MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS STROPHIA. 
In making the foregoing remarks, I have frankly and freely stated 
the conclusions to which I have come, after a long, and most careful 
consideration of the subject, my sole object being the advancement of 
our knowledge of the genus Strophia. If I differ in opinion from some 
authors whose descriptions I have considered too general, it is not be- 
cause I do not appreciate their labors, but rather because I take a differ- 
ent view of the matter from what they then took. I thoroughly believe 
that the time has come when the utmost minuteness of detail has become 
necessary in defining groups in nature, of whatever grade, but more es- 
pecially is such minuteness of description needful in working out the 
details of specific and subspecific characters. 
It must be constantly borne in mind that we of today are working 
as much, if not more, for the benefit of the coming generations as for 
that of the present. He who is a student of evolution must admit con- 
stant change, and to him it becomes mosf obvious that too careful at- 
tention cannot be given to minute differences in recording the present 
condition of the species or subspecies in hand, as thus, and only thus, 
can our work be available in the future to those who wish to mark the 
steps of change. 
I do not intend to be understood that I would for a moment think 
of recording differences in Strophia which are not constant and of suf- 
ficient specific importance to warren t so doing, and I am sure that I 
have not done so, as I feel confident that no one who will give the mat- 
ter the careful attention that it merits, will disagree with me. 
Strophia dallii may be known by the numerous striations — more 
than in any other described species — the cylindrical form, and chan- 
neled tooth. I have dedicated this species to the accomplished natu- 
ralists, Hr. William H. Hall, curator of mollusks at the Smithsonian 
Institute, Washington, D. (J., as a slight testimonial of my apprecia- 
tion of the value of his scientific researches. 
Among the channeled toothed Strophias should be included the 
previously described S. ianthina and S. pallida. 
BISTRIBUTION ANB HABITS. 
The first specimen of Hall’s Strophia that I ever saw, I found in 
my Bahama collection of shells, but unfortunately labelled so that it was 
uncertain whether it came from Inagua or not. Later I found a few of 
this species in the collection of Mr. James A. Southwick, but again 1 
was unfortunate in not getting the locality. It was only upon receiv- 
ing a series of the Smithsonian Strophias, kindly forwarded to me by 
Hr. Hall, that I found the species labelled as coming from Inagua. 
( CONTINUED. ) 
