420 MELVILL AND STANDEN: SHELLS FROM LIFU. 
We are ignorant of the causes which have led to the 
Journal de Conchyliologie so falling into arrears of date, but 
it is all the more important to call attention to this fact zow, 
as when the volume is bound up, no sign would appear from 
internal evidence in the serial itself, that it was antedated. 
For ourselves, our first communication on Lifu shells was 
published October 15, 1895; our second, November rath, 
1896; and our third, with description of Drillia cygnea, 
April 1, 1897. 
The extraordinary wealth of these islands is evidently very 
far from being exhausted, as is evidenced by our having de- 
scribed 106, and M. Hervier 43 new species in so short a period, 
and there is scope, we feel sure, for many an investigator in the 
future, as some of these endemic little shells are decidedly 
local. We should like, for example, to see collections from the 
island of Maré. We may add, that of the genus Z7:foris we 
have many species, but have not ventured to identify them, 
without submitting them to M. Jousseaume, who has mono- 
graphed the genus. 
The total number catalogued by us in our two lists 
amounts to the respectable total of 860; mainly, as we have 
said, in marine Gastropoda, for the Pelecypoda are not at all well 
represented nor are they in such good condition. 
In conclusion, we must acknowledge that Mr. Tryon’s 
“Manual of the Mollusca” has been of much service to us, 
especially in the reproduction of figures, otherwise difficult of 
access. The arrangement we have adopted, and in the main 
adhered to, is that of the late Dr. Paul Fischer in his admir- 
able ‘‘ Manuel de Conchyliologie,” 1887. 
Our best thanks are due to Mr. R. D. Darbishire, primarily 
and especially, for allowing us such free access to the collec- 
tion; to the Rev. Lewis Shackleford and Mr. J. Ray Hardy 
for aiding us materially in the sorting and investigation ; and 
to Mr. Edgar A. Smith for the painstaking kindness invariably 
J.C., viii., July, 1897. 
