408 LIFE OF J. R. WILLIS—PIERS. 
mine I have no fears that the conchological fauna of Nova Scotia 
will not be soon and well worked up.” Mr. W. G. Binney and 
Dr. E. Foreman undertook the examination of the land and fresh- 
water species. Other hoxes of shells were sent at various times 
to the Institution, a part to be kept, and the rest returned after 
examination. . 
The British Museum is indebted to him for a large collection 
of our shells which he presented in 1861, while the Boston Society 
of Natural History and the Philadelphia Academy of Natural 
Sciences, also received numerous specimens from his cabinet. 
He sent a fine set of Nova Scotian edible mollusca and pearls to 
the International Exhibition of 1861. For these he received hon- 
curable mention. A similar collection was forwarded to the 
Dublin Exhibition of 1865. He presented a large collection to 
the Smithsonian in 1863, the greater part of which, including all 
the small and critical species, was loaned to Stimpson for study, 
and was lost in the great Chicago fire of 1871. 
Meanwhile his educational work was going steadily forward, 
and he was fast gaining fame asa thorough and painstaking 
teacher. In 1856 military drill was introduced and practiced in 
the National School, through the efforts of Willis and his friend, 
Dr. Charles Cogswell. Other schools adopted the novel and benefi- 
cial system, and four years later it was introduced into England 
and became very popular. Halifax, therefore. has the honour of 
taking the Jead in this salutary movement, not only on this con- 
tinent, but in Great Britain also. 
Willis was one of those who were present at the formation of 
the Nova Scotian Institute of Natural Science in 1862, and he was 
elected its first Corresponding Secretary. During the same year 
he read a lengthy paper before the Nova Scotian Literary and 
Scientific Society (Halifax). It treated mainly of the edible 
mollusca of our Province, but a complete catalogue of Nova 
Scotian shells was also attached.* This paper was intended for 
the Smithsonian Institution, and Baird proposed to insert it in 
the Report. For some unaccountable reason. however, Willis did 
*At this time Willis’ collect‘on is saidto have consisted of over 8,000 distinct native and 
foreign varieties, embracing examples of most of the species then known to naturalists. It is 
doubtful whether tkere was a finer collection in this depaytment throughout British America. 
