This is the original notification provided by the Society for its publication of the Series, 'Papers for Students'. An updated page has now been produced and can be found here. This page remains in memory of Rev. H.E.J. Biggs F.L.S. [Fellow of the Linnean Society] who authored the first paper and was President of the Society from 1958 - 1960.
By now you will have received the first four of the above papers. The idea behind this series is to help all those who are at the beginning of their studies of the Mollusca and it is hoped that they will be more widely used than by our own members both junior and senior. Indeed as an aid to students on field courses, to schools working on field projects, etc., they may have considerable value
They are circulated free of charge to all full members of the Society to date resident in the British Isles. They will be free to all junior members, as and when they join, subject to any further decisions of the Council which may modify the conditions when the cost of the total number of papers issued exceeds the value of the subscription paid in the first year. Here are the titles of papers 1 through 4:
- No. 1 "Introducing Junior Membership"
- No. 2 "Collecting Non-marine Mollusca"
- No. 3 "A Key to Land Snails of Great Britain"
- No. 4 "A Short Glossary of Molluscan Terms"
Paper No. 4 has been specially difficult to prepare. Most of us will agree with the meaning given to most of the terms. Many will disagree with either the definition or application and use of others. All will have feelings that many terms have been omitted which should have been included, and some will feel that the inclusion of a number of terms is unnecessary. No glossary will be completely acceptable to all; the aim is to make it as widely acceptable as possible.
Therefore if any members of the Society have views on these points please let me know. All replies will be collated and submitted for consideration. For purposes of filing please write your list of additions, subtractions, corrections on a separate sheet.
It is hoped that before the end of the year more papers will be available. No. 3 "The Care of the Collection" is already written; a paper on collecting Marine Mollusca has a writer and so has one on holocene fossil mollusca. The following are projected, "How to Determine your shells" which should cover the availability of literature and public collections. One has also been promised on the interesting work of collecting and studying Crag Mollusca.
We shall appreciate suggestions from our members for the titles (and possibly the writers) of further papers needed. Naturally no guarantee can be given that all suggestions will be adopted.
We shall be glad if you will make these papers as widely known as possible. The Society has agreed to cover the cost of production but we do hope to recover something from the sale of papers.
H. E. J. Biggs