Thanks Kim, Harry and Dan for the excellent leads on Haliotidae and Mytlidae.
Against all odds our University libaray has Nautilus, but I have not found the
paper on Haliotidae yet.  It's definitely from 1988?  I'll give it another look.
Also, is the Soot-Ryen reference in a journal called "Allan Hancock Expeditions".
I've never heard of that one.  It's been a long time since I scrounged for
journals at a University library.  Time to roll up the sleeves....
 
Harry G. Lee, MD wrote:
 
> Dear Nora,
>
> There isn't an inclusive picture book on the abalones, but:
>
> Geiger, D. L. 1998.  Recent genera and species of the family Haliotidae
> Rafinesque, 1815 (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda).  Nautilus 111(3): 85-116. May
> 26. provides a list of all Recent generic and trivial names (with valid taxa
> in boldface) along with detailed discussions of taxonomic vagaries,
> geographical indices by species, B & W photographs of infrequently
> illustrated taxa, and a fine bibliography.  If you don't receive this
> benchmark journal, consider doing so.  I have been a Nautilus subscriber
> since 1955 and consider it essential to my collecting enterprise.  Contact
> Jose Leal for further info <[log in to unmask]>.
>
> A fine treatment on the Mytilidae is:
>
> Soot-Ryen, T. 1955.  A report on the family Mytilidae (Pelecypoda). Allan
> Hancock Expeditions 20(1): 1-174 + 10 pls. incl. 18 text fig's. Nov. 10.
> This work treats all west American mytilids and gives a key for all Recent
> genera.
>
> Harry
>
> At 09:56 AM 3/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >Thanks to those who helped me with my shell ID. No ideas on my mussels
> >though.  Can anyone tell me of a good book for worldwide mussels (Mytilidae)
> >and one on Abalones?
> >Nora Bryan
> >Calgary, Alberta
> >CANADA
> >
> >NORA BRYAN wrote:
> >
> >> I have a couple of shells in my collection that I just cannot ID.
> >> Perhaps some of you could point me in a possible direction (when I have
> >> finally obtained all the shell books I will need I won't be bugging you
> >> all with this basic stuff):
> >>
> >> 1.  This one is large (about 4" long) and looks like a member of the
> >> Melongenidae - it looks most like a picture of Volema tuba in the
> >> Eisenberg book.  The outer surface is fairly smooth and cream colour
> >> with some pale brownish colouration as well.  The interior is pink.  Is
> >> there any other shell this could be besides V. tuba?  I don't know it's
> >> provenance.
> >> 2. I have two others that look very similar to the above, only they are
> >> smaller, maybe 2", paler and they may have come from Florida (in a box
> >> of unidentified shells).
> >> 3.  A bivalve that looks like it belongs in Mytilidae - it is about 2"
> >> long and has a fairly typical shape (like M. edulis) but it has a pale
> >> golden periostracum over a white shell. There is very little
> >> irridescence on the inside It is fairly thin.  Again, I don't know where
> >> it is from.
> >> Maybe some more serious collectors wonder why I bother with shells of
> >> unknown provenanace, but my collection is still small, and I hate to
> >> discard nice-looking shells.  I'd rather face the challenge of trying to
> >> figure them out.  Maybe over time they can be replaced with others that
> >> have more complete labelling.
> >> Thanks in advance for any leads you might pass on.
> >> Nora Bryan
> >> Calgary, Alberta
> >> CANADA
> >
> Harry G. Lee
> mailto: [log in to unmask]
> Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
> Jacksonville, FL  32204
> U. S. A.    904-384-6419
> Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
> http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
>
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