
— NEW YORK SHELL CLUB NOTES 
Page 4 October 19 No. 25 
the shell at hand. The task is made even more difficult since no 
figures of the shells appear as yet, though ict he ae be hoped that 
subsequent parts of this work will include such figures. 
The question arises whether these rather skimpy descriptions can Be 
accepted as valid under the code on international nomenclature. 
discussed this with Dr. W. K. Emerson of the American Museum who 
pointed out that the publication marginally fulfills the legal re- 
quirements; diagnostic distinctions are given (in the keys) and ex- 
act type-localities are provided in every case. if in addition one 
can learn where the holotypes are located (presumably in the Museo 
Felipe Poey in Havana) it is conceivable that the author's idea of 
the new taxa can be elicited and the new names properly assigned. 
The richness of the urocoptid fauna is not necessarily a good sign, 
Pilsbry (1904:xv) writes as follows: "Many genera of Urocoptidae 
are in the stage called ... phylogerontic. They are in the old age 
of the race, and there is every reason to believe that many phyla 
in the family will not outlast the present geological period. The 
stigmata of decadence are seen on many sides.” Among such signs is 
the overspecialized nature of the radula, which makes adaptation to 
changing conditions unlikely. Furthermore, "the fusiform shape of 
the shell indicates decreasing growth power." The loose coiling of 
the last whorl -- which in the case of the species Gyraxis brooksi- 
ana hangs down from the penultimate whorl for a distance as long as 
the entire rest of the shell -- “is a feature of senility in the in- 
dividual gastropod, and of old age in the race.” Pilsbry concludes 
that the Urocoptidae as a whole seem therefore to have passed their 
acme. They are in a stage similar to the extinct ammonites, brach- 
iopods, and trilobites when “the more spiny, highly ornamented, ab- 
normal, bizarre forms appeared at or about the time when the vital- 
ity of the type was apparently declining.” If true, this would in- 
deed be sad, but at least we have all of the present geological 
period in which to collect urocoptids. This should be time enough. 
Morris K. Jacobson 
WORKS REFERRED TO 
Clench, William J. and Morris K. Jacobson, 1971. A monograph of 
the Genera Calidviana, Ustronia, Troschelviana, and Semitro- 
chatella in Cuba. Bull. Museum Comparative Zoology, Harvard 
University, vol. 141, no. 7, pp. 403-463. 
Mayr, Ernst and C. B. Rosen, 1956. Geographic variation and hy- 
bridization in populations of Bahama snails (Cerion). 
American Museum Novitates, no. 1806, pp. 1-48. — 
Pilsbry, H. A. 1904. Manual of Concholog series Ti, Vor. 16. 
Urocoptidae, pp. xl + 204. Philadelohia. or 
Zilch, Adolph, 1960. Familia Urocoptidae in Gastropoda. Euthy- 
neura, pp. 522-543, Berlin-Nikolassee. i ; 4 

SHELL AUCTION: : ? 
Sol Weiss announces a first auction of shells to be 
held on Long Island -- at Williston Park on October 28th. For de- 
tails write to Sol at 65 Harvard Street, Roslyn Heights, New York 
or telephone (516) 621-6571. : d 
