IV PREFACE. 



And now it remains to announce the completion of the Fir'st 

 Series of the Manual of Conchology, with the present volume. 

 Twenty years have passed since the first number appeared in 1878; 

 my able predecessor conducting the work until 1888, as far as the 

 middle of the tenth volume. During the decade of swiftly running 

 years since then, the work has fallen to me. And while an author 

 cannot but feel regret — that what he has done is not better — that 

 long and pleasant relations must suffer interruption — it is still a 

 great pleasure to acknowledge gratitude for numberless acts of gen- 

 erosity from conchologists, for the kindly appreciation of good work 

 and the more kind charity for mistakes, which have rose-bestrewn 

 the difficult path of science. H. A. P. 



