On first seeing this book my initial thought was to wonder whether another book on Olive shells was really necessary. It did not take long using the book to convince me that not only was a new book on the subject justified, but that this work was by far the most comprehensive revision of the genus to date.

The value of mapping local distribution of snails by tetrads (2x2 km grid squares) has been shown by the published studies of the Isle of Wight (R. C. Preece) and Suffolk (I. J. Killeen). This Atlas is a worthy successor that records the distribution of land Mollusca in modem Oxfordshire (which comprises VC23, the 'old' Oxfordshire, plus part of VC22, north-western Berkshire).

Alan Jarrett spent ten years working as a teacher in the Seychelles; he took full advantage of the opportunity this provided to both collect and study local marine mollusca, thus this book is the culmination of extensive first-hand field work.

This book begins with the statement that, with more than 500 living species, Conus is probably the largest genus of marine animals on earth. Since Linnaeus described the 35 species known to him in 1758, some 2500 names have been proposed for extant taxa and more than 1000 for fossils. Kohn has reviewed and evaluated the status of all nominal species, both recent and fossil, published from 1758 to 1840, and has considered each name in chronological sequence. In this way, priority is clearly shown, and earlier synonymy or homonymy revealed.

This is one of the earliest pictorial Monographs devoted to the genus Cancellaria. It describes 68 Recent species, 41 of which were introduced to science by members of the Sowerby family prior to the publication of this Monograph. Though there arc no new species descriptions in it, the Monograph is a valuable source material for the 41 'Sowerby species' and it can be helpful in settling controversial identification problems, until a modem revision of the genus/family becomes available.

Henning Lemche was an enthusiastic student of Opisthobranch molluscs. Visitors to his house who were not interested in this topic might soon become bored, because all conversational roads soon led Lemche back into his favourite subject. I found him an excellent colleague, always willing to reply in detail and without delay to any request for help from a fellow enthusiast. In his own work on the taxonomy and biogeography of Opisthobranchs he was extraordinarily meticulous and dedicated to the highest standards of scientific endeavour.

Some of the most innovative work in intertidal ecology over the last 20 years or so has emanated from the laboratories and universities of the north-west coast of America. To most of us in Europe, the fauna is unfamiliar and the names referred to in books and papers mean little without some association with illustrations or specimens. Although molluscs are generally well served by identification guides, other phyla are not so well covered and this book is thus a welcome arrival.

This long awaited book, by a team of experts, is the most comprehensive guide to the shells of this region ever published, covering some 1273 species. Many of the species included are endemic to the region covered (The Persian Gulf& S. E. Arabian Peninsula) but others occur more widely making this book useful to anyone interested in Indian Ocean shells. Building on the work of the late Kathie Smythe, the extensive field work by the Bosch family - which has resulted in the discovery of many new species, the authors have spent several years preparing this work for publication.

This beautifully illustrated work is described by its author as an Atlas which is just what it is. It does not claim to be a monographic treatment of the family Bursidae, although all the 64 species and subspecies known and considered valid by the authors are included. The text is in both English and Italian. The species are arranged systematically under genera with one to two pages devoted to each.

This volume consists of 31 papers presented as part of the Malacological Society of London's Centenary Symposium, with the same title as the book, held from 14-16 September 1993. The authors of the various contributions are the foremost experts in all the various fields of their profession - so this, together with its broad scope, makes the book an essential addition to the library of any institution or person seriously interested in Mollusca.