There may be a simple explanation, but it has always seemed odd to me
that from Linneues' establishing of the modern binomial system in 1758,
hardly any molluscs appear to have been described before Hwass in 1792,
except for Chemnitz and Muller, and Linne himself: during this 34 year
period, it seems that one can count the number of Molluscan taxonomy
papers on the fingers of one or two hands - why????  Virtually
everything was in need of a binomial name then, and explorers must have
been dragging new species back to Europe at a brisk pace - so why were
so few eager scientists, amateur or otherwise, involved in describing
new species?  Is this also the case in other phyla??

Enquiring minds want to know, in the the Great Still-chilly North (risk
of frost last nite - was 36 F on my doorstep!),
Ross.