viii Preface 



like to record my good fortune in being able to consult the National Museum 

 collections on holidays and during after hours. Austin H. Clark stands fore- 

 most as spiritual guide and counselor in the many intricacies of preparing a 

 book for the public. Dr. Harald A. Rehder, curator of the Division of Mol- 

 lusks, with whom I have been pleasantly associated for several years, has kept 

 a weather eye on this project and in not a few instances has made valuable 

 suggestions. I have gratefully and heavily leaned on the Minutes of the 

 Conchological Club of Southern California which represents the work of 

 John Q. Burch, A. Myra Keen, A. M. Strong, S. Stillman Berry and many 

 others. A4r. Gilbert Voss kindly helped me with the section on squid and 

 octopus. This is also true of ]ohvsonia, a magnificent work produced by 

 William J. Clench, Joseph Bequaert, Ruth D. Turner and others. I would 

 also like to thank my friends in the National Museum for constant encourage- 

 ment. 



The heaviest debt is to the countless amateur collectors of American 

 mollusks. Were it not for their enthusiastic pursuit of shells and their un- 

 selfish desire to share their treasures with our leading museums, our scientific 

 collections undoubtedly would be half their present size. It is my sincere 

 hope that this book, by its usefulness, will measure up to their kindnesses and 

 friendships. 



Illustrations make the book, and American Seashells could not have been 

 successfully completed without the aid of Frederick M. Bayer, Associate 

 Curator in the National Museum, who is responsible for the colored plates, 

 including the lovely paintings of western Atlantic nudibranchs. Most of 

 the other photographs were also taken by him. Special thanks are due William 

 J. Clench who made available all the photographs and drawings that have 

 appeared in Johnsonia. The colored paintings of Pacific coast nudibranchs 

 are taken from F. M. MacFarland's "The Opisthobranchiate Mollusks from 

 Monterey Bay, California, and Vicinity," which appeared in 1906 in the U. S. 

 Bureau of Fisheries Bulletin 25. All of the exquisite pen drawings of shells, 

 unless otherwise noted, were executed by the U. S. Army Surgeon, John C. 

 McConnell, in connection with researches done by W illiam H, Dall of the 

 U. S. Geological Survey. Our photographs of Florida Thorny Oysters are 

 from specimens kindly sent on loan by Leo L. Burry of Pompano Beach, 

 Florida. 



Notable credit is due Chanticleer Company of New York City which took 

 such pains in the preparation of the colored plates, and to the printer who 

 retained with such remarkable fidelity the beauty of the original photographs. 



R. T. A. 



Washington, D. C. 

 September 15, 1953. 



