200 MELVILL: BRITISH PIONEERS IN CONCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE. 



that has ever appeared in connection Avith the subjects on which 

 it treats. Lamarck in this, and his previous work, published 

 in 1799, entitled "Prodrome d'un Nouvelle Classification des 

 Coquilies," re-classified the molluscs, ordaining many new 

 genera, most, if not all, of which survive to the present day, 

 besides describing a host of new species. 



The perspicuity of this great man's genius will always be 

 felt and honoured by followers of his favourite science, and the 

 fundamental substructure of the Lamarckian system with but 

 little alteration and improvement, exists at the present day. 

 In 1835 M. Milne Edwards and Deshayes published a second 

 edition of Lamarck's " magnum opus." 



Mr. Lewis Weston Dillwyn (1788 — 1855), ^ celebrated 

 botanist and conchologist, compiled in 181 7, a " Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Recent Shells, arranged according to the Linneean 

 Method," 2 vols, octavo. This was a work involving much 

 labour, and was dedicated to his friend Sir Joseph Banks. In 

 1823 he supplied "An Index to the Historia Conchyliorum of 

 M. Lister, with Occasional Remarks," printed at the Clarendon 

 Press, Oxford. Shortly after this time he reported the occur- 

 rence of the violet snail {lanthinafragilis) at Swansea, and like- 

 wise described a goodly number of species of exotic shells from 

 time to time in various scientific periodicals. He was elected 

 M.P. for Glamorganshire in 1832, after the passing of the 

 Reform Bill, which necessitated a General Election ; and as 

 Vice-President of the British Association, which visited Swan- 

 sea in 1848, took the warmest interest in the meeting. Mr. 

 Dall has recently dedicated to his memory the genus Dillwynella. 



Dr. W. Elford Leach, in 18 14, started the "Zoological 

 Miscellany," which contained descriptions of new and interesting 

 animals. His chief taste was in conchological studies, and he 

 became very famous as an acute observer and describer of new 

 species. Amongst Dr. Leach's genera still recognised are the 

 following : Bithinia, Assiminea {grayana Leach), Zizyphinus, 



J.C., vi., Apr., 1S90. 



