206 rUOCEEDINGS OF THE MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



During the year, the hand of death lias deprived us of Dr. Augnste 

 Brot, of Geneva, and of B. Schmacker, both members of our Society, 

 and both contributors to our " Proceedings." Dr. Brot, well known in 

 connection with the " Conchylien Cabinet" as the chief authority on 

 Melania and allied genera, passed away on August 30, at the age 

 of 75. Schmacker died at Yokohama, on March 26, at the early age 

 of 44 ; and in him we lose an enthusiastic collector, who devoted 

 special attention to Chinese and Japanese Land Mollusca, as his papers 

 in collaboration with Dr. 0. Boettger testify. 



In the death of Professor Gr. A. Pirona. of Udine, we mourn the 

 loss of a talented naturalist and philologist, who embraced within 

 the sphere of his many occupations the study of the Land and 

 Fresh-water Mollusca of his native district, and of the Hippurites ; 

 whilst by the decease of H. D. von JN'ostrand we have lost an 

 enthusiastic collector and conchologist. 



I cannot pass unnoticed the recent decease of the veteran "Naturalist 

 of the Cumbraes," David Robertson, who died at Millport in his 

 ninetieth year, respected by all earnest Zoologists, as one who made the 

 most of his surroundings and developed that which he could command. 

 He was a keen observer of nature, and the merits of his sixty years' 

 work in science (in much of which he was materially assisted by his 

 wife) were in 1895 recognized by the University of Glasgow, which 

 bestowed on him the degree of D.C.L. When by many all but for- 

 gotten, he reappeared, in association with Dr. J. Murray, during his 

 exploration of the Firth and West Coast of Scotland and the work of 

 the familiar * Ark.' His last public act was the cutting of the first 

 sod on the site of the new Marine Station at Millport, now nearing 

 completion, that owes its existence largely to his untiring energy and 

 enthusiasm. He was of the old order of ' field-naturalists,' now, 

 alas ! but few in number, and was also a palajontologist. Since his 

 death was in my hearing recently commented upon as that of ' another 

 old fossil,' I am constrained to point out that some of our latest work 

 in ' bionomics ' has borne testimony ^ to the value and accuracy of 

 observations made by him in 1861. 



It would not be difficult to produce recent work in Malacology in 

 which gross errors might have been avoided had more attention been 

 paid to the published work of our predecessors. " Sire," perks the 

 youth to his senior, ' ' I proceed to swallow and digest thee with all 

 thou knowest." Let it be added that he occasionally gets choked ! 



Turning now to consider progress at home, we note the discovery, 

 by Mr. Garstang, of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Plymouth; 

 of a new British Boris * (Z>. mmulata) ; and of the Neomeniau genera 

 Mfizomenia and llho/iahmenia, hitherto unrecognized in British 

 Waters, with a description of which he has honoured our " Proceedings." 

 Mr. Garstang's specimens were discovered in the English Channel at 



1 Cf. W. Garstang, Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc, (n.s.), vol. iv, p. 21b. 



2 W. Garstaug, t.c, p. 167. 



