Abstract
The distribution and abundance of the salt marsh snail (Melampus bidentatus Say) was related to the distribution of marsh plants within a Virginia estuary. The animal was found in association with 10 species of marsh phanerogams, occurring with three plant species more than 50 percent of the time. These plants wereDistichlis spicata, Spartina patens, and the short form ofSpartina alterniflora. Mean densities per square meter were 0.23 within the brackish-water marsh and 7.24 in the saltwater marsh. The snail was not obtained by sampling in fresh and slightly brackish-water marsh communities.

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