REPORT ON A COLLECTION OF SHELLS FROM PERU, WITH 

 A SUABIARY OF THE LITTORAL MARINE MOLLUSCA OF 

 THE PERLWIAN ZOOLOGICAL PROVINCE. 



By William Healey Dall, 



Curator, Division of MoUusks, U. S. National Museum,. 



INTRODUCTION. 



LTnder the auspices of the Ministerio cle Fomento of Peru, Mr. R. E. 

 Coker was engaged in making studies and collections of animals of 

 the Peruvian coast with the intention of contributing to the knowl- 

 edge of the aquatic resources of the country. In the course of this 

 work numerous economic notes were made in relation to the animals 

 obtained. 



On the portion of the collection consisting of Mollusca, the authori- 

 ties of Peru, through the intervention of Mr. Coker, have requested 

 the writer to prepare a report. 



It was found on looking into the matter that no systematic list 

 of the shore mollusks of the Peruvian province had been published 

 for more than half a century. It was thought that the value of this 

 report to the naturalists of Peru and elsewhere would be consider- 

 ably enhanced, after discussing the collection in question, if to it was 

 added a list of the species reported as occurring on the shores of the 

 Peruvian zoological province. The present report therefore contains 

 both, together with illustrations of the chief economic mollusks of the 

 Peruvian coast and islands contained in the collection. 



It should be said that specimens of this collection have been 

 returned with identifications, to the Peruvian authorities, and another 

 series retained in the U. S. National Museum for reference. The 

 notes in small type were prepared by Mr. Coker, who also collected 

 the local names by which the more conspicuous species are known 

 to the fishermen and local salesmen. It will be observed that these 

 "common" names are no more precise or descriptive than those of 

 our own fishermen, the same name being often applied to extremely 

 distinct animals. 



I 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 37— No. 1704. 



147 



