58 



THE NAUTILUS. 



AVorld's Fair. Doubtless most of the members will visit the Fair 

 and if they could time their visits so as to meet their fellow members 

 and hold a convention, it would enable them to become personally 

 acquainted with each other, besides learning much from the eminent 

 scientists among their number, through the medium of papers 

 prepared for the occasion. The president would be glad to hear 

 from the members upon the subject and if the idea is favorably 

 received, a committee could be appointed to arrange a j^i'ogram. 

 Send in your suggestions, ladies and gentlemen ! 



Another suggestion is made that a Committee be appointed to 

 classify and revise the nomenclature of the American Unionidaj. 

 Every one, who has paid any attention to this great family, is 

 annoyed at the great number of synonyms that encumber the litera- 

 ture of the subject and as we have several members who are students 

 of the Unionidse, it would be a good idea to enlist their service in 

 the work. What say you, Messrs. Simpson, Hargrave, Fry, Mead, 

 Lebman, Monell, Nell, Strode, Trombley, the two Wrights, Whitte- 

 raore, Wheeler, Shepherd, Marshall, Marsh, Gorby, Brady, Vaughan 

 and Witter? 



A Avord about naming shells. Some members like Prof. Dall, 

 Ford, Simpson and Pilsbry are overworked, while others have little 

 opportunity to help their fellow members. The trouble is that the 

 gentlemen named and others like them. are all amiable and would 

 like to oblige everybody, but they have an enormous amount of 

 work on hand, and it taxes their time too much to name large lots 

 of miscellaneous shells, which could be distributed around among 

 the members. The writer knows that they would protest against 

 this, if they knew what we are saying about them, for they are too 

 good natured to complain, but nevertheless we would make a sugges- 

 tion to members, who desire their shells to be named properly. 

 When you get a miscellaneous lot of shells, divide them first into 

 univalves and bivalves. Then, if you can, separate them into land, 

 fresh-w^ater and marine, or as near as you can come to such a division. 



Then take your list of members and turn to your index of subjects 

 and find out who are studying the different branches. Then write 

 and ask such specialists, if you will send your shells to them for 

 naming and we venture to say, that they will gladly respond as that 

 is one of the objects of the Association. Let us take a few instances. 



1. If you are a beginner and do not know the genera, pick out one 



