Dear Ross,
 
Two references and an offer:
 
Gould, S. J. (1991) On the loss of s limpet. Natural History (June): 22-27.
 
Forsyth, R. (1997) The Eelgrass Limpet Lottia alveus in Boundary Bay, B.C.
The Dredgings: 18. (this is a shell club newsletter).
 
For comparison with your shells referred to "T." testudinalis (Muller,
1776), I can lend you my only specimen of L. alveus at C.O.A. '98.  It was
collected in the 1930's at Ile au Haut, ME.
 
Meanwhile, I shall prepare photos.  The shell has nearly parallel sides
("elliptical" would not be apt) and measures 8.5 mm. by 5.2 mm.
 
Harry
 
 
At 12:44 AM 1/25/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Anyway,  has anyone information about
>or references to similar communities, or perhaps an actual alveus to
>spare or lend?  (believe it or not, there is not a single valid specimen
>to be found in any local collection, and i would very much like to have
>a close look at one!!)
   -Ross Mayhew
 
Earlier I wrote:
 
Dear Ross et al.,
 
Lottia alveus (Conrad, 1831) may well be the limpet Ross has observed.  It
is presently considered extinct in the Atlantic Ocean.  If we are talking
about the same critter, we may have made an encouraging discovery and again
demonstrated the indispensability of amateur scientists in field biology.
 
 
Harry G. Lee
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
Jacksonville, FL  32204
U. S. A.    904-384-6419
 
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