The Illinois Natural History Survey Mollusk Collection contains over
105,400 catalogued specimens, most of which were collected in Illinois
and the southeastern United States. The collection is 90% freshwater
species (mussels, fingernail clams, and snails) and 10% terrestrial
species (snails). Most of the specimens were collected as a result of
various faunal surveys conducted by INHS biologists from the late
1800's until the present. The early collections were made by such
naturalists as John W. Powell, Robert Kennicott, Richard E. Call,
William A. Nason, Frank C. Baker, Robert E. Richardson, and Charles
A. Hart.
The freshwater mussels number over 88,100 catalogued specimens (>25,000 lots). Most of the specimens were collected in Illinois (60%), making it one of the largest state collections of freshwater mussels in the United States. The collection includes mussels from a statewide survey by Max R. Matteson conducted in the 1950's and mussels from William C. Starrett's "A Survey of the Mussels (Unionacea) of the Illinois River: A Polluted Stream" published by INHS in 1971.
The snails are divided between terrestrial (13%) and freshwater (5%) species, most of which were collected more than 50 years ago. The largest and best documented collection of snails at the Survey was compiled by Thural D. Foster and organized by Frank C. Baker as part of his study on the "Landsnails of Illinois" published in 1939. The Baker snail collection numbers 1632 lots containing 11,970 specimens.
Mollusks in Illinois |
Freshwater Mollusk Links |
|
|
6/18/2002 cam