326 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



Strait of Florida. The mollusks secured were 

 sent to Washington and later to William Stimpson 

 in Chicago, a distinguished naturalist, who was to 

 study and report on them. Before he was able to 

 do so the entire collection was destroyed in the 

 great fire. While the shells were in Washington 

 Dr. W. H. Ball was greatly surprised to find 

 among them a small Haliotis or "sea ear." These 

 mollusks have their metropolis in the Pacific and 

 Indian oceans. Hitherto Haliotis had only been 

 found (one species) in the Atlantic along the 

 western coast of Africa. The discovery of one 

 of these mollusks in Floridian waters was a great 

 conchological event. Later Dr. Dall published 

 from memory a description of this destroyed shell, 

 naming it Haliotis pourtalesi in honor of its dis- 

 coverer. Years later the Albatross dredged a 

 Haliotis in the Galapagos which Dr. Dall referred 

 to this species with some doubt. About five 

 years ago Mr. Henderson dredged a Haliotis on 

 the Pourtales Plateau which was submitted to 

 Dr. Dall, who unhesitatingly pronounced it to be 

 co-specific with the original shell which had been 

 destroyed. On comparing the Haliotis obtained 

 by Mr. Henderson with the Galapagos specimen 



