202 REPORT — 1856. 



descriptions. The original types of most of these are deposited separately in 

 the British Museum ; of which the Trustees published a Catalogue in January 

 1855. The following are all that have been observed which enter the West 

 N. American province ; having been collected probably on the W. coast of 

 S. America, as far north as Guayaquil, whence the vessel sailed for the Sand- 

 wich Islands. 



Plate. Fig. 

 35 1-3. Natica fflauca, Humb. :=N.patula, Sow. 



35 4, 5. Natica Ckemnitzii, Reel, (non N. Chemnitzii, Pfr. =N. maroccana, 

 Chemn. var.) 



S7 9^-'^i \ -^-^o^w^MS trochiformis, Eyd. & Soul. =ilf. disculus, Phil. 



39 17-19. Purpura undata, Lam. var. This is not the West Indian shell, which 

 is probably the true P. undata. It is doubtful whether it is a variety 

 of the Pacific species, P. biserialis, Blainv. 



In the British Museum Collection there also appear — 



Tablet 195. Scurria mitra, Less. & Esch. 

 „ 248. Cyfherea Ipetichialis, Touranne. 



„ 395. " Purpura hcemastoma," punctured like the P. biserialis, and probably 

 identical with it. (? =P. undata, figui-ed as above.) 



41. In the year 1836, the Venus sailed from France under the command 

 of M. du Petit Thouars, on a voyage of discovery round the world. The 

 second in command was M. Chiron, who, aided by his friend M. de La Perouse, 

 collected a large number of shells. The ship visited Callao, Payta, the Gala- 

 pagos, the Bay of Magdalena, Mazatlan, San Bias, and various stations north- 

 wards as far as Kamtschatka. 



After the return of the expedition in 1839, M. Chiron furnished M. Des- 

 hayes with a large number of specimens, who makes this characteristic an- 

 nouncement. " MM. les officiers de marine, qui ont le desir d'etre utiles k 

 I'histoire naturelle, reconnaitront qu'en mettant les riches materiaux qu'ils 

 rapportent entre les mains de naturalistes vraiment travailleurs, ils en font pro- 

 fiter de suite la science; ce qui n'a jamais lieu lorsqu'ils les donnent, sans 

 discernement et en totalite, a des etablissemens publics." In this country we 

 should desire to reverse the recommendation ; and consider that collectors 

 wei'e showing their discernment by giving the first choice of their materials, 

 en totalite, to public museums where they can be consulted by students. 



In the " Revue Zoologique par la Societe Cuvierienne, Paris, Decembre 

 1839," pp. 356-361, appear Latin diagnoses of 30 " Nouvelles Especes de 

 MoUusques, provenant des cotes de la Californie, du Mexique, du Kamt- 

 schatka, et de la Nouvelle Zelande, decrites par M. Deshayes." As several 

 of the species figured by Conrad are redescribed, it is to be presumed that 

 he wrote in ignorance of his labours. The following are the shells belonging 

 to the West N. American faunas, with the habitats when recorded. 



P. 357. Chironia Laperousii. [Monterey, pi. 21. Probably a deformed /4. 



Hartweg.] Mag. Zool. 1840, tuberculosa. 



pi. 12. P. 358. Cytherea cequilatera, California. 



Pholas Janellii, California. =P. = Trigona argentina, Sow. M. 



Californica, Conr. M. Z. pi. Z. pi. 22. 



14-16. Saxicava pholadis. Lam. An. s. 



Pholas concamerata, California. Vert. iv. 152. no. 3. Kamt- 



=P.penita, Conr. M.Z. pi. 17. schatka. 



P. 358. Area trapezia, " Semblas au Saxicava legumen, California. M. 



Mexique." ? San Bias. M. Z. Z. pi. 29. Probably the long 



