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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 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.
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