264 PHYSIOLOGY AND NATURAL HTSTORY. 



In addition to the valuable Canadian collections made by Dr. Boys, -with contri- 

 butions from Dr. Bird, of Os''vT«'a, and the land and fresh-T^ater shells of Ger- 

 many and of Southern EurojDe, presented by Dr. Croft: Professor Hincks brought 

 over with him a set of illustrations of genera obtained from the late Mr. Sowerby ; 

 and many valuable tropical shells were presented by Mrs. Dall, a lady then resi- 

 dent in Toronto. To these have been added an extensive series, including some 

 fine specimens purchased from an eminent dealer in Boston, TJ.S. ; and one or two 

 friends, particularly Professors "Wilson and Chapman, have contributed useful ad- 

 ditions. Mr. Bland, of Kew York, has also kindly furnished a series of North 

 American species, with some land shells from other localities. 



It will thus^appear that the Conchological department was by no means in a 

 low condition, when the attention of the Professor of Natural History was called 

 to the fact that a valued friend, the Rev. P. P. Carpenter, of "Warrington, Eng- 

 land, had purchased the principal part of a fine collection, the result of several 

 years' labour made at Mazatlan, in Mexico, opposite the southern point of Cali- 

 fornia, by M. Frederic Eeigen, a Belgian gentleman, who died just as he had. 

 •completed them, and by whose executors they were sold in Liverpool — first to a 

 wholesale dealer, and by him to Mr. Carpenter. The latter gentleman generously 

 resolved to present to the British Museum a full series, including many specimens 

 oi each of all the species obtained, and proposed then to issue, by subscription, 

 sets of the remainder to those who might desire to obtain them. The matter 

 coming to the knowledge of Professor Hincks, he was of opinion that shells il- 

 lustrating the western coast of this continent, would have a special interest for us 

 in Canada, and the subscription appearing moderate in compai-ison to tlie usual 

 charges, he recommended them for purchase. Mr. Carpenter was good enough. — 

 besides expending for the University collection a small additional sum in se- 

 lected specimens of known locality — to present to the Museum above four hundred 

 specimens from his own collection, all with their localities carefully marked ; so 

 that the whole addition made to the University cabinet is very extensive. 



The circumstances which may be regarded as giving special interest to the 

 Mazatlan shells are : 



1. That they furnish trustworthy data for inquiries respecting the geographical 

 distribution of moUusca. All who have studied the subject know the difficulty of 

 obtaining authentic information on this subject. Even scientific collectors are 

 often very careless in separating the productions of different localities ; and when 

 it is considered how numerous are the places at which ships may touch in long 

 voyages, at all of which something may be obtained, and the practice of pur- 

 chasing collections often brought together from remote points, we cannot wonder 

 that specimens, introduced in the way of trade, are difficult to trace to the place 

 in which the animals lived. Nor is this all. "When shells fall into the hands of 

 ■dealers they are are strangely mixed, and the accounts given of them are not 

 always strictly truthful. A person seeking shells from a particular region may 

 frequently obtain more than ever really belonged to it. M. Reigen appears to 

 ■have laboured diligently in collecting the shells of the interesting spot which he 

 visited, but not to have at all sought to extend his collection by miscellaneous 

 purchases ; and the history of what he had brought together, subsequent to his 

 death, is well known, so that there is little room for error. 



2. The specimens of each species are in most instances numerous, showing the 



