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plete series of the Crustacea collected by him on the Western 

 Coasts of South America and among the Islands of the South 

 Pacific Ocean. Many of these present new forms and species, 

 which have been to some extent characterized by Mr. Bell 

 in the Proceedings and Transactions of the Society, and have 

 consequently become, in a measure, scientifically identified 

 with it. 



With the same gentleman an arrangement has been entered 

 into by which the Society is entitled to become possessed, 

 for the purposes of exhibition, of his highly valuable and 

 extensive conchological stores, to which the name of the 



Cumingiau Collection of Shells 



is to be attached, if within ten years adequate accommodation 

 be provided for the display of the entire series in glazed 

 cases, to the satisfaction of himself or of the Trustees in 

 whom the property will be vested. The extent of the col- 

 lection and its high scientific value may be, in some measure, 

 estimated by the large number of new species that have been 

 described from it, by Mr. Broderip and Mr. G. B. Sowerby, 

 in the Proceedings and Transactions for several years past. 

 A more pi'ecise idea will, however, be formed from the state- 

 ment that it contains fully 6000 species, and generally from 

 three to ten specimens of each species ; and that its estimated 

 value amounts to upwards of £3000. It is agreed with Mr. 

 Cuming that on the collection being deposited with the So- 

 ciety for the purposes of exhibition, a Curator of it shall be 

 appointed : the first Curator to be so appointed being Mr. 

 Cuming himself, at the annual salary of £200. Under this 

 stipulation the arrangement cannot, of course, be brought 

 into full operation until his return from the Philippines, 

 whither he has recently proceeded, principally for the pur- 

 pose of adding to this, his favourite, collection : but where he 

 will also collect in other departments of natural history, for 

 which he is so well qualified by his previous experience. In 

 the mean time, and indeed until the final completion of the 



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