TH1 MAR I NT. SIIM.LS OF THE WEST COAST 

 01 I 111 UNITED STATES 



I HI i ii \i THAT i \i KY ONI will agree that the late \Villiam H. Ball of the 

 United States National Museum was our 1'oreinost student of the marine mol- 

 lusi .1 ol this region. Beginning in 1865, when he was a member of the scientific 

 expedition condiu ted to the west coast by the Western Union Telegraph Com- 

 |).tn\. for fifty years he had spent much of his time working on this remarkable 

 l.nina. His complete list of the mollusca of the region was published as Bulletin 

 No. ML' in 1921. 



In the following pages I have included some of the most important species 

 ranging from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of California. This vast coast line 

 includes species from three divisions, the Arctic, Temperate and Tropical 

 launas, although very few that can be included in the last division. 



About 2,150 species are found in this region, of which 1425 are Gastropoda, 

 500 Pelecypoda and the balance include Pteropoda, Chitons, Dentaliums, etc. 

 It will be seen from this total that the east coast shows a few hundred species 

 more than the west, and I believe this is due to the fact there have been more 

 extensive dredging operations in that territory. The number of shore species 

 down to moderate depths is about the same. 



The earlier works on the mollusca of the west coast are largely confined 

 to small booklets, covering only a lew hundred species and are of little use 

 toda\. But in recent years, some very fine up-to-date books have been pub- 

 lished, which an invaluable to the collectors of that region. 



The Marine Shells of the West Coast of North America was published in 

 MJ2-1, tin u i iii i In -ing Mrs. Ida S. Oldroyd. This splendid work is bound in 

 loin line- volumes ol about 250pp each, with 108 full page plates, finely exe- 

 (iiied. While not all the species arc- illustrated the most important forms are 

 shown with splendid figures. In most cases the original description of the 

 spec ies is given, and as numerous early writers wrote their descriptions in latin, 

 that language- is used in such cases. The range of each species is also given as 

 lai as then known. It is without doubt the- best work on American Marine shells 

 that has \et appealed. The- same authoi also wiote a special report on the 

 in. nine shells ol the- 1'uget Sound region which she- had extensively dredged. 



West Co. ist shelU, a small manual that is very uselul to carry on collecting 

 trips was published in IW5. This book ol some- M 10 pages, has splendid descrip- 

 tions and IIIIIIK ions Hesitations. The- author. Dr. Joshua L. Bailey, was well 

 equipped to do a HOO<| job and I am sure- eolleitois everywhere appreciate his 

 work. 



