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Archives of Natural History (1992) 19 (2): 169-170 



A note on the dates of two of Captain Thomas Brown's 



conchological books 



By NORA McMILLAN 



Department of Zoology, 



Liverpool Museum, 



National Museums and Art Galleries on Merseyside, 



William Brown Street, 



Liverpool L3 8EN. 



Sherborn (1905) stated that the publication dates of the parts of Brown's Illustrations 

 of the Fossil Conchology of Great Britain and Ireland and his Illustrations of Recent 

 Conchology of Great Britain and Ireland (2nd edition) were unclear. Jackson (1944) 

 in his excellent biography of Brown gave many details of Brown's books but little 

 fresh information of the dates of publication of the component parts. 



The following letter, dated 17 October 1841, from Brown to Thomas Batt Hall 

 (author of the first flora of Liverpool in 1839) supplies a little additional 

 information. 1 



My dear Sir, 

 - I have to acknowledge receipt of your obliging letter of the 15th and am glad to hear that you have 

 been adding to your collection. 



I think I sent you through Mr. Glover the only nos. I had publd. of my works, since you left, viz. 13 

 and 14 of the Fossils and 5 of the Recent Shells. But I cannot possibly remember, and will see tomor- 

 row when I go to the Museum as i keep my books there — if 1 have not sent them I shall forward what 

 are out together with those that are in hand, viz. 16 & 17 of the Fossils and 6, 7 & 8 of the Recent 

 Shells. No. 15 of the Fossils appeared a week or two ago, uhieh I did not think worthy of sending by 

 itself. [Remainder of letter- not relevant.] 



Hall was, as the letter shows, also interested in the Mollusca and published a list of 

 Liverpool molluscs in the Naturalist (ed. by Neville Wood, vol. Ill; 322-3. 1838). 



According to Sherborn the Illustrations of the Fossil Conchology of Great Britain 

 and Ireland appeared in 35 numbers between 1837 and 1849; he gave 1843 as the date 

 for No. 15 but Brown's letter shows that Nos 15, 16 and 17 all appeared in October 

 1841. 



Reynell (1921) indicted that Nos 1-4 of Brown's Illustrations of the Recent 

 Conchology of Great Britain and Ireland (2nd edition) appeared in 1838: Brown's 

 letter suggests that Nos 6, 7 and 8 all appeared in 1841. 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 



Brown's letter is quoted by courtesy of the Department of Botany, Liverpool 

 Musuem. 



