New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-24
BIOLOGY or AMERICAN MoLLUsCS


appreciation leave it IN your hands
BIOLOGY or AMERICAN MOLLUSCS.
Professor Dali vice president, section + Biology,
read paper in which he took brief general view
Of what has been accomplished in America toward
knowledge of the biology OF It's moilusks. lie said
in part:
At present the mouscan fauna Of the land and fresh
water shells OF North America Is remarkably wel-known,
only the older parts Of Europe presenting parallel to
II. Something stll remains 70 be done in the Southern
States especially in the more mountainous portions, but
as a whole we can hardly expect that the additions Of
new species VII more han equal in numb r 10 re-
with already pamcd iornr may renoer neceSsary.
witch marine forms The case IS somewhat different.
United north OF he Chcsap nike has en- worked
ou Win great tnorougnucss by tie energy Of resident
mention say, Lesueur Gould, Conrnd, Mighcls, {. H.
Adams, Stmpson, Couthouy Dawson, WhiteaVes,
Smith and Ncrrl as specially eminent On me
western coast where much rchcr fauna prevails.
tie labJrs Of Carr enter, Cooper stearns. Gabb,
perc knowledge Of the species from California 10 sita
IpbOs OF MiJdcndOrl, large material In parl unpub-
,hcd has accumulated IN my own handschichy throu-h
non. made IN per on and with the ass stance
OF nv companions in explorations in Alaska and Oh the
fhe noilnk fanna Of Arctic America is well known and
new species hardly 10 be hoped for By the mos, energetic
Thc e1ploron OF tne Southern coast especially that
Of the Gu.f Of California, Is nucI less thorough, and
indeed RON Georgia round tn, peninsula ol Forl IN 10
Galveston there is hardly amy locally which Won not
repay a careful search. Nearly every such attempt
results H. new dscOy riCE.
her liuc ~ Investigation closely connected with
the gcogrsr nicl distribution OF species, has recently
been taken mp with results Ircer 20 the eXplOra-
OF tno bed o. the deep sea It's relations are Amer
lean rather rom the act IA its initiation began under
the u-ccs OF the COa,t survey Of the United STATES,
and int its latest efforts are largely cue TO he nven
tiVel4ess OF American naval aud flsh Commission OIL
cs than from Tue results OF the work Itself, "ich are
world Wide in their application, ana To which various ma
~. II
stntcd measure.
The kuowlca ye OF tho conditions which exist
great part OF the scabcd and OF the Typographical feat
ures OF tho bottom "gs greatly modified the accepted
vleWsoi geo-raphcai ols T!nu ION We now hlo" that
the conditions arc slch mat there is no evident reason
the Antarc c sea To the rth Polar regions and in fact
very nearly fuch u range has been made
% Gu' cold water to the Nolhern ocean
ar, a. Las led TO thc suggestion that the Antarctic
the great centre OF distribution from which species OF
al shores may ne originated however Ide i"l' may
D., OF biahCac. OF the animal Kingdom, or kuOWl-
oucdou. 4 certain portion oil our ia"ni however may
stuGies o. tnc cmbryological stages Of a few Of orr
American mo" '7hs nave nr-l ltue III 'ls coihIy ana
crcItap- contributions 10 this branch OF subj Dct
tine oai nun'e 90 ilneiIc' l ln1id> those OF Whch
have an approximate cubIy ol ,ctl knowledge may
be counted on the -ers ana the hell therefore is vast
Sp,cnl training and udcatgaJe patience, as wei as
tacIutic~ al the conumand OF ALL are absolutely
W, ,,c' Iiiyirs y hem and ri,.
worthy tine der OF Ou tlcy require.
Tine instructive orInontai pheAom m which may DO
exhibited by living mOlsks nave not been subjected
Investigation. f. is tile mat IW observers nave IN
c.IcufIy ucscI4D . actions Wc On mature cusiurI-
non DE mend 40 rAiIl mental processes OI GER
,aln Inc speaker ha7 laieJ pu OH record certain
observations Wh. seem 90 Indicate the possession, D.,
som. l.cc, of the gents Ncif %, the power rDcO,
i.I "a call souId anu a. distinguish 4t from Otner
cal- Oh ,oIu.s oil similar cnaac cr and, since that
pDarcl, iccrt cu cru exact
cu.uHuI.icAt. obs winch would o,cn On thc Tuolc To
COuHIuf tAI, conc lurlDii
American u. uia.l>ts have tire first recognized
mo e. ur les, clearly ,uc Initial uutura. scltcton
I,y none Ia. ell D.cI NOR clearly tta cd tiEt natural
iUC4lJu ol4ild l1ii- i.d ii'il. Eliminates be-
,..tou al.ttu5 existing oictCACro Dl no OtucI geo
graphical AiO.p oi students nave sucn Important
rA.i..tlIu. Dctu made OF the cu.,J or
lie rcItluus Ol Hndlotlcu structure To trains
n,,ao ,, what may nc termed the IhJ tlu
d4oD u Tie 30 tI' individual, col the -I"up, ANA Oi
Ic, In, laJo.- oi Cope, Hyatt, ~ der .ior,e 5d
Otntr among Us, lo no I'ss iilui in'h -u1s stNc IN
these directions.
some unnecessary anxiety seems To have been cx-
pressed h. many 4n ic-iIj 90 hc Og4n o. variation. IL
- uot uouutu tAt. Variation 4, AS inachd necessity
i54ns when nave eA4aocd since ,no appearance OF
obo tItrc can nave D,cn no tNO individuals
tents ana qdaI.ts or thciI tnFhOnnent, have been
lpsoi.t,.y Iucngcal Many approached neatly To
IT, Dan absolute identity IH7 not existed. II -
therefore uiattcf OI surprise tdi variations
bus rather tnt iItIc D. any lIS hr niiOiuly among
or1Ac o,lnS,. 4nc tuIAs tina b., ready extraordinary
ls Aal organic lac a.oud nave ~ run Iu RUS s one
Inl. ht .t} .uai tno majority cases.
WIinout DOuDt ID sN,n organism 90 one Of ~ great
ttiI -IOups W4C.. cdI Oc connie. on IA. fingers.
Ice lu tnc uilo,. PJ altl acoh o. the environ
In, AT, d. MAJ std niCtDOu1 IcH o wlch get
dor,.oO,, many o. Nch MAY Iuhs r-nun ihy %, ots,
bat W4lcu lie course of tlllo Wall uAuouD,Dd De-
auc- inu Will of tud, most extraordinary al
game mysteries, IN human mind.