IT PREFACE. 



only been tried in a few instances, but generally with good results. 

 To Captain Fairchild, of the Government p.s. " Luna/-' the Museum 

 is indebted for the result of several casts in the Hauraki Gulf and in 

 the Wanganui Bight. Mr. Traill used the dredge a few times in the 

 Northern District and in Stewart's Island, and a few deep casts 

 were obtained by myself among the wonderful sounds and inlets 

 of the West Coast of Otago. These imperfect attempts have been 

 so far encouraging that we may be sure that systematic dredging 

 will give most satisfactory results to Conchologists ; and there is 

 also ample work for observers in determining the geographical 

 distribution of our shells, and the relative prominence of the 

 species on different parts of the coast, which is a point of some 

 importance to the Geologist in investigating the Later Tertiary 

 Strata. The only attempt in this direction is that to be found in 

 a paper by Mr. T. Kirk on the Conchology of Great Omaha. 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., v., p. 365.) 



To observers and collectors who will assist in this work, it is 

 hoped that the following Catalogue will be of service. In preparing 

 it, Captain Hutton has availed himself of all collections and other 

 sources of information he could command in the Colony, respecting 

 which he furnishes the following remarks . 



" All the species mentioned in the present catalogue have been 

 found, or are supposed to have been found, in New Zealand, except 

 a few which at present appear to be peculiar to the Chatham 

 Islands ; these latter are distinguished in the text by the words 

 ' Chatham Islands only/ Although confined to the marine mol- 

 lusca, I have also included in it the only species of fresh water 

 polyzoa yet discovered in New Zealand, which I found in abun- 

 dance last February in the Malvern Hills. 



" I have failed to get descriptions of the following species, 

 viz., Buccinum melo, Lesson, Rev. Zool., 1840, p. 355 ; Purpura 

 novce zealandm, Lesson, I.e., 1841 (?), p. 355; Purpura tessellata, 

 Lesson, I.e., 1840, p. 356; Purpura rodostoma, Lesson, I.e., 1840, 

 p. 355; and Turbo lagonkairii, Deshayes, Mag. Zool., 1839, t. 6; 

 but as none of them are mentioned by Deshayes in the last edition 

 of the Anlmaux sans Vertebres (1844), I presume that the descrip- 

 tions are not sufficient for identification/ 



