QVA 



PREFACE. 



IN May, 1873, the New Zealand Government published the late 

 Captain F. W. Mutton's " Catalogue of the Marine Mollusca of 

 New Zealand," which was followed in 1880 by his " Manual of 

 the New Zealand Mollusca." In this latter work 595 species 

 of Mollusca are enumerated, of which, however, about 148 

 species are now known as not belonging to the New Zealand 

 fauna ; others have been recognized as synonyms of New 

 Zealand species, and a number are undoubtedly introduced 

 molluscs. This brings the number of New Zealand species of 

 Mollusca in the Manual down to about 447, whereas in the 

 present Manual 1,079 species are dealt with, to which 108 

 subspecies and varieties are to be added, making a total of 

 1,187 distinct forms. This shows that during the last thirty- 

 three years a considerable number of species have been added 

 to our fauna, the descriptions of the species being published 

 in the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," the 

 " Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London," the 

 " Journal of Malacology," the ' Journal de Conchyliologie," and 

 a number of other scientific periodicals. It was therefore no 

 easy matter for a student of New Zealand conchology to get 

 together all the literature on the subject, and the necessity 

 of a new Manual was advocated by all those interested in 

 conchology and palseontology. Hutton's Manual of 1880 has 

 one great drawback the want of illustrations, which deprives 

 it to a considerable extent of its value, especially for those 

 who want to take up conchology as a hobby. 



Having devoted much of my time to collecting and studying 

 the New Zealand Mollusca since my arrival in 1887, I was 

 prepared to undertake the work of writing a new " Manual 

 of the New Zealand Mollusca " if the Government would kindly 

 give me the necessary assistance. 



