 " 8.5 "
Average of 53 shells 14.9 " 10.2 "
Coalmine Creek, Fresno Co. (C.A.S. Loc. No. 24806) :
25624 23 f mi. SE. of Oil City, Fresno G. D. Hanna &
Co., Calif. Type lot. C. C. Church
25607 16 Jacalitos Creek, Fresno Co., C. C. Church Calif.
25606 32 6 mi. above mouth of Jaca- C. C. Church litos Cr., Fresno Co., Calif.
|
July, 1937] |
THE NAUTILUS |
15 |
|||
|
24806 |
64 |
Eocene Reef, just N. of Coal- |
G. |
D. |
Hanna & |
|
mine Cr., Fresno Co., Calif. |
C. |
C. |
Church |
||
|
24130 |
1 |
Canoas Creek, Fresno Co., Calif. |
G. |
D. |
Hanna |
|
24129 |
3 |
Eocene conglomerate 2 mi. N. of Big Tar Canyon, Kings Co., Calif. |
G. |
D. |
Hanna |
|
27618 |
17 |
Mouth of Hamilton Canyon, 5 mi. SE. of King City, Mon- terey Co., Calif. |
F. |
A. |
Menken |
Helminthoglypta cuyama, new species. Plate 1, figure &.
Holotype, nearly average for the species, thin in texture and spire strongly depressed; apical angle 137°; umbilicus wide, tapering rather sharply to the apex ; whorls six, moderately eon- vex, the last slightly expanded and descending at the aperture; peristome simple, moderately reflected, not thickened and not obscuring the umbilicus, inner end connected with a thin callus wash ; nuclear whorls nearly smooth, about two, gradually merg- ing into the later whorls which have more or less regular growth lines ; spiral sculpture absent ; surface somewhat shining, indented by fine irregularly shaped malleations arranged in obscure patches at various places on the body whorl ; periostracum extremely thin, light golden brown; revolving band dark brown bounded below by a cream colored band nearly as wide, and above by a narrow indefinite band of the same color. Max. diam., 24.7 mm. ; min. diam., 19.8 mm. ; alt., 13.5 mm. ; diam. of umbilicus, 3.7 mm.
Holotype: No. 7088 and paratypes Nos. 7089, 7090 (Calif. Acad. Sci.) from a rock slide of Franciscan chert on the south side of the highway connecting Santa Maria with Maricopa, 23.7 miles east of the first, Santa Barbara County, California. The locality is two miles west of Cuyama Service Station on Cuyama River. About 50 specimens were taken in the same locality at various times by Messrs. C. C. Church and G. D. Hanna. In May, 1937, the type locality was revisited by Mr. George Willett who informs us that he collected a fair series but no living shells and believes, correctly no doubt, that living specimens must be very deep in the rock slide at that time of year. He also reports find- ing four specimens of another form referable to H. traskii phlyctoena (Bartsch) in the same slide.
16 THE NAUTILUS [VOL. 51 (1)
Kange OF VARIATION
Max. Min. Diam. No. of
diam. diam. of umb. whorls
Largest shell 28.9 23.4 16.2 4.2 6.25
Smallest shell 18.5 15.0 9.3 2.5 5.50
Highest shell 24.6 19.6 14.9 3.6 6.00
Average of 30 shells.. 23.1 18.5 12.5 3.2 6.00
Traces of irregularly arranged papulations are visible on some specimens when considerably magnified ; in a young living shell, the sculpture is somewhat more distinct than in the holotype ; each of the sparse papulations of the nuclear whorls in this case is set with a stubby, slightly curved hair ; on the remaining whorls the papulations are more numerous and there is a suggestion of quincuncial arrangement; these likewise bear short stubby hairs and the surface appears hirsute when magnified 40 diameters.
The species seems distinct from others of the group as might be expected from the isolated collecting station. It is smaller and not nearly so polished as H. willetti (Berry) and lacks the char- acteristic spiral sculpture so pronounced in H. carpenteri. The shape is similar to H. ferrissi (Pilsbry), a species from the south- ern Sierra Nevada, but it is a thinner, much lighter colored and larger shell with the umbilicus proportionately narrower; com- parison in this case has been made with a large series of specimens (No. 27,791 C.A.S.) from upper Kern Kiver, collected by Mr. Church.
Helminthoglypta hertleini, new species. Plate 1, figure c.
Shell thin and delicate, pale golden brown, with a very narrow band of a darker shade, bounded below by an equally narrow band of a lighter shade ; whorls five, regularly increasing in size ; sur- face marked with fairly coarse growth ridges, and very irregu- larly scattered papillae; nuclear whorl with faint growth lines and a finely roughened surface; aperture not expanded; peri- stome simple and scarcely reflected (except in the umbilical re- gion) and slightly thickened interiorly; umbilicus narrow, half covered by the reflected basal wall. Max. diam., 18.5 mm. ; min. diam., 15.3 mm. ; altitude, 12.5 mm. ; diam. umbilicus, about 2 mm.
Holotype: No. 7094 and paratype No. 7095 (Calif. Acad. Sci.) from a lava rock slide 6.6 miles east of the junction of the Klamath Falls road with U. S. Highway No. 99 ; Jackson County,
THE NAUTILUS: 51 (1] I
PLATE 1
a, Helminthoglypta carpenteri (Newe.). b, H. cuyama H. & S. c, H. hertleini II. & S. d, H. similans H. & S. Fig. d actual size, the others enlarged.
July, 1937] THE NAUTILUS 17
Oregon; north side of road. H. B. Baker, J. L. Nicholson and G. D. Hanna colls. ; July 26, 1929.
The above is a description of the holotype ; 17 additional speci- mens, mostly dead and imperfect, were collected at the same place. These indicate that the species