Dear Listers,

A few bits of helpful advice from listers, and a realization that the
numbers needed some revision, has resulted in this revised report. My
apologies for the text enrichment (this will be printed up for
distribution to Jax Shell Club members on 5/24) and for the fact that
there will be two chapters (imposed by list-serve limits). Further
advice on improvements are solicited; we still have "another day."
Harry

Linnaeus on Mollusks

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 marked the 300th anniversary of the birth of
Carolus Linnaeus, father of binominal system of taxonomic
nomenclature. His innovation, published the day after his 51st
birthday (Linnaeus, 1758), revolutionized descriptive biology and
continues to be the standard in plant and animal classification.
Among the thousands of organisms he named in this magnum opus,
written in Latin, are 688 species presently considered mollusks.
These were placed in 39 genera, most of which were in the assortment
he called "Vermes Testacea," but as shown below, some mollusks were
grouped with other members of other phyla. Here is an account of
these genera along with the species count of for each (placed in
parentheses). Non-molluscan groups [placed in square brackets] are
included in the format, but not the species counts, to demonstrate
the slight imperfections of the hierarchical system conceptualized by
the Master.

Insecta Aptera [pp. 608-640]
Monoculus [Arthropoda, but on p. 635: M. telemus, a pteropod mollusk
is named]* (1 species)

Vermes I Intestina [pp. 647-651]
Gordius [Nematomorpha]
Furia [Nematomorpha]
Lumbricus {Annelida]
Ascaris [Nematoda]
Fasciola [Platyhelminthes]
Hirudo [Annelida]
Myxine [Chordata]
Teredo (2 species)

Vermes II Mollusca [pp. 652-666]
Limax (5 species)
Doris (1 species)
Tethys (2 species)
Nereis [Annelida]
Aphrodita [Echinodermata]
Lernaea [Arthropoda]
Priapus [Cnidaria]
Scyllaea (1 species)
Holothuria [Echinodermata]
Triton [Chordata]
Sepia (5 species)
Medusa [Cnidaria]
Asterias [Echinodermata]
Echinus [Echinodermata]

Vermes III Testacea [pp. 667-788]
Chiton (4 species)
Lepas [Brachiopoda]
Pholas (5 species)
Mya (8 species)
Solen (10 species)
Tellina (25 species)
Cardium (25 species)
Donax (8 species)
Venus (36 species)
Spondylus (2 species)
Chama (10 species)
Arca (15 species)
Ostrea (29 species)
Anomia [Brachiopod species outnumber those of Mollusca]* (5 species)
Mytilus (17 species)
Pinna (8 species)
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