This is an objective index to the literature, alphabetically listing figured specimens of California pelecypods, gastropods, and scaphopods from Paleocene to Pliocene (up to but not including Lomita correlatives).

An effort has been made to keep insertions and interpretations clearly separated from authors’ statements; information not given in original publications but available through research is bracketed. All stated localities have been checked against maps in an attempt to construe sections, townships, and ranges as well as formations; omissions of locality information have been supplied wherever possible from labels and field notebooks. The formula for each entry in the catalogue is: name combination as cited by the author; author’s name; date; reference; author’s statement of formation; interpretation; author’s statement of age (in quotation marks if there is disagreement); locality, including number, verbal description, construed location, quadrangle, county; cross references and remarks; present repository of figured material, with catalogue number and notes on status of specimens. A species index enables students to trace the various generic allocations made by authors. Concepts adopted herein as to the age-range of cited formations are embodied in a chart.

The list is divided into three sections: Pelecypoda, comprising 232 genera and 817 species; Scaphopoda, 2 genera and 14 species; and Gastropoda, 308 genera and 906 species. Approximately half these species occur in Eocene formations. Genera with the greatest number of species are Pecten, Turritella, Cancellaria, and Tellina.