il. INTRODUCTION. 
A very large number of the species have been figured by Reeve and 
Sowerby, in the Conchologia Iconica, and others in the Voyages of the 
Astrolabe, the Erebus and Terror, the Voyage au Pole Sud, and the 
American Exploring Expedition, under Captain Wilks. In addition to 
these I have given references to figures in Adams’ “Genera of the 
Mollusca,” Woodward’s “ Manual of the Mollusca,” and in Dr. Chenu’s 
“Manuel de Conchyliologie,” as these works are easily procurable. 
Several interesting remarks on the habits of some of the species, by Mr. 
Bidwill, Dr. Stanger, and Dr. Dieffenbach, will be found in the appendix 
to Dr. Dieffenbach’s “ Travels in New Zealand.” 
A list of shells found at Great Omaha, in the Auckland District, has 
been given by Mr. Kirk in the Transactions New Zealand Institute, 
1872, p. 367 ; another of those found at Auckland by Mr. Cheeseman, 
in the same publication for 1875, p. 309, ina paper containing many 
valuable notes on the habits of the species; and the shells of Otago 
have been catalogued by myself in my report on the Geology of Otago ; 
Appendix, C (Dunedin 1875.) Many additions to the Molluscan fauna 
of Otago will, however, be found in this catalogue. Unfortunately 
I have not seen Dr. H. Filhol’s paper on the Mollusca of Stewart 
Island, nor M. Jouan’s essay on the fauna of New Zealand, published 
jn the Mémoires de la Société des Sciences Naturelles de Cherbourg, t. 
xiv. (1869.) Much still remains to be done towards working out the 
geographical distribution of the species; and lists would be particularly 
valuable from Napier, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson, Hokitika, and 
Banks Peninsula. For much information respecting the distribution of 
our shells in Australia and Tasmania, I am indebted to Mr. T. W. 
Bednall, of Adelaide. 
The better the fauna of New Zealand becomes known, the’ more 
prominently does it stand out distinct from that of any other country ; 
and this is particularly the case with the shells. Formerly a list of New 
Zealand shells shewed a large proportion of tropical forms found in 
Australia and Polynesia, but the loc-hties of most of these are now 
known to be inaccurate. Out of be. ‘ 350 and 4oo species, which 
the New Zealand fauna really contains, - is only evidence of about 
64 being found anywhere else, and in ve. of these cases have New 
Zealand specimens been compared with for nes, the identifications 
having generally been made by descriptiot. figures only. The 
following is a list of the 64 species to which I 1 
