264 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



251st Meeting, July 8th, 1896. 

 Held in the Manchester Museum, Owens College. 

 Mr. Thos. Rogers in the chair. 



Donations to the Library announced and thanks voted : 

 Annals of Scottish Natural History, No. 19, July, 1896 ; Journal of 

 Malacology, vol. 5, No. 2, June, 1896 ; Science Gossip, vol. 3, No. 26, 

 July, 1896 ; The Naturalist, No. 252, July, 1896 ; Transactions and Annual 

 Report, 1895, Manchester Microscopical Society ; Transactions of Academy 

 of Science of St. Louis, vol. 6, No. 7 ; Annual Report, Geological Survey of 

 Canada, vol. 6, 1892-3; Annual Report, Chicago Academy of Science, 1895 ; 

 Bulletin, Chicago Academy of Science, vol. 2, No. 2; "Preliminary Outline 

 of a new Classification of the family Muricidse," by F. C. Baker ; Proceedings 

 of the Royal Physical Society, 1894-5 ; Bihang till Kongl Svenska Veten- 

 skaps Akademiens Handhngar, part 4; Jahresheft des Natur. Ver. des 

 Trencsiner Comitates, 1894-5 ; Archives do Museu Nacional do Rio de 

 Janeiro, vol. 8 ; from the Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum : 

 "Classification and Geographical Distribution of the Pearly Freshwater 

 Mussels," by C. T. Simpson— " Diagnosis of New Tertiary Fossils from the 

 Southern United States," by W. H. Dall— " Diagnosis of New Species of 

 Mullusks from the West Coast of America," by W. H. Dall—" Diagnosis of 

 New Mollusks from the Survey of the Mexican Boundary," by W. H. Dall 

 — " Description of four New Triassic Unios from the Haked Plains of 

 Texas," by W. H. Dall ; from Mr. W. J. Webb, " The Museum," No. 7, 

 vol. 2, Catalogue of W. J. Webb, 1896; "Yorkshire Carboniferous Flora," 

 fifth report; from the Authors, "Further Conchological Notes from the 

 West of Ireland," by E. Collier and R. Slanden. 



Letter read : 



The following letter to the Editor was read : — 



"SiSSINGHURST ViCARAGE, 



"Cranbrook, Kent, 

 " Dear Sir, J"b 4*^^^ ^^9^- 



" I do not know whether it is possible so to do, but I should think 

 I ought to have some opportunity (if you will kindly permit) of reply, 

 ing to the criticism of my paper in ' Devonia,' which has just appeared 

 in the ' Journal of Conchology,' 



" ' In the present state of nomenclature,' the writer would appear 

 to think, varieties ought to be inaugurated publicly and privately, 

 without any compunction. Or is it possible that his sibylline sentence 

 means that I am not acquainted with ' the present state of nomen- 

 clature ' ? 



" If I distinctly state in the immediate context that I do not 

 desire anyone to add these to the number of existing synonyms, surely 

 the person who does so is from my point of view 'incomprehensible.' 



" The utility of such MS. names, or temporary varietal names, 

 surely does not need elaborate proof. It would be well, in my 



J.C, viii., Oci. 1896. 



