The Nautilus. 



Vol. XIII. NOVEMBER, 1899. Xo. 



DONAX STULTORUM, MAWE CONRAD'S SPECIES, CYTHEREA 

 CRASSATELLOIDES. 



BY ROBT. E. C. STEARNS. 



On delving into the literature and resurrecting the little known 

 work of some good old forgotten author, in pursuance of the law of 

 priority, we have to rehabilitate an overlooked name at the expense 

 of a better and more appropriate one, that has been in use for nearly 

 two-thirds of a century. Of course this results in some confusion, 

 and the revision of labels, catalogues, etc., which is no trifling affair. 

 An instance of this kind is seen in the case of the well-known 

 Gytherea ( 7)'reh) crassatelloides of Conrad (1837), of Californian 

 waters, which now, though the specific name is highly appropriate, is 

 found to conflict with that of stultorum of Mawe, who figured it in 

 1823, from a young example, assigning it to the genus Donax. The 

 Lite Dr. Philip Carpenter, who was inclined to lie conservative in 

 cases of this kind, while mentioning Mawe's species in the British 

 Association Report, 18G3, p. 524, and in the tabulated list of the 

 shells of the Vancouver ami Californian province, same volume (p. 

 640), adheres to Conrad's name and say-, "jun. = stultorum Gray." 

 With over a hundred juniors before me, measuring from three- 

 fourths to an inch and a half (19 to 37 mm.) in length, it seems 

 strange that, this form, even in its adolescent stages, should have 

 been regarded as a Donax. On page 526, of his report as above, 

 Carpenter says " [the young of this Pachydesma is l Trigona stult- 



