Mollusc - Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland · 2012-03-05 · Mollusc World ISSUE...

Mollusc World

ISSUE No.19

MAr CH 2009

THE MAgAzINE oF THE CoNCHoLogICAL SoCIETY oF gr EAT Br ITAIN & Ir ELAND24

ISSN 1740-1070

contents2

Society informationSociety website

3Phenacolimax major

in SE DevonField MeetingKeith Alexander

6All - Ireland Non-marine

Molluscan databaseAndrew Byrne, Evelyn Moorkens,

Roy Anderson, Julia Nunn, Liam Lysaght & Eugenie Regan

8Book

The Landsnails of MadeiraMary Seddon

9The Paua Shell

Adrian Sumner

10The mating of

Limax maximusAydin Örstan

11Book Review

Molluschi terrestri e d’acqua dolce

della Valle di SusaElena Gavetti, Stefano Birindelli,

Marco Bodon & Giuseppe Manganelli

12Collecting and...eating

snails in MoroccoAlex Menez

16Book

The New Molluscan Namesof Cesar-Marie Felix AnceyHarriet Wood & Jennifer Gallicham

17The Shell Cottage,

Carton EstateCounty Kildare, Ireland

Evelyn Moorkens

18Field survey at

Pilliga Scrub AustraliaMichael J Murphy

22Snails & shells helparchaeologists learn

about Land and People.A new publication

Mike Allen

23Diary

particularly for Pisidium spp. Should theweather become unpleasantly hot it may bepossible to continue to examine materialindoors.

Meet at 10:30h at the bridge over the RiverLoddon on the A329 at the public footpathsign next to the petrol filling station (SU766716), nearly opposite the multiscreencinema. This will provide a brief opportunity tore-sample the site next to the bridge to see ifthere have been species changes since the2007 floods. Or, for those coming by car, at10:00h at Loddon Bridge Park and Ride(parking spaces have been reserved next tothe small office) (SU 768717) signposted fromthe end of the A329M (first exit northboundafter the M4 exits). This car park is behind,but separate from, the multiscreen cinema carpark. For those coming by train the easieststation is Earley. Walk to the end of StationRoad then turn left down Wokingham Road(A329) until the river is reached (about 20mins). Please inform the leader if you intendto come.

There may be a short Council meeting duringthis meeting, if required.

YCS - Saturday 5 SeptemberWalden Dale, VC65. Contact: David Lindley(0113 2697047) (home),[email protected]

Meet at 10:30h in West Burton village centreby the village green, grid ref. SE 017866.

FIELD - Friday - Monday 18-21 SeptemberIsle of SkyeMarine meetingLeader: Shelagh Smith(016977 42014) (home)

Accommodation should be sought in theBroadford area. Cottages on Skye tend to besmall and are in very short supply, so if youare planning to attend this meeting, earlybooking of your accommodation is vital.

NHM – Saturday 3 October11:00h in the Dorothea Bate Room[Palaeontology Demonstration Room]Please note the revised start time. No Councilmeeting.

Please bring plenty of exhibits anddemonstration material. There will be a lunchbreak at about 13:00h. Lecture to start at14:00h.The morning’s activities will include exhibitsand demonstrations on deep-water [shelfedge] marine molluscs and freshwatermolluscs, and other options still at theplanning stage.Members are encouraged to bring specimensof any Mollusca for identification, a X20

binocular microscope will be available ifneeded.

Guest speaker at 14:00hLuciana Genio (University of Leeds)Recent researches on Bathymodiolus in NEAtlantic cold seeps

NHM – Saturday 17 October11:00h in the Board Room of the NaturalHistory MuseumFull day meeting of Council only

YCS - Saturday 17 OctoberUpper Nidderdale, VC64. Contact: David Lindley(0113 2697047) (home),[email protected]

Meet at 10:30h in the car park in PateleyBridge on the south side of the river, grid ref.SE 157654.

FIELD - Saturday 24 October Nottinghamshire, Sherwood Forest area. SlugsearchLeader: Chris du Feu(01427 848400) (home)

WKSHP – Saturday 28 NovemberThe annual workshop held in Woking offersMembers the opportunity to receive tuition onidentifying difficult groups. Subjects: small marine bivalves and helicidland snailsBookings to Judith Nelson. Tel: 01483 761210(home)

NHM – Saturday 12 December14:00h in the Dorothea Bate Room[Palaeontology Demonstration Room],preceded by Council meeting.

Guest speaker at 14:00hto be announced

Mollusc iss 19 visual 1:Mollusc iss 18 visual 1 09/10/2009 22:52

Phenacolimax major is an elusivespecies; its habits and ecology arepoorly documented. A lot of timeover the weekend was therefore spentdiscussing what we do know – orrather what we think we know – andwhether this applied to the sites wewere visiting. The known sites tend tobe relatively undisturbed ancientwoodlands, where humidity ismaintained at a permanently highlevel by the presence of springs, wetseepages, and/or streams beneath arelatively dense canopy of broad-leaved trees, but where the ground isnot subject to flooding. The sites alsotend to be well-sheltered, out of thedrying wind. The snails are foundamongst moss, leaf litter and otherdebris on the soil surface, and oftendemand considerable search effort tolocate. South-east Devon is one of thevery few strongholds for the speciesknown in Britain and was an obvioustarget area for Conch Soc’sdistributional project on the species.Eighteen sites are known in thecounty and this field meeting targetedthree of these and also exploredfurther afield.

Saturday was spent in the TeignValley above Steps Bridge. BridfordWood is the only known site inDartmoor National Park – discoveredhere by Dave Bolton in 1992 - and somost of our time was spent here. Astream cuts down through thewestern end of the wood and hascreated a broad area of nutrient-enriched wet-flushed ground inotherwise dry acid oak woodland.After two hours of searching throughthe lower valley we only had a fewpossible Phenacolimax shells, all foundby Rosemary Hill (and confirmedlater). The presence of Cochlodinalaminata is an interesting feature ofthe site – it is very localised in Devonand unexpected in the granite

woodlands of Dartmoor - and a fewjuvenile Zenobiella subrufescens alsoadded some interest. A live Vitrinapellucida caused some initialexcitement before its true identity wasagreed. The profusion of wilddaffodils provided an attractivebackdrop to the search.

After lunch we explored further upthe main river valley into ThomasCleave Wood, but this proved a poorarea, with a cold drying windscouring down the side valley. An oldstone ruin at the entrance to thevalley was the main feature of interestfound, as the walls had beencolonised by Merdigera obscura –another surprise for a Dartmoor site;how does a lime-loving speciesmanage to find a very isolatedmortared wall? This area wassufficiently unrewarding however forus to return to the morning’s localityand explore further up the streamvalley – usefully extending into theneighbouring 10km square. Here wefound springs with extensive areas ofgolden saxifrage Chrysosplenium andwe managed to build up the site listby adding Carychium tridentatum,Columella edentula and Deroceras laeve.The spring-line area appears to havegood potential for further specialistmolluscs but we were running out oftime and could not spend too longhere.

Sunday’s target was to check the twoold East Devon AONB sites. These arevery different in character to theDartmoor valley, being goyles -steeply incised funnel-shaped streamgullies cut down through the localsandy strata and flint beds. Westarted in Lincombe Goyle on thewest side of the Sid valley, where P.major was reported by Jean Paton in1969. The goyle initially did not looktoo promising as the upper flanks

have been converted to coniferplantation, there was much cherrylaurel and rhododendron on thegoyle sides, and fallen trees hadrecently been cleared away for ashoot. Molluscs proved hard to findand so we decided to abandon thegoyle and try the neighbouringBeacon Goyle. After struggling up the

Phenacolimax major sites in SE Devon 14 & 15 March 2009 Keith Alexander

FIELD MEETINg

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Mollusc WorldThis magazine is intended as a medium for communicationbetween members on all aspects of Molluscs fromarchaeology to life in the sea, field collecting at home andabroad and even eating molluscs. If you look back on thecontent over the last three years we include articles, fieldmeeting reports, research news, results from the mappingschemes and identification keys. We welcome allcontributions in whatever form they arrive.

How to submit articles:

Copy (handwritten, typed or electronic) should be sent to theEditor at the address below. If sending electronic copy usinge-mail please include a subject line “Mollusc Worldsubmission” and send a separate mail without anyattachments advising that the e-mail was sent. Electronicsubmission is preferred in Microsoft Word, but if otherprogrammes (e.g. Works) are used, please indicate theprogramme used with the accompanying e-mail.

Images and Artwork may be digitised, but we recommendthat a digital image size no larger than 8” x 6” and 300 dpi besent with your submission. For line art we recommend thatyou send hard copy, all originals will be treated with care andreturned by “snail-mail”.

Please send articles to:

Peter Topley, c/o The Hon. General Secretary, Miss R.E. Hill

447b Wokingham Road, Earley, Reading RG6 7EL

email: [email protected]

About the Society

The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland is oneof the oldest societies devoted to the study of Molluscs. Itwas founded in 1876 and has over 300 members worldwide.Members receive two publications Journal of Conchology which

specialises in Molluscan Biogeography, Taxonomy andConservation and Mollusc World, our newsletter for members.New members are always welcome to attend field meetingsand indoor meetings before joining.

How to become a member

Subscriptions are payable in January each year, and run forthe period 1st January to 31st December.

Ordinary membership £33.00

Family/Joint membership £35.00

Institutional membership (UK & Ireland) £47.00

Institutional membership (Overseas) £50.00

Student membership £15.00

Payments in sterling only, to membership secretary at addressbelow. £1 discount given to payments before March 31st eachyear. For UK residents we suggest payment by standingorder, and if a UK tax payer at standard rate we encourageyou to sign a Gift Aid form.

Overseas members can pay by IBAN transfer to the followingaccount:

The Conchological Society, National Westminster Bank,Bolton, BL1 1BN

IBAN GB12 NWBK 0130 9906 5238 46 BIC NWBK GB2L

Contact: Mike Weideli, 35 Bartlemy Road, Newbury, Berks,RG14 6LD

Design by Emma PitrakouPrinted by Henry Ling Ltd© Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland

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EditorialThis is my last issue as Editor ofMollusc World. I originally agreed toproduce 9 issues, but have finallymanaged to escape after 19 issues! Iwould like to thank everyone whohas provided contributions over thelast 6 years or so, but I am especiallygrateful to the few members whohave written articles on a regularbasis, often at my request and withonly a few days notice. I also thankEmma Pitrakou who has designedevery issue of Mollusc World and isresponsible for the attractive productwe have today. Finally, my thanks toPeter Topley, who has proof-readmost of the later issues. Peter will betaking over as the new Editor (seedetails below).

It has been a struggle to get enoughcopy for this issue, hence its lowernumber of pages than usual and itslate publication date. Having saidthat, I hope you enjoy the variety ofmaterial in this issue, especially the 2long articles from overseas membersAlex Menez and Mike Murphy, andof course the whacky shell house inIreland. With the production methodsnow used for the magazine we areable to include plenty of high qualityphotographs at very little additionalcosts – so don’t feel that you have toskimp on these. Remember that theydo need to be of reasonably goodresolution (0.6-1.3mB is ideal), andother images must be at 300dpi. Oneof the most difficult parts of the roleas Editor is getting material that is

topical, current and relevant to theinterests of the readership. TheSociety’s field meeting activities arewell reported in Mollusc World butthere is plenty of scope for additionalitems on the recording schemes andconservation. Everyone needsfeedback to provide the stimulus forfurther effort.

Finally, please give Peter Topley yourfull support and provide him withplenty of interesting articles to enableus to continue and build on this highquality Society publication.

Ian Killeen

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land-slipped goyle sides however,Tom Walker managed to find a live P.major beneath a broken branch sectionlying in a shallow mossy boundaryditch immediately above the brow tothe goyle. The old ditch presumablyacts as a drainage runnel down intothe goyle and keeps this elevatedsituation moister than mightotherwise be imagined. RosemaryHill also ponders about Phenacolimaxmajor’s mobility – maybe it moves upand down the goyle sides dependingon soil moisture and/or the threat offlooding? For its size it is a verymobile mollusc and it soon seeks outshelter if exposed in the open – forphotography for example! Moving on to Beacon Goyle, wefound more plantations and

rhododendron but without the recentdisturbances from clearance of fallentrees. But, again, molluscs provedelusive. A mature Zenobiellasubrufescens was found and a juvenileCepaea nemoralis with Ariantacolouring and a distinct but smallumbilicus provoked some discussionof the key identification characters.

After lunch we visited the near-pristine Roncombe Goyle on the eastside of the Sid valley. The old recordhere was from A. E. Boycott and maydate back as far as the 1920s. We werevery much aware of treading inhistoric footsteps! This goyle issimilar in structure to the morning’ssites, the deeply-incised gully cuttingthrough sandy substrata and flint

beds down this time onto whatappeared be a mudstone layer. Thewoodland vegetation here is verymuch semi-natural, and the structurerelatively open through cattlegrazing. The cattle do not howeverpenetrate the stream channel cut intothe bottom of the goyle as fallen treetrunks provide protection, and theold land-slipped sides are covered bymosses and liverworts as a result. Theenvironment is very much one ofshelter and humidity. Tom againtriumphed with the discovery of alive P. major, soon followed byanother found by Rosemary. While itis good to have rediscovered thespecies after a gap of around 90 years,the site has almost certainly notchanged much over the intervening

Species recorded Bridford Bridford Thomas Cleave Lincombe Goyle Beacon Goyle Roncombe GoyleSX801881 SX799879 SX796885 SY127936 SY124933 SY166943

Acanthinula aculeata LAegopinella nitidula L L LAegopinella pura L L LAcicula fusca SAncylus fluviatilis LArion ater L L LArion distinctus LArion fasciatus LArion flagellus LArion owenii L L LArion rufus LArion subfuscus L L L L L LBalea heydeni L LBalea perversa SCarychium minimum LCarychium tridentatum L LCepaea hortensis LCepaea nemoralis L L L L LClausilia bidentata L L L L LCochlicopa lubrica L LCochlodina laminata LColumella edentula L LCornu aspersum LDeroceras laeve L LDeroceras panormitanum LDeroceras reticulatum LDiscus rotundatus L L L L L LEuconulus fulvus L L LGalba truncatula LLehmannia marginata L L L LMerdigera obscura LNesovitrea hammonis LOxychilus alliarius L L L LOxychilus cellarius LOxychilus helveticus L L LPhenacolimax major S L LPunctum pygmaeum LTrochulus hispidus L LVitrea crystallina L L LVitrina pellucida L l L LZenobiella subrufescens L L

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period. However we did spot younggrowth of Impatiens glandulifera inplaces – probably introduced throughroad stabilisation works above thehead of the goyle - and so the site isclearly about to change dramaticallyfor the worse. Examination of a bag ofleaf litter taken away for closerinspection provided a useful additionto the site list, with worn shells ofAcicula fusca. One final comment fromRosemary, that both vitrinid specieswere smaller than she has collectedon other occasions, perhaps becausethe cold winter had reduced feedingopportunities?

We are grateful to Mick Jones, NTWarden, for permission to investigateBridford Wood, to Sir John Cave forthe two eastern goyles, and to MrSmith for Roncombe Goyle.

Photo captionsFig 1 Ron Boyce searching for Phenacolimax major

in Bridford WoodFig 2 Tom Walker, Rosemary Hill and Ron Boyce

debating the habitat requirements of Phenacolimax major at the unusual site by Lincombe Goyle

Fig 3 Tom Walker examining a Phenacolimax majorfound in Roncombe Goyle

Fig 4 Waterfall in Bridford WoodFig 5 Oxychilus helveticus in Bridford Wood Fig 6 Phenacolimax major in Roncombe Goyle

Fig 7 Discus rotundatus scavenging calcium from a skull in Lincombe Goyle

Fig 8 Tom Walker in Roncombe GoyleFig 9 Rosemary Hill in Roncombe GoyleFig 10 Daffodils in Bridford WoodFig 11 Tom Walker in Beacon GoyleFig 12 Keith and Tom find a skull with snails

on in Lincombe GoyleFig 13 Stream in Bridford Wood

Photos 1-3 Keith AlexanderPhotos 4-13 Ron Boyce and Rosemary Hill

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There is a wealth of records for thenon-marine mollusca of Ireland due tothe great efforts of amateur andprofessional conchologists andmalacologists for the last twocenturies. Much of these recordshave been held and maintained bythe Conchological Society of Britainand Ireland in paper formats.However, there are many recordsheld in other mediums by differentgroups and individuals within theisland of Ireland, including theNational Parks and Wildlife Service(NPWS), the Heritage Council, theCentre for Environmental Data andRecording (CEDaR) and other

published and unpublished records. Aproject was undertaken in Ireland todigitise and capture as much data aspossible on this group, populate adatabase with these data anddynamically display the results onlinevia a mapping system. This is the firsttime in Ireland that all the data on thisgroup will be centralised and datamanaged as a unit. It also is a veryimportant digital repository forrecords; a ‘bank’ in which records arestored and safeguarded for futuregenerations. Data has been sourced, digitised anddata cleaned over the period sinceDecember 2007. The dataset was

uploaded on the mapping system on20/01/2009 [Note: Not all data hasbeen displayed on the mappingsystem thus far: Margaritifera sp.records have been omitted due totheir sensitive nature. Species withnew taxonomic nomenclature andcertain aggregate groups are also notcurrently displayed, but will be in thenear future]. There are 149 species ofmollusc mapped, from 2,446 sites,with a total of 46,615 records thatrange in date from 1842 to 2007. Thedatabase can be interrogated throughthe National Biodiversity DataCentre’s online mapping system(maps.biodiversityireland.ie). Thedatabase is currently on a beta test;permitting the database to beaccessed online in a testing phaseallowing validation and feedback fromexperts and end-users (userscomments are welcome).

Demonstration of viewingmolluscan data using the mappingsystemImages of the mapping system areshown here to demonstrate thefunctionality of this system fordisplaying and interpreting molluscandata. Firstly the database wasqueried for two species ofconservation interest, Myxasglutinosa and Pisidiummoitessierianum, both of whichappear on conservation assessmentsfor Ireland (Bratton, 1991 in Kerney,1999; Moorkens, 2006). Myxasglutinosa has had widespread lossesacross its range in Northern Europewith documented populationextinctions (Kerney, 1999; Bouchet etal., 1999). Pisidium moitessierianumwas considered extinct in Ireland(Kerney, 1999) until it’s rediscovery in

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The All-Ireland Non-Marine MolluscanDatabase – a digital repository and onlineresource for molluscan recordingAndrew Byrne, Evelyn Moorkens, Roy Anderson, Julia Nunn, Liam Lysaght and Eugenie Regan.

2003 in the Royal Canal (Killeen andMoorkens, 2003). It has beenconsidered endangered in Ireland andis in decline across much of its nativerange (Moorkens, 2006). Thedistributions for each of the specieswere mapped together, using theonline mapping system on the islandof Ireland scale (Figure 1). Themidlands-east region of Ireland isfocused on for the purposes of thisdemonstration. The mapping systemallows one to view records againstdifferent GIS (Geographic InformationSystem) layers (for example,localities, designated areas etc.), inthis case the records are viewedagainst the counties of Ireland layer(Figure 1).The ‘zoom in’ tool was then used toview the records in the 1km squarethat the two species co-occured.Some records had high resolution(100m or higher) and so the mappingsystem displayed the records at thisresolution. At these higher resolutionsthe Discovery Series OrdnanceSurvey layer cuts in, showing that therecords are actually from aroundKilmore Bridge, Co. Kildare (Figure2). Zooming further in reveals theaerial photograph layer of the site.Due to the fact these species areconsidered rare and endangered inIreland, it was queried to see if thearea was protected in anyway (Figure2). The records were, at least,partially in proposed Natural HeritageAreas (pNHAs), though it is possiblethat the species may have beenrecorded just outside of the protectedboundary. We hope this resource will be used by(and useful for) recorders andencourage, and enthuse, people tostudy and be interested in thisimportant part of Ireland’s fauna. Wealso hope that the database, as arepository, will be utilised as asafeguard of valuable biologicalinformation for generations to come.

AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank the funders ofthis project, National Parks andWildlife Service and the HeritageCouncil. We also would like to thankkey collaborators: the ConchologicalSociety of Britain and Ireland, Centre

for Environmental Data andRecording (CEDaR) and all therecorders of the non-marine molluscaof Ireland, without their work thisresource would not exist.

r eferencesBouchet, P., Falkner, G. and Seddon,M.B. (1999). Lists of protected landand freshwater molluscs in the BernConvention and European HabitatsDirective: are they relevant toconservation? Biol. Cons., 90 (1) 21-31.Bratton, J.H. (editor) (1991). BritishRed Data Books: 3. Invertebratesother than insects. JNCC.Killeen, I.J. and Moorkens, E.A.(2003). Pisidium moitessierianumPaladilhe, 1866, rediscovered inIreland. J. of Conch. 38: 94.Kerney, M. (1999). Atlas of the landand freshwater molluscs of Britainand Ireland. Colchester, HarleyBooks.Moorkens, E.A. (2006). Irish non-marine molluscs – an evaluation ofspecies threat status. Bull. of the IrishBiogeog. Soc. 30, 348-371.

Figure 1: The distribution of the 51records for Myxas glutinosa and the16 records of Pisidiummoitessierianum. At low resolutionsthe records are shown as 10kmsquares. At higher resolutions therecords are shown either at 1kmsquare or the level at which therecord was taken. Purple = M. glutinosayellow = P. moitessierianumorange = both species.

Figure 2: The distribution of therecords for Myxas glutinosa andPisidium moitessierianum fromKilmore Bridge at 100m resolution.Both species co-occur at the samesite and they are selected in the firstview. The NHA GIS layer is selectedin the second view. Turning off thespecies layers allows the end-user toview the site’s aerial photographalone (third view). Blue/yellow = co-occurrence of species.

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The publication of Biotir 2 The Landsnailsof Madeira: An illustrated compendium ofthe landsnails andslugs of the

Madeiran archipelagoprovides an end to the project on Land-

snails of Madeira. It provides the first fullcolour illustrated guide to identification oflandsnails on the Madeiran Islands. This fauna iswell-known in a European context, as it has a high percentage ofrange restricted endemic species. The provision of range maps usingMuseum survey data,and Museumcollection data(Coles,Cameron, Holyoak-Seddon and Melvill-Tomlin Collection) as well asan assessment of the species conservation status using IUCN

categories and criteria will providethe conservationau horities on Madeirawith a sound base forfuture assessment

work.

Few people who have visited New Zealand can havefailed to notice paua shells or the artefacts made fromthem. The paua (pronounced pa-wa or pah-wah) is a largeormer or abalone, Haliotis iris, found all round the coastsof New Zealand, where it is endemic. The best specimensare said to come from the south of South Island and fromaround Stewart island. This species is also known as theblackfoot paua. There are two other species of Haliotis inNew Zealand, the Queen Paua, Haliotis australis, alsoknown as the Silver Paua, Yellow Foot Paua, Hihiwa orKarariwha, and the Virgin Paua, Haliotis virginea, butthese are less common and do not appear to becommercially important. A large blackfoot paua can be asmuch as 6 inches (150 mm) long, and so contains plentyof meat, but it is for the blue-green iridescence of theinside of the shell (Figure 1) that the paua is especiallyprized (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paua).

According to Maori legend, the paua originally had noshell. Tongaroa, the Maori god of the sea, noticing that thiscaused problems for the paua, made a covering, usingblues from his own ocean, and asking his brother Tane,god of the forest, to add greens; the dawn was to provideviolet, and the sunset pink. However, this layer was ratherfragile, and so Tangaroa added many more layers to theshell to make it stronger and to camouflage it. The meat isesteemed as a delicacy by the Maori, who serve it onspecial occasions such as weddings, and the iridescentshell was used to make the eyes on their exquisitelycarved wooden figures, and on their canoes.

Today, the paua fishery is the fifth largest in new Zealand,worth NZ$ 50 million a year. The meat is eaten not only inNew Zealand, but is also exported to Asia, where it is ingreat demand. Many recipes are available on-line from theNew Zealand Abalone Farmers’ Association(http://www.nzafa.org.nz/recipes). The shells are largelymade into jewellery (Figure 2), but are also used for avariety of decorative inlaid work, and indeed almostanything you can think of, including ornamenting weddingdresses! To prepare the paua shell for use, the outer

layers (which are usually covered with a variety of othermarine organisms) are ground away until only the blue-green nacre remains, and it is this thin layer that is used.This can be done by hand, using progressively finergrades of abrasive paper, but commercially this process iscarried out by machines. John Llewellyn-Jones haspreviously described this industry in detail in an article inthese pages (Mollusc World No. 2, pp. 20–21, 2003), towhich the reader should refer for more information.

Exploitation of paua is controlled by law. The shells canonly be obtained by diving without breathing apparatus,and the commercial catch is limited to between 1000 and1100 tons a year. For recreational fishermen, the numberof shells collected must not exceed ten per person perday, although lower limits are applied in some places.Regular assessments are carried out by the Ministry ofFisheries to ensure that the fishery is sustainable(http://www.fish.govt.nz). Needless to say, with such avaluable product, which is easy to catch, unscrupulouscriminal gangs break the law and take excessive numbersof paua using artificial aids for diving, and it is estimatedthat the illegal catch may be as great as the commercialcatch of paua. Much of the illegal catch is exported toAsia. From time to time illegal paua fishermen are caughtand face fines of up to NZ$ 250,000 and/or 5 years inprison. Recently, sniffer dogs have been trained to detectpaua shells, in an attempt to reduce the illegal exploitationof paua. However, New Zealand has a long coastline,much of it remote, and it is difficult to patrol it adequately.

To improve the sustainability of the paua fishery, pauafarms have beenset up. Aquacultureof paua started inthe 1980s, and isstill on quite a smallscale, with only 14farms operating in2008, producing10–15 tons ofabalones a year.However, this isexpected to rise to300 tons in the next10 years or so,making the industryvalued at NZ$ 20million (http://www.nzafa.org.nz). One can only hope thatinitiatives such as this will counteract the effects of over-exploitation, and that future generations will still be able toenjoy this beautiful shellfish.

Figure 1. The inside of a paua (Haliotis iris) shell fromStewart Island, New Zealand.Figure 2. Paua shell jewellery.

The Paua shell Adrian Sumner

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The well-known and oftenphotographed mating of the slugLimax maximus takes place whilst acouple is suspending itself withmucus from an elevated point,commonly a tree branch or a wall(Örstan, 2008). Adams (1898)published the first detailed descriptionof this process, although there were afew earlier and shorter accounts of it,the very first one apparently beingthat of Martin Lister published in 1678(Isabel Hyman, in litt.).

Recently, during a search of GoogleBooks (http://www.books.google.com)for the occurrences of the phrase“limax maximus”, I discovered adescription of the mating of thatspecies in James Barbut's Thegenera Vermium exemplified byvarious specimens of the animalscontained in the orders of theIntestina et Mollusca Linnaei,published in London in 1783. As faras I can tell, Barbut’s account of themating of L. maximus has not beennoted before.

Barbut's 101-page book is bilingualwith each page carrying text both inEnglish and French; in addition, briefdescriptions of the orders and generaare given in Latin. Scatteredthroughout are 11 plates ofillustrations drawn by Barbut as notedon the cover of the book. Barbut’sdescription of the genus Limax,closely following the original ofLinnaeus (1758), is as follows:

“The body is long, creeping; has overit a kind of buckler made of flesh;underneath a longitudinal flat disk.

There is a hole on the right side, forthe genitals and evacuations. Thefeelers are four in number, placedabove the mouth.”

The “buckler” is, undoubtedly, themantle, but it is not clear if the“longitudinal flat disk” refers to theinternal vestigial shell of the slugs inthe genus Limax or to the sole of thefoot. Linnaeus‘s correspondingstatement was also equivocal. Thehole on the right side that Barbut (andLinnaeus before him) observed wasmost likely the conspicuouspneumostome, the breathing hole thatis visible in Barbut’s drawing of L.maximus (Figure 1). The openings ofthe rectum and the ureter are next toit, but the genital opening is separateand closer to the front of the headand is normally kept closed exceptduring mating (Figure 2). Themisidentification of the pneumostomeas the genital opening was anoversight of Linnaeus that Barbutperpetuated.

This is how Barbut outlined themating of slugs:

“Their coming together is towards theend of spring. The organs ofgeneration are placed, as in the snail,on the right side of the neck. Themale implement unfolds with thesame mechanism, as the finger of aglove when turned inside out. Theyare sometimes met with hanging inthe air with their heads downwards,their tails united by a kind of viscousand thick tie, are grappled to thebranch of a tree. In this situation theyremain for three hours, and that is the

instant of impregnation.”

Barbut also gave brief accounts of thefour species of slugs that were knownfrom Great Britain at that time andwhich Linnaeus had described in1758. These were Limax ater (nowArion ater), Limax rufus (now Arionrufus), Limax maximus and Limaxflavus. Although Barbut did notspecify which of those four slugspecies mated in the manner hedescribed, we can deduce that hisdescription was for L. maximus,because unlike L. maximus, the twoArion species and L. flavus all mateon the ground (Quick, 1960).

Barbut’s brief description of theeversion of a slug’s penis isremarkably accurate. Moreover, whilstdiscussing L. ater, he states correctlythat “it is an [sic] hermaphrodite, bothsexes being in each individual, andboth in the coitus impregnate, and areimpregnated, at the same time.”However, Barbut did not state if thesewere his original observations or weretaken from the literature.

A search of the Internet forbiographical information about Barbutrevealed only one relevant source,Damkaer's Copepodologist's Cabinet(2002). Damkaer, however, had verylittle to say about Barbut:

“I am surprised that there isapparently no substantial biographicalmaterial about Barbut. Even theDictionary of National Registry has noentry...The date of Barbut’s death isfrom the library catalog of theWellcome Institute. Barbut’s (1783)preface, in which he states that hewould appreciate specimens fromanyone, gave his home as ‘WalcotPlace, Lambeth,’ likely a Londondistrict.”

Damkaer could not determineBarbut’s birth year and gave his deathyear tentatively as 1791. Barbutappears to have been an enthusiastic

An eighteenth century description of themating of Limax maximus Aydin ÖrstanSection of Mollusks, Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA [email protected]

naturalist and a talented scientificillustrator. Although his works havesurvived, he himself hasunfortunately become an unknown.

r eferencesAdams, L. E. 1898. Observations onthe pairing of Limax maximus.Journal of Conchology 9: 92-95. Barbut, J. 1783. The generaVermium exemplified by variousspecimens of the animals containedin the orders of the Intestina etMollusca Linnaei. (The 1783 editionis available in the BiodiversityHeritage Library,http://tinyurl.com/bwvb4v; the 1794edition in Google Books,http://tinyurl.com/b8mndb) Damkaer, D.M. 2002. TheCopepodologist's Cabinet: ABiographical and BibliographicalHistory. American PhilosophicalSociety. Philadelphia.Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae.(http://tinyurl.com/7ouv4x)Lister, M. 1678. Historiae animalium

Angliae tres tractatus. Unus deAraneis. Alter de Cochleis tumterrestribus tum fluviatilibus. Tertiusde Cochleis marinis. Quibus adjectusest quartus de Lapidibus ejusdem

insulae ad cochlearum quandamimaginem figuratis.(http://tinyurl.com/7r4mdn)Örstan, A. 2008. Limax maximusmating—part 2. Snail’s Tales, 14February 2008.http://tinyurl.com/2shmf7Quick, H. E. 1960. British slugs(Pulmonata, Testacellidae,Arionidae, Limacidae). Bulletin ofthe British Museum (NaturalHistory) 6: 103-226.

Figure captions:Figure 1: Limax maximus fromBarbut’s Plate III.

Figure 2: A pair of Limaxmaximus mating on the trunk of apine tree in Maryland, USA. Theseparate locations of the genitalopening out of which the peniswas everted and the

pneumostome, the large hole to theright of the former, are clearly visiblealong the right side of the head of theslug in the back.

This work presents theresults of a 10 year studyto map the molluscfauna of the Susa Valley.The valley lies mostly innorth-west Italy (withthe city of Turin to theeast) but with someparts in France in theDepartments of Savoieand Hautes-Alpes. The

actual area of the catchment does not appear to be givenbut is approximately 100km long and 20km wide, andranges from 290 to 3400m in altitude. The authors havecollected information from nearly 400 locations in thevalley.

Introductory sections give information on the geography,geology and vegetation cover of the study area supportedby coloured maps, plus materials and methods. The bulkof the book is taken up with accounts of the 159 speciesrecorded – comprising 121 terrestrial and 38 freshwaterspecies. The page for each species comprises a synonymy,distribution map, details of habitat, distribution andobservations, plus a colour photograph. The distributionmaps are particularly effective as the symbols are shown

in colour on colour relief maps. Therefore thediscrimination between, for example, valley floor andhigher altitude species is immediately obvious withoutany cross referencing back to maps elsewhere. One hascome to expect very high quality close up images in anywork these days and those used in this book are, on thewhole, no exception. A considerable number of thephotographs are of living, crawling snails, those for theChilostoma species and clausilids are especially beautiful.Many of the smaller species are shown only as shellsalthough the live Pagodulina austeniana is exquisite. Thephotographs of the unionids with their foot out trying tobury in wet sand doesn’t work so well though. Theconclusions sections include an analysis of the fauna,analysis from ecological and biogeographical perspectivesand conservation.

It would be easy to suggest that the results from this typeof study is easily disseminated through local and nationalrecord centres and web sites, but most of us involved inany biogeographical study would be thrilled to have awork such as this as the end product. The book is wellpresented, beautifully produced and at €50 is good value.Anyone working on the biogeography of European non-marine molluscs should buy a copy and enjoy! For furtherdetails contact: [email protected]

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Molluschi terrestri e d’acqua dolce della Valle di SusaElena Gavetti, Stefano Birindelli, Marco Bodon & Giuseppe Manganelli. Regione Piemonte Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali Monografie XLIV 2008. Hardback withdustcover, 273pp. In Italian. ISBN 978-88-86041-71-3. Price €50 + postage.


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In November 2008 I formed a part of a team that carriedout biological work in Morocco. This was the lastfieldwork trip carried out as a part of the GIBMANTURcampaign, an Interreg IIIA Gibraltar-Morocco project runby the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Societyand the Institut Scientifique of the University MohammedV Rabat-Agdal, co-funded by the European Union and theGovernment of Gibraltar. During the two week trip Icollected at 63 locations and amassed a very large amountof material, both live and dead. Morocco is a veryinteresting place for the malacologist. It lies in the WestMediterranean and West Saharo-Arabian biogeographicalregions and has high species diversity and high rates ofendemism. Morocco has a complex geology with fourmain physiographic regions:1. An area of highlands paralleling the Mediterranean

coast (Er Rif);2. The Atlas Mountains (Moyen Atlas, Haut Atlas and

Anti-Atlas) extending in a south-western to north-eastern direction between the Atlantic Ocean and Er Rif from which the mountains are separated by the Taza Depression;

3. The Atlantic Coastal Plain along the Atlantic Ocean located in an arc formed by the Er Rif and Atlas Mountains;

4. The Plains and Valleys south of the Atlas Mountains. These merge with the Sahara in the southeast.

The climate is generally Mediterranean-subtropical withcooling Atlantic and Mediterranean breezes. There isconsiderable fluctuation in the interior with cold wintersand hot summers. Temperatures may drop below zero inthe Atlas Mountains with snow on mountain peaks duringmost of the year. The south and southeast desert regionsbecome very hot during the summer.Morocco is of great interest biogeographically andecologically because of its key location between the rest ofthe African continent and Europe. There are many floraland faunal similarities between southern Iberia and theMahgreb region, which includes Morocco. Some specieshave relict distributions as a result of the previouscontinuity of the Betics-Rif mountain chain running fromsouthern Iberia to North Africa, and subsequent vicarianceevents. Existing evidence for this continuity has recentlybeen substantiated by plate reconstructions that indicatelate Cretaceous-Palaeogene congruence between Africanand European plates. During the Tertiary the westernMediterranean was involved in a series of events causedby the interactions of the African and European Plates.The eastern movement of the African Plate during theOligocene or Lower Miocene caused detachment of thewestern portion of the Alpidic Chain and its fragmentationinto a series of micro-plates which subsequently moved invarious directions in the Mediterranean, some towardsNorth Africa, the Kabylias (Algeria), Italy (Calabro-

Collecting and ….. eating snails in Morocco Alex Menez

Peloritan), Corisca and Sardinia.The Strait of Gibraltar separates the Iberian fauna from theMahgreb and has been a geographic barrier for gene flowduring the last 5 million years. The Miocene desiccation ofthe Mediterranean Basin (the Messinian Salinity Crisis)resulted from the closing of the Strait 5.96 million yearsago creating land bridges which may have allowedexchange between the Iberian and Mahgrebian faunas.There is evidence that these geological changes may haveled to vicariance and subsequent genetic differentiation.There is a lot of opportunity for new work for themalacologist. A revision of many of the molluscan taxa isrequired to accurately assess diversity and systematicstatus. Many problematic taxa exist and there is muchsynonymy in the early literature. Most of the publishedliterature on the land mollusca of Morocco dates backfrom the 1870s to 1930s. During the 1980s Mary Seddonand colleagues, from the National Museum of Wales,undertook mapping work in Morocco (as well as Algeriaand Tunisia) and several papers were published, mostlyon taxonomic and distributional aspects of their research.Very few papers have been published on the Moroccanland molluscs in the last 10-15 years, and nobiogeographical treatment exists. Our fieldwork trip took in the three Atlas ranges, southand south-western Morocco as well as parts of the westcoast. I collected enough material to keep any malacologistsorting, identifying, synthesising and studying for years!

Some of it may represent new species as well as materialrarely collected live before. I collected a lot of Thebaincluding the polytypic T. subdentata (Férussac, 1821). Livematerial of T. pisana ampullacea (Pallary, 1915) was collectedat Souss-Massa and T. subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) wasrecorded from several localities including Cap Ghir andEssaouira. At Cap Ghir the subspecies occurssympatrically with T. subdentata dehnei (Rossmässler, 1846),both present in high abundance as death assemblagesalthough live material was scarce. Live T. subdentatahelicella were found attached to Euphorbia spp. Fossil T.subdentata helicella, and other helicid, material was found5km north from Cap Ghir in consolidated sand deposits(these require dating to verify age).The live material collected from this trip, all preserved inethanol, will help solve a ‘Theba mystery’. This is thehighly disjunct distribution of T. subdentata helicella. Thespecies has been recorded from coastal areas in westMorocco, from Tensift (about 30 km south of Safi) south toCap Ghir, and from Almeria, southeast Spain. Material inthe former Altimira collection from El Alquián in Almeriaprompted Gittenberger and Ripken to search for livematerial. They did not find the species and concluded itmay once have been introduced into southern Spain, buthad since become extinct. During recent fieldwork atRetamar, Almeria, however, I found the species at lowabundance. Further fieldwork at El Alquián, Almeria, ledto my finding the species at densities of up to about50/m2. The re-discovery of this species at high densityadds to the records of Puente et al. and Moreno andRamos. The material from Cap Ghir and from El Alquiánwill be used to study genetic similarities between thesepopulations to assess degree of relatedness, probabletiming of divergence event(s) and evolutionary outcomes,and so provide a better understanding of the species’distribution.Other genera collected include: Rumina, Cochlicella, Otala,Pseudotachea, Sphincterochila, Tingitana, Trochoidea, Xeroleuca,Hygromia and Helicopsis. I have been able to identify someof the material; some species occurring in southern Iberiaalso, an area I have worked for many years. A lot of it,though, will be challenging and I plan to take advantageof Mary Seddon’s offer to use the Cardiff collections for

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comparisons. I also spent a little time looking at thecollections in the Mohammed V Rabat-Agdal Universityand I plan to return there to do more detailed work. Thecollections have not been studied for many years andthere’s a possibility that some of the original Pallarymaterial may be there.Another part of my malacological activities includedeating some of my research subjects! Whilst in Marrakech Isampled the excellent cooked snails offered by the vendorsin the main marketplace. The snails are prepared in alighter sauce than commonly available in southern Spain,although the Moroccan sauce is slightly more spicy. Iasked several of the vendors where they sourced theirsnails, but they were guarded as to revealing localities.Even though one of the vendors told me these were

collected locally, the large numbers sold, however, couldnot, I think, be sustained from wild populations. Moroccois one of the world’s largest exporters of snails, and asignificant number are exported to southern Spain to keepthe snail-hungry Spaniards in supply. I suspect, therefore,that heliculture is keeping the vendors in Marrakech inbusiness. But this is yet another Moroccan malacologicalquestion that requires further research to answer!

Selected Bibliography Alvarez A. 1976. A former continuation of the Alps. GeologicalSociety of America Bulletin 87: 891-896.Aparicio MT, Seddon MB, Holyoak DT. 199. Systematics anddistribution of Helicopsis (Xeroleuca) in Morocco (Mollusca,Gastropoda: Helicidae). Journal of Conchology 34: 47-58.Arrebola Burgos JR, Gittenberger. 1993. New distributional datafor Rupestrella dupotetii (Terver) (Gastropoda: Chondrinidae) fromsouthern Spain and NW. Africa, with notes on allegedlysubspecific characters. Journal of Conchology 34: 351-355.Blondel J, Aronson J. 1999. Biology and Wildlife of theMediterranean Region. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Bernardos S, Amich F, Gallego F. 2003. Karyological andtaxonomic notes on Ophrys (Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae) fromthe Iberian Peninsula. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 142:395-406.Buckhard M, Critg S, Helg U, Robert-Chorrue C, Soulaimani A.2006. Tectonics of the Anti-Atlas of Morocco. Comptes RendusGeosciences 338: 11-24. Busack SD. 1986. Biogeographic analysis of the herpetofaunaseparated by the formation of the Strait of Gibraltar. NationalGeographic Research 2: 17-36.Carbonell R, Sallarés V, Pous J, Dañobeitia JJ, Queralt P, KedoJJ, García Dueñas V. 1998. A multidisciplinary geophysical studyin the Betic Chain (southern Iberia Peninsula). Tectonophysics 288:137-152.Castella V, Ruedi M, Excoffier L, Ibanez C, Arlettaz R, HauserJ. 2000. Is the Gibraltar Strait a barrier to gene flow for the batMyostis myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)? Molecular Ecology 9:1761-1772.Chbouki N, Stockton CW, Myers DE. 1995. Spatio-temporalpatterns of drought in Morocco. International Journal ofClimatology 15: 187-205. Davis WM. 1920. The Physical Geography of West-CentralMorocco. Geographical Review 10: 53. De Jong H. 1988. In search of historical biogeographic patterns inthe Mediterranean terrestrial fauna. Biological Journal of theLinnean Society 65: 99-164.Diabaté L, Blanc P, Wald L. 2004. Solar radiation climate inAfrica. Solar Energy 76: 733-744.Gantenbein B. 2004. The genetic population structure of Buthusoccitanus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) across the Strait of Gibraltar:calibrating a molecular clock using nuclear allozyme variation.Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 81: 519-534.Gantenbein B, Largiadèr CR. 2003. The phylogeographicimportance of the Strait of Gibraltar as a gene flow barrier interrestrial arthropods: a case study with the scorpion Buthusoccitanus as a model organism. Molecular Phylogenetics andEvolution 28: 119-130.Gittenberger E, Ripken ThEJ. 1987. The genus Theba (Mollusca:Gastropoda: Helicidae), systematics and distribution. ZoologischeVerhandelingen 241: 1-60.Giusti F, Manganelli G. 1984. Relationships between geologicalland evolution and present distribution of terrestrial gastropodsin the western Mediterranean area. In: Solem A, Bruggen AC

Van, eds. World-Wide Snails. Biogeographical studies on non-marineMollusca. Leiden: Brill/Backhuys, 70-92.Gómez-Zurita J, Juan C, Petitpierre E. 2000. The evolutionaryhistory of the genus Timarcha (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)inferred from mitochondrial COII gene and partial 16S rDNAsequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 14: 304-317.Guiller A, Madec L, Daguzan J. 1994. Geographical patterns ofgenetic differentiation in the landsnail Helix aspersa Müller(Gastropoda:Pulmonata). Journal of Molluscan Studies 60: 205-221.Hirano J. 1991. Kingdom of Morocco and its agriculture.Geography 46: 565-569.Holyoak DT, Seddon MB. 1993. Further notes on the Aciculidae(Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) of NW. Africa. Journal of Conchology34: 357-363.Hrbek T, Meyer A. 2003. Closing of the Tethys Sea and thephylogeny of Eurasian killifishes (Cyprinodontiformes:Cyprinodontidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16: 17-36.Hsu KJ. 1972. Origin of saline giants: a critical review after thediscovery of the Mediterranean evaporate. Earth Science Review 8:371-396.Hsu KJ, Montadert L, Bernoulli D, Cita MB, Erickson A,Garrison RE, Kidd RB, Mèlierés F, Müller C, Wright R. 1977.History of the Mediterranean salinity crisis. Nature 267: 399-403.Lledó MD, Erben M, Crespo MB. 2003. Myriolepsis, a newgenus segregated from Limonium (Plumbaginaceae). Taxon 52:67-73.Martínez-Martínez JM, Booth-Rea G, Azañón JM, Torcal F.2006. Active transfer fault zone linking a segmented extensionalsystem (Betics, southern Spain): Insight into heterogeneousextension driven by edge delamination. Tectonophysics 422: 159-173Menez A. 2006. Theba subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) fromsouthern Spain. Tentacle 14: 6-7.Molero-Baltanás R, Gaju-Ricart M, Bach de Roca C. 2002.Myrmecophilic Zygentoma (Insecta: Apterygota) from the ibero-balearic fauna. Biogeographic remarks: Proceedings of the Xthinternational Colloquium on Apterygota, České Budějovice 2000:Apterygota at the Beginning of the Third Millennium.Pedobiologia 46: 284-295.Moreno D, Ramos MA. 2000. Recent data on the distribution ofTheba subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) (Gastropoda, Helicidae) inAlmería (Spain). Absatracts, I Congresso Congiunto delle SocietáMalacologiche del Mediterraneo, Genoa.Moreno D, Ramos MA. 2007. New data on Theba subdentatahelicella (Wood, 1828) (Gastropoda, Helicidae) in Almería (SESpain). Iberus 25: 89-113.Mousson A. 1874. Bemerkungen über die von Hrn. Dr. vonFritsch und Dr. Rein aus West-Marokko 1872 zurueckgebrachtenLand-und Susswasser-Mollusken. Jahrbuch der DeutschenMalakozoologischen Gesellschaft 1: 1-16, 81-107.Norris A. 1986. Distributional records of land Mollusca fromsouthern Morocco. Journal of Conchology 32: 259-260.Pallary P. 1898. Deuxième contribution a l’etude de la Faunemalacologique du Nord-Ouest de l’Afrique. Supplement a ‘LaFaune malacologique du Maroc de A. Morelet’. Journal deConchyliologie 46: 49-170.Pallary P. 1904. Quatrième contribution a l’etude de la Faunemalacologique du nord-ouest de l’Afrique. (Deuxièmesupplement a la ‘Faune malacologique du Maroc’ d’ArthurMorelet). Journal de Conchyliologie 52: 5-58.Pallary P. 1921. Faune malacologique du Gran Atlas. Journal deConchyliologie 66: 89-154.Pallary P. 1936. Deuxième complement a la Faune malacologiquede la Berberie. Journal de Conchyliologie 80: 5-65.

Palmer M, Cambefort I. 2000. Evidence for reticulatepaleogeography: beetle diversity linked to connection-disjunctioncycles of the Gibraltar strait. Journal of Biogeography 27: 403-416.Piqué A. 2001. Geology of Northwest Africa. Beiträge zurregionalen Geologie de Erde, 29. Verlag: Stuttgart.Puente AI, Altonaga K, Unamuno E, Prieto E. 1994. Sobre lapresencia de Theba subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) en el sur deAlmería. Libro de Resúmenes del X Congreso Nacional deMalacológia. Barcelona, 91-92.Rosenbaum G, Lister GS, Duboz C. 2002. Relative motions ofAfrica, Iberia and Europe during Alpine orogeny. Tectonophysics359: 117-129.Rosenbaum G, Lister GS. 2004. Formation of arcuate orogenicbelts in the western Mediterranean region. Geological Society ofAmerica Special Paper 383, 41-56.Rosenbaum G, Lister GS. 2005. The Western Alps from theJurassic to Oligocene: spatio-temporal constraints andevolutionary reconstructions. Earth-Science Reviews 69: 281-306Schettino A, Turco E. 2006. Plate kinematics of the WesternMediterranean region during the Oligocene and Early Miocene.Geophysical Journal International 166: 1398-1423.Seddon MB. 1992. The distribution of Pupoides coenopictus(Hutton, 1834) in NW. Africa (Gastropoda: Pupillidae). Journal ofConchology 34: 149-158.Seddon MB, Holyoak DT, Tattersfield P. 1993. Taxonomy,ecology and distribution of Leiostyla in W. Europe and NW.Africa (Gastropoda: Pupillidae). Journal of Conchology 34: 311-320.Seddon MB, Aparicio MT, Holyoak DT. 1994. Taxonomy of fivespecies of Helicopsis (Helicopsis) from Morocco (Gastropoda:Helicoidea). Journal of Conchology 35: 45-66.Seddon MB, Aparicio MT. 1998. Problematic taxa from Morocco-the status of ‘Helix argonautula’ Webb & Berthelot, 1833, ‘Helixrenati’ Dautzenberg, 1894 and Xeroleuca antoinei Pallary, 1936.Journal of Conchology 36: 19-29.Smethurst D. 2000. Mountain Geography. Geological Review 90:35-56.

Photo caption1 Souss Massa, where live Theba pisana ampullacea (Pallary,

1915) were found on vegetation. (photo: A. Menez/GONHS).2 Theba subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) on Euphorbia sp. at

Cap Ghir. (photo: A. Menez/GONHS).3 Fossil Theba subdentata helicella (Wood, 1828) from deposits

5km north of Cap Ghir. (photo: A. Menez/GONHS).4 A part of the collections in the Mohammed V Rabat-Agdal

University, Rabat. (photo: L. Linares/GONHS).5 The author, ready for fieldwork on the plains of M’Cissi.

(photo: L. Linares/GONHS).6 All a part of serious malacological research: the author

tucking into juicy helicids in the main market at Marrakech (photo: I. Thompson/GONHS).

7 You need to take a little extra care in Morocco when looking for snails under stones. A large black scorpion in Sidi Quasik. (photo: L. Linares/GONHS).

8 Not everything you find with a shell in Morocco is a snail! This tortoise was photographed at Tiznit, but they were present at several of the sites visited (photo: A. Menez/GONHS).

9 An example of one of the many wonderful areas sampled: Euphorbia-Argania habitat in Tighmi. (photo: A. Menez/GONHS).

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There are a number of examples of the use of shells as interiordecoration, but the Shell Cottage at the Carton Estate must beone of the finest examples of its kind.The history of Carton Demense spans more than 800 years, itwas given to the FitzGerald family in 1170 following the captureof Dublin by the Normans. The magnificent Carton House wasbuilt in the early 18th Century and the house and estate nowhosts a prestigious hotel and two of Ireland’s best parkland golfcourses. In 1747 James FitzGerald, the 20th Earl of Kildare marriedLady Emily Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Richmond andgreat–granddaughter of the English King Charles II. The prettyshell cottage was built for Lady Emily. It originally had athatched roof, but nothing from the outside could hint at theamazing décor inside. The centerpiece is a beautiful domelined with thousands of tropical shells of every size. The walls,windows and furniture are all patterned with shells. WhileCarton House has had many famous residents and guestsover the centuries, the shell cottage has made an interestinghome also; one resident over the years was the singerMarianne Faithful.

The Shell Cottage, Carton Estate, County Kildare, Ireland Evelyn Moorkens


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The Pilliga Scrub (30° 45’ S,149° 15’ E) is a vast 450,000hectare (1.1 million acre) area ofsemi-arid eucalypt and cypresspine woodland in GamilaraayAboriginal Country in inlandnorthern New South Wales,Australia. The landform rangesfrom low sandstone ridges andhills separated by wide sandyvalleys in the east to anextensive flat outwash sandplain in the west and north. ThePilliga is a harsh environment formolluscs. The sandy soils arepoor in nutrients. Rainfall isinfrequent and irregular andstreams are dry for most of theyear. Summers are hot (often upto 45° C), with frequent intensebushfires initiated by drythunderstorms.

A field survey of aquatic andterrestrial molluscs in a 9,674km2 (3735 sq mile) study area,comprising the entire PilligaScrub as well as farmland,towns and villages in the localarea, was started in 2006 and isongoing. To help readersappreciate the scale of this studyarea, it is larger than NorthYorkshire or the combined areaof Norfolk and Suffolk inEngland, larger than thecombined area of Powys,Ceredigion and Carmarthenshirein Cymru (Wales) and largerthan the combined area ofCounty Cork and CountyWaterford in Eire (Ireland). Verylittle work on the molluscs of thePilliga had been done prior tothis survey.

Molluscs have been sampled at

253 sites across the study areato date, sampling the range ofhabitats present. Surveymethods for land snails andslugs involved hand searches ofleaf litter, turning fallen timberand other ground debris,collection of leaf litter and soilsamples for searching undermagnification, and occasionalsearches with a torch on wetnights looking for active animals.Some snails were also foundduring fire-fighting work, whenthe ground litter was completelyburned away. Survey methodsfor aquatic species primarilyinvolved searching along the drybeds of streams and lagoons(including under debris), andoccasional searching along themargins of water bodies.

The mollusc fauna of the Pilligawas found to be richer thanexpected for such a harsh, dryarea. Four bivalve species (twofamilies), 10 species offreshwater snail (six families)and 23 species of land snail andslug (11 families) have beenrecorded so far (see Table 1).The greatest contributors to thisdiversity are the Hyriidae (3species), Planorbidae (4species), Pupillidae (7 species)and Camaenidae (4 species).Records of particular interestinclude the following:• The hyriid mussel Velesunio

wilsonii (found at 3 sites) is a northern Australian species and has been recorded only once before in New South Wales (Jones 2007).

• The identity of the viviparidNotopala sp. (found at 4 sites)

A field survey of the molluscs of the Pilliga Scrub in semi-arid inland New South Wales, AustraliaMichael J. Murphy Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia

2003), and are close to extinction in NewSouth Wales.

• The planorbid Bayardella cosmeta (recorded once) is a cryptic and seldom-recorded species with few recentrecords in New South Wales (Ponder et al. 2000).

• Records of the pupillid Pupoides myoporinae from the western Pilliga (7 sites)represent an easterly range extension of about 1000 km (620 miles) for this arid zone species (Shea pers. comm.).

• Charopid species A was unknown prior to this study and awaits formal description and naming (Shea pers. comm.).

• Records of the introduced Bradybaena similaris and Vallonia excentrica are the most westerly records of these species in New South Wales (Shea pers. comm.). Introduced land snails and slugs were restricted to anthropogenic moist microhabitats available in domestic gardens and urban and agricultural waste ground, and did not extend into the drier natural areas. Two native species, the pupillid Gastrocopta strangei and the punctid Paralaoma caputspinulae, also form part

of the Pilliga’s ‘domestic garden’ land snail assemblage.

The survey so far has revealeddifferences between themollusc assemblages of therugged sandstone country ofthe east Pilliga and theoutwash sand plain of thewest/north Pilliga (see Table 1).The slow-moving streams ofthe outwash plain appear tosupport a far greater diversityof aquatic molluscs than thefaster-flowing streams in theeast. Only two (out of 14)aquatic species have beenrecorded in both areas. Therewas considerably more overlap(or less difference) amongstthe native land snailassemblages of the two areas,with 10 (out of 16) speciesrecorded in both. It remains tobe seen whether these patternsare supported by continuedsampling.

The mollusc fauna of the Pilliga(and Australia in general)comprises three differentelements (Smith and Kershaw1979). Families such as theHyriidae, Charopidae andRhytididae are part of anancient Gondwanan groupwhich predates the break-up ofAustralia, Africa and SouthAmerica and is probably over100 million years old. A secondgroup, which includes the

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was uncertain and may represent an undescribed species (Ponder pers. comm.). Notopala species in general have suffered a serious decline in southern Australia due to sensitivity to human-induced changes to riverine environments (Ponder and Walker


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Camaenidae, only reached Australiafrom south-east Asia within the last 15million years. Lastly, families such asthe Physidae, Bradybaenidae,Limacidae, Helicidae and Zonitidaerepresent a modern element datingfrom the last 200 years andcomprising ecologically catholic trampspecies originating from Europe,eastern Asia and North America.

Much work remains to be done beforeAustralia is able to produce apublication comparable to Kerney(1999), with detailed record-baseddistribution maps for all freshwaterand terrestrial mollusc species at anational scale. An estimated twothirds of Australia’s land snail faunahas yet to be formally described(Stanisic and Ponder 2004) and manyparts of the continent have only beenpoorly sampled or not sampled at all.The present study demonstrates theunexpected diversity which can befound in an area previously only

poorly sampled.

AcknowledgementsMy children Jess, Nicola and Samhelped with field work. Michael Shea(Australian Museum) and JohnStanisic (Queensland Museum)helped with species identification andMichael Shea also providedcomments on a draft of this paper.

r eferencesJones, H.A., 2007. The influence ofhydrology on freshwater mussel (Bivalvia:Hyriidae) distributions in a semi-arid riversystem, the Barwon-Darling River andintersecting streams. Pp. 132-142 inAnimals of Arid Australia: out on theirown?, edited by C. Dickman, D. Lunneyand S. Burgin. Royal Zoological Society ofNew South Wales, Mosman, NSW,Australia.

Kerney, M., 1999. Atlas of the Land andFreshwater Molluscs of Britain andIreland. Harley Books, Colchester,England.

Ponder, W.F., Clark, S.A. and Dallwitz,M.J., 2000. Freshwater and EstuarineMolluscs: An Interactive, Illustrated Keyfor New South Wales. CD ROM,CSIRO Publishing, Australia.

Ponder, W.F. and Walker, K.F., 2003.From mound springs to mighty rivers:The conservation status of freshwatermolluscs in Australia. AquaticEcosystem Health & Management 6(1):19-28.

Smith B.J. and Kershaw R.C., 1979Field Guide to the Non-MarineMolluscs of South Eastern Australia.Australian National University Press:Canberra, Australia.

Stanisic, J. and Ponder, W.F., 2004.Forest snails in eastern Australia – one

aspect of the other 99%. Pp. 127-149 inConservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna(2nd edition), edited by D. Lunney. RoyalZoological Society of New South Wales:Mosman, NSW, Australia.

Image captions:

Figure 1: Velesunio ambiguus, the mostcommon mussel species found in thePilliga, can survive buried in the moistsand below dry stream beds for up to 2years.

Figure 2: Notopala sp. is the largestnative gastropod in the Pilliga and wasfound in slow-moving streams which aredry for most of the year.

Figure 3: Austrorhytida sp. A is anundescribed species of carnivorous snailfrom the nearby Warrumbungle Rangeswhich was found in the Pilliga in bothnative woodland and in urban wasteground.

Figure 4: Aftermath of an extremeintensity bushfire in the eastern Pilliga in2006. All ground litter, groundvegetation and shrubs were incinerated,tree trunks were charred to 15 metres(49 feet) or higher and all canopyfoliage scorched.

Figure 5: Streams in the Pilliga are dryfor most of the year, although water canusually be found under the sand.

Figure 6: Corbicula australis was onlyfound in fast flowing sandy streams inthe eastern Pilliga. The Australian 5

cent coin is about the size of a UK 5pcoin or a 2 Euro cent coin.

Figure 7: Two different shell shapes ofthe planorbid Glytophysa gibbosa (leftand centre) with the lymnaeidAustropeplea lesson (right) collectedfrom a dry stream in the west Pilliga.

Figure 8: The camaenid Neveritisaridorum is a widespread species in thePilliga Scrub.

Figure 9: The introduced slugLehmannia nyctelia is common in the

study area in gardens and urban wasteground.

Figure 10: The introduced slug Limaxmaximus is rare in the study area inurban gardens and waste ground.

Figure 11: Many land snails found inthe Pilliga are very small. The punctidand pupillid shells shown here aredwarfed by an Australian 5 cent coin.

9 10

11

East West/NorthPilliga Pilliga

(o utwash)

BIVALVESCorbiculidae Corbicula australis (Deshayes, 1830) XHyriidae Alathyria jacksoni Iredale, 1934 X

Velesunio ambiguus (Philippi, 1847) X XVelesunio wilsonii (Lea, 1859) X

Fr ESHWATEr SNAILSViviparidae Notopala sp. XAncylidae Ferrissia tasmanicus (Tenison-Woods, 1876) XBithyniidae Gabbia vertiginosa Frauenfeld, 1862 XPlanorbidae Bayardella cosmeta (Iredale, 1943) X

Glyptophysa gibbosa (Gould, 1847) X XHelicorbis australiensis (Smith, 1882) XIsidorella newcombi (Adams & Angas, 1864) X

Lymnaeidae Austropeplea huonensis (Tenison-Woods, 1876) XAustropeplea lessoni (Deshayes, 1830) X

Physidae Physa acuta Draparnaud, 1805 # X

LAND SNAILSPupillidae Cylindrovertilla hedleyi Pilsbry, 1920 X

Gastrocopta hedleyi Pilsbry, 1917 X XGastrocopta pediculus (Shuttleworth, 1852) X XGastrocopta strangei (Iredale, 1937) X XOmegapilla australis (Angas, 1864) XPupoides myoporinae (Tate, 1880) XPupoides pacificus (Pfeiffer, 1846) X X

Punctidae Paralaoma caputspinulae (Reeve, 1851) X XCharopidae Elsothera funerea (Cox, 1868) X X

Charopid species A XRhytididae Austrorhytida species A XSuccineidae Austrosuccinea macgillivrayi Cox, 1864 X XCamaenidae Galadistes intervenens Iredale, 1938 X X

Neveritis aridorum (Cox, 1866) X XCamaenid species A X XCamaenid species B X

Bradybaenidae Bradybaena similaris (Ferussac, 1821) # XLimacidae Lehmannia nyctelia (Bourguignat, 1861) # X X

Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758 # XHelicidae Cornu aspersum (Muller, 1774) # X

Prietocella barbara (Linnaeus, 1758) # XValloniidae Vallonia excentrica Sterki, 1892 # XZonitidae Zonitoides arboreus (Say, 1817) # X

# introduced species

Table 1. Mollusc species recorded in the Pilliga Scrub


IMPORTANT: Pleaseremember to inform the leaderif you are attending a fieldmeeting. If you are held up intraffic or your public transportis delayed, it may be possibleto ring the ProgrammeSecretary on 0794 109 4395on the day of the meeting forinformation on the location ofthe field site being surveyed.

Indoor meetings at the NaturalHistory Museum will takeplace in the Dorothea BateRoom [PalaeontologyDemonstration Room] at theend of Gallery 30, unlessotherwise stated. Please notethe earlier start times, andalso the long indoor meeting inOctober with an early starttime of 11:00h. Please bringplenty of exhibits anddemonstration material.

The 2009 Annual GeneralMeeting will take place in thelobby of the Flett LectureTheatre at the Natural HistoryMuseum on 18 April starting at13:30h. On this occasionplease use the MuseumGeology entrance in ExhibitionRoad. The Flett lobby is on theleft at the top of the Palladianstaircase.The Programme Secretary willbe happy to receive any offersto lead field meetings orsuggestions for speakers forindoor meetings.

FIELD - Saturday 9 MayLower Smite Farm, WorcesterLeader: Harry Green(01386 710377) (home),

[email protected]

Meet at the farm, grid ref. SO889590, at 10.30h.

The farmhouse and buildingsat Lower Smite Farm form theheadquarters of theWorcestershire Wildlife Trustwhich also farms thesurrounding 125 acres in anenvironmentally friendlyfashion. The farm is a mixtureof pasture and arable with aseries of hedges, ditches andponds. Although someagrichemicals have been usedthe farm has escapedintensive cultivation.Molluscicides have not beenused. The plan for the day isto sample a series of sitesthroughout the farm to give apicture of the molluscs of afairly ordinary patch of centralWorcestershire: a change fromancient woods and limestonegrasslands.

Lower Smite Farm lies justnorth of Worcester nearjunction 6 on the M5motorway. From theroundabout over the M5 followthe A 4538 NW (signpostedDroitwich) for about a mile.Brown signs to Lower SmiteFarm with the Wildlife Trust'sbadger logo are situated onthe SW side of the roadindicating a turn on theopposite side of the road.Follow this minor road forabout 400 metres to the farmbuildings on the left labelledWorcestershire Wildlife Trust.Enter and park!

Bring suitable outdoor clothingfor a country walk, and lunch.

YCS - Saturday 9 MayRudston area, VC61. Contact: David Lindley(0113 2697047) (home),[email protected]

Meet at 10:30h in the villagecentre near the church, grid

ref. TA 097677, for 1-kmrecording on the YorkshireWolds.

FIELD - Saturday 13 JuneCrab Wood, Winchester.Helicodonta obvoluta search.Joint meeting withSouthampton Natural HistorySocietyLeader: June Chatfield (01420 82214) (home)

Members should bring packedlunch and drinks. Themorning will be in the beechwood of Crab Wood(Hampshire Wildlife Trust) andthe afternoon in West Wood tothe west.

Meet at 10:30h in theHampshire County Councilfree car park for Crab Woodnear the cross roads 1.5 milessouth of Sparsholt. The site isabout 3 miles west ofWinchester, Grid referenceSU 435293.

Please contact the leader ifcoming to Winchester by trainand needing a lift to the wood,or for any other information.

FIELD - Saturday 4 JulyYorkshire, Kettlewell areaJoint meeting with YorkshireNaturalists’ UnionLeader: Adrian Norris(01132 745244) (home)

This meeting in VC64 is beingheld at Kettlewell by kindpermission of the NationalTrust. Meet at 10:30h justinside the entrance to theNational Trust area on thewestern side of New Bridge,Kettlewell, Grid Reference SE967723. The NT property issituated on the west bank ofthe River Wharfe on theoutskirts of the village.

Kettlewell is known to be oneof the busiest villages of theYorkshire Dales with largenumbers of visitorsdescending on the area,

particularly at weekends. Asmall public car park issituated at the entrance to thevillage. If this is full, alternativecar parks can usually be foundas some local land ownersopen their fields to raisemoney for charity.

The main area to be visited isan area of limestone grasslandand crags, with springs andflushes facing north-east.However, public footpaths runalongside the River Wharfe onboth sides of the river betweenKettlewell and Starbotton, areturn journey ofapproximately 10 kilometres,and the Dales Way footpathruns along the western side ofthe river northwards and theeastern side south. Furtherfootpaths climb the east facingslopes of Knipe Scar anddown to Hawkswick.

Maps: Explorer Series No.OL30 Yorkshire DalesNorthern & Central areas;Landranger Series No. 98Wensleydale & UpperWharfedale.

The tea and meeting will be at16:30h. The site for thismeeting will be announced atthe start of the meeting, andthis information should beavailable earlier via the YNUWebsite.

FIELD - Saturday 11 JulyLoddon Bridge/Sandford MillFreshwater meetingLeader: Rosemary Hill(0118 9665160) (home)

This meeting gives anopportunity to sample theRiver Loddon furtherdownstream than at the 2007meeting and to look atadditional gravel pit lakes ofdifferent stages ofdevelopment in DintonPastures Country Park. It ishoped that it may be possibleto extend the species list,

Key to meetings:NHM = Natural History

Museum, London, indoor meeting

FIELD = Field Meeting at outdoor location

WKSHP = Workshop on Molluscan topic

YCS = Yorkshire Conch. Soc. events

Diary of Meetings - Conchological SocietyProgramme Secretary: Ron Boyce, 447c Wokingham Road, Earley, Reading, Berkshire RG6 7EL

22 23

The Conchological Society hasagreed to be a publishingpartner for one volume of the

newly established Prehistoric Society Research Papers Series.The publication Land and People is dedicated to the late JohnEvans, an archaeologist and conchologist who wrote in 1972 thedefinitive publication on Land Snails in Archaeology derived fromhis doctorial and post-doctorial research. The 20 papers covermany aspects of research he engaged in during his career; anumber of papers on landscape archaeology and environmentalarchaeology – and not surprisingly a number of papers relate toland snails and shells, some written by members of theConchological Society.Papers by Paul Davies and Mark Robinson examine land snailsin particular, with Paul discussing the nature of modern recordingand ecology of woodland and Mark examining the palaeoecologyof Ena montana. Palaeoecological sequences of land snails arediscussed from Roman colluvium at Rock Roman villa on the Isleof Wight by George Speller, Richard Preece and Simon Parfitt,and from sediment cores from mire in Orkney by Terry O’Connorand Jane Bunting. Data derived from land snail evidenceprovide the basis of arguments of prehistoric land-use of thechalklands of southern England by Mike Allen and Julie Gardiner,and to a lesser extent by Charly French. Land snails were usedin some of the preliminary work examining the prehistory of theWylye valley, Wiltshire (Gardiner & Allen).Marine shells, in the form of prehistoric middens, are discussedto examine continuity and change in the Mesolithic – Neolithic ofthe west coast of Scotland, by Nicky Milner and Oliver Craig.Their study included isotope and radiocarbon analysis of theshells.The appreciation of John Evans first published in 2006 in J. Conch. 39 is re-published with but with some additionalcomments as well as a number of other molluscan referencesomitted from the previous list, and several published since then.This volume therefore brings together papers that addressthemes on a variety of levels. They cover geographical,methodological and thematic areas that were of interest to, andhad been studied by, John Evans. In some instances papershave been inspired by John’s approaches to landscape andlandscape analysis and their application to new or wider areas

than John himself studied in detail. Others take forward, re-examine or elaborate on some of his specific theories andinterpretations, looking at new or improved datasets. As acollection, the papers in this volume provide a diverse andcohesive picture of how archaeological landscapes are viewedwithin current research frameworks and approaches, while alsopaying tribute to the innovative and inspirational work of one ofthe leading protagonists of environmental archaeology and theholistic approach to landscape interpretation and showing howsnails and shells have been, and continue to be, key tounderstanding some of our most important prehistoriclandscapes and sites.This new series has a distinctive format; the books are publishedin hard cover (no flopping about on your shelves), and are notthat uniform uninteresting A4 format, but a squarer format andimaginatively designed allowing images to bleed into the whitespace making wide and varied content more pleasing to read.But also these volumes are affordable – due to subvention fromthe Prehistoric Society, and their skilled editors and editorialboard, as well as co-operation from their co-publishers OxbowBooks and the support of the Conchological Society - the book ispublished at only £35. Pre-publication price is now only £25 andpost-publication members of the Conchological Society areentitled to a 25% discount on the normal cover price.The book will be launched at theAssociation for EnvironmentalArchaeology’s 30th AnniversaryConference in York on 3-5thSeptember 2009.The volume will contain a TabulaCommemorativa that will bepublished in the front of the book ofall those who wish to honour John,his work and contribution toenvironmental archaeology,conchology, and archaeologicalthinking. To take advantage of thepre-publication offer and to honourthe achievements of John G Evans by adding your name to theTabula Commemorativa please download the form on theConchological Society Website or use the form below.

Snails and Shells help archaeologistslearn about Land and People - theConchological Society supports newpublication Mike Allen

NAME SUBMISSIo N AND Pr E-PUBLICATIo N o r DEr S WILL BE TAKEN BY o XBo W UNTIL: THE DEADLINE o F 29th JUNE 2009*** FULL PRICE £35.00, SPECIAL PRE-PUB OFFER £25.00***

Please sent to CLARE LITT OXBOW BOOKS, 10 HYTHE BRIDGE STREET, OXFORD OX1 2EW, UK Name (in the form to appear in the TabulaCommemorativa ie, William Cunningham, Dr Simon Thurley, Mr Nick Flint etc)................................................................................................................Please send me ........................... copy/ies of Land and People Postage and handling: Postage within the UK (excluding Highlands, Islands,Northern Ireland and BFPO) costs £3.95 for one book and £5.95 for two or more. Postage to Europe (1 copy) £7.95, rest of world £9.95.

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