vi PREFACE. 



Carinaria and Panopaa, from specimens collected by the Rev. L. 

 B. Larking, during a residence at Messina. The latter powerful 

 mollusk he kept alive in vigorous health in a washing-tub. For 

 information on the interesting subject of geographical distri- 

 bution I am mainly indebted to the retentive memory and care- 

 ful notation of habitats, during fourteen years of enterprising 

 personal research in both the western and eastern hemispheres, 

 of Mr. Cuming. 



It is not so much for the zoologist as for the 'collector of 

 shells ' that the work is written. May I venture to hope that 

 it will lead him to a more thoughtful consideration of the 

 life of those beautiful objects which mark — 



" The wisdom infinite 

 That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep." 



L. R. 



Ihriton, Brentwood, 



November 30t7i, 1859. 



