This is the first issue of a new-approach Unitas newsletter which should appear twice yearly. The format and coverage are by no means fixed and suggestions for improvement are welcome. This issue and those following will be made available on WWW, as well as being distributed to members in hard copy.

The purpose of the newsletter is to bring information to members of Unitas that is of interest to the international malacological community. However, this can only be achieved with your help - in other words information must be received before it can be disseminated. I await your input. Letters, news and comment are all very welcome. I would like to start a news and information column about what is happening in laboratories and departments around the world - perhaps in the next issue.

The next Congress will be in Washington DC, USA. As the first Congress to be held outside Europe, it represents a significant and welcome change for Unitas. The move for change met with virtually unanimous agreement at the Vigo General Assembly suggesting that we now have reached the point where future proposals for Unitas congresses to be held in other parts of the world can be considered on their merits, as is the case with many other similar organisations.

One might ask why we need a newsletter these days when much of what it contains can be found on WWW or, if not, could easily be placed there. Searching WWW takes time (just try finding news about meetings or new books for example!) and, surprising as it may be to some, not everyone has access to internet facilities. Our aim is to make information such as that listed here readily and conveniently accessible in both electronic format and hard copy so that those that have chosen to work on molluscs are better served.

Does Unitas need a journal?

At present people have no real need to belong to UNITAS other than to obtain a discount on the congress registration fee and a vague feeling of solidarity and support for the cause. It seems to us that the only way to get faithful subscribers is to ensure they get some tangible benefit coming through their letterboxes regularly. The answer is a high quality JOURNAL. This would publish some of the Symposia from the triennial congresses, as well as regular papers and also be a vehicle for promoting Unitas.

We realise that some malacologists believe that there are already too many specialist journals. However, the sensible thing in this case would be to take over an existing publication, for there is no doubt that all malacological journals would benefit from a larger subscriber base. It seems to us that there are several possibilities here, all of which would need careful handling. There are several ailing journals which could be relaunched with new management/editorial teams and a larger subscriber base. Alternatively, one of the major malacological journals which is already international in authorship and broad in scope and content, could somehow become the Unitas publication. This would need careful handling if the various malacological societies, which publish and nurture these journals were not to lose out financially or perhaps, wither away.

The Unitas subscription would of course have to be raised to cover the costs of producing the journal. However, the benefits of having a loyal and supportive subscriber base and a high quality journal would be great.

John Taylor & Yuri Kantor

John D.Taylor, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. Tel. 0171 938 9359 Fax 0171 938 8754. e-mail: j.taylor@nhm.ac.uk

Collection management

An argument for a planetary magazine that I find of the highest interest would be a worldwide check of information systems used by the various museums to catalogue their collections - products, methods of management and so on. As far as I know there is not a general summary still. The Net can be a fast way to retrieve this information.

Stefano Palazzi, via Prampolini 158 - 41100 Modena MO - Italy, phone +39 +59 304345, email: spalazzi@pianeta.it OR spalazzi@inbox.modena.net

Comments on these and other issues are encouraged - Ed.

Dr. R. Tucker Abbott. Tucker Abbot died on Friday November 3, 1995, following a long illness. The author of more than 30 books on malacology, Dr. Abbott was probably the world's best known malacologist. Born in 1919 in Watertown, Massachusetts, he was a 1942 graduate of Harvard University, served in World War II, did his Master's Degree at George Washington University in 1953 and his Ph.D. in 1955. From 1955 he worked in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, and then Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia until 1969. In 1970 he became Assistant Director of the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, leaving that position in 1977 to set up American Malacologists, Inc. in Melbourne, Florida. He became associated with the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum in 1989, an association he maintained (as Director) until his death. Dr. Abbott is survived by his wife, Cecilia, his son and 5 daughters and five grandchildren. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Harold William Harry, died aged 74, at his home in Bellaire, Texas, June 30, 1995. A well-known malacologist, Hal Harry spent his years after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan serving at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Walter Reed Institute of Research, including three years studying epidemiology of Schistosomiasis in Puerto Rico, and as professor of marine biology at Texas A&M University. Post retirement activities included research on oysters. He is survived by his wife, Mildred. His collection of books and research materials has been willed to the Department of Malacology,

Houston Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle, Houston, Texas, 77030.

CLEMAM - Checklist of the European Marine Mollusca

CLEMAM 1989-94: The value of computerised checklists has been long recognised but until recently there has been no serious attempt to coordinate and develop existing lists. Unitas became formally involved in coordinating a checklist of European marine molluscs at the Tübingen Congress in 1989 and CLEMAM was initiated. The impetus arose because the Annotated Check-list of the Mediterranean Marine Mollusks by Bruno Sabelli, Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli and Daniele Bedulli was nearing completion (subsequently published in 3 vols.). Philippe Bouchet (Paris) was keen to extend the Mediterranean project to include the Atlantic and felt that Unitas was the organisation through which it should be developed. The idea was proposed and endorsed at the General Assembly of Unitas in 1989.

With increasing improvements in technology in the following three years, by the time of the Siena Congress (1992) there was tremendous enthusiasm for producing a computer-based checklist under the auspices of Unitas. Mikael Thollesson (Sweden) was working on a nudibranch database which he demonstrated and agreed to develop for CLEMAM. Gary Rosenberg (Philadelphia) had been independently developing his system, which he also demonstrated in Siena (this data base is now available on internet).

It was clear that any Unitas/CLEMAM database should be compatible with Gary's system and between the Siena Congress and the 1995 Vigo Congress there were productive discussions between Mikael and Gary. These culminated in a meeting in the Paris Museum in Dec. 1994 during which the detailed structure of the database was discussed. It was also agreed that Serge Gofas (Paris) should combine the three main, recently published, checklists to form a base on which to build.

CLEMAM 1995: At the database workshop of the Vigo Congress, three examples of implementing taxonomic databases were presented: 1. A database (MALACOLOG) of Western Atlantic marine gastropods, developed by Gary Rosenberg and containing ca. 11,000 names and 4,400 valid species; 2. A database structure by Mikael Thollesson; 3. A database (CLEMAM) of European marine molluscs, compiled by Serge Gofas and Jacques le Renard, based on published regional databases and containing ca. 15,000 names and 3,000 valid species.

These databases use different formats and software and it was agreed by the workshop that they should be harmonised and brought to a common format.

It was agreed that Gary Rosenberg act as editor-in-chief of the CLEMAM/MALACOLOG project. His mandate would be to (a) work with Thollesson and le Renard to achieve a common standard for existing and developing databases; (b) produce relevant software by Jan. 1996, validating it through interested persons and distributing it to participants by June 1996; (c) investigate the feasibility of a decentralised system with regional taxonomic and geographical editors with multiple entry points; and (d) evaluate the problems of copyright and access of information via Internet.

It was further agreed Serge Gofas would act as taxonomic editor of the European list. His mandate is to :- (a) expand the existing CLEMAM database to cover additions to the Scandinavian, British and Mediterranean lists; and (b) coordinate a decentralised input of data through regional editors as soon as it has become technically feasible.

The workshop welcomed the idea of expanding the list to cover other regional and systematic groups and some suggestions were received. It is hoped that these endeavours will ultimately lead to a world-wide database of Recent molluscs - marine, land and freshwater. Such a list would fulfil the aims of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) at its 25th General Assembly held in 1994.

Slightly modified from text provided by Elizabeth Platts, CLEMAM Atlantic Coordinator.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer, Dr Jackie Van Goethem, presented his report and details of the accounts to the General Assembly on the 8th Sept., 1995. He pointed out that the membership fee has remained unchanged for six years (at 25 Swiss francs) and will remain unchanged at least for the next three years. The income from membership dues remains only 2/3's of the expected amount. Of the invoiced members, only 50% pay within 1.5 years resulting in the need to send reminders to the remaining 50%, resulting in extra work and cost. Some 90 members received a letter a year ago telling them that they were five or more years in arrears. Only 15 paid their dues, the remainder now having been removed from the membership list. This follows a similar situation three years ago when 74 members were removed for the same reason. As a result, Unitas, at the time of the General Assembly, had 353 regular members and a members list has now been prepared and will be sent to all members.

The income from interest is very good and the financial situation was also improved by the payment of page charges by six members (for the Tübingen Proceedings) and the Siena Congress has a positive balance of $US3,000. The proceedings of the Edinburgh Congress were paid for by a donation of the National Museums of Scotland. The costs of both of these proceedings were kept low by the efforts of Edi Gittenberger and Claus Meier-Brook respectively. Three issues of the Newsletter were produced for minimal cost by Claus Meier-Brook. Similarly the costs of Council meetings were minimal. The available assests of Unitas Malacologica at the end of August, 1995, amount to $US 11,670.

Donations to the Trust Fund are continuing but only 6 donations of $US1,000 have been received (1991-92). The Council (July, 1994) decided to work with the available capital and two decisions were taken:- Unitas will offer $US10,000 for travel grants to assist participation at the Vigo Congress and that the CLEMAM Working Group would be granted $US3,500. Following these expenditures and a transfer of $US6,400 from Unitas funds, the Trust Fund now stands at $US27,600.

Members are urged to pay their dues in advance, at least every two or three years. This considerably reduces the amount of work and the bank charges. Some members (well loved by the Treasurer) have paid well in advance and are worthy of note. F. Rodriguez-Romeio has paid to 2003, A.D. Berrie, E.Platts, A. Dulai and D. Reid have paid to 2001 and J.B.Burch and M. Seddon up to 2000.

The income over the next three years can be estimated as about $US24,000. In accordance with the previous three year period, the following allocation for expenditure was proposed:- 1/3 current activites of Unitas (newsletter, mailing, council meetings, etc.), 1/3 towards congress organisation, printing of abstracts etc. and 1/3 transfer to the Trust Fund.

Dr Van Goethem concluded by thanking all those who have influenced the present favourable financial position.

The 12th International Malacological Congress was held in Vigo, Spain, from the 3-8 September, 1995 under the auspices of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, the Cephalopod International Advisory Council and the Sociedad Española de Malacologia. A full program of about 220 papers and 248 posters was offered, together with several workshops, and with more than 400 persons attending. Thanks go to Angel Guerra (President), Francisco Rocha (Secretary General) and their Scientific and Local Organising Committees for their excellent efforts in running a superb meeting.

The next Congress will be held in Washington DC, USA in 1998. There will be a more detailed announcement in the next newsletter.

Slug and snail pests in agriculture. An international symposium, 24-26 September 1996, University of Kent, Canterbury, U.K. Organized by the British Crop Protection Council, The Association of Applied Biologists and The Malacological Society of London.

This symposium will examine the range of problems caused by snail and slug pests, their economic impact, existing control methods and all aspects of research with potential for reducing the losses caused by them.

Papers and posters will be published in the Proceedings. To offer a paper send a summary of up to 300 words to the Chairman of the programme committee NO LATER THAN 31st JANUARY 1996. An e-mailed summary direct to A.COOK@ulst.ac.uk will suffice. Dr. A. Cook , Phone: 01265 324453; 01265 44141 ext 4453 or 6132; Educational Devel. Unit,

Room G096, University of Coleraine, Northern Ireland, BT52 1SA, UK.

Ian Henderson (Chairman), IACR- Rothampsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, HERTS, AL52JQ England. Tel +44(0) 1582 763133; Fax +44(0) 1582 760981

3rd International Abalone Symposium. October 1997, Monterey, California. Suggested symposia topics: Aquaculture - Hatchery, production and seawater systems - Biotechnology - Genetic engineering, molecular and biochemical studies - Cultural and historical use of abalone - Ecology - Associations and abundance in the intertidal and subtidal ecosystems - Fishery Management - Refugia, ecosystem management, update of world fisheries - Larval and postlarval biology - Marketing and economics - Morphometrics - Nutrition - both natural and artificial diets - Pathology - diseases and parasites - Phylogeny, life history, taxonomy, and evolution - Population biology. Abstracts due September, 1996 Registration required by June, 1997. Manuscripts due at Symposium or earlier. Proceedings will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Shellfish Research. All reviewed manuscripts will be due to the Planning Committee by December 30, 1997 for publication in March 1998.

If you would like to receive further announcements, registration and other information mail, fax or e-mail Catherine Ashley, California Sea Grant College, 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA 92093-0232; FAX 619-534-2231; e-mail cashley@ucsd.edu

AMU Meetings

AMU 1996. Chicago, June 29 - July 3, 1996. The American Malacological Union will hold its 1996 meeting in Chicago, June 29 through July 3. Site of the meeting will be The Field Museum. Several special symposia and workshops are in preparation: Shell Power. Organizer Geraat J. Vermeij (University of California, Davis).

Freshwater Mollusks. Organizers: Arthur E. Bogan (Freshwater Molluscan Research), Kevin S. Cummings (Illinois Natural History Survey), and G. Thomas Watters (Ohio State University). Contributed papers. Contact AEB at bogan@say.acnatsci.org. Mollusca and the Internet. Organizer: David R. Lindberg (University of California, Berkeley). Collection Management. Organizers: Paul H. Scott (Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History), and John D. Slapcinsky (Field Museum). Invited and contributed papers; contact JDS at slapcin@fmnh.org. In addition, there will be contributed papers. Poster presentations are strongly encouraged. Several awards for student papers and posters will be given. The dates (Saturday, June 29, to Wednesday, July 3) have been selected to coincide with tourist activities in Chicago (a food festival and city fireworks).

For further information please contact: Rudiger Bieler, AMU President, Field Museum of Natural History,

Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, lllinois 60605-2496, U.S.A. bieler@fmnh.org. Tel. (312) 922-9410, ext. 270; Fax (312) 663-5397.

Note: Call for papers and registration will be announced in early 1996. Registration rates are reduced for members of AMU. For membership application contact Dr. David Hargreave, Department of Science Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, U.S.A (hargreave@wmich.edu). Current annual membership rate is $US25 for regular members, $US15 for students, plus a postage charge to all non-US addresses.

AMU 1997 The symposium, "Traditional vs Phylogenetic Systematics of Mollusks" will be held during the AMU annual meeting in 1997, June 22-27 in Santa Barbara, California. Those interested in participating in the symposium, or with ideas about format and content, please contact Gary Rosenberg, Malacology Department, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1195, USA. rosenberg@say.acnatsci.org; phone 215-299-1033; fax 215-299-1170

The 4th International Congress for Medical and Applied Malacology, 7 to 11 October 1996, Santiago, Chile. Suggested topis are: - Medical and veterinary aspects of parasites trasmitted by molluscs; molluscs as a resource (aquaculture, farming of terrestrial snails); pathology and toxicology of molluscs; management of reproduction and development of molluscs; biotechnology (pharmacy, cosmetology and bioadhesives); impact of Man on natural populations of molluscs (biodiversity, behavior and biological control).

Contact: Laura Huaquin, FAX: 56-2-678 21 20. Prof. C.Osorio R., Chairman of Organising Committee.

See http://macul.ciencias.uchile.cl/malacology

Molluscan Conservation, Cardiff, UK on 19th-21st November 1996. This meeting will cover all aspects of molluscan conservation. There will be five sessions on: Prioritising species for conservation plans; assessing molluscan biodiversity; species or habitat conservation; implementing legislation for molluscan conservation; re-introduction and introductions. It is hoped to have a series of keynote addresses on each theme as well as topical issues such as the "Role of Genetics in Molluscan Conservation". Short papers and abstracts will be published. Although the meeting is primarily directed towards Europe, offers of papers from outside this area are welcome. Workshops will also be held on specific problems and the organisers welcome additional suggestions of sessions/problems which could be discussed at this meeting.

Deadline for offers of Posters/Papers is 31st January 1996.

Please contact: Mary Seddon, Curator (Terrestrial Mollusca), Nat.Mus.Wales, Cardiff, UK, CF1 3NP, E-mail: Seddonm@cardiff.ac.uk. Tel. 44-1222-397951x244, Fax 44-1222-239009

Molluscs 97. Symposium on the molluscs of the Indo-West Pacific and Australasian region. Rottnest Island, 1-4th Feb., 1997. Organised by the Malacological Society of Australasia. To register for the mailing list for announcements write to Dr. F. E. Wells, Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia. Phone 61 9 427 2745 Fax 61 9 328 8686.

Journal and Newsletter Announcements

Abalone News is edited by Daniel Geiger (dgeiger@scf.usc.edu) and is a quarterly, paper-based newsletter. Sample issues can be obtained from Dr Geiger. Circulation approximately 100 on 6 continents.

Daniel Geiger, Dept. Biol. Sci., Allan Hancock Foundation Building 233, Univ. Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0371, USA. FAX (213) 740 8123

Tentacle, the newsletter of the Mollusc Specialist Group (MSG) of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Issue 5 came out in August after long and frustrating delays in getting it printed. If you want a copy contact Mary Seddon, co-chair of the Mollusc Specialist Group, National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, UK. e-mail Seddonm@cardiff.ac.uk. Issue 6 is due out any day.

The editor is Rob Cowie, who wants your (short) articles, information, news, etc. Anything related to mollusc conservation is appropriate. Send by snail mail, e-mail or fax. If you send them on disk, he prefers Microsoft Word for Windows; although he can translate from other WP's.

Robert H. Cowie, Department of Natural Sciences, Bishop Museum, P.O. Box 19000-A, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0916, U.S.A. E-mail: rhcowie@bishop.bishop.hawaii.org. Phone:(808) 848 4118 Fax: (808) 841 8968

Societa Italiana di Malacologia. Information about SIM, membership fees, instructions for authors, list of publications, complimentary copies of their publication, Bollettino Malacologico (with about 800 subscribers) can be requested from sim@polis.it.. R. Giannuzzi-Savelli, vicepresident. giannuzzi@polis.it

Opisthobranch Newsletter will be restarted and a web page set up for bibliography & current events. The ON will again be published monthly and sent to interested individuals starting this month. Volume 16, number 1. E-mail or call with address information & current research interests.

Steve Long, Steven J. Long , Opisthobranch Newsletter, 12537 9th NW, Seattle, WA98133, USA (a href=mailto:miranda@oz.net>miranda@oz.net . 206-364-9424 Fax 206-364-2153.

Molluscan Research. The Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia (now Mal. Soc. of Australasia) is now called Molluscan Research. It aims to mainly publish papers on molluscan research from the Indo-Pacific and Australasian areas. Information on this journal can be obtained from the Editor, Dr F.E. Wells, Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia, Fax 61 9 328 8686. Information on the society and back issues of the journal can be obtained from the Secretary, Ms A, Miller, Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. alisonm@amsg.austmus.oz.au; Phone 61 2 320 6275 Fax 61 2 320 6050.

New Books

J.D. Taylor (edit.), 1995. Origin and Evolutionary Radiation of the Mollusca, Oxford University Press (ISBN 0 19 854980 6) was published on 30th November 1995. This volume consists of 31 chapters by many well-known malacologists and comprises the proceedings of the Centenary Symposium of the Malacological Society of London held in September 1993. The volume contains the latest ideas of how molluscs relate to other phyla, the relationships of the different molluscan classes, new phylogenies for the gastropods at all levels and reviews of bivalve and scaphopod evolution. The chapters reflect a diversity of approach including morphological and molecular studies, ultrastructure, larval development and biogeography. Copies, price 75 UK pounds,can be ordered from Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, U.K. or via OUP offices in many other countries.

G. T. Watters, 1994. An annotated bibliography of the reproduction and propagation of the Unionoidea (primarily of North America). Ohio Biological Survey Miscellaneous Contributions No. 1. 158 pp. ISBN 0-86727-112-4. Available from Ohio Biological Survey, Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212-1192 USA - $20.00 + $3.00 s/h in USA, inquire for foreign orders. v: 614-292-9645 f:614-292-7774.

This publication gives 547 annotated references in chronological order from 1695 through 1993. References deal with host identification, studies of reproduction, and efforts to culture freshwater mussels. Appendix A lists unionoideans by their hosts, and Appendix B cross-indexes hosts by their unionoidean parasites. Appendix C lists all references alphabetically by author and divides the subject matter into the categories of Hosts, Culture, Ecology, Transplants, and Parasites. Thomas Watters, Aquatic Ecology Laboratory & Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University, 314 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212-1394 USA, voice: 614-292-6170 fax: 614-292-0181.

Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 14. (Edited by P. Bouchet). Memoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris). 654 pp., 987 figs, 3 colour plates. ISBN 2-85653-217-9. Price: 600 French Francs (ca. 120 US$). Orders to be sent to: Univesal Book Services, P.O. Box 321, 2300 AH Leiden, The Netherlands. Fax: (31) 71 5171856. e-mail: backhuys@euronet.nl

Contents: H. Dijkstra. Bathyal Pectinoidea; A. Matsukuma & T. Habe. Revision of Meiocardia, Glossidae and Glossocardia, Trapezidae; J.M. Poutiers & F.R. Bernard. Anomalodesmata from the tropical western Pacific Ocean, with classification and catalogue of Recent species; V. Scarabino. Scaphopoda of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans; B.A. Marshall. Calliostomatidae; R. Houart. The Trophoninae (Muricidae); P. Bouchet & G. Poppe. Calliotectum (Volutidae); F.E. Wells: Splendrillia and Plagiostropha (Conoidea); D. Rvckel, G. Richard & R.G. Moolenbeek. Deep-water Conidae; R. Bieler. Mathildidae.

Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM is an ongoing series on the deep-sea fauna of the tropical Indo-Pacific. In addition to New Caledonia, which forms the core of the reports, volume 14 deals with other islands and island groups, notably the Philippines, Indonesia and the South-Western part of the Indian Ocean. It follows an earlier volume (volume 7, 1991) which also contains papers on the molluscan fauna of this region.

Yves Finet, 1994. The marine mollusks of the Galapagos Islands : a documented faunal list. Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Genève, 180 pp., 21 x 30 cm - soft cover - ISBN 2-88139-001-3. Price : 30 SFrs.(about $US 25) plus postage. Includes an updated faunal list of all 718 marine mollusks of the Galapagos, and the literature relating to them. A summary of the taxonomic composition of the fauna is given, and the problems relating to more than 220 extralimital species are discussed. The bibliography contains about 340 references. Availability - see next listing.

Yves Finet (Edit.), 1994. Marine Molluscs of the Galapagos. Gastropods. A monograph and revision of the families Haliotidae, Scissurellidae, Fissurellidae and Lottiidae. Monographs on Galapagos Mollusca N° 1. Ed. L'Informatore Piceno, Ancona. 110 pp., 10 text figs., 1 black & white and 25 colour plates - 21 x 30 cm - hard cover - ISBN 88-86070-08-X. Price : 75'000 Lit. (or about $US45).

Yves Finet (Edit.), 1995. Marine Molluscs of the Galapagos. Gastropods. A monograph and revision of the families Trochidae, Skeneidae, Turbinidae and Neritidae. Monographs on Galapagos Mollusca N° 2. L'Informatore Piceno, Ancona. 139 pp., 10 text figs., 27 colour and 10 black & white plates - 21 x 30 cm - hard cover - ISBN 88-86070-24-1. Price : 112'000 Lit. (or about $US70). These two books list, revise and illustrates the species of the families listed in the titles. Synonymies, original descriptions, subsequent citations, keys and, sometimes, more detailed diagnoses are provided. The type material is referenced and illustrated in colour, as well as additional material examined, thoroughly cited. The first of these two title is available from "Mal de Mer Enterprises" (B. Janowsky) in New York for the USA, and both, together with the Faunal List, can be obtained from the editor, or by writing to the author (mail address : Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Case postale 6434, CH-1211 Genève 6, Switzerland; e-mail : finet@musinfo.ville-ge.ch).

F.W. Harrison and A.J. Kohn (eds), 1994. Microscopic Anatomy of Invertebrates, Vol. 5. Mollusca I.. John Wiley & Sons, 386 pp., $US 185. Introduction (R.D. Barnes & F.W. Harrison); Aplacophora (A.H. Scheltema, M. Tscherkassky and A.M. Kuzirian) ; Polyplacophora (D.J. Eernisse and P.D. Reynolds); Gastropoda: Prosobranchia (J. Voltzow); Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia (T.M. Gosliner).

Volume 6 is being subdivided into 6A and 6B. They are due out in April, 1996.

H. Govan, 1995. Cymatium muricinum and other ranellid gastropods: major predators of cultured tridacnid clams. ICLARM Tech. Rep.49, 136pp. [Available from ICLARM Manila, E-mail: iclarm@cgnet.com , USD12 air mail]. This work comprehensively reviews existing knowledge of the Ranellidae and presents estimates of the impact of four species of Cymatium on ocean-nursery culture of Tridacna gigas and the results of research into relevant aspects of their biology. Chapters cover the following topics: feeding behaviour, growth and food consumption rates, reproduction and recruitment, environmental factors affecting recruitment, impact on tridacnid culture and prospects for predator control. Each chapter concludes with a section analysing the implications of the results for giant clam farmers. Hugh Govan, 38 Queen Charlotte St, Edinburgh, EH6 6AT, UK. Email: hugh@napiers.demon.co.uk

Röckel, D., Korn, W., and Kohn, A.J., 1995. Manual of the living Conidae, vol. 1. Indo-Pacific Region. Verlag Christa Hemmen, 517pp., 84 colour plates. $US 149. Available in U.S. from Mal de Mer Enterprises.

Still available:-

Kohn, A.J. and Perron, F.E. Life history and biogeography: Patterns in Conus. Oxford University Press, 1994. 112 pp. $US $54 and Kohn, A.J. A chronological taxonomy of Conus, 1758-1840. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. 384 pp., 26 plates. $US 47.

P. Jansen, 1995. Seashells of central New South Wales (Australia). Privately published. A$40 including postage within Australia, postage outside Australia extra. This is the first book on Australian shells that contains a significant proportion of micromolluscs. In all, 484 species of molluscs are included, which are all illustrated in black & white line drawings. The species are systematically arranged according to the latest taxonomic opinions. Some information on habitat and taxonomy is included and the book contains an extensive reference list of taxonomic publications on Australian shells. For orders or more information, please write to: Patty Jansen, 11 Eden St., Belgian Gardens Qld. 4810, Australia. Email: Patty.Jansen@tvl.tcp.csiro.au

G. Rosenberg, 1992. The Encyclopedia of Seashells, Dorset Press, New York (ISBN 0-88029-823-5), Robert Hale, London [1993] (ISBN 0-7090-5092-5). Malacology Department, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1195, USA. $24 in USA, $30 elsewhere; payment in US$ only; 50% discount for orders of 10 or more. Orders filled with British printing, unless American printing specified.

The Encyclopedia of Seashells illustrates in color and discusses 250 species of marine mollusks, each representing a different family or subfamily. For a review, see C. S. Hickman (1993), Veliger 36(1):98. Several typographical errors and reversed photographs were corrected in the British printing, which appeared about three months after the American one. There is also an Australian printing, apparently identical to the American printing except in omitting credits for photographs.

F. Giusti, G. Manganelli & P.J. Schembri. The non-marine molluscs of the Maltese Islands. In 8°, hard cover, pp. 587 with 635 figs. The work includes a general description of the islands, followed by descriptions of vegetation, fossil and Recent, non marine fauna, and of the biogeography of the Maltese Islands. The history of malacological research in the Maltese Islands is given, as is a key and a catalogue of the species. Each of the 78 species listed is described and illustrated in detail with comments and references to the literature for synonyms and all the characters usually used in taxonomic studies. The description is followed by sections on habitat, distribution, status and conservation, and remarks on taxonomy, systematics and biogeography. Price: L. it. 130.000 = $US 90.00 You can order from Naturama, C.P. 28 - Succ. 26, 90146 Palermo, Italy. E-mail: propal@mbox.vol.it Fax: (91) 325721.

Arie W. Jansen. Systematic revision of holoplanktonic Mollusca in the collections of "Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra" at Torino, Italy. In 8°, pp. 233 with 3 figs and 14 plates. In this work the collection of holoplanktonic mollusca (Gastropoda: Heteropoda and Euthecosomata) housed in the "Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra" at Torino, including type and illustrated material published by Bellardi (1873); Audenino (1897), Sacco (1904) and Pavia & Robba (1979) is systematically revised. A total of 46 taxa (3 Heteropoda and 43 Euthecosomata) predominantly from Miocene and Pliocene deposits in northern Italy are recognised, 9 of which remain valid. A new family, three new genera and a new species are introduced. Neotypes and lectotypes are selected for several species. New illustrations are provided for all taxa. Price: L. it. 80.000 = $US53.00 Ordering - as for previous book.

Other books

Some books of recent years that may have passed you by. The editor is well aware that this list is far from complete. If you want to see your book added, or know of one that should be listed, please let the editor have the details. The cut-off point is 5 years from the year of publication of the newsletter.

Behrens, D. W. Pacific Coast Nudibranchs: A Guide to the Opisthobranchs Alaska to Baja California, Second Edition. Vi+107p. Sea Challengers: Monterey, California, Usa; Dr. W. Backhuys/Seashell Treasures Books: Oegstgeest, Netherlands. Illus. Paper. 1991.

Castillejo, J. And T. Rodriguez. Monografias Da Universidade De Santiago De Compostela, No. 162. Babosas De La Peninsula Iberica Y Baleares: Inventario Critico, Citas Y Mapas De Distribucion (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Terrestria Nuda); 211p. Universidade De Santiago De Compostela: Santiago De Compostela, Spain. 1992.

Fallu, R. Abalone Farming. Xi+195p. Fishing News Books: Oxford, England, UK. Illus. 1991.

Elston, R. A. Mollusc Diseases: Guide For The Shellfish Farmer. Ix+73p. Washington Sea Grant Program University Of Washington: Seattle, Washington, USA; London, England, UK. Illus. Paper. 1990. Second Edition. Xii+276p. Blackwell Scientific Publications: Oxford, England, Uk; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 1993.

Haas, F. Treballs Del Museu De Zoologia, No. 5. Fauna Malacologica Terrestre Y De Agua Dulce De Cataluna; (Works Of The Zoology Museum, No. 5. Terrestrial And Fresh Water Malacological Fauna Of Catalonia). Lxv+491p. Ajuntament De Barcelona, Museu De Zoologia: Barcelona, Spain. 1992.

Hackney, C. R. And M. D. Pierson (Ed.). Environmental Indicators And Shellfish Safety. Ix+523p. Chapman And Hall, Inc.: New York, New York, USA; London, England, UK. 1994.

Hylleberg, J., A. Nateewathana And P. Tantichodok (Ed.). Phuket Marine Biological Center Special Publication, No. 13. Proceedings Of The Fourth Workshop Of The Tropical Marine Mollusc Programme; Meeting, Phuket, Thailand, October 27-November 2, 1993. Vi+246p. Phuket Marine Biological Center: Phuket, Thailand. 1994.

Kay, E. A. And O. Schoenberg-Dole. Shells Of Hawai'i. V+89p. University Of Hawaii Press: Honolulu, Hawaii, Usa. Illus. Paper. 1991

Ministry Res. Sci. Technol. (N Z). Royal Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Series, No. 24. Marine toxins and New Zealand shellfish; Workshop on Research Issues, June 10-11, 1993.. IV+68p.

Mueller, A. H. Lehrbuch Der Palaeozoologie: Band Ii. Invertebraten: Teil 2. Mollusca 2 - Arthropoda I, 4. Auflage; (Textbook Of Paleozoology: Volume Ii. Invertebrates: Part 2. Mollusca 2 - Arthropoda I, Fourth Edition). 618p. Gustav Fischer Verlag: Jena, Germany; New York, New York, USA; Stuttgart, Germany. 1994.

Nielsen, L. A. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, No. 23. Methods Of Marking Fish And Shellfish. Xiv+208p. American Fisheries Society: Bethesda, Maryland, Usa. 1992.

Smith, B. J. Zoological Catalogue Of Australia, Vol. 8. Non-Marine Mollusca. Xi+399p. Aust. Govt. Press: Canberra, Act, Australia. 1992.

South, A. Terrestrial Slugs: Biology, Ecology and Control. X+428p. Chapman And Hall: London, England, Uk; New York, New York, Usa. Illus. 1992.

Wells, F. E., Et Al. (Ed.). The Marine Flora And Fauna Of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Vols. 1 And 2; Fifth International Marine Biological Workshop, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia, January 1991.

X+330p.(Vol. 1); Iv+303p.(Vol. 2) Western Australian Museum: Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 1993.

Zorn, I. Catalogus Fossilium Austriae, No. 6c/3c. Gastropoda Tertiaria: Pteropoda (Thecosomata, Gastropoda); (Catalogus Fossilium Austriae, No. 6c/3c. Tertiary Gastropods: Pteropoda (Thecosomata, Gastropoda)). 69p.

Verlag Der Oesterreichischen Akademie Der Wissenschaften: Vienna, Austria. 1991.

Dissertations

Holthuis, Bernadette V. Evolution between marine and freshwater habitats: A case study of the gastropod suborder Neritopsina. University of Washington, 1995. 286pp. (Soon available from University Microfilms, but most chapters are ready to be submitted for publication).

Mollusca mailing list - to subscribe - email to listproc@ucmp1.berkeley.edu and send the following message:-

subscribe mollusca <your full name>

To post items send a message to mollusca@ucmp1.berkeley.edu. The WWW address is https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/mologis/mollusca.html

From Bernard E. Picton (BioMar Project, Environmental Sciences Unit, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. Phone: Int + 353-1-608-2055 Irish: 01 608-2055 Fax: Int + 353-1-6718047 Irish: 01 6718047) E-mail: bepicton@mail.tcd.ie ; Web page: http://www2.tcd.ie/~bepicton/ Guide to British Isles nudibranchs.
List of names of British Mollusca (David Heppel is the author, B. Picton the editor)(from the end of Jan., 96) http://www2.tcd.ie/~bepicton/species/index.html.

A Web site dedicated to nudibranchs is located at http://www.electriciti.com/mdmiller/ It is presently almost all photographs. Terry S. Arnold, 2975 B Street, San Diego, CA 92102, USA tarnold@cts.com, (619) 235-8181 (voice), (619) 235-0016 (fax)

The ABNET is a listserver for people interested in abalone. For info send an e-mail to Neville Sweijd " nsweijd@botzoo.uct.ac.za" . The people there are also working on a WWW Homepage to be opened soon.

WWW Taxonomic Tools by Computer server http://albia.museo. csic.es/tools.html Some of the services and information available in this page are: - DIRTAX (DIRectory of spanish TAXonomists), searchable by a WAIS gateway; DELTA in Spanish (docs by the moment) and some related tools (Edel and more); Some programs for image analysis and educational purposes. Send any comment on this WWW page to internet@albia.museo.csic.es. Antonio G.-Valdecasas, Elisa Bello, Jose M. Becerra, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid - Spain)

American Fisheries Society's forthcoming new edition of "Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusca." With the exception of the bivalves and aplacophorans, the draft list of the AFS list of names of North American molluscs is now online for your review and comment. For information on how to retrieve these files see posting on Mollusca or email Jim Quinn, jquinnneire@aol.com.

There is a new Web site for anyone interested in shells at: >http://www.slip.net/~spence

The Cephalopod Page at http://is.dal.ca/~wood/www.html

Soon to be on the web: Via Alan Kohn: Catalogue of Recent and Fossil Conus, 1937-1995. As soon as it's accessible, we will let you know.

The new Council, elected (for 1995-1998) at the Vigo Congress are as follows:-

President: 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

Secretary: Prof. Edmund Gittenberger. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Postbus 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. Phone 31 71 162614; Fax 31 71 133344. Email egitten@compedi.pm.cs.vu.nl

Treasurer: Dr. Jackie Van Goethem. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuur-wetenschappen, Vautierstraat 29, B-1040 Brussel, Belgium. Phone 32 2 6274343; Fax 32 2 6464433.

Retired President: Dr. Angel Guerra. CSIC Inst. de Investigaciones Marinas, Eduardo Cabello 6, E-36 208 Vigo, Spain. Phone 34 86 292758; Fax 34 86 292762

Members of Council:

Prof. Klaus Bandel. Geologisch-Palaontologisches Institut und Museum, Bundesstrasse 55, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany. Phone 49 40 4123 5080 Fax 49 40 4123 5270

Dr Yuri Kantor. A.N. Severtzov Institute of Animal Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lenin Ave. 33, Moscow 117071, Russia.

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 3206120 Fax 61 2 320 6050 Email wponder@extro.ucc.su.oz.au winstop@amsg.austmus.oz.au

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

Arthur Bogan and Philippe Bouchet completed their terms as Council members in 1995.

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).

Contacts with several additional malacological organisations exist, but have not (yet) been formalized.

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