Hi Ross,
I just heard from someone in touch with him (Harasewych, not Abbott) that
he hasn't even begun to work on the third edition. It could be a long, long
time. Hopefully, there will be books out on something slightly less
ambitious. For instance, someone could do just one coast. Or do
shallow-water species only. Or how about re-issuing Jong & Coomans as a
stand alone book on Caribbean shells? (I heard it was good; the one at
University of North Carolina's biology library was evidently ripped off
from the set it belonged to). I'm looking forward to Harry Lee's upcoming
book on NE Florida shells.
Does anyone happen to have a copy of the corrections to the 3rd ed.? Since
I'm about to receive one, I'd like to know about the short-comings.
--David
Durham, NC

>I'm afraid that Paul is right, as he has a habit of bieng, when he
>points to Americain Seashells, vol. ii, as not being one of Tucker's
>finest moments!!  I know the man is like a small-g god in the
>Conchological World, and many of his books are quite excellent.  He was
>most familiar with Western Pacific molluscan fauna, and did a LOT of
>splendid science in that field.  However, when it came to many areas of
>North America, he was simply "out of his element", and to be frank, did
>not seek the aid of enough regional experts when working on the book.
>Also, it was a bit of a "rush job" - i don''t know the details, but for
>some reason the final copy was not carefully proof-read, and tons of
>typos and switched plates were the result. That said, it is nevertheless
>a monumental effort, and the only attempt at a complete treatment of
>North Americain molluscs, and we are better off having it than NOT
>having it!!
>        Jim Harasewych at the Smithstonian is currently working on v.iii, but
>it will be a while, since he is a busy man to begin with, and so much
>work has been done in the past 25 years that the task is nothing short
>of incredible!!  He is a very careful worker, and the final work will be
>as good as it gets, science-wise, and i'm certain he will consult with
>folks like Jim McLean and Scott and Coen, who both have major monographs
>on the West Coast fauna (gastropods and bivalves, respectively) in the
>works.  Scott and Coan's long-anticipated bivalve book for the entire
>West Coast of N.A., should be out by Feb, with a bit of good fortune!!
>I think the hardest part will be my neck of the woods (E.Canada and the
>Gulf of Maine), where marine molluscan taxonomy is long stagnant - the
>Turrids alone are a total nightmare (trust me on this one!!! - they
>represent 10% of our total fauna also, so this is not "trivial"!), the
>Buccinids need a good revision, many habitats such as deep-water coral
>communities, deep basins, fjiords in W. NFLD, etc., are scarcely touched
>sample-wise,  etc....  It may be another century at least before what
>could be called a truly "comprehensive" work on E. coast molluscan fauna
>is possible (or maybe some billionare will come along and throw some Big
>Bucks our way!! - lets all send shells to Bill Gates :-)  ).
>-Ross.