26 
Book review 
Bouchet, P. (Editor). 1995. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM. Volume 14. Mémoirs du 
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. Volume 167: 1-654. ISBN 2-85653-217-9. 600 French 
francs plus postage. Available from: Dr W Backhuys, PO Box 321, 2300 AH Leiden, The 
Netherlands. 
During the 1980s the Müseum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris conducted an ambitious 
sampling program in the oceanic waters off New Caledonia and other areas of the Pacific and Indian 
Oceans, such as the Chesterfield Islands in the Coral Sea, Philippines, Indonesia, and the 
southwestern Indian Ocean. Sample sites ranged from intertidal and shallow subtidal work in the 
lagoons to depths of several hundred metres or more on the slopes and on into the oceanic depths. 
Collecting samples was only the first, small part of the work. The material was then sent to France 
and sorted into the various major animal groups, then resorted to species, an extremely laborious 
process. Specialists in particular groups from throughout the world have been strongly encouraged to 
research the systematics of the various taxa. In many cases funding has been provided to allow 
researchers to work on the material at the Paris Museum for some months where they have had 
access to all the specimens and at the same time the library and other resources of a major museum. 
As proof of the success of the program, the present volume is the fourteenth in the series of 
Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, and the second on molluscs. There are 10 papers by a total 
of 15'authors in this volume which present new results on the taxonomy, classification and 
biogeography of the Bivalvia (Pectinoidea, Meiocardia, Glossidae, Trapeziidae, and 
Anomalodesmata), Scaphopoda, and Gastropoda (Calliostomatidae, Trophoninae, Volutidae, 
Drilliidae, Conidae, and Mathildidae). The comprehensive MUSORSTOM sampling in deep waters 
has resulted in the discovery of a wealth of new taxa in a wide variety of animal groups, including 
molluscs. 
The present volume alone contains descriptions of 1 new subfamily, 9 new genera and 142 new 
species. The scaphopod section by Victor Scarabino is the largest paper in the volume. It discusses 
139 species, 42 of which are new (in addition there are three new genera). A revised classification of 
all scaphopods is proposed which recognises 44 genera worldwide. The radulae of 42 of these genera 
are figured. The calliostomatid paper by Bruce Marshall describes 27 new species, 4 new genera, a 
new tribe, and raises the Calliostomatidae to full family status. Roland Houart describes 2 new 
genera and 24 new species of Trophoninae. My own paper on drilliids describes 22 new species. All 
except one of the remaining papers also contain new taxa. 
The papers are of high quality by recognised experts in the groups studied. Presentation is good 
with clear illustrations and a standard formatting for all papers. The 654 pages contain a wealth of 
information about Indo-Pacific molluscs. 
Volume 14 of Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM (and the preceding Volume 7, also on 
molluscs) are essential additions to the library of anyone interested in Indo-Pacific molluscs. Dr 
Philippe Bouchet, the volume editor, is to be sincerely congratulated for his energetic work in 
obtaining the material, encouraging researchers to work it up, and his fine efforts in seeing the 
volume through to final publication. 
There are many groups which have not yet been studied, and we can look forward to a future 
volume in the series containing much more information developed from this energetic program. 
Fred E Wells 
