THE NATURAL SCIENCE JOURNAL. 
47 
Department of doncboloap* 
ROBERT E. BRIGGS, Editor. 
New Bedford, Mass. 
Contributions of items regarding the collection and use 
of shells, and accounts of personal exploration and new 
finds are earnestly solicited. 
SHELLS OF SOUTEEKH WISOOHSIH. 
Mrs. E. C. Wiswall. 
0 those interested in the collecting 
and study of land and fresh water 
univalves and bivalves, it may be grati¬ 
fying to learn a little concerning species 
found in southern Wisconsin. 
For a few years I have given what 
time I could spare to the collecting and 
study of these very interesting little 
creatures. 
There is so much to learn in regard to 
them—their homes and habits, that I 
feel as though I have not yet mastered 
the A B C of it. 
To those just starting out in the busi¬ 
ness of collecting I would say that I 
have learned first from hints from old 
collectors and later by experience, that 
the earlier one searches for land species 
after daylight appears, the greater the 
number and variety of specimens will be 
that he will obtain. 
This is doubtless due to the fact that 
by far the greater number do their feed¬ 
ing at night. 
I have noticed also, when collecting 
bivalves, they are always more numerous 
during the latter part of the day, and 
especially after the sun is low or entirely 
out of sight. Is this too, because they 
prefer darkness to light, and are just 
getting out for their breakfast? Perhaps 
they might be found numerous during 
the early part of the day also, but as the 
distance to the collecting ground is so 
great, I have never attempted to call 
upon them before they went to bed. 
Many of the small land species, such 
as Vallonia pulchella, Hyalinia minuscula, 
Hyalinia arborea, Patula striatella and 
Pupa armifera, I have collected on our 
lawn and in our garden, and this before 
four o’clock A. M. This early collecting 
is extremely interesting, but one has to 
bear in consequence the stigma of being 
called a “crank,” and take his chances 
of being picked up and located in an in¬ 
sane asylum. Those who go early with 
fishing-rod and bait will gaze at you in 
amazement, and indeed it must look 
strangely to them to see one at that hour 
on the dew-besprinkled lawn in an atti¬ 
tude not unlike that of a heathen before 
his idol. 
I give herewith a list of the species I 
have found in the southern part of our 
state. 
Unio. Aisopus, Green 
“ alatus Say 
“ donicifornis, Lea 
“ ellipses, Lea 
“ gibbosus, Barnes 
“ ligamentinus, Lam. 
“ luteolus, Lam 
“ metaneverus, Raf. 
“ ventricosus, Bar. 
“ pustulosus, Lea 
“ rectus, Lam 
“ securis, Lea 
“ cornutus, Barnes 
“ trigonus. Lea 
“ tuberculatus, Barnes 
“ undulatus, Barnes 
“ plicatus, Lesu. 
“ elegans, Lea 
“ solidus, Lea 
“ parvus, Barnes 
“ fragosus. Con. 
