352 JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY, VOL. 9, NO. II, JULY, I9OO. 



three years since near the port of Messina, and purchased by the 

 Rev. L. B. Larking, who was staying there for the benefit of his 

 health. He had it alive for some little time in a large washing tub. 

 Its proboscis at that time was about two feet in length when fully 

 exserted. When irritated the animal would throw it about right and 

 left, inspiring the water through one of the siphons and ejecting it 

 from the other with great force. 



March 8th. — Principally occupied this morning in arranging a 

 small parcel of shells received from M. Petit, of Paris, among which 

 are two fine specimens of the curious Bulimics caledonicus. Afterwards 

 in examining the small species of Achatina including several collected 

 by Mr. Benson in India. 



March 12TH. — Much engaged to-day in remodelling the description 

 of our new genus, which instead of calling Clymene, have christened 

 Hemifiecten. The Nomenclator is charged to the brim with the names 

 of sea-nymphs, there is not a Nereid left ! And the daughters of 

 Oceanus are all "used up." Its affinities appear now to come nearer 

 to Anomia than Pedum, but more allied to Pecten than either. 



March 14TH. — To Mr. Cuming's to look out the remainder of his 

 Bulimi having gone through, described and figured, when this remnant 

 is finished, the whole of his species of this genus, amounting to 

 upwards of five hundred. Whilst there Capt. Spratt, just promoted 

 from the rank of lieutenant to that of commander R.N., paid Mr. 

 Cuming a visit. This intelligent officer has taken considerable pains 

 to collect the land shells of Crete, Lycia, and islands of the Grecian 

 Archipelago, and promises to perform great things as soon as he has 

 the command of a vessel. There is a great difficulty in collecting in 

 a foreign expedition in our navy unless the captain has really a taste for 

 natural history himself. A naturalist is voted a bore and the crew 

 find little interest in working the dredge. Letter from Mr. Darwin 

 offering in the kindest terms to sign my certificate for the Royal 

 Society: "I have heard an account with what uncommon zeal you 

 have pursued natural history and on this ground I shall be happy to 

 append my signature to your paper, and to wish you all success. I 

 hope for the honour of that Society your being in the publishing trade 

 cannot be the smallest objection to you." 



March 17TH. — I am so bewildered with work, in addition to the 

 demands of business, I scarcely know how best to employ my time, 

 "Iconica" on the one hand, "Elements" on another, "Samarang" 

 mollusca on a third, and Belcher's duplicate specimens to arrange 

 and dispose of to help in part to procure the means whereby I live. 

 Thank God, however, all are progressing. 



March 20TH. — "Feeling unwell, obliged to withdraw from business." 



