ON MOLLUSCA OF THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. 581 
of specimens, representing varieties and ages, in Dr. Lea’s private collection 
are well deserving of close study. Their owner shares the liberality of Mr. 
Cuming in making them available for all purposes of scientific inquiry. 
The Smiths. Inst. has just issued from the press the first part of the 
‘ Bibliography of North American Conchology, previous to the year 1860,’ by 
W. G. Binney, containing references to all printed information on North 
American shells by native writers. Itis divided into “ § A. American descrip- 
tions of North American molluscs; § B. American descriptions of foreign 
molluscs; § C. Descriptions of foreign species by American authors in foreign 
works.” The work is prepared with unusual care and completeness, and 
with the accurate judgment which characterizes all Mr. Binney’s writings. 
It contains, under every separate work or paper, “a list of species therein 
described or in any important manner referred-to, together with their syno- 
nymy, locality, and the volume, page, plate, and figure relating to them.” 
The second part, containing similar references to American species described 
by European writers, is now passing through the press. Mr. Binney has 
most kindly sent the proofs to the writer (as far as p. 287), which have been 
freely used in preparing this Report, and have supplied various important 
sources of information. It undertakes to provide for the whole North American 
continent what has been here attempted for the West Coast; and in much 
greater detail, as not only the first description, but all subsequent quotations 
are duly catalogued. It may be regarded as a complete index of references 
to all works on North American malacology. The student, in making use 
of it, will remember that it is only with the Pulmonates that Mr. Binney 
professes an intimate acquaintance. For these the work may be regarded as 
complete. But, in other departments of the science, only those shells which 
are assigned by the authors to North America are quoted; consequently a 
large number of species are passed-over which are truly American, but are 
assigned to other places, or described without locality. Also, species really 
belonging to other faunas, but falsely attributed to North America, duly 
appear as though genuine; and the additional localities frequently assigned 
by the authors (which are often the real habitats) are seldom quoted. More- 
over the citations stop at Mazatlan; consequently, the tropical fauna of the 
West Coast is but imperfectly represented. Lastly, the authors are not pre- 
sented in chronological or indeed in any other ostensible order ; but it is pro- 
mised that the necessary information will be given in the index on the com- 
pletion of the work. The student will further bear in mind that for many 
reasons no second-hand reference can serve the same purpose as a consultation 
of the original book. With these cautions the work will be found invaluable 
by all who are engaged in working-out American species; and great thanks 
are due to Mr. Binney for undertaking the extreme labour of its compilation, 
and to the Smiths. Inst. for supplying the expense of its publication. Probably 
no such work has yet been printed on the malacology of any other country. 
Lastly, there is now in preparation a complete series of hand-books on 
North American malacology, copiously illustrated with wood engravings, and 
containing a digest of all that is known in each department. The marine 
shells of the Atlantic are being described by Dr. Stimpson, who is now also 
engaged in the dissection of the Freshwater Rostrifers; the marine shells of 
the Pacific are placed in the hands of the writer; the Pulmonates will be 
thoroughly worked-out by Mr. Binney, the Melaniade by Mr. Tryon, and 
the Cycladide by Mr. Prime. Thus it appears that while other Americans 
have been eagerly devoting themselves to destroying each other’s lives, and 
in some instances invoking the name of science to assist in the degradation 
