1855-1857.] HIS CATALOGUE. 143 



was found to contain the following species : — ... (in all 103). 

 It is impossible to say how many more might have been rescued 

 from oblivion, had not the original purchaser of the collection 

 immediately sold off almost all the large shells to the keeper of 

 a tea-garden connected with a public-house near Manchester, 

 where they may be seen, the Pinnae built up into grottoes, and 

 the Spondyli * and large Patellae arranged alternately round the 

 skirting-board of his 6 Museum/ These shells were carefully 

 washed by the publican's servants, and the precious dirt thrown 

 away" (Catalogue, p. 154). 



When he examined hundreds or even thousands of a species 

 of shell, he was able to rectify mistakes which naturally arose 

 from more limited observation : e.g., he found that an eminent 

 naturalist described as five distinct species what he discovered, 

 from possessing the intermediate links, to be only stages in the 

 development of the same shell (Report, p. 166). "To have 

 dispensed with no fewer than 104 species constituted by natu- 

 ralists of reputation (exclusive of synonyms), and at the same 

 time burdened science with the names of 222 new onesf in a 

 list numbering not quite seven hundred species, may seem 

 extremely presumptuous in so inexperienced an author ; as 

 also may the opinions freely expressed on various recorded 

 statements. But fresh sources of information must always be 

 expected to modify judgments formed from insufficient 

 materials ; and a naturalist should desire truth above all things, 

 and wish to save others the necessity of wading through the 

 same labyrinth of errors from which he has with difficulty 

 extricated himself." He thus concludes the preface to his 

 Catalogue : " The errors [in it] which arise from' ignorance, 

 those with better judgment and means of information will be 



* He states in his Report (p. 242) that a few of these were rescued and 

 presented to him by his friend R. D, Darbishire, Esq , to whom he was 

 under the greatest obligations for his valuable aid from the commencement 

 of the work. 



t According to usage, all the new species are described in Latin : with 

 unusual minuteness, however. In the Report (p. 357) he states that "the 

 remark made by one of our very foremost naturalists, when it was first 

 proposed to investigate the Mazatlan shells, was that it was not likely 

 there should be anything new among them ! " 



