In January 1915, Physa has again made its appearance in the middle parts of the stream, although in small numbers only. Diligent search, however, failed to reveal a single Planorbis. The snails which were present were found only under fair-sized rocks where they were well protected; they did not occur out in the open stream as had been the case when the creek was more densely populated with snails.
In April 1915, on the 22d and 24th, Waller Creek was swept by three scouring floods which devastated the entire bottoms. The water rose higher during the night than it had at any time since 1886; bridges were washed away and much damage done. The bottom of the creek was again washed clean except under the larger stones and in deep holes in the bed. Snails were not observed in any numbers following this flood during the rest of that year. Early in January 1916, however, Physa had again appeared fairly abundantly where they had formerly been very thick, in the region just above the University; later in the spring they became quite numerous here. In January of this year the first Planorbis were found that had been seen in the creek since the autumn floods of 1913. Between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets in a pocket containing good-sized stones over which the water flows rather swiftly a number of specimens were taken, although none were found above or below this locality. It is noted that below this region the creek is frequently covered with oily scum and that it receives the refuse from the adjoining properties. Except after high water which would clean it out, the creek in this region would hardly be expected to support much snail life. It must be supposed either that the Planorbis had made their way up to Sixteenth Street during the short time following the floods before the water became badly contaminated, or else that in this particular place a few specimens from the previous years had withstood the floods and reproduced themselves in sufficient numbers to be noticeable in January. Of these two suppositions the latter seems much the more rational.
After the flood of 1915 the water subsided very quickly so that a new layer of humus and algae was not deposited, but that the bed was again restored to its former condition of a clean smooth rock bottom. Upon the return to this condition the snail population increased very rapidly, and at the time when the last observation was made in the early summer of 1916, seemed in a fair way to return to the condition of 1912.
It seems to the writer that the slow return of the snails during the year 1914 was due not only to the repeated rains of the fall and winter of 1913–14, but also to the condition of the creek bed at this time. Although the heavy rains of 1915 were more severe, they were confined to one month, and the creek bed was left in a very much cleaner condition than during the preceding year.
The conditions of life which obtain now in Waller Creek are those of a new life region. This must of necessity be so in an intermittent stream to a certain extent, but owing to the flood conditions here they are doubly so.
The chief facts of interest in regard to the habits of snails as shown by these observations, are these: 1, The snails of both species are to be found commonly in uncontaminated water which is running at a fairly rapid rate, and the most common orientation is with the heads pointing up stream; 2, The snail population in any stream is subject to wide fluctations depending upon flood conditions; 3, Physa because of its shape is less affected by floods than Planorbis; 4, The return of the snail population to a given stream is determined not only by the frequency and severity of the floods, but also by the condition of the bottom of the stream after the subsidence of the high water; 5, The snails thrive best where there is a constantly renewed supply of clean water which contains little decaying vegetation.
Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind.
WILLIAM BULLOCK CLARK.
Dr. William Bullock Clark, professor of geology in the Johns Hopkins University, eminent for his contributions to geology, died suddenly from apoplexy on July 27, at his summer home at North Haven, Maine.
Wm. Bullock Clark was born at Brattleboro, Vermont, December 15, 1860. Since 1894 he was professor of geology in Johns Hopkins University. In 1896 Professor Clark organized the Maryland Geological Society, and has been State Geologist since that time. The admirable volumes on paleontology of Maryland, issued under his direction, are widely used by conchologists interested in fossil mollusks. This series of reports will be his enduring memorial. Professor Clark’s chief paleontological interest was in the Echinoidea, upon which he published several monographs.