PREFACE THE object of this work is much the same as that which led to the writing of its companion volume The Romance of Wild Flowers-to awaken an interest in, and lead to a closer study of, the creatures described. Shells and their makers, of course, aecessitated a different kincl of treatment from that accorded to. the wild flowers but the authors plan of making his readers first acquainted with the outstanding characteristics of the prevailing types of structure as embodied in such familiar forms as the snail, the mussel, and the cuttle, will enable them to follow lliin throughout the further chapters. It is not pretencieci that this volume will enable the reader to determine the exact species of all the native mollusks that Inay come under his notice but it is hoped he may get from it an intelligent idea of the sub- kingdom so far as it is represented in these islands, and may be assisted in discriminating between most of those conlmonly encountered in the woods and lanes, by the...