A book cataloguing Bermuda's snails has only just hit shelves – but its co-author was first inspired 67 years ago during the construction of the American military base in St. David's.

The book 'Marine Mollusks of Bermuda: Checklist And Bibliography' was written by the late Russell Jensen and Dr. Timothy Pearce.

It catalogues more than 900 species of molluscs (spelled as mollusks in the US) including 66 shells only found in Bermuda.

Dr. Pearce is curator of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has the 14th best shell collection in the United States. He was recently on the Island to introduce the book.

"Russ, originally from New Jersey, was stationed here with the army during the Second World War," said Dr. Pearce. "It was while helping with the building of the new American airbase in St. David's, that Russ was fascinated by all the snails that came up in the dredging work."

Prior to the war, Mr. Jensen worked at a floral nursery.

"In Bermuda, he began collecting and studying some of the snails, before they were destroyed," said Dr. Pearce.

Mr. Jensen's passion continued when he returned to the United States having reached the rank of Sergeant Major in the army.

He became deeply involved with shell collecting clubs in his area, and in 1971 he was appointed collections manager at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, Delaware.

'Marine Mollusks of Bermuda: Checklist And Bibliography' was the culmination of his life's work with sea snails.

Sadly, Mr. Jensen never lived to see the book published, as he died nine years ago.

"There are two deaths that were unfortunate," said Dr. Pearce. "Russ really wanted to see the book before he died but he died December 2001.

"His daughter, Gail (Chris) Jensen, who lived in Bermuda for many years, took many of the photos."

There are 74 species illustrated in the book, including several that had never been photographed before.

"She was an exquisite photographer," said Dr. Pearce. "Unfortunately, she went into a coma the day that the book was published.

"She never saw it published. She had gotten hepatitis from a bad blood transfusion in Bermuda.

"She lived in Bermuda for many years. She had a liver transplant. I sent an e-mail to her saying that the book was finally finished, and then I had a phone call back from her husband, saying that she was sick."

Dr. Pearce said Mr. Jensen had been greatly assisted by his Bermudian friends Jack Lightbourne and Arthur Guest.

"Mr. Lightbourne has an incredible shell collection," said Dr. Pearce. "He is an incredible supporter. He and Russ Jensen were very good friends when he was alive and working on the book. Mr. Lightbourne has increased the number of species known in Bermuda by hundreds."

Mr. Jensen worked on the book for about 20 years before Dr. Pearce became involved.

"(Prior to working at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History) I was made curator of the Delaware Museum of Natural History in 1997," said Dr. Pearce. "Russ brought me a large manuscript and asked me to help him get it published. I said I had some good editorial skills, and I offered to help.

"I was expecting to help him cross his t's and dot his i's. We worked together quite diligently for five years, and then he passed away.

"I worked on it for seven more years. People kept asking me where the book was. I wanted to honour him with a good product."

The book includes a bibliography of every publication available on Bermuda molluscs. It also includes up-to-date scientific names, which frequently change with new research.

"It's possible there will be some subset of the book online to keep it up to date," Dr. Pearce said.

Dr. Pearce has been interested in snails since he was a toddler.

"My mother said at three-years-old, I took my snails with me in a box to the doctors," said Dr. Pearce. "The nurses weren't too impressed, but the doctor was.

"I was interested in nature all the time I was growing up, and snails were a part of that."

Dr. Pearce said collecting molluscs is generally not damaging to the environment.

"It is damaging probably for one or two cases," said Dr. Pearce. "The Hawaiian tree snail is one example, where it has been a problem.

"The trees would be covered by them. Now they are almost extinct. A large part of that was shell collecting.

"But in most cases, if things are coming to a demise, it is not because of shell collecting, it is because of habitat destruction. Pollution is a factor, also. You can almost never blame the shell collectors."

Dr. Pearce said what he likes about snails is that you don't have to kill them to collect them.

"With something like collecting butterflies, you have to kill them first," he said. "With shells, I can just collect empty shells."

He said it was a little bit odd that he was a land snail expert, who had co-authored a book about sea snails.

While in Bermuda, he took the opportunity to look around at the snail population.

"I have found a few sea snails," he said. "Bermuda does have a few land snails.

"We have been to some of the nature reserves. I found a fossil of a land snail at the Arboretum, yesterday. They are fossils, but quite recent fossils."

He said he had a passion for microshells, or very tiny shells.

"We've been finding a few of those, as well," he said. "There are actually quite a few non-native snails here."

He said that although you would expect the number of new shell discoveries to be dropping off in Bermuda, the number of new discoveries is actually increasing.

"There are still species waiting to be discovered," he said.

His wife, Alice Doolittle, is a biologist specialising in birds.

"She came here many times as a child," said Dr. Pearce. "She's been enjoying being back."

The book is available in local bookstores, and at the Bermuda, Aquarium, Museum & Zoo.

It can also be ordered from the Delaware Museum of Natural History.

For more information go to www.delmnh.org/.