PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 



IN November, 1834, Dr. Binney began read- 

 ing, to the Boston Society of Natural History, 

 a series of papers, entitled "A Monograph of 

 the Helices inhabiting the United States," and 

 published them in successive numbers of the 

 Journal, dating from May, 1837, to April, 1843. 

 These were illustrated by colored lithographic 

 figures, in most instances representing both the 

 animal and the shell. This attempt tended to 

 show him how imperfect were the conceptions 

 either he or any one else had formed of the 

 extent and interest of this special fauna ; and 

 led him. to conceive the design of remodelling 

 the whole work, and of issuing it, at his own 

 expense, as a contribution to science, with new 

 illustrations, in a style which should not be sur- 

 passed by any other publication. To obtain 

 ample materials for fulfilling the project as he 

 had designed it, he employed a collector for 



