vi 



PREFACE. 



with the Author) could it be reasonably expected ; 

 at that time much work and many engagements 

 pressed heavily on him. Apart from this, his own 

 special studies, as well as the researches of others, 

 particularly those of his friend Mr. M ''Andrew, 

 caused him, I think, to wish for a little delay 

 before he committed himself to any general views 

 as to the History of European Marine Fauna as a 

 whole. 



In 1854 Ed. Forbes was elected to the Natural 

 History Chair at Edinburgh, and it was his intention 

 to have finished this work in the course of that 

 winter, so that it should appear in 1855. But it 

 was not to be so ; and that active life, which in 

 the last few years had accomplished so much, 

 which was then proposing so much for the future, 

 and of which the past was the ample pledge how 

 productive the succeeding years would have been 

 made, was brought to its too sudden close. 



It was some time after this event that I received 

 a portion of the present volume — as far as page 

 102, this had been corrected and printed off; the 

 latest portion of the Manuscript which the Author 

 had forwarded, had been set up in type, but not 

 corrected, and has served to bring down Prof. Ed. 

 Forbes' portion as far as to page 12G. 



It had been my friends last wish, founded on 



