MELVILL AND STANDEN : SHELLS FROM LIFU. 420 



We arc ignorant of the causes which have led to the 

 Journal de Conchyliologie so falling into arrears of date, hut 

 it is all the more important to call attention to this fact nozv, 

 as when the volume is bound up, no sign would appear from 

 internal evidence in the serial itself, that it was antedated. 



For ourselves, our first communication on Lifu shells was 

 published October 15, 1895 ; our second, November 12th, 

 1896 ; and our third, with description of Drillia cvg/iea, 

 April 1, 1897. 



The extraordinary wealth of these islands is evidently very 

 far from being exhausted, as is evidenced by our having de- 

 scribed 106, and M. Hervier 43 new species in so short a period, 

 and there is scope, we feel sure, for many an investigator in the 

 future, as some of these endemic little shells are decidedly 

 local. We should like, for example, to see collections from the 

 island of Mare. We may add, that of the genus Triforis we 

 have many species, but have not ventured to identify them, 

 without submitting them to M. Jousseaume, who has mono- 

 graphed the genus. 



The total number catalogued by us in our two lists 

 amounts to the respectable total of 860 ; mainly, as we have 

 said, in marine Gastropoda, for the Pelecypoda are not at all well 

 represented nor are they in such good condition. 



In conclusion, we must acknowledge that Mr. Tryon's 

 "Manual of the Mollusca" has been of much service to us, 

 especially in the reproduction of figures, otherwise difficult of 

 access. The arrangement we have adopted, and in the main 

 adhered to, is that of the late Dr. Paul Fischer in his admir- 

 able " Manuel de Conchyliologie," 1887. 



Our best thanks are due to Mr. R. I). Darbishire, primarily 

 and especially, for allowing us such free access to the collec- 

 tion ; to the Rev. Lewis Shackleford and Mr. J. Ray Hardy 

 for aiding us materially in the sorting and investigation ; and 

 to Mr. Edgar A. Smith for tin- painstaking kindness invariably 



J.C., viii., July, 1097. 



