The 
South Australian Naturalist 
VOL. XIV. ADELAIDE:, AUGUST 31st, 1933. No. 4. 
OBITUARY AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 
CONCHOLOGICAL WORKS 
of 
Sir Joseph Cooke Verco. 
(By Bernard C. Cotton, Co7ichologist, S. Australia^i Museum) 
On July 29th, 1933, Sir Joseph Cooke Verco passed away 
after a prolonged illness. His death removes from our midst at 
once a brilliant medical man and eminent conchologisr. Sir 
Joseph Verco was born at Fullarton in 1851, received his early 
■education in Adelaide, and after matriculating, went to London 
in 1871. In 1876, after a ver\' successful Ihtiversity career, he 
obtained the degree M.D. London. He returned to Adelaide in 
1878 and soon became the leading man in his profession. His 
Conchological career was no less brilliant. 
The study of Shells commenced very early in life, for as a 
boy, he had his own miniature museum and made tlie collection 
of natural history specimens his chief recreation. Between the 
years 1890 and 1911 he dredged for shells at various places be- 
tween Beachport, South Australia, and Fremantle, Western Aus- 
tralia, to a depth of 300 fathoms, and spared neither energy 
nor money in his efforts to acquire the lirst and only really scleii- 
tihe collection of shells ever taken in South Australia. Having suc- 
ceeded, he spent most of his spare lime sorting and describing 
them with characteristic accuracy and thoroughness. F’n m 1895 
to 1931 he published twenty-six scientific papers on Mollusca, 
describing one hundred and thirty-six new species and twenty- 
six new varieties of shells from South and Western Australia. 
Most of his papers were published in the Transactions of the 
Royal Society of South Australia, of which Society be was Presi- 
dent from 1903 to 1921. 
From 1914 until the time of his death he was Honorary 
Curator of Mollusca at the South Australian Museum. After 
donating his own extensive collection and conchological library 
to that institution, he purchased the Alay collection of Tasmania'* 
