IV PREFACE. 



it best to adopt, sometimes even without inquiry, their ar- 

 rangement of the Classes, Orders, and Genera, as far as 

 such questions come within the scope of his little volume. 



Although the principal design has been to familiarize the 

 lover of Nature with the general character and habits of 

 these little-observed animals, it is also hoped that the de- 

 scriptions, with the help of the Plates, will be sufficient to 

 enable an intelligent observer, even if no conchologist, to 

 recognize the genus to which any specimen may belong. 



Many of the species even, which happen to be distinguished 

 from each other by well-marked peculiarities, may be made 

 out, or at least guessed at, from the very short mention we 

 have made of each species in nearly all the genera. 



Some readers may find a pleasure in learning, for the 

 first time, the interesting facts mentioned in this work; 

 others may find these facts awakening in them a desire to 

 pursue the subject further than it will take them. In either 

 case the writer will be gratified, and his design fulfilled. 



