146 



It is very probable, therefore, that I have omitted some references of 

 importance. It is probable too that some of you may be able to supply 

 the omissions, in which case I shall be very grateful. 



II. Marine Mollusca of the Pacific Coast of Canada. 



Passing now to the consideration of our western Marine shells I 

 feel that I am on more familiar ground, for in the course of a residence 

 of nearly 10 years in British Columbia I have been able to pay con- 

 siderable attention to the study of the objects themselves and to the 

 published observations of others. 



As a starting point a student will naturally take the well known 

 work of Dr. Carpenter, *' The Mollusks of Western North America."-' 7 



This work is invaluable and is so thorough that though it was 

 published 30 years ago, and though many naturalists have collected on 

 the coast since Carpenter's day, only 81 marine species have been added 

 to the list he gives of the B. C. mollusca. 



Mr. Whiteaves has done much to extend our knowledge of 

 western shells by the publication of four valuable papers. Three con- 

 tain reports on collections made by Mr. James Richardson 29 and Dr. 

 Geo. M. Dawson, ?o:;i for the Geological Survey, at Victoria, Queen 

 Charlotte Islands, and in various localities to the north and west of 

 Vancouver Island. 



These papers are still procurable and should be in the hands of 

 every Canadian conchologist. The collections referred to are all on 

 view in the museum ot the Survey at Ottawa. 



Last year Dr. C. F. Newcombe, of Victoria, compiled a very useful 

 list of B. C. marine shells, M containing references to all Carpenter's and 

 Whiteaves' localities and adding many others from his own very exten- 

 sive observations. Dr. Newcombe also gives in the same paper a 

 list of more than 100 works referring in some way to our western shells. 



Still more recently there is a paper written by myself 86 and pre- 

 sented to the Royal Society of Canada, in May, 1894, and now being 

 printed, in which is summarized all that I could write on the mollusca 

 of western Canada. In this, the latest, I believe, contribution to western 

 Canadian corichology, 284 marine species are enumerated. Thirty-two 

 of these species appear also on eastern list. 



