Each chapter of this volume treats of a definite branch of the subject, 

 and all information is given which is necessary for the amateur. In the 

 descriptive chapters on the different families of the Mollusca no attempt 

 has been made to even approach completeness, only a simple outline 

 being given of the facts concerning the most important families. Those 

 who would know more concerning these lowly creatures (and the writer 

 earnestly hopes that all who read this book will have such a desire) are 

 referred to the chapter on " Some Books to Study." 



In the preparation of those chapters devoted to visits to the museums, 

 the writer has drawn upon all available books for information, and he 

 cannot justly claim the authorship of these chapters, although the lan- 

 guage and sequence are his, and for these he is responsible. The subject- 

 matter of these chapters was also published in part in recent volumes 

 of " Birds and Nature." The black and white cuts in the text have 

 been carefully selected, and sufficiently illustrate the subject-matter of 

 each chapter. The colored plates illustrate some of the principal families 

 of mollusks. 



It is the author's desire that this volume may be the means of stimu- 

 lating an interest in this neglected but intensely interesting type of life, 

 and if such should prove to be the case, he will feel amply repaid for 

 time and trouble incident to its preparation. 



The author believes that clubs should be formed for the study of 

 nature, and in the present volume the formation of a club devoted to the 

 study of mollusks is described. There are many clubs or societies which 

 have for their object the study of botany, entomology, ornithology, and 

 microscopy, but there are very few devoted to the study of the lowly 

 mollusks. These animals should be of particular interest, because of 

 their beauty, the ease with which they may be collected, and especially 

 because their study and acquisition take the student into the fields, 

 the woods, and beside the streams, and give him a wider conception of 

 Nature and her laws. 



FRANK COLLINS BAKER. 

 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, June 1, 1903. 



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