The following paper was read by Robert McAndrew, Esq., F.R.S., 

 F.L.S., &c. 



ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF TESTA- 

 CEOUS MOLLUSCA IN THE NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC 

 AND NEIGHBOURING SEAS. 



The distribution of marine moUuscais a subject, not only interesting 

 to the student of zoology and physical geography, but particularly so to 

 the geologist, as by reference to it he is enabled to form an opinion of 

 the climatal and other conditions that must have prevailed at the time 

 when those strata were deposited, which contain fossils allied to 

 existing forms. 



Although shells, as objects of beauty and rarity, have long excited 

 the cupidity of collectors, it is comparatively only of late years that 

 qualified individuals have been found to investigate and record local 

 faunas, and that the commanders and officers of exploring and suiTeying 

 expeditions have been stimulated to take advantage of the opportunities 

 within their reach of illustrating the natural history of remote regions, 

 whereby the philosophic naturalist has been enabled to form a much 

 more correct idea of the range and distribution of this class of animals, 

 and how far the same is affected by temperature and other cu-cutn- 

 stances, than he could have derived from the grossly erroneous data 

 suppUed by many of the older writers on conchology. 



Very much, however, still remains to be accomplished in this direc- 

 tion. The gi'eat sea, in which are " things creeping innumerable," is 

 still the region of mystery ; and people term it the " waste of waters," 

 little reflecting how those waters teem with myriads of living beings ; 

 and that, even after its vast extent is taken into account, the ocean is 

 pre-eminently the domain of animal, as the land is of vegetable, 

 organization. 



That there should be found those who still believe in the existence 

 of sea sei-pents, mermaids, and other monsters, whose terrestrial 

 brethren, the giiffins and unicorns, have long since been banished to 

 the realms of romance and of heraldry, proves the ignorance which 

 exists concerning the things of the sea ; while we need but to compare 

 the extent of our knowledge of marine and of land animals, in order to 

 perceive at once what a field is here presented to the lover of nature 

 for research of the most pleasing and interesting kind, and for adding 

 to our knowledge of the manifold works of the Creator. 



These and similar considerations have induced me to direct ray 



