VI TO THE READER. 



to perplex than assist the tyro in Conchology ; and, 

 in lieu thereof, an attempt has been made to give 

 only such a description of each species as will secure 

 its identification, some reliance, at the same time, 

 being placed upon the distinguishing characters, as 

 pointed out from time to time, of such nearly allied 

 forms as are most likely to puzzle the collector. 



The notion of grouping the species according to 

 the soils they frequent, and the situations in which 

 they are found, will, it is conceived, render the 

 chapters more attractive than if they had been de- 

 scribed seriatim in the order generally adopted by 

 systematists. 



In presenting this little work to the reader, the 

 author feels that his acknowledgments are due to 

 the late Dr. J. E. Gray and Mr. Gwyn Jeffreys, 

 for their friendly assistance in looking over the 

 proof sheets, and to Mr. J. Weaver, of Uppark, 

 Sussex, for several interesting communications which 

 have been embodied in the Introduction. 



The plates have been carefully drawn and 

 coloured by Mr. Arthur Kich, in every case 

 from recent specimens a merit not invariably 

 possessed by modern illustrations to works on 

 Natural History. 



