ON RARE OR LITTLE KNOWN MOLLUSKS FROM THE WEST 

 COAST OK NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS 

 OF NEW SPECIES. 



P.Y 

 Robert E. C. Stearns, Ph. ]). 



Adjiinrt Curutor of llie Departmeiil uf Miilliisks. 

 (With Plat.! I..) 



The forms included in this j)aper are all in the, collection of the (J. S. 

 National Museum. I^^i^ht ol the fourteen were collected by Mr. W. .1. 

 Fislier in the (Jnlfor ('alifornia r(?f>ion several years a^o. The others 

 \vei'e(;olle<;ted ])y various persons: Dr. W. 11. Jones, 11. S. Navy; Dr. Ed- 

 ward Palmer, (Jii])t. (Jeorge 1). Torter, and others. A part of the 

 si)ecies have aln^ady l)een described. In some cases these descriptions 

 re(|nired r(;vision iin<l infornuition lelatinj*' to the species not before 

 available has been add<'d. 



The number of forms her<'tofore associated in the monographs an<l 

 by the princii)al authois with an Indo-Pacific habitat will attract 

 attention. A (;omparison of the marine portion of the molbisk fauini 

 of the (lulf region, with tliat of the (ialapagos, as exhibited in 

 the collection made by the (J, S. Fish Commission steamer Alhatrosti, 

 a caial(>j;ue of which is neaily leady Cor publication, <;ives a much 

 larger r(qn'esentation of distinctly Indo I'acilic or Polynesian species 

 to tlu', (brmer. In eonneetion with tlui Polynesian sjM'cies, attention 

 is called to the beautiful <Mnbroi(l<'red cone (lescril)ed by me in IST.'i,* 

 (Jonu.s J>(illi, in its geii(;ral a,spe(;t, color, markings, etc., ai)i)i'oaching 

 very closely to some of tlu; sitecies in the gioup represented by C. 

 textile. The original (examples wei(i obtaiiH'd by vessels in the (iidf 

 trade and l)ronght to San I'^rancisco. SubsetpuMitly, in l.STtJ, Mr. 

 Fish(;r collected numerous specimens, living and beach shells, at the 

 island of Maria Madre, of the Tres Marias (Jroup, in the mouth of the 

 (iulf, and I have since seen several a<lolescent examphis from the (iulf 

 region, which sustain the validity of the species and iiulicate that it is 

 found not infre(|uently within the (lulf area or ui)on its shores. 



Family A PLVSIID.F:. 



(ifiiiis DOLABELLA L:iiii:ir(l<. 



Dolabella californica Sti-arns. 

 Proo. Aciid. Na>,. .Sciences, lMiil.i<l.li.lii:i, 1S7K, p. :\m, I'l. vii, Fi-;s. 1, 2. 

 Several examples (Mus. No. ToOOI), Muleg<'- Pay, (lulf of California. 

 This form was first detected by Mr. W. J. Fisher in 187(». I have 



Proc. Cat. Acad. Sciences, April 7, 1873, PI. i, Fi<r. 1. 

 Proceedings National MuHonm, Vol. XVI — No. 941. 



341 



