>So, here's my question for Tom Watters. The distributions of freshwater
>mollusks have changed since the 1830's, and I particularly draw your
>attention to the fact that the rapids at Claiborne (and elsewhere) were
>removed in the 19th century to aid navigation, incidentally changing the
>environment. Is it possible that L. straminea straminea could be found in
>the Claiborne area in the 1830's, or is this just another case of Conrad's
>localities getting confused between collection and publication? How would
>we ever know for sure? Is this sort of thing common in early works on
>freshwater malacology?
>
 
Ah ha! I pick up the gauntlet. All of the L. s. straminea I have seen came
from small creeks. L. s. claibornensis seems to get in bigger streams as
well. So I don't see L.s.s. in a big river riffle. Has L.s.s turned up in
any archeological middens around Claiborne? Somewhere in the dark recesses
of my mind, I seem to remember someone telling me that a lot of "Claiborne"
material came from elsewhere, but was mailed from there, which was close
enough for government work. For this I suggest a new type designation - the
postaltype, material mailed from the nearest city but probably collected
who-knows-where.
 
*  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
 
"A paranoid is a man who knows a little of what's going on" - William Burroughs