Previous issues:

• Number 9 January 1996
• Number 10 July 1996
• Number 11 February 1997
• Number 12 October 1997

Our aim is to further the study of Mollusca by individuals, societies and institutions world-wide.

ISSN 1011-2375

Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.

Phone 61 2 9320 6120, Fax 61 2 9320 6050.

Email wponder@extro.ucc.su.oz.au or winstonp@amsg.austmus.gov.au

http://www.austmus.gov.au/science/division/invert/mal/ponder1.htm

Layout and design Y. Kantor and D. Ivanov

Printing and distribution E.Gittenberger

Copy for Newsletter. If possible, send by email or disk (DOS, or, less preferably, Mac format).

Newsletters available at http://ucmp.Berkeley.Edu/mologis/mollia.html

This newsletter is timed for you to receive it shortly before the Congress in Washington DC this July. It contains a voting form for the new office bearers and council. As Unitas evolves, it is taking on a more global perspective and it is important that this should also be reflected in the composition of its council. The current list of council nominees is an important step in this direction.

With the Washington congress being the last this Century, and with the advent of the new millennium, the WCM in Washington should be seen as an important forum to develop exciting new ideas and directions for Unitas and malacology in general. Come to the Congress prepared to put forward workable and innovative ideas that will help to put our science in the forefront in the next decade.

Newsletters 9- 12 are all available on WWW, at https://ucmp.Berkeley.edu/mologis/newslet3.html

This congress comprises the 13^th International Congress of Unitas Malacologica and the 64^th Annual Meeting of the American Malacological Union. Location: Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, with the opening day at the National Museum of Natural History. See additional information provided with Newsletter 12 or on the Congress web site: http://www.fmnh.org/wcm

Contact: Dr Rüdiger Bieler, Centre for Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA. Phone 312 922 9410 (extn 270), Fax 312 663 5397, Email bieler@fmnh.org

Worldwide mollusc species database. See Newsletter 10. Contact: Gary Rosenberg. Email rosenberg@say.acnatsci.org.

CLEMAM (Check List of European Marine Mollusca). See Newsletter 10 for details. Available at http://www.mnhn.fr/base/malaco.html. Managed by Jacques Le Renard and Serge Gofas. Email gofas@cimrs1.mnhn.fr.

A message titled "Loss of state support to Bishop Museum" and written by Dr. Allen Allison, Vice President, Research, of the Bishop Museum, was posted on "Mollusca" by Robert Cowie in early February. Letters asking the Governor and Legislature of the State of Hawaii to continue state funding to the Bishop Museum were requested.

The Bishop Museum is a private non-profit institution governed by a self-perpetuating board of directors. It was designated in 1988 by the Hawaii State Legislature as the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, resulting in regular state funding to the Bishop Museum. In 1992 this amounted to ca. $2.5 million (16% of total revenue). During the past several years support has steadily decreased because of a state fiscal crisis. There has been a 67% decrease in state funding since 1992 (a yearly loss of $1.7 million) and now the state budget director is reportedly threatening to withhold even the low level ($805,000) funding from 1 July 1998.

The present state funding constitutes the majority of the day to day operating costs, with the rest of the overall budget is mostly tied to grants, contracts and so on. Cutting the State funding will lead to significant job losses, perhaps as many as 25% of the staff.

In 1992 Bishop Museum was designated by the state as the Hawaii Biological Survey (HBS) and charged with the task of developing a complete inventory of our plants and animals. This important and highly acclaimed program, is supported largely by federal grants and national foundations. As a result of Museum leadership, Hawai'i is the only state in the union with a comprehensive biological survey (all organisms, terrestrial, freshwater and marine), and the only state with an accurate, constantly updated list of the plants, animals, and microorganisms within its boundaries. This information is crucial to a wide range of activities including environmental management, outdoor recreation, and the development of biotechnology. A testament to the usefulness of HBS to the community is that the HBS website received over 170,000 hits by users of its databases, endangered species information, and educational information during 1997.

Additional details about Bishop Museum are available at http://www.bishop.hawaii.org and the Hawaii Biological Survey program at: http://www.bishop.hawaii.org/bishop/HBS/

To support the museum you should send a letter to the Governor and include your postal address in all e-mail correspondence.

Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano, Executive Chambers, Hawaii State Capitol, Honolulu, HI 96813

Fax (808) 586-0006, Email gov@gov.state.hi.us.

Send a copy of your letter to Tracie Mackenzie, Department of Natural Sciences, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0916, USA. Phone (808) 847-8204, Fax (808) 847-8252, Email tracie@bishop.bishop.hawaii.org. She will copy and forward it to members of the State Legislature.

Dr. Allen Allison, Vice President, Research, Bishop Museum, as above. Phone (808) 848-4145, Fax (808) 847-8252, Email allison@hawaii.edu.

The Bishop Museum's Malacology Collection. With more than 6 million specimens, it is the largest and most comprehensive collection of Pacific molluscs in the world. It is the 7th largest mollusc collection in the USA and the 2nd largest land snail collection. Many of the land snails are of species now extinct or very rare, making the collection invaluable and irreplaceable.

The collection was built largely through the work of Honolulu-born Dr. Charles Montague Cooke, Jr., that began with his appointment in 1902 and continued until his death in 1948. During his career he had amassed almost 3 million specimens. Dr Yoshio Kondo joined the Museum in 1935 and eventually took over from Dr. Cooke. Kondo continued to build the collection through fieldwork around the Pacific, until he retired in 1981. Dr. Carl C. Christensen replaced him but left the Museum in 1985. Another land snail specialist, Dr. Robert H. Cowie, now oversees the collection.

Contact: Robert H. Cowie, Ph.D., Department of Natural Sciences, Bishop Museum, as above. Phone (808) 848 4118, Fax (808) 847 8252, WWW http://www.bishop.hawaii.org/bishop/HBS/cowie.html

Matthias Glaubrecht, formerly working at the Zoological Institute and Museum at the University of Hamburg, has been appointed curator of Malacology in July 1997at the Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-University, in Berlin. This followed administrative reorganisation after the reunification of Germany. New directors were apointed to the three Instituts of Zoology, Palaeontology and Mineralology.

Following his Ph.D on Melanopsis and other freshwater cerithioideans done at the University of Hamburg. He continued these studies during a two year post-doc with Klaus Bandel in Hamburg and on a half-year Visiting Fellowship at the Australian Museum. These studies included work on the so-called thalassoid fauna in ancient lakes including Lake Tanganyika with Klaus Bandel. His main research interest for the future will be to continue studies on the evolutionary biology of limnic caenogastropods.

The mollusc collections of the Naturkundemuseum were established in 1810 when the University was founded as part of a small natural history collection. The Museum für Naturkunde was founded in 1889 in the present building in the Invalidenstrasse and were developed mainly through the remaineder of the last century until the 1930's. It is considered to be one of the three or four major collections in Europe and has a very important collection of type material from all parts of the world. Apart from the initial development of the collections by Troschel, before he has been appointed professor in Bonn, the Berlin collection owes much of its reputation to the half century long activities of Karl Eduard von Martens, who started in 1855. Von Martens was not only running the malacological and some of the other invertebrate sections, but, during the long absence of an appointed director, was also responsible for the establishment of the new museum itself. Following von Martens, Johannes Thiele took over in 1905 following a period as assistant, spending the subsequent two decades contributing new material, including many types. Following Thiele's retirement in 1925, Bernhard Rensch was appointed. Although basically trained as an ornithologist, Rensch quickly developed as a malacologist and is renown for his contributions especially on Mediterranean and Sunda Island terrestrial gastropods. Parts of the material collected during his famous Sunda Expedition still remain unstudied.

Following Rensch's appointment as professor of Zoology in Münster, the Berlin collection was virtually left as it was. No professional malacologist was put in charge of the collection until after the Second World War when S. Jaeckel was appointed. Rudolf Kilias started in 1955, first as assistant to Jaeckel. After Jaeckel was forced to resign when the Berlin wall was built in August 1961 (he lived in West Berlin), Kilias took over the curatorial position, from which he retired in 1995.

It is a miracle that the collection and library survived the destruction of Berlin during WWII, although the Museum itself was hit by a bomb at the end of the war. For half a century, the east wing of the museum remained a ruin during the times of the GDR. Within the next few years this wing will be rebuilt, allowing major reorganisation in the zoological collections that will eventually provide more space to redevelop the malacologicial collection.

Following the war years and the isolation of the museum behind the iron curtain, the library was not developed. Matthias would greatly appreciate any contributions to help redress this.

Contact details: Dr Matthias Hlaubrecht, Institute für Systematische Zoologie, Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany. Phone (030) 2093 8504; Fax (030) 2093 8528; Email Matthias.Glaubrecht@rz.hu.Berlin.de.

In Uppsala Museum, Sweden, Dr. Lars Wallin is now retired and has been replaced by Dr. Mats Eriksson.

In Tervuren, Belgium (Central Africa Museum), Dr. Puylaert was retired recently, and Dr. Rudi Jocqué is now in charge for all the non-insect invertebrates. Address: Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium. Email jocque@africamuseum.be.

Dr David Heppel retired as Curator of Mollusca at the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, in November last year. The position has been advertised (closed late March) and, no doubt, an appointment will be made shortly.

This is the third year of National Science Foundation support to the Paleontological Research Institution and Cornell University for renovation of their mollusc collections. These collections are physically and administratively separate, but housed together in one room at PRI. Dr. Wendy Taylor is Collections Manager of the PRI collections (Recent and fossil); Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley is Associate Curator of the CU Malacological Collection. Below is a summary of the status of the Recent mollusc collections.

The Cornell University Malacological Collection: In 1868, Tryon rated this collection the third most complete for molluscs in North America. It includes land, marine, and freshwater gastropods, and marine and freshwater bivalves. Particular groups of interest include land snails from Hawaii collected between 1845 and 1868, the family Helicidae, and freshwater bivalves. Primary geographic coverage is from the areas where Wesley Newcomb, an amateur whose collection was purchased by the University, did extensive collecting in the 1800's: the West Indies, South America, California, Hawaii, the south eastern USA (Alabama, Georgia), Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador), and Japan. The collection also includes freshwater gastropods and unionid bivalves collected in New York State between 1880-1900 with precise locality data. Currently there are approximately 22,000 lots and about 250 types in the collection, with computerisation almost completed. The collection is in the final stages of being cleaned and re-boxed in acid-free containers; the original labels archived and new labels printed; and the collection moved to new compactor units at the Paleontological Research Institution.

Paleontological Research Institution. The Recent mollusc collection consists of 23,167 lots, placing it amongst the top 20 largest in North America. Of interest are the large number of unionids, including some endangered species and the large collection of terrestrial pulmonates. Material from Florida and the Caribbean is well represented and there is a large collection of marine and freshwater molluscs from South America collected by Frederick Hartt (Cornell University's first Professor of Geology) between 1870 and 1890. The PRI collections are in the process of being reboxed and curated. Computerisation of this collection will begin in the fall of 1998.

R.H. Seeley and W. Taylor

Contact: Dr. Robin Hadlock Seeley, Associate Curator, Section of Ecology & Systematics, Cornell University, Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Phone (607) 254-4377; Fax 607-255-8088, Email rhs4@cornell.edu.

The Mollusc Section at the Australian Museum maintains the largest research collection of molluscs in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a State (New South Wales) Museum, supported by the State, there being no national collection maintained by the Commonwealth Government in Australia. Instead all of the State museums maintain mollusc collections, although most no longer have research scientists actively involved with mollusc research. The collection is managed by Ian Loch and his staff and any enquires regarding the collection or loans should be directed to him. There are several programs ongoing, including computerising the collections, especially those from New South Wales, a project for which special State Govt. funding has been obtained. The collections contain over 6000 types, due in large part to the efforts of past curators including John Brazier, Charles Hedley, Tom Iredale, Joyce Allan and Don McMichael, The section has two research scientists (the term Curator was dropped many years ago on the appointment of a Collection Manager). Bill Rudman is heavily involved in Web-based projects and various imaging projects, as well as in Australian and Indo-Pacific opisthobranchs. Presently he is finishing works on New Caledonian ospisthobranchs. Winston Ponder and Stephanie Clark and have almost finished their CD Rom interactive key to the estuarine and freshwater molluscs of NSW. Winston and Peter Middelfart (from Denmark) have commenced work on a project to produce a checklist of the gastropods and bivalves of Australia, building on Brian Smith's non-marine catalogue. Winston's current research interests include taxonomic and biogeographical work on freshwater molluscs (mainly Hydrobiidae, Viviparidae, Bithyniidae and Lymnaeidae) and phylogenetic studies on gastropods. A current study on caenogastropods includes molecular work with Don Colgan and Emma Beecham at the Australian Museum, as well as morphological investigations. He is also involved in a collaborative program with Dr C. Lydeard, University of Alabama, Dr M. Glaubrecht, Berlin, and Dr J. Healy, Brisbane on cerithioidean phylogeny.

Possible significant changes in the Australian Museum are afoot, with the director of the Museum for the last 23 years, Dr Des Griffin, is retiring this September. Contacts: Winston Ponder (contact as above), Dr Bill Rudman, Email billr@amsg.austmus.gov.au and Ian Loch, Email ianl@amsg.austmus.gov.au.

Fifth International Congress on Medical and Applied Malacology, Chiangmai, Thailand, 27-30 Dec., 1998. Contact Prof. Dr Suchart Upatham, or Prof. Dr Maleeya Kruatrachue, Dept of Biology, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Phone & Fax (662) 2477058, Email scsut@mahidol.ac.th

The 1999 American Malacological Union meeing Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. at the Sheraton Station Square, 4-8 July 1999. The meeting will feature a symposium being organised by Bud Rollins and Ellis Yochelson (University of Pittsburgh and Smithsonian Institution) entitled "New Looks at Old Mollusks: Recent Perspectives on Molluscan Evolution". In addition to contributed papers, there will be special sessions on shell microstructure and biomineralization (organized by Joe Carter, University of North Carolina), molluscan genetics (organized by Laura Adamkiewicz, George Mason University), and women in malacology (organized by Louise Kraemer, University of Arkansas). Rich Lutz (Rutgers University) will present the keynote address on "Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents: Exciting New Discoveries". Contact: Robert S. Prezant, President-elect, American Malacological Union. Email rprezant@grove.iup.edu

1999 Annual Meeting of the Western Society of Malacologists. At California State University, Fullerton. Tentative dates 24-27 June 1999. There will be three symposia. Further details will be available at the World Congress of Malacology in Washington, D.C. For further information, contact Dr. Roger Seapy, Professor of Biology, Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, PO Box 6850, CA 92834, USA. Phone (714) 278-2265; Fax (714) 278-3426; Email rseapy@fullerton.edu; WWW http://biology.fullerton.edu/

Molluscs 2000. Malacological Society of Australasia, December, 2000, Sydney, NSW, Australia. More details to be announced in the next Newsletter. Contact Winston Ponder, Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Phone 61 2 9320 6120, Fax 61 2 9320 6050.Email wponder@extro.ucc.su.oz.au or winstonp@amsg.austmus.gov.au (http://www.austmus.gov.au/science/division/invert/mal/ponder1.htm).

The Ninth International Workshop Of The Tropical Marine Mollusc Program, Indonesia (TMMP) August, 19-23 1998 Lombok Raya Hotel, Mataram, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province Indonesia. Information from Dr Woro Widiarsih Kastoro, Research and Development Center for Oceanology - LIPI, Jl. Pasir Putih 1, Ancol Timur P.O. Box 4801/JKTF, Jakarta 11048, Indonesia. Phone 62-21.683850, Fax 62-21.681948, Email: p30-lipi@jakarta.wasantara.net.id.

The biology and evolution of bivalves. 14-17 September 1999, at the University of Cambridge, UK and organised, on behalf of the Malacological Society of London, by E. M. Harper, J. D. Taylor and J. A. Crame. An international meeting to focus solely on the Bivalvia. The organisers welcome papers and posters on all aspects of the biology and palaeontology of bivalves, in particular studies of the ecology, phylogeny and palaeobiology of the class. The Society hopes that the proceedings of the meeting will be published as series of refereed papers. The meeting will be held over three days in Cambridge (UK) within the university. It will be possible to organise workshops and themed sessions to accommodate those with similar interests. Join the mailing list to receive the full circular. For details contact Dr. E. M. Harper, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Downing St, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK Phone (1223) 332846; Fax (1223) 333450; Email emh21@cus.cam.ac.uk.

The other 99% - The Conservation and Biodiversity of Invertebrates. Held at the Australian Museum, Sydney, 9-12 Dec., 1997. Attended by about 200 participants, this meeting had symposia dealing with the assessment and description of invertebrate biodiversity as well as the legislative and policy aspects and communication and education. The proceedings will be published as a special issue of the Australian Zoologist. Contact W. Ponder for more information.

Mid-Atlantic Malacologists, Report of First Annual Meeting. The first meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Malacologists (MAM) was held 28 February 1998 at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, Delaware. There were 30 participants at the one-day gathering. For additional information about MAM, contact: Dr Timothy A. Pearce, Curator of Mollusks, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Box 3937, Wilmington, DE 19807, U.S.A. Phone (302) 658-9111; Fax (302) 658-2610; Email tpearce@delmnh.org.

Molluscs And Molecules, Malacological Society of London. Held at The Natural History Museum, London, on 7 January 1998. There is a detailed report on the Malacological Society of London Web Site at http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/~es0mda/msl1.htm. Further enquires to David Reid, Email dgr@nhm.ac.uk.

Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia Vol. 5. 1998. Edited by Beesley, P.L., Ross, G.J.B. and Wells, A. Published by Australian Biological Resources Study and CSIRO Publishing. Jan 1998, 1250 pp, 2 Volumes, colour illustrated, Hardback. ISBN 0 643 05756 0. $Aus 295.00. See NL 12 for a detailed prepublication announcement. To order contact: CSIRO PUBLISHING, PO Box 1139, Collingwood, Victoria 3066, Australia. Phone 61 3 9662 7650; Fax 61 3 9662 7555; Email sales@publish.csiro.au. WWW http://www.publish.csiro.au.

Treatise on Recent Terrestrial Pulmonate Molluscs by A. Schileyko. Supplement 2 of Ruthenica, The Russian Malacological Journal, February, 1998. Part 1 $US 30.00 ($US 25 for subscribers to Ruthenica), including air-mail postage. Part 2 (to be published later this year) $US 35 ($US 30 for subscribers). Can be obtained through the distributor of Ruthenica, TROPHON Corporation, P.O.Box 7279, Silver Spring, MD 20907, USA until the end of July 1998. Can also be ordered by email (ivanov@3.zoomus.bio.msu.ru).

This is the first part of a work that will be published in parts, two per year, for the next 4-5 years. It is the first major review of the world pulmonate fauna at the genus level since Zilch, 1959-1960. The book summarises the authors research carried out in the 60s-90s, and presents his views on pulmonate classification and phylogeny. Overall, the entire publication will cover about 2600 genus-group taxa. Data on each genus-group taxon include complete synonymy, diagnosis, illustration of the type species, description of anatomy (when possible), and distribution. The book is illustrated mainly by original drawings made from specimens. Each issue has a complete list of references. The first part (127 pp., 140 taxa) covers the families Achatinellidae, Amastridae, Orculidae, Strobilopsidae, Spelaeodiscidae, Valloniidae, Cochlicopidae, Pupillidae, Chondrinidae, Pyramidullidae. The second part will deal with Gastrocoptidae, Hypselodontidae, Vertiginidae, Truncatellinidae, Cerastidae, Enidae, and Sagdidae (approximately 150 p., 170 taxa).

Benjamin Delessert (1773-1847) et la malacologie. Cailliez, J.C. & Y. Finet, 1997. Special publication edited by the Société internationale de Conchyliologie, Lausanne, Switzerland (Suppl. to Vol. 19 (3)): 44 pp., 5 col. pls., more than 30 text figs. ISBN 2-940224-00-5. Price : 20 Swiss Francs (ca. $US 14). Distributed by Société internationale de Conchyliologie, c/o Mr. Jacques Dubuis, CDK Graphic, Chemin de Mallieu, 10, CH-1009 Pully, Switzerland, Fax 41 21 728 7979; or by : Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, c/o Dr. Yves Finet, Case postale 6434, CH-1211 Genève 6, Switzerland, Fax 41 22 418 6301; Email yves.finet@mhn.ville-ge.ch. This work (in French) traces various aspects of the life of Benjamin Delessert, with his numerous zoological and botanical, as well as industrial, financial, political and philanthropic activities. It emphasises his multiple scientific connections, especially in malacology, as well as the importance and the story of his malacological collection, now in the Museum of Geneva. The paper also reviews the species of molluscs dedicated to B. Delessert, and compiles numerous bibliographical data and biographical information on important persons contemporaneous with him.

Rudolf Kilias, as editor, was assisted by eight others, including R. von Cosel and K.-K Götting, to produce this lexicon that is a compilation of brief pieces of information, mainly on marine gastropods and bivalves. They present notes not only for taxa but also for general biological terms, even words like "Flora". While the alphabetical arrangement certainly enables information to be retrieved efficiently, one has to know the term or name to look it up. What you find in this book is seldom adequate and sometimes inaccurate. To mention only one example (p. 142), the Hydrobiidae, which are said to have terrestrial representatives (which they do not), only two representative genera are given, both European. Even given that the book is not dealing with freshwater taxa, the section on this extremely diverse and virtually world-wide family (which contains many estuarine genera) comprises only 35 lines (not much considering the text is in three columns) and this represents one of the more comprehensive treatments for a family. Rissoidea (sic.), the superfamily to which Hydrobiidae belongs, is incorrectly said to include families such as Omalogyridae, Orbitestellidae, Rissoellidae, Trachysmatidae, Trochaclididae and Skeneopsidae. Yet on the same page, it is indicated that Rissoellidae is also considered to belong to the Allogastropoda and the separate superfamily Rissoellidea (=Rissoelloidea) is also listed.

In addition to drawings in the text (most of them borrowed from other works), there are several colour plates of representative taxa, albeit mainly depicting shells, there being virtually no living animals illustrated.

The choice of names that are included is strange, like Mantellum (a junior synonym of Lima), while other names in current use, and certainly more important, are either missing or cryptic. Terms are also varied in their treatment and explanation. For example it is not explained that torsion is the most important synapomorphy of the Gastropoda. The classification used in the book is outdated and largely ignores the many new contributions to the classification and phylogeny of molluscs in recent years.

It is unclear to me for what audience this book was intended and I am not convinced that the lexicon approach of much value - that's the purpose of a good index. For students of malacology there are other works available that are more useful because they are organised in a systematic way. For the price, it is not good value.

Recent Supplements to The Festivus, a monthly publication (11 months, no December) of the San Diego Shell Club since 1970. Prices in $US and post paid.

The Recent Molluscan Marine Fauna of the Islas Galápagos. Kirstie L. Kaiser, 1997. 67+ pp., $16 USA, $20 overseas surface, + $5 overseas airmail. This paper lists 846 species that occur from the intertidal zone to deep water with new information on endemicity, depth records, systematics and new records from the Galápagos since Finet (1994). Two annotated appendices list accepted species (Appendix 1) and rejected species (Appendix 2).

An Atlas of Cowrie Radulae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cypraeoidea: Cypraeidae), Hugh Bradner & E. Alison Kay, 1996. 179 pp., 841 figures. $25 USA, $28 overseas surface, $32 overseas airmail. Radulae of 202 Recent species are figured, by conventional light microscopy and SEM. Discussion on functional implications of tooth structure.

Comprehensive Index to The Festivus 1970-1995, Carole M. Hertz & Jules Hertz, 1996 (pp. 1- 31). $5 USA, $6 overseas surface, $12 overseas airmail.

Additions to the Panamic Province Gastropod (Mollusca Literature 1971 to 1992, Carol Skoglund, 1992. (24: viii+169 pp.). $20 USA, $22 overseas surface, $29 overseas airmail.

Additions to the Panamic Province Bivalve (Mollusca) Literature 1971 to 1990, Carol Skoglund, 1991. (22: i-v+74 pp.). $11 USA, $12 overseas surface, $15 overseas airmail.

Additions to the Panamic Province Opisthobranch (Mollusca) Literature 1971 to 1990, Carol Skoglund, 1990. (22: i-iii+27 pp.). $6 USA, $7 overseas surface, $12 overseas airmail.

An Illustrated Catalogue of the Family Typhidae Cossmann, 1903, Anthony D'Attilio & Carole M. Hertz, 1988. (20:73 pp., 109 figs). $11 USA, $12 overseas surface, $15.50 overseas airmail.

A Faunal Study of the Bivalves of San Felipe and Environs, Gulf of California, from the Gemmell Collection (1965 to 1976) by Joyce Gemmell, Barbara W. Myers & Carole M. Hertz, 1986. (18:1-72 pp., 78 figs). $9 USA, $10 overseas surface, $15.50 overseas airmail.

Illustration of the types named by S. Stillman Berry in his "Leaflets in Malacology" by Carole M. Hertz, 1983. (15:1-42 pp., 92 photos). Currently out of print.

For further information or to order: Carole M. Hertz, 3883 Mt. Blackburn Ave., San Diego, California, USA. Email cmhertz@pacbell.net

Starting with the February, 1998 issue, will be called Opisthobranchia, with no subtitle. It will remain a 12 number volume and will be published monthly. Issues may be combined at times to allow publication of longer works but monographic works will probably be published as supplements. Content will depend upon submissions from authors but it is recommended that major taxonomic works and new species descriptions be sent to appropriate journals (e.g. The Veliger, Journal of Molluscan Studies). Any article submitted will be subject to peer review. Articles on anything related to opisthobranchs and their allies are welcomed. Send material to the editor, Steven J. Long. We attempt to cover all costs of publishing including illustrations but colour will be limited and may require subsidy.

Steven J. Long, 20220 21st Ave NW, Shoreline, WA98177, USA. Phone (206) 546 5977; Email: miranda@oz.net, http://www.oz.net/~miranda.

Details about most of the malacological journals, including instructions to authors, can be found on Mollia at https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/mologis/AutInst.html

Rowena Scott. Aspects of the Biology of -Maoricopus roseus- (Prosobranchia: Turritellidae). B.Sc. Hon. University of Tasmania, Hobart. The six-month study briefly covered the respiration, growth, and feeding of this gastropod introduced to Tasmania. Rowena Scott, 397c Elizabeth St, North Hobart. Tasmania 7000. Email rjscott@postoffice.antcrc.utas.edu.au

Mollusca mailing list. The first molluscan mailing list and is indexed and fully searchable. To subscribe - email to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu and send the following message:- subscribe mollusca <your full name>. To post items email messages to:- mollusca@ucmp1.berkeley.edu. Maintained by Rob Guralnick, robg@ucmp1.Berkeley.Edu. The Mollusca archives and Mollia are available at https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/mologis/mollia.html.

See NL 10-12 for additional sites.

Mollusc Molecular News. Volume 3 is available at http://www.uoguelph.ca/zoology/mollusc/.

This newsletter complements the bionet/USENET newsgroup group MOLLUSC-MOLECULAR-NEWS/bionet.molbio.molluscs. Elizabeth Boulding. Email boulding@uoguelph.ca.

Italian Malacological Society Web Site. http://aicon.com/sim Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli, president, Società Italiana di Malacologia, Email propal@mbox.vol.it.

Interactive Catalog of Italian Pliocene Mollusca. http://aicon.com/plio. Email plio@aicon.com.

The Jacksonville Shell Club. http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm. Amongst items of interest are comprehensive mollusc checklists for Florida. Bill Frank, Email Strombus@msn.com, Wfrank@sprynet.com.

Live Seashells Gallery Web Page. http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Plaza/1821/live.html. George Sangiouloglou, Email sangioul@ath.forthnet.gr.

As well as the Seaslug listserver. http://www.oz.net/~miranda run by Steve Long (Email miranda@oz.net) and some other (see previous NL's), there is now the Sea Slug Forum, a place where amateurs, professionals, divers etc. can ask questions, get answers and post interesting observations. At http://www.austmus.gov.au/science/division/invert/mal/forum/index.htm and run by Bill Rudman, Email billr@amsg.austmus.gov.au.

Current annual subscription to Unitas Malacologica is Swiss francs 25. Account no.: 10-941,085.0, Swiss Bank Corporation, CH-4002 Basel.

Visa, Eurocard and Mastercard are accepted as are all other kinds of payment mentioned in previous newsletters: international postal money order, payment by eurocheque or personal cheque, by bank draft or even by sending cash. Only in this latter case is a receipt sent unless requested.

Application for membership can be made by writing to (or faxing) the Secretary (Prof. E. Gittenberger) or the Treasurer, Dr J. Van Goethem (address above).

Dr Rüdiger Bieler, Centre for Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA. Phone 312 922 9410 (extn 270), Fax 312 663 5397, Email bieler@fmnh.org

Prof. Edmund Gittenberger. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Postbus 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Phone 31 71 5162614, Fax 31 71 5133344, Email E.Gittenberger@ThuisNet.LeidenUniv.NL or Gittenberger@NNM.NL.

Dr. Jackie Van Goethem. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. Phone 32 2 627 4343, Fax 32 2 646 4433, Email vangoethemj@kbinirsnb.be.

Dr. Angel Guerra. CSIC Inst. de Investigaciones Marinas, Eduardo Cabello 6, E-36 208 Vigo, Spain. Phone 34 86 292758, Fax 34 86 292762, Email brc1@iim.csic.es.

Prof. Klaus Bandel. Geologisch-Palaontologisches Institut und Museum, Bundesstrasse 55, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany. Phone 49 40 4123 5080, Fax 49 40 4123 5007, Email Bandel@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de.

Dr Yuri Kantor. A.N. Severtzov Institute of Animal Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lenin Ave. 33, Moscow 117071, Russia. Phone 7 95 124 7950, Fax 7 95 954 5534, Email kantor@malaco-sevin.msk.ru.

Dr. Beata M. Pokryszko. Museum of Natural History, Wroclaw University, Sienkiewicza 21, PL-50-335 Wroclaw, Poland. Fax 48 71 22 28 17.

Dr. Winston F.Ponder. Australian Museum, 6 College Str., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. Phone 61 2 9320 6120, Fax 61 2 9320 6050, Email wponder@extro.ucc.su.oz.au or winstonp@amsg.austmus.gov.au.

Dr John D. Taylor. Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. Phone 44 171 938 9359, Fax 44 171 938 8754, Email j.taylor@nhm.ac.uk.