i867 — 18S2] DISPERSAL OF BIVALVES 20 



off, both being in water, that the beetle's antenna wa n Letter 401 



temporarily caught by the shell ? 



I presume that I may keep the specimen till I go to 

 London, which will be about the middle of next month. 



I have placed the shell in fresh-water, to see if the valve- 

 will open, and whether it is still alive, fur this seems to me a 

 very interesting point. As the wretched beetle was still feebly 

 alive, I have put it in a bottle with chopped laurel leaves, that 

 it may die an easy and quicker death. I hope that I shall 

 meet with your approval in doing so. 



One of my sons tells me that on the coast of N. Wales 

 the bare fishing hooks often bring up young mussels which 

 have seized hold of the points ; but I must make further 

 enquiries on this head. 



To YV. D. Crick. Letter 402 



Down, March 23rd, 1S82. 



I have had a most unfortunate and extraordinary accident 

 with your shell. I sent it by post in a strong box to Mr. 

 Gwyn Jeffreys to be named, and heard two days afterwards that 

 he had started for Italy. I then wrote to the servant in charge 

 of his house to open the parcel (within which was a cover 

 stamped and directed to myself) and return it to me. This 

 servant, I suppose, opened the box and dropped the glass tube 

 on a stone floor, and perhaps put his foot on it, for the tube 

 and shell were broken into quite small fragments. These 

 were returned to me with no explanation, the box being quite 

 uninjured. I suppose you would not care for the fragments to 

 be returned or the Dytiscus; but if you wish for them they shall 

 be returned. I am very sorry, but it has not been my fault. 



It seems to me almost useless to send the fragments of 

 the shell to the British Museum to be named, more especially 

 as the umbo has been lost. It is many yi ars since 1 have 

 looked at a fresh-water shell, but 1 should have said that the 

 shell was Cyclas cornea} Is Sphamium corneum a synonym 

 of Cyclas} Perhaps you could tell by looking to Mr. G. 

 Jeffreys' book. If so, may we venture to call it so, or shall I 

 put an (?) to the name ? 



As soon as I hear from you I will send my letter to Nature. 

 Do you take in Nature^ or shall I send you a copy ? 



1 It was Cyclas cornea. 



