REVIEW LAND AND FRESHWATER SHELLS. 271 



JReHefos. 



The Land and Freshwater Shells of the British Isles. By Richard Rimmeb, 



F.L.S. London : David Bogue, 1880. Price 10s. 6d. 

 This book is dedicated " to those of my fellow countrymen among the 

 working classes who wisely employ their leisure hours in the pursuit of 

 useful and elevating knowledge," and we feel sure that, independently of 

 this graceful compliment, it will speedily be in the hands of very many of 

 them, for it has many commendable points of excellence and originality. 

 First, it is illustrated by a process new to science and to its literature 

 — the "Albertype " — the plates being printed from photographs, so that we 

 have a veritable reproduction of the shells as accurately beautiful in 

 outline as the originals, making identification comparatively easy, 

 though we will not pretend to say that they will make anyone an expert 

 instanter ; experience and comparison of forms alone can do this. 



There are evidences in these illustrations of a degree of perfection 

 which greater knowledge and experience will doubtless bring to bear 

 upon the process. The platos illustrative of the larger species of course 

 may be expected to come out well, but take as a crucial example Plate 

 VIII., and we think every conchologist will agree with us that it is a 

 splendid triumph of modern art as applied to this purpose ; it is to be 

 expected that the minute forms will not give detail, being life size, but 

 shutting out of this plate the hispid Helices and the minute forms, 

 Helix rupestris and H. pygmcca, there is not left a picture which the 

 greatest novice could not identify his shells by. So far the illustrations. 



Next the matter. This is written in a clear, concise form, unencum- 

 bered by technicalities likely to embarrass the learner. There are 

 figures pointing out the various terms used in describing a shell, direc- 

 tions for collecting and mounting the specimens, and at the end of the 

 work — excellent provision — a complete glossary, giving the pronunciation 

 and meanings of the terms used in conchology. 



And lastly, we must not forget to mention what strikes us as being 

 worthy of note, as showing the kindly interest the author takes in the 

 spread of that love of nature which he desires to foster. He does full 

 justice to the labours of a large circle of amateur conchologists, the 

 names of neaxdy every one of whom we are familiar with as collectors, 

 workers, and contributors to various publications. This is as it should 

 be, and we congratulate Mr. Rimmer in having published a book which 

 recognises modest though painstaking labour in this branch of Natural 

 History. 



We bear willing testimony to the accuracy of the enlarged drawings 

 of the species of Vertigo (Plate X.) by Mr. H. Groves. They are well 

 done, and will be a great help to the identification of this genus of minute 

 shells. We can only add our wish to the author's, that the book may 

 become another means of inducing many who are hesitating on the 

 borderland to enter with us the pleasant ways. It is published at a 



