2 BULLETIN 91, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



In looking over the collection as a whole one is struck by the 

 prevalence of red coloration, which seems explained by the fact that 

 the red algae form the dominant element in the marine vegetation 

 of the region. 



It was deemed advisable to render this report more useful to 

 students by considering with it all the mollusks contained in the 

 United States National Museum from the South African faunal area, 

 and while this is not a large series, there are nevertheless among it 

 some very important shells, namely, Gould's "types," obtained by 

 William Stimpson, the zoologist of the North Pacific exploring 

 expedition, at Cape Good Hope, Simons Bay, and False Bay, Sep- 

 tember 12 to November 9, 1853. These types are now figured for 

 the first time, and a little fuller diagnosis is given of them. 



At the end of this paper I have given what I believe to be a list of 

 all the species that have been reported from South Africa of which 

 there are in the United States National Museum no specimens from 

 that region. In this fist the type-locality from which the specimens 

 were originaEy described is cited. It is hoped that this list may 

 serve as a stimulus to future collecting, and that it may also stimu- 

 late those authors who have wrongly identified material to review 

 their decisions, which will doubtless result in the expunging of many 

 erroneous records from a list which appears heavily burdened by 

 them. 



This report would be incomplete did I not acknowledge my great 

 obligations to Dr. William H. Dall, honorary curator of the Division 

 of Mollusks, for much assistance in its preparation, particularly in 

 the treatment of the part dealing with the bivalves. 



I wish also to state that the line drawings of plates 1-6 were made 

 by Evelyn Grosbeck Mitchell, while the photographs were made by 

 Mr. T. W. Smillie, of the National Museum, and retouched b} r Mrs. 

 E. Bennett Decker. The collection numbers in parentheses are those 

 given by Colonel Turton. 



SYSTEMATIC LIST. 



Phylum MOLLUSCA. 



Class CEPHALOPODA. 



Order DIBRANCHIATA 



Family ARGONAUTIDAE. 



Genus ARGONAUTA Linnaeus. 



ARGONAUTA ARGO Linnaeus. 



Cat. No. 227802, U.S.N.M., one specimen from Port Alfred (Coll. 



No. 897). 



