MELVIU, AND STANDEN : SHELLS FROM LIFU. 4x6 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



In giving a history of the Hadfield Collections of the Mollusca 

 of the Loyalty Islands, it is necessary just briefly to recapitulate 

 what has been already said in the praefatial remarks to our first 

 paper on the subject (antea pp. 84-132). 



It was in 1891-92, the Rev. James and Mrs. Hadfield 

 brought over a considerable assortment, mainly consisting of 

 the larger and more showy species of marine mollusca. By 

 cleaning out the mouths of some of the specimens, however, 

 we discovered certain minute, but very beautiful, shells, some 

 of them hitherto unknown ; and this induced us to ask that 

 further consignments of shell-sand might be forwarded. 



Very faithfully did our kind friends attend to our request. 

 The next parcels arrived in 1893, to Messrs. W. Moss and 

 R. Cairns, of Ashton-under-Lyne, whose coadjutorship and help 

 have been invaluable to us throughout, and who placed every 

 facility in our way for thoroughly examining this large mass 

 of material. 



Whilst the first collection therefore contained mainly the 

 more conspicuous forms, the next composed an assemblage 

 of intermediate size, very rich indeed, as our lists show, in 

 forms of certain attractive genera, e.g., Mitra, Conns, Cyprcea, 

 Columbella, etc. ; but there were still comparatively few of the 

 yet smaller grade we were so anxious to see, and which we were 

 sure, if they could be procured, promised great results so far as 

 novelty was concerned. 



We felt, however, that the time had come for a catalogue of 

 these two consignments, and this was published in the present 

 volume, pp. 84-132, in the summer of 1895 (July-Oct). 



In this article, to which we would refer those who may be 

 interested in the subject, we drew attention to the favoured 

 geographical position of the Loyalty Islands, which are situated 



J.C., viii., July, 1897. 



