Vermetid Gastropods — Morton 
15 
lines, may on fuller investigation be found to 
be genetically linked with advantageous fea- 
tures or developmental patterns. Such a stand 
is less likely to appeal to one looking at, for 
example, the variety of sculpture found in the 
nuclear whorls of vermetids or siliquariids, 
the sculpture pattern of the adult shells, the 
structure of the operculum in Siliquaria , or of 
its bristles in Stephopoma. The selectionist’s 
view has the merit of removing a problem one 
stage further away; but to try to argue with 
our present knowledge, any general relation 
between adaptive influences and the evolu- 
tion of molluscs at the generic or specific 
level, is probably to go further than reliable 
evidence will allow. 
In this paper I have given no critical atten- 
tion to generic nomenclature, but have em- 
ployed as genera, according to prevailing 
practice, each of the subgeneric groups recog- 
nized by Thiele (1931), in his rather con- 
servative arrangement of the Vermetidae (s . 1. ) . 
Dr. Myra Keen, of the Department of Geol- 
ogy, Stanford University, California, has 
recently (August, 1954) outlined to me in 
correspondence a revision of the genera of 
Vermetidae (properly so-called) which she 
will shortly make. From my own study of the 
soft parts and biology of the family I am 
in agreement with Dr. Keen’s proposals. 
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