THE NAUTILUS. >'> 



people such a complete account of the present status of their mollus- 

 can fauna. We only wish it were possible to have similar works pre- 

 pared in all of our large cities, before advancing civilization de- 

 stroys or locally exterminates many species. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TERTIARY FAUNA OF FLORIDA, by 

 Wm. H. Dall. (Transactions of the Wagner Free Institute of 

 Science, Vol. Ill, pt. 4, 1898). This volume is a continuation of 

 Professor Call's great work on the Tertiary Mollusks of Florida, 

 and treats of two orders of the Pelecypoda: Prionodesmacea and 

 Teleodesmacea. " Including in many cases a complete revision of 

 the generic groups treated of and their American Tertiary spe- 



cies." 



In the Nuculidce and Ledidce the generic and specific synonymy 

 is fully given and 18 new species described. The name Parallelo- 

 dontidce is substituted for Meier odontidce (in pt. 4) since the generic 

 name Macrodon is preoccupied. In the family Arcidce 30 new spe- 

 cies are described and many changes are made in the nomenclature. 

 Glycymeris DaCosta 1778, is used instead of Pectunculus Lamarck 

 1799, and a number of Conrad's species are reduced to synonyms. 

 Area occidentalis Phil, is adopted for the Florida and West Indian 

 species that has been referred to Area now Linn, by many author?. 

 " A careful comparison shows that the American shell should not 

 be united with the Mediterranean Area noce." Area campechenais 

 Dillwyn has precedence over A. pexata Say. Area americana Gray 

 is also considered a synonym, 



We cannot altogether approve of Dr. Ball's manner of treating 

 the names of subgenera and sections ; more uniformity in writing 

 the name of a shell would simplify matters greatly. We do not 

 think that subgeneric names should be used instead of generic, or 

 the names of sections in place of subgeueric names. 



In the family Pinnidce 5 new species are described. Melina Ret- 

 zius, 1788, is adopted instead of Perna Lamarck, 1799, which 

 necessitates changing the family name to Melinidoe. In the family 

 Pteriidce, Pteria Scopoli, 1777, takes the place of Avicula Olivi, 

 1792. A very interesting account of the " origin of the mutations 

 of Ostrea " is given, followed by a review of the described species. 

 The family Pectinidce is well represented in the American Tertiary, 

 including the fossil species from the Pacific Coast. One hundred 

 and twenty-five species and varieties are enumerated, 21 of which 



