THE MOUNT DESERT REGION 161 



The Acadian, to quote Verrill in U. S. Fish Com. Eeport, 

 1872, ''named by Lutken, but first distinguished as the Nova 

 Scotian by Dana. It extends from the Syrtensian southerly 

 to Cape Cod, close to the shore, but pushes farther southward 

 in deeper water, and at a distance from the shore." The 

 molluscan fauna of this Region is distinctly Acadian and, 

 as is natural, grades both up and down the coast into the 

 forms typical of those faunas. As pointed out by Verrill, 

 they tend to go off shore as they progress toward the south. 



The Mollusca of this Region, as we found them, are com- 

 posed of 140 species and three varieties, as shown in the list. 

 They are all marine, and the freshwater forms will be treated 

 in a later publication. 



The species herein recorded are from live specimens. I do 

 not take seriously the reporting of dead valves and shells, 

 for I have seen far too many flounder draggers, scollop 

 dredgers, and others clean their boats and throw overboard 

 forms taken from a quite different bottom, at a diiferent 

 depth, and miles from the bottom on which they lived. 

 Refuse has been dumped in the Bay for years, which, with 

 that from yachts and other boats, probably accounts for the 

 reports of the oyster and the hard clam. Dead valves are 

 apt in this Region to be defective evidence of the occurrence 

 of a form in a particular locality. 



In every case the dredging station where forms were taken 

 is given, but not all dredging stations are included, only 

 those where they were found in sufficient numbers to warrant 

 special attention. Some forms are so general that they may 

 be taken almost anywhere, and in such instances it will be 

 noticed that the dredging stations are omitted. 



It seems worth while to say a word or two regarding the 

 more common species. 



The nuculidae are of three species, Nucula proxima, N. 

 tenuis, and N. delpJiinodonta, and in actual numbers undoubt- 

 edly exceed any other mollusc. Almost every dredging brings 

 them up and they may be obtained in large quantities in the 

 inner Bay. 



