>Dear Ferreter (or is it ferreter?),
>
>I agree that these natural history objects are highly desirable and of
>multifarious value.  A caveat for your well-intentioned campaign (vide
>infra): our Fish and Wildlife Service (and other agencies, I guess) is
>charged with enforcement of the Endangered Species Act.  Many of your (mine,
>too) desiderata are also on its "checklist."  Perhaps Tom Watters or one of
>his colleagues can post a list of Unionidae of which the U.S.F.W.S. would
>not like to hear as changing hands.  The difference, for instance, between
>"extinct" and "endangered" is, to slightly extend Kurt Auffenberg's posting
>of last week, just one living specimen.
>
>Harry
 
 
There are 56 US endangered species of freshwater mussels, as well as 15
snails. A list may be found at:
 
http://www.fws.gov/~r9endspp/endspp.html
 
Although there is a grandfather clause, few people have the documentation.
Penalties for possession include hefty fines and/or imprisonment. I have
within the past month seen one dealer offering an endangered species, which
is quite illegal. I have seen specimens offered from Ohio as well, which
also is illegal, as it is now against the law to collect any mussel, live or
dead, in the state. And then there's the CITES list, and the Red List, ....
 
Many of the Epioblasmas are now extinct, and have been removed from these
lists. None of these species were brought to this unhappy end by collectors.
 
*  G Thomas Watters               *
*  Ohio Biological Survey &       *
*  Aquatic Ecology Laboratory     *
*  Ohio State University          *
*  1315 Kinnear Rd.               *
*  Columbus, OH 43212 USA         *
*  v:614-292-6170 f:614-292-0181  *
 
"The world is my oyster, except for months with an "R" in them" - Firesign
Theater