Gary Rosenberg is perfectly right in pointing out that the type species of Lunatia Gray, 1847 is Natica ampullaria Lamarck, 1822, and not Natica ampullaria Sowerby, as I had stated in a previous message. I had quoted from Wenz (p. 1034) without double-checking in the primary source whether that information was correct. This just goes to underscore the absolute necessity of reconfirming any and all information gained from secondary sources. For all those Conch-Lers who might have gotten stirred up by Gary's elaboration on the possibility that the familiar name Natica heros Say, 1822 might be preoccupied by Natica ampullaria Lamarck, 1822 if the two species should prove to be synonymous: Calm down, you are not likely to have to change the labels in your collections any time soon. Although Tryon in 1886 (as Gary had stated) and also Philippi in 1852 had synonymized N. heros Say and N. ampullaria Lamarck, Recluz as well as Deshayes considered them separate species. They regarded N. ampullaria Lamarck as a junior synonym of N. catena da Costa, 1778. As Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli has pointed out in a previous message, Mermod in 1953 arrived at the same conclusion. When G. Mermod in 1953 evaluated and figured the types of Lamarck (Rev. Suisse Zool. 60, 151-204) he noted (pp. 182-183) chain-like brown subsutural marks on the two syntype specimens. These marks are typical for N. catena, and actually prompted da Costa to pick the name "catena" (meaning the "chained" or "necklace" Natica) for this species. These marks are absent from N. heros. Thus, it is fairly safe to assume that the name Natica heros Say will hold up, with the correct generic assignment being Euspira heros (Say, 1822). I might add that I have seen the two syntype specimens at the Museum in Geneva, and I can confirm that they indeed represent Eusipra catena (da Coasta, 1778). Michael Hollmann ****************************************** Dr. Michael Hollmann Goerdelerweg 17 D-37075 Goettingen GERMANY Tel.: (home) (49)-551-22356 Tel.: (work) (49)-551-3899-437 FAX: (work) (49)-551-3899-644 e-mail: [log in to unmask] ****