LETTERS RELATING TU I’HOLAS. 
83 
well as recent are illustrated by one or more plates, in most instances 
only one, and his descriptions or definitions are usually given in 
plain intelligible language. In most instances he agrees with 
Lamarck, but by no means servilely adopts his system, and it 
appears to me that in every number, hitherto published, much 
valuable information and in general very accurate, is contained. 
Except in England there exists not in the present day a Linnaan 
conchologist. 
Mrs. (loodall has pouted and grumbled and uttered all lady-like 
execrations against innovations for the space of four or live years 
and is now engaged more innocently at least than our democratic 
politicians in a radical reform. Her cabinets are now in a glorious 
state of confusion but will I hope be taught to fall into their ranks 
with tolerable regard to discipline under Corporal Sowerby. 
Though I admit most fully the propriety of reorganising my 
British Cabinet, I dare not, at my advanced state of life, attempt 
so laborious a task, and therefore, shall 1 believe, permit my trays, 
to receive their respective tablets according to Montagu, though 
1 shall add the new names of the new school. Among my 
correspondents all have gradually severed from their allegiance 
to Linnaas, save one, and even he talks of accomodating the bad 
taste of the conchological public by a new distribution of his 
collection. I have taken it for granted that you referred 
to Swainsons publication in 8vo. as his quarto work, most eminently 
beautiful as it is, can only be considered as a work of luxury and 
embraces only the most rare and expensive shells. You will oblige 
me by sending at your best convenience your list of desiderata but 
I will venture to say that your collection is much less deficient 
than you imagine, so many varieties are split into species, so many 
young shells of one species have been taken for full grown shells of 
another, so many foreign shells have been introduced into our 
catalogues as indigenous, which are really exotic, so many local or 
accidental deviations from the general form of incorrectly figured 
species have misled the eager but unscientific amateur, that the 
number of your deficiencies will, I am confident be reduced 
to a comparitively small compass. Should my wanderings lead me 
towards Southampton, most gladly shall I avail myself of your 
kind invitation to Eawley. Should I visit Weymouth next Autumn, 
I should certainly be tempted to go thither by Southampton, but 
