vi PREFACE. 
branches of this Catalogue to adopt a provisional 
nomenclature, but it was considered advisable to issue 
this work, although imperfect, with the view of facili- 
tating the proper arrangement, on a uniform system, 
of the valuable Museum collections which now exist 
in other parts of the Colony. In its preparation, the 
officers of the department have received great assist- 
ance from several amateurs, and particularly from Mr. 
i. Stowe, who was sedulously engaged for several 
months in preparing that portion of the Catalogue 
which relates to the recent shells of New Zealand. 
It has been found necessary to reserve several por- 
tions of the Catalogue for publication in a Supplement, 
which will be issued as soon as the requisite informa- 
tion can be obtained. As only a small edition of the 
preseut work has been printed, it will soon be neces- 
sary to reproduce it, when it will be recast in a more 
complete and descriptive form. 
James Hector. 
Wellington, August 20, 1870. 
