mb:lvill: British pioneers in conchological science. 223 



Association at Newcastle this year demonstrates, and the Liver- 

 pool Museum may be said to be arranged, as regards its types, 

 on the principle he so lucidly expounded. 



Thirdly, we require a more intimate acquaintance with the 

 fossil forms and congeners of our recent species of Molluscs — 

 more especially of the later formations, the Eocene, Miocene, 

 Pleiocene, and Pleistocene deposits. No doubt many of our 

 most isolated forms are descended from, and are linked to, 

 other recent species by races once abundant, but now almost 

 obsolete, and in some of the smaller species, e.g., the Pleuro- 

 tomidje, there is very often, we are sure, an unintentional 

 synonymy and reduplication of description, some of the fossil 

 and recent kinds being the same. 



We should then require an International convention of 

 conchologists to decide finally on the specific or varietal merits 

 of each form in turn, whether a trinomial system be advisable, 

 and other points of importance. To this end, museums, both 

 public and private, must contain large series of specimens, all 

 accurately labelled with exact localities, and so far as is possible, 

 with complete anatomical details also, lingual dentition, etc., 

 and then this question could be definitely settled, once for all. 



Our last requirement, upon this end being attained, would 

 be an entire revision of our nomenclature in more exact accor- 

 dance with the law of priority according to the course laid down 

 by the British Association. Certain neglected authors, as 

 Humphrey, Bolton, Perry, ought to have their titles reimposed. 

 But I should not advocate an undue change of names that are 

 as familiar in our homes as "household words." 



May I be allowed to express the hope, that our Society will 

 not be behindhand in contributing a large share to these 

 desired results. We are every year gaining in increase of 

 Members, and influence, let us hope the work done will be 

 commensurate with the growth of the Society. 



