356 TRANSACTIONS OF THE WAGNER FREE 



natural forces. Here, again, a word of warning to the student may be justified. 

 If all these differences be marked with names, and the specimens put in sepa- 

 rate trays and studied, as one may say, a batch at a time, instead of all together, 

 it will be much more difficult to grasp general ideas in regard to them, or to 

 make way against the traditions which regard, unconsciously, a species as 

 formerly defined, something with exact and sharp boundaries, and which is 

 capable of precise estimation apart from any other. And for this reason I 

 feel strongly that the undue multiplication of mere names is a serious stum- 

 bling-block in the way of progress in all the essentials of the science. A name 

 is a handle, and a thing needs one or at most two handles to be properly man- 

 aged. If it bristle with handles like a porcupine with quills, we are necessarily 

 driven to let it alone, and they serve no good purpose. 



Orepidula fornicata (Lam.) Say. 



Crepidula fornicata (Lam.) Say, Journ. Acad, Nat. Sci. Phila. ii. p. 225, 1822 ; Conrad, 



Medial Tert., pi. 45, fig. 10. 

 C. glauca Say, op. cil. p. 226, 1822. 

 C. cynibceformis Conr., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. ii. p. 173, 1844; Medial Tert., p. 81, pi. 45, 



fig- 7- 

 C. de7isata Conr., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. i. p. 311, 1843; Medial Tert., p. 81, pi. 45, 



fig- 9- 

 C. potiderosa H. C. Lea, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, 2d Ser. ix. p. 249, pi. 35, fig. 40, 1845 

 C. cornucopia H. C. Lea, op. cit. p. 250, pi. 35, fig. 41, 1845. 

 C. rostrata Conr., Am. Journ. Conch, vi. p. 77,'i87i. 

 C. virginica Conr., id. p. 78, 1871. 

 C. recurvirosira Conr., id. p. 78, 1871. 



Older Miocene of Santo Domingo, Gabb, and of the Chipola beds, 

 Chipola River, Florida, Burns; Chesapeake Miocene throughout; Pliocene of 

 Dismal Swamp, Va., of North and South Carolina, of Costa Rica, of the 

 Caloosahatchie beds and Shell Creek, Florida ; Post- Pliocene of South Caro- 

 lina and of North Creek, Little Sarasota Bay, Florida ; living on the eastern 

 shores of America from Prince Edward's Island to the northern shores of 

 South America, including the West Indian Islands. 



The typical fornicata is found as characteristic in the Chesapeake Miocene 

 as in the recent fauna. C. cynibceformis is a station variety due to growth on a 

 narrow, arched surface of moderately large size, such as the exterior of a 

 Melongena shell. 



C. ponderosa is due to luxuriant growth on a similar but smaller surface, 

 necessitating an increased vertical and consequently spiral enlargement ; C. 

 densata to growth on a flatter but still inconveniently limited surface in the 

 matter of area ; C. rostrata is one of a series of Crepidulse which probably 

 grew on each other's backs, as they may frequently be seen to do now among 

 the oyster-beds, sometimes as many as six being mounted one upon another ; 

 C. recurvirostra is the same thing, and C. virgitiica is a frank sj'nonym of the 

 typicaiyb;'«zc«/«. 



