Dear All,
Working several years with Nucella lamellosa (Gmelin, 1791), there came to
me a question that might appear a bit weird, but I'll ask it anyway.
Nucella lamellosa was described in 1791 by Gmelin under the genus of
Purpura.  Later, in the year 1915, William Henry Dall, in the Proceedings
of the U.S. National Museum, Vol. 49, No. 2124,named 4 varieties, besides
lamellosa lamellosa.  The question is, what were these varieties called
before Dr. Dall?  It seems to me (an unwise one) that the varieties are so
different that they must have been described under other species' names.
Does anyone know what the Nucella lamellosa varieties franciscana, hormica,
neptunes and cymica were called.
        When one collects, for the first time, this species from various
locations on the Pacific coast, it is easy to think that there are lots of
species involved.  My wife and I have collected personally and from
friends, from over 70 locations and each seems to have it's own form, a bit
different from any other.  Did other concholgists/malacologists also think
that they had found different species.
Dan Yoshimoto from the land of many varieties of everything.

Dan, Hiromi & Kuma Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
Eureka, California
95503-6018
U.S.A.