On the matter of adventitious shells,

While these P. septemvolva may have been living when found under the
seaweed, as Andrew stated, empty mollusk shells can be transported some
distance from their natural habitat.  Sometimes the vagaries of wind and
watercurrent can actually produce a concentration of such remnants.  Such
can be the case with landsnails swept into waterways and deposited in
riverine drift.  An account of such an occurrence and its conchological
exploitation (including not only one, but two Polygyra spp.just to maintain
the thread) appears at <http://www.jaxshells.org/freshwat.htm>.

Harry


At 04:00 AM 3/17/2004, you wrote:
>>>A club member brought me shells, dead collected, that she found in
>>>great number under a mass of seaweed. I am no expert in land shells,
>>>but according to R.T. Abbott - Compendium of Landshells, p.134, I
>>>believe they are
>>>Polygyra septemvolva, Say, 1818. I was surprised to see land snails on
>>>our gulf beach.
>>>Is this an unusual place to find Polygyra?
>
>Land & fluvial snails wash into the sea and then may be washed
>ashore, especially after flooding.
>
>I have seived landsnails out of beach windrows and dredged freshwater
>hydrobiids from 340-620 m in a canyon.

Harry G. Lee
Suite 500
1801 Barrs St.
Jacksonville, FL 32204
USA
Voice: 904-384-6419
Fax: 904-388-6750
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Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
www.jaxshells.org

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