419 MELVILL AND STANDEN : SHELLS FROM LIFT.'. 



mainly collected by Father Goubin,' S. M., was published. 

 We found that in those accurate and lengthy diagnoses, several 

 we had signalized as new were already described, e.g., Ctaviis 

 gibberulus, Glyphostoma Aubreyanum, G. Crosseanum, G. strom- 

 billitm, and G. melanoxytum, and we are glad that we were 

 thus spared the reduplicating of names, by the appearance of 

 M. Hervier's article just before the publication of our own. 



Since then,* this author has issued descriptions of new 

 Clathurelhc and Daphnella, some of which may possibly be 

 identical with ours, but as none of them are figured, it is diffi- 

 cult to form an opinion. 



We think it of such importance for future malacologists, 

 who in days to come ma)' be studying or monographing the 

 Pleurotomidce, to have a clear understanding as to actual dates 

 of publication of species, described about the same time, as 

 influencing the law of priority, that no apology is needed on our 

 part for calling attention to the fact that must already have 

 been noticed with regret by many, that the Journal de Conchy- 

 liologie is now antedated by exactly one year. 



The actual date of publication of M. Hervier's first com- 

 munication, with descriptions of species of Drillia, Claviis, 

 Surcula, and Glyphostoma, was June, 1896 (J. de C, vol. 

 xliii.j no. 3, pp. 141-152) dated (erroneously) as "1 Tuillet, 1895." 

 The date of 1895 has been subsequently given {pp. cit, vol. xliv. 

 no. 1, pp. 51-96) by M. Hervier in his resume of these same 

 species, whereas none were described, as already said, till the 

 following year, the first portion (vol. xliii. no. 3) in June, the 

 second ((>/>. cit., no. 4) in September, 1896. His next instalment 

 dealing with certain new Clathunllce and Daplinelhe, appeared 

 in J. de C, vol. xliv., no. 2, pp. 138-151, and was published 

 April 1897, five months after the appearance of our descrip- 

 tions of eighty new species from Lifu, including nine of these 

 two genera, on November uth, 1S96 (J. of Conch., vol. vlii., 



PP- 2 7 3-3 ! 5)- 



* Journ. de Conch., vol. xliv., no. 2, fur April 1, 1896, published April, 1897. 



