The Family Olividae 
John Q. Burch and Rose L. Burch 1 
Shells of the family Olividae are certainly 
among the most beautiful in form, color, and 
markings that we possess. Nevertheless, they 
attract comparatively little attention from the 
general collector. This is remarkable because the 
shells are extensively distributed over the globe, 
are easily collected, and are easily procured at 
a moderate rate. We believe that this lack of 
attention is due to the uncertainty with regard 
to the number of species, and to the lack of 
reference material. It is difficult to define the 
limits of many of the species on account of 
the great variation in color and the extraordi- 
nary manner in which the markings gradually 
change in character while species of other 
groups are easily distinguished. 
Linnaeus (1758) divided the shells we know 
as the Olividae into 3 species, V oluta oliva, V . 
porphyria, and V. ispidula. Gmelin (1791) 
added a few, and Lamarck (1811), extended 
the number to 62. Dillwyn (1817) reduced it 
to 18. Duclos (1835) figured 84 species; he 
considered that 22 of the species which Lamarck 
described as distinct were only varieties of other 
species. Reeve (1850) published figures of 100 
species. In 1858 J. E. Gray published "An at- 
tempt to distribute the species of Oliva into 
natural groups,” but his work did not meet with 
general acceptance by other authors. In 1870- 
1871 F. P. Marrat published his "Monograph 
of the Genus Oliva ” in which he figured 220 
species. In 1883 George W. Tryon published 
volume V of the Manual of Conchology, which 
contains his monograph of the Olividae. This 
was a monumental work, but Tryon was dis- 
posed to group related species to a greater extent 
than most authors have approved. Tryon re- 
duced the number of species to 55. The more 
recent major publications on this family include 
those of Johnson (1910-1911, 1915, 1928); 
Dautzenberg (1927); Dodge (1950); and 
Olsson and Dance (1966). 
1 1400 Mayfield Road, Apt. 61 L, Seal Beach, 
California 90740. Manuscript received May 25, 1966. 
Marrat (1870-1871) made the following 
statement regarding the Olividae: "Specific dif- 
ferences confined within limited areas constitute 
the exceptions not the rule. In almost every case 
where the shells can be obtained in numbers 
they approach the so called species above and 
below them so as to render it a matter of un- 
certainty whether they constitute a variety of 
one or the other.” In an effort to trace the rela- 
tionships between the species Marrat introduced 
many new names. Sowerby (1870-1871) com- 
mented in Thesaurus Conchyliorum : "In his 
study of the affinities he has been led to register 
and nominally to admit as species many forms 
which will appear to the readers as they do to 
the editor quite indistinguishable.” 
Ford (1953) said of Marrat: "Judged from 
the number of forms to which he gave names 
Marrat might be considered a splitter. Later, 
however, he stated that the 220 species of Oliva 
might, if carefully examined, be reduced to 
twenty, and the greater part of his own species 
reduced to varieties.” 
The Marrat collection of shells of the Olivi- 
dae was purchased by the Liverpool Museum in 
1875 and remains intact and available. The 
work of the late J. R. le B. Tomlin listing the 
species and designating the various type speci- 
mens was published by Ford (1953). Tomlin’s 
comments are of great value to the worker on 
this group. Lamarck’s types of the Annales du 
Museum are in Caen. The Duclos collection is 
in the Geological Society of London. The 
Lovell Reeve collection of olives was sold at 
public auction at the Steven’s Auction Rooms. 
A large part of the specimens were purchased 
by Marrat and incorporated in his collection. 
The Weinkauff collection is in the museum at 
Frankfurt, Germany. All of the great collections 
of Olividae remain intact in large public in- 
stitutions. The type specimens representing the 
work of leading scholars from Lamarck to those 
of the present day remain available to the seri- 
ous student. These specimens were named and 
studied in good faith by recognized workers 
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