THE NAUTILUS. 



VOL. XIII. JUNE, 1899. No. 2. 



COLLECTING IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. 



BY REV. E. H. ASHMUN. 



When I began searching this region for land shells, about four 

 years ago, I had done no land collecting, and for that matter but 

 very little in any line, and there have been many surprises. It is a 

 very dry region and I did not expect to find much, and, indeed, 

 molluscan life is scarce, but it has proven of sufficient interest to make 

 up in quality what it lacks in quantity. This is due to the fact that 

 these territories were little known to the conchologist, and to the 

 existence of many mountain ranges, separated by vast stretches of 

 semi-arid plains, isolating them, as far as their molluscan life is con- 

 cerned, and thereby increasing the probability of the presence of new 

 forms in the different mountain areas. 



My collecting has had to be done " on the side," in connection 

 with a regular vocation, as time could be snatched for it. But the 

 regular work lias taken me over a considerable part of both territories, 

 and so afforded an opportunity of collecting in a number of different 

 localities, though seldom giving time for a sufficiently thorough search 

 of any of them. 



AVith but few exceptions, no land shells are found except in the 

 high altitudes of the mountains, these localities only supplying suffic- 

 ient moisture and vegetation, and the collector must be prepared for 

 long tramps and much climbing and hard lifting as well, in overturn- 

 ing rocks and logs to reveal the hiding place of these tiny creatures. 



