thanks Dick for your information. Is there a separate "Cuming collection" at
the British Museum? I looked at Banks collection last summer when I was in
London.

Do you have any information about Lady Katherine Douglas (later Wigram)
1817-1863, who donated material (1835-1841)from western North America to the
British Museum. Carpenter (1857) noted "perhaps the earliest specimens of
...Californian shells seen in this country were those sent from Oregon by
Lady Katharine Douglas." A local historian has not been able to find any
reference of Lady Douglas visiting North America- it is most likely that
specimens were collected by  the name on labels "Simpson,Esq" and
transported to Lady Douglas in England. I was not able to see any of these
at the British museum, only an old notebook, compiled by a volunteer,
listing material (corals, sponges, barnacles) donated Lady Douglas.
cheers
Rick Harbo
Nanaimo, B.C.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Petit" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 10:59 AM
Subject: Re: Cuming labels


> Rick:
>
> To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as a "Cuming label"
> except for the handwritten labels made for his collection in the BM(NH)
> which bear a small handwritten "m.c." in the corner.  This does not
> preclude
> the possibility that he did identify the shells in question.  I cannot
> locate the specific references in Carpenter but found mention in Palmer
> (1958: 13).  I am confused as it is stated that "Carpenter compared the
> specimens in the Hugh Cuming Collection in the British Museum ..., with
> the
> help of Cuming."  The Cuming collection did not go to the BM until the
> year
> after he died [Cuming died in1865].  Carpenter (1863 Report, printed 1864,
> page 64 [578]) refers to "the Cumingian, the Brit. Mus., and other leading
> collections" showing that they were separate collections.    The specimens
> may well have been identified by Cuming as printed on the labels, but his
> collection was not in the BM at the time.
>
> I think it highly unlikley that any information, such as "collected by
> Swan,"  would be on specimens that first went to Cuming although such data
> should be on specimens that went directly to the BM.
>
> Regards,
>
> dick
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
> To leave this list, click on the following web link:
> http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
> Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
> click leave the list.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.5/335 - Release Date: 5/9/2006
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------