166 



a:mericax jouri^al 



CATALOGUE OF THE SHELLS OF THE COOSA RIVER, 

 ALABAMA. 



BY JAMES LEWIS, M.D. 



Amonii; the Rivers of the United States noted for the number 

 of species of Mollusca that inhabit them, the Coosa River, in 

 Alabama, may be considered first. The following list of species 

 was compiled from various sources ; principal among them may 

 be mentioned the "Observations" of Mr. Isaac Lea, in which 

 Avill be found descriptions and figures of by far the greater part 

 of the species. Much aid has also been derived from specimens 

 furnished by Dr. E. R. Showalter, of Uniontown, Ala., who has 

 also kindly furnished much valuable information. The manu- 

 script has also been submitted to the criticism of Dr. W. D. 

 Hartman, of West Chester, Pa., and to Mr. Chas. M. Wheatley, 

 of Phoenixville, who have likewise offered valuable suggestions. 



The nomenclature of the UnionidcB in the following tables 

 is that adopted by Mr. Isaac Lea ; that of the Strepomatidce, 

 with a few trifling deviations, will be found in accordance with 

 the synonymy of this family as given by Mr. G. W. Tryon, Jr. 

 It is possible that some known species have been either inad- 

 vertently omitted or unjustly excluded by reasons of erroneous 

 views of synonymy ; and on the other hand it is probable that the 

 number of species, when carefully studied, will be found to 

 be really less than the tables indicate, as there are very urgent 

 reasons for suspecting that many of the nominal species are 

 really only varieties. But the subject is beset with too many 

 difficulties to warrant any attempt to reduce synonymy in con- 

 nection with this compilation. 



