60 



PROVISIONAL AID TO THE STUDY OF TASMANIAN MOLLTTSCA. 



and he is now, I believe, engaged upon an elaborate treatise 

 on the shells of Tasmania, which will in the future be the 

 standard work of reference to Tasmanian students. 



The labours of Lieut. C. E. Beddome have also added largely 

 to our knowledge, and his contributions respecting new forms 

 (17 species), brought to light by his extensive dredging 

 investigations, come very close to those of Mr. Petterd. Mr. 

 Beddome has also contributed several interesting papers to 

 this Society on Conchology, and he is now the possessor of 

 one of the finest collections in Australasia. He prepared a 

 splendid classified collection of our shells for the Fisheries 

 Exhibition held in London in the year 1887, for which he 

 •was awarded First Prize and a Gold Medal. 



Nor must we forget in this place the valuable work of the 

 Eev. H. D. Atkinson, of Circular Head. This gentleman has 

 for many years been a most enthusiastic collector. Some of 

 the most interesting forms contained in the Eev. J. E. 

 Tenison-Woods' "Census," were brought to light by Mr. 

 Atkinson, who was the first person in Tasmania who extended 

 his researches into the deeper waters by means of the dredge. 

 At the time Mr. Woods was preparing his " Census," Mr. 

 Atkinson was the only person in Tasmania who sought for 

 novelties in this way. 



The labours of Mr. B. Dyer, of Hobart, Mr. E. Gunn, and 

 Mr. A. Simson, of Launceston, as collectors, are also worthy 

 of special notice in this place. 



Since the appearance of the Eev. J. E. Tenison-Woods' 

 Catalogue of Tasmanian Shells, valuable critical emendations 

 have been made by Prof. Tate and Mr. John Brazier, and 

 these have been availed of by me in the preparation of the 

 Classified List attached to this paper. These gentlemen have 

 also largely contributed in the extension of our knowledge of 

 the Mollusca. Mr. Brazier's contributions to our knowledge of 

 the land and fresh water shells are especially extensive. 



In the following pages I have given a fairly comprehensive 

 account of the bibliography of the subject, and for the 

 convenience of local students who are not in possession of 

 works of reference, I have added a part devoted to the 

 description of the various families, mainly based upon the late 

 G. W. Tryon's splendid work on " Structural and Systematic 

 Conchology," (April, 1884.) To afford additional facilities to 

 such students, I have also prepared an artificial key to the 

 classes, families, and genera, which I hope will prove to be of 

 service. In the preparation of this key, I have been o-reatly 

 aided by a similar key prepared by Prof. Hutton for his 

 excellent work on the Conchology of New Zealand, (Manual 

 of the New Zealand Mollusca,) published in the year 1880. 



In conclusion, I may add that this contribution can only be 



