186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



On the Habitat and Distribution of tlie West American Species 

 of Cyprseidse, Triviidse and Amphiperasidee, 



Being corrections to Mr. Roberts' Catalogues * of the "Pcrcellanida-" and 



Amphiperasida:. 



BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS. 



Mr. Roberts' Catalogues— if the West American species are any criterion — 

 throw no new light upon the distribution of the species enumerated therein ; 

 neither are the more accurate statements of authors more reliable in this respect 

 than Reeve, Sowerby and Kiener— whose indefiniteness and errors he has blindly 

 repeated therein — referred to or considered. 



The remarks of Mr. J. H. Redtield, on page 88, Volume V, of American 

 Journal of Conchology, on the sins of the late Mr. Reeve in this respect, apply to 

 Mr. Roberts, for it is not too much to expect, or even demand of an American 

 writer, that he should be aware of and correct errors of the kind referred to 

 herein, at least, when said errors occur in connection with American species. 

 Mr. Redfield says: "'I'he frequent errors of statement in regard to habitat are, 

 perhaps, the most mischievous fault that can be brought against the work, for 

 on them are liable to be based erroneous conclusions in regard to the important 

 questions of geographical distribution, and of permanence in species." 



If the species, the habitat of which is corrected by me in this paper, were 

 from remote localities or little known, it would be less cause of surprise ; but 

 the Check-Lists of the Smithsonian Institution, Carpenter's Reports to the 

 British Association, Dr. Cooper's Geographical Catalogue of the ]\IolIusca, 

 published in connection with the work of the Geological Survey of California, 

 and sundry local lists of my own in the Proceedings of the Califor.ma 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, were equally as accessible to Mr. Roberts as 

 the monographs from which the catalogues were compiled. 



If species appeared in the lists without habitat, it would be far preferable to 

 positive error. Mr. Roberts' catalogues are not alone open to criticism ; for 

 others that have appeared in connection with the Journal contain omissions 

 and geographical inaccuracies which might have been avoided by the furnishing 

 of proofs to those investigators who, from residence or special study, possess 

 the requisite data. The criticism herein is not dictated by hypercritical or un- 

 kind feeling, but prompted solely by a high regard for the cause in which we 

 are all working— with, let us hope, some degree of usefulness. 



1. Luponia albuginosa, Maice, "California," should be Lower California. 

 Although this species is credited to the Oregonian and Califortiian Province in 

 the Smithsonian Institution Check-List, by Dr. Carpenter, (June, 18G0), he 

 properly omits it in his Supplemental Report to the British Association, 1863. 

 It is common at Cape St. Lucas and various points in the Gulf of California, 

 and belongs to the "Mexican and Panamic province." 



* 'I'he Catalogues referred to were published in connection with the "Am. 

 Jour, of Conch.," Vol. V, Part ]IL 



