134 THE NAUTILUS. 



ger I would sometimes bring up five or six at a haul ; and if the fish- 

 ermen happened to be making a draw with the great seine, a half 

 barrel of them would sometimes be drawn out at once, — many of 

 them great beautiful adult shells nearly as large as a common dinner 

 plate, the epidermis all intact, the stillness of the water and freedom 

 from acid causing but little erosion. The younger shells in their 

 beautiful iridesence, seem to have caught the tints reflected from 

 the green woods, the blue sky and sparkling stars. 



The other Anodonta, the corpulenta was not so plentiful in the 

 deeper water that the suborbiculata seemed to prefer, but nearer the 

 shores in shallow water, more or less shaded bv the broad leaves of 

 the water lily, many of them could be found. The umbones of this 

 mussel, as found in this lake, more nearly approach perfection than 

 in any other species. 



Associated with this mollusk, among the water lilies, were great 

 numbers of Vivipara contectoides Binuey and intertexta Say and 

 also more or less of the Physa heterostropha Say. 



In collecting and handling these fragile shells much care must be 

 taken as they break as easily as egg shells. When removed from 

 the water I would pile them up in one end of the boat, and cover 

 them up from the sun with a wet blanket. When transferred to 

 my buggy (for I had to drive twenty miles to Bernadotte) I would 

 first line the bottom of the bed with wet grass, on which I arranged 

 the mussels and then again covered them up well with the wet 

 blankets. On reaching home they were at once transferred to a 

 large tub containing water. They must be cleaned without the use 

 of hot water and immediately given a good bath of glycerine, and 

 then kept in a cool place. 



DESCRIPTION OF NEW SPECIES OF ANCTUS AND OLIVA.i 



BY .TOHN FORD, PHILADELPHIA. 



Anctus Pilsbryi Ford. Fig. 1. 



See The Nautilus iv, p. 81, 1890; Proc. Acad. N. S. Pliila. 1891, p. 81. 



Shell rimately umbilicated, the axis imperforate ; ovate-conical, 

 spire acute, apex black ; whorls 7, slightly convex, the last some- 



1 Reprinted by permission, from Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1891, pp. 97, 98. 



