PYBAMIDELLID.E. 409 



" Nequidquam : quoniam medio de fonte leporum 

 Surgit amari aliquid quod in ipsis floribus angat." 



In this case the " amari aliquid " arises from my fear of im- 

 perilling old friendships, recollections and associations, which 

 often afford the most delightful solaces, and soften down the 

 rougher portions of our pilgrimage. I envy not the man who 

 would not relax the sterner calls of duty to avoid disturbing 

 these tranquillizing fountains of consolation. These reflec- 

 tions press heavily on me. I will simply obey the calls of 

 duty. I am bound to do so, and will use the plainest phrases, 

 consistent with the integrity of truth and honour, to bring me 

 through the ordeal of my invidious task, which I would have 

 gladly left to others. 



It must be admitted that this interesting genus can no 

 longer remain in its present unsatisfactory position ; a reform 

 must be carried out; the progress of malacological science 

 demands that the rotten species be rooted out, to preserve 

 the honest constituencies ; the pruning-knife must be applied, 

 to extirpate the gangrene that preys on the vitals of the 

 genus : 



" Ense recidendum ne pars sincera trahatur." 



It is enveloped in a darker mist of error and misapprehension 

 than any other, springing partly from the difficulty of the 

 subject, partly from defect of judgment and the unmeasured 

 establishment of species on unsound bases. It may be asked, 

 what will it avail to pluck a thorn from the mass 



" Quid te exempta juvat spinis de pluribus una?" 



We answer, that if a unit of error is blotted out, good service 

 is done ; Sancho Panza tells us, " maille a maille fait Phauber- 

 geon." Unless the proverb is acted on, all hope of reforma- 

 tion is vain, and error will become indefinitely persistent. 



The following short remarks will prepare the way for the 

 regular descriptions of the species. 



The Chemnitzia pallida is so fully mentioned that we need 

 only refer to it. The same may be said of the Chem. rufa. 

 The Chem. fulvocincta, that has hitherto been confounded with 



