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exactness, and an excellent memory. He spared no pains to clear up a 

 doubtful point, and never satisfied himself with imperfect knowledge, 

 where there was more to be acquired. Continuing to believe in the 

 permanence of species, and opposing the doctrine of evolution, he 

 nevertheless fully recognised the frequency of a wide range of varia- 

 tion ; and his collection, instead of being restricted to type-forms, con- 

 tained many interesting series of varietal modifications. How im- 

 portant is the careful and systematic study of Shells, in relation to the 

 existing geographical distribution of Molluscan species (both terres- 

 trial and marine), and, through this, to the elucidation of the past 

 history of the globe, would not need to be here pointed out, if it were 

 not that among the present generation of naturalists such study finds 

 comparatively little appreciation. It should never be forgotten that 

 (to go no further back in the history of Geology) it was entirely 

 upon the Conchological comparisons of Deshayes, that Lyell founded 

 his division of Tertiary formations into Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene 

 — a division which has stood the test of fifty years' thorough scrutiny. 

 And it will not be for the advantage of Scieuce, if Conchology should 

 ever cease to attract competent workers. Ko better model could be 

 set forth of what Conchological work should be, than that which is 

 presented in Gwyn JefFreys's life-long labours, whose results are con- 

 tained in the fifty-five years' series of papers (considerably exceeding 

 100 in number) which he communicated to the Societies of which he 

 was a Fellow, and to the pages of scientific Journals. 



It should not be left unmentioned that Gwyn Jeffreys's excellent 

 business-habits caused his financial services to be sought by the 

 Linnasan and Geological Societies, the treasurership of both of which 

 he held for several years ; and that as treasurer also of the Royal 

 Society Club, his social qualities did much to promote its prosperity. 



w. b. a 



