Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions about the search facility.

Why did I get a nil return for a search which should have returned a result?

Did you remember to clear the fields for a new search before entering your new search requirements? Please review your search. Other possible reasons are included below.

Why can't I find a species under a name (Genus/Species) in current use?

Sometimes material has not been examined by an expert, and as such retains the name used during the period when it was collected/last curated. Thus you should search the collections under potential synonyms for the species you are seeking.

Why is material not listed under the current family?

Much of the collection curation used the family structure in use during the last phase of up-dating. In bivalves this will follow a structure based in part on the Invertebrate Treatise for Palaeontology. In the Pulmonates the classification largely is based on Zilch. For the marine Gastropods the classification will largely be based on Wenz, but recent collections may also have used Vaughtlassification of the Mollusca. Remember to structure your search enquiry to take this into account.

Why does some material not have any generic name?

In the old collections frequently no generic name, or just the first letter appears on the label. We do not add the generic data at level 0, as the field is set for the original label data. Thus please remember that you may be better just putting the species name and family name if searching for historical material in the collection.

Why does some material not appear under current name?

Material usually gets entered under the orginal label name, and the current name will be added as curators are able to add this data. In order to increase access to the collections the main thrust of the recent curation effort has been spent on getting original label data on the collections on the database, so some material does not have any entry under current name. All material which was originally published in the handlists will have original label name and current name.