THE ESSEX NATURALIST. 
0& 1 
I must remark that I really feel much obliged to you for t ie exercise 
of my little knowledge of conchology, which has lain dormant so long 
that I am rather doubtful of myself when I am dividing the shells. I 
think I am now sending you Pupa umbilicata and marginata with 
Zonites radiatulus. If I am correct in the latter, I can send you more, and 
shall have great pleasure in doing so, both for your own Cabinet and for 
that of our friend, Mr. Searls Wood. 
The teeth in marginata were in some of the shells obscure ; in others 
wanting ; but that appears to be the case frequently in that species. 
Neither these shells nor umbilicata are numerous in our Pleistocene beds. 
Those now sent are all that I have met with at present. 
I must beg you to pardon my interrupting you so often. I do it lest 
I should forget those species which I have not sent in the first instance, 
and my rural affairs claim much of my attention just now, as the Spring 
is advancing and prices of our produce is most diminished, the land 
must yield all that is possible to make up for the scanty price and to provide 
for the tax gatherer. But this is a digression of an unpleasant kind, 
which I beg you will excuse. Those considerations shall not divert my 
mind from my favourite pursuits. 
I received a letter from my friend Mr. Hall this morning, stating that 
he has been seriously ill, which accounts for my not seeing [him] at 
Stanway for some time past. 
Stanway, Feb. 14 th, 1843. 
I shall feel, I hope, all your kindness, and that of Mr. Wood, in acting 
as you please with respect to my Paper. I have never experienced any¬ 
thing but kindness from both of you, and I shall leave the whole of the 
management to you and that gentleman. 
I think your term “ Railway beds " will answer every purpose for the 
occasion, and is, in my opinion, a good term. But allow me to ask you, do 
not you think that the beds in which extinct Mammalia have been found 
are more ancient than the " Railway beds,” in which the fossils are all 
recent ? But we will not dispute about terms now ; that you have adopted 
is good for the purpose. 
I think the railway beds lie over the diluvium ; at least, that is my 
impression at present. But we will look at the section more closely 
when you are at Stanway, which I look forward to with high anticipations, 
whenever you can find an opportunity. 
I have sent your list of shells to the Annals with your name attached, 
with a short Memoir. 
Stan way, March 24/A/43. 
In casting my eye over the last list which you so kindly sent me, I find 
that you have no specimen of the “ slender var.” of V. pygrnea [sic]. Hav¬ 
ing a few duplicates left, I have put a few into the bottom of the quill for 
you, and also one or two specimens of V. pygrnea [sic.] The latter are 
extremely scarce with me, more so than the former. 
The slender variety which you allude to in your list I think yon will 
find to be V. alpeslris, of Authors. I have also sent you a few of the 
sinistral shells, V. pusilla and V. angustior —all I have at present; but 
there are more in the bed at Copford, if more are wanted. 
I have found in all from these beds eleven species of the genera Pupa 
and Vertigo, including two var. of P. marginata. 
The Helices baffle me compleatly, in making out the numerous species 
which occur here. I should be thankful to you if you could come and 
assist me, if it w r ere only for a day or two. Our Rail will be open for 
passenger traffic throughout the whole line next week. There is great 
difficulty where shells have lost the periostraca, and the specific distinc¬ 
tions are not very striking, to make them out exactly ; yet, with the 
