OBITUARY. Ill 



opposite to what it is used by Mr. Clark to represent in this division of 

 the mollusca. 



Perhaps the most astounding portion of this work is the part devoted to 

 the Muricidae. Here we find the well-known genera, Buccinum, Fusus, 

 Pleurotoma, Purpura, Nassa, Trichrotropis, and Cerethiopsis, all placed 

 under the one genus Murex. No difficulty is there in believing that this 

 must be an enormous genus, when the shores of Great Britain itself affords 

 so many antiquated (?) genera so many species. We perfectly agree 

 with the author when he, on reviewing this awful ruin caused by his own 

 hand, says it will be hard to cast off these old names. Yes ; hard it will be 

 so very hard, that we must declare our intention to follow the bent of our 

 inclinations in retaining them, though old, and though, as Mr. Clark says, 

 they represent objects without the slightest generic pretension. 



In conclusion, we would say that this work is not a history of all the 

 British mollusca, but only of those that came beneath Mr. Clark's notice in 

 the southern part of Devonshire; and, as it is illustrated with no figures, 

 it remains yet to be seen whether our author's description, as he fondly 

 imagines, will more than take their place. 



Notwithstanding its defects notwithstanding what its author might call 

 our prejudices we must, and we do it willingly, record our opinion that 

 this volume is a most important addition to our British Malacology; it con- 

 tains a vast amount of valuable observations, and is a work that must be 

 consulted by any future British naturalist who will write upon this subject. 

 The crudeness of our author is almost atoned for by his industry ; and his 



manifest inclination to record his observations for the benefit of others, is 







deserving of our highest esteem ; at the same time, we would observe that 

 in order to do malacology a good service, our author should cling less de- 

 votedly to those dicta with which this work abounds. 



GEORGE JOHNSTON, M.D., EDINBURGH. 



WITHIN the last twelve months, when fire and the sword have been slay- 

 ing their thousands on the battle-field of a foreign land, the grim arm of 

 death has not been less vigilant in this, our native soil. Already have we 

 penned the brief tribute of respect to one whose talents and kindliness of 

 disposition raised him high among the admired of mankind ; and now we 



