Report on a collection of shells from Peru, with a summary of the litoral marine mollusca of the Peruvian zoological province

Under the auspices of the Ministerio de Fomento of Peru, Mr. R. E. Coker was engaged in making studies and collections of animals of the Peruvian coast with the intention of contributing to the knowledge of the aquatic resources of the country. In the course of this work numerous economic notes were made in relation to the animals obtained.

On the portion of the collection consisting of Mollusca, the authorities of Peru, through the intervention of Mr. Coker, have requested the writer to prepare a report.

It was found on looking into the matter that no systematic list of the shore mollusks of the Peruvian province had been published for more than half a century. It was thought that the value of this report to the naturalists of Peru and elsewhere would be considerably enhanced, after discussing the collection in question, if to it was added a list of the species reported as occurring on the shores of the Peruvian zoological province. The present report therefore contains both, together with illustrations of the chief economic mollusks of the Peruvian coast and islands contained in the collection.

It should be said that specimens of this collection have been returned with identifications, to the Peruvian authorities, and another series retained in the U. S. National Museum for reference. The notes in small type were prepared by Mr. Coker, who also collected the local names by which the more conspicuous species are known to the fishermen and local salesmen. It will be observed that these "common" names are no more precise or descriptive than those of our own fishermen, the same name being often applied to extremely distinct animals <...>