BIFE OF J; Ri WILLIS — PIERS. 409 
not take advantage of this offer, but published it instead, under 
the title ‘ Our Edible Mollusca,” in an obscure local periodical 
called the Colonial Review. With the exception of the list of 
species, Mr. T. F. Knight quotes this article almost entire in one 
of his pamphlets on the fisheries of Nova Scotia.* 
Willis’ worth was now being acknowledged abroad. In 1862 
he was unanimously elected a corresponding member of the Liv- 
erpool (G. B.) Natural History and Microscopical Society ; and in 
the following year he received the same honour from the Boston 
Society of Natural History, 
In November, 1863,+ he issued a privately printed list of Nova 
Scotian shells, his most important published work, which is 
reprinted in the present volume. 
In 1863 an Industrial School was started in Halifax, and in 
the following year Willis was appointed to superintend the insti- 
tution. On April 18th he formally resigned his position in the 
National School, much to the regret of those in charge. He was 
unquestionably an efficient and successful teacher. His school 
was described as being a model of good order and discipline, and 
his treatment of his pupils such as was intended to secure their 
confidence and respect. It was his honest boast that not one of 
his scholars had been known to turn out in a manner that would 
reflect discredit on his teacher. They ever entertained for him a 
warm affection, which in days of adversity was like a gleam of 
sunshine to his soul. 
Sir J. W. Dawson had long exchanged and corresponded with 
Willis, and was his warm personal friend, and in 1864 he named 
a new species of Polyzoan in his honouur—Gemellaria Willisii.} 
Willis was mentioned in connection with Dr. D. Honeyman as 
being well suited to take charge of a Provincial Museum, should 
one be founded in Halifax. These two gentlemen in 1865 || pre- 
* Descriptive Catilogue of the Fishes of Nova Scotia, Halifax, 1866, pp. 42-53. See 
Bibliography on a later page, No. 4. 
tAt this time Willis says there were several of his collections of Nova Scotian shells—one 
inthe Smithsonian Institute ; onein King’s College Museum, Windsor; one in Acidia College, 
Wolfville; and one in his own possession ; and also the remains of what was once a good 
collection in Dalhousie College, Halifax, presented by him many years before. 
{ See full description in Trans. of N.S. Institute of Natural Science, vol. 1 , part 3, p. 8. Sir 
William Dawson tells us that Dr, Hinks regards it as a variety of G. loricata of Europe, but it 
isa very marked varietal form. 
|| Four years previously the Rey. Mr. J Ambrose and Mr. J.M.Jones had suggested to 
Willis the propriety of taking some steps in the matter, and the first-named gentleman had 
seut a communication upon the subject to ‘‘tune” the newspapers, as he termed it. 
