Critical observations on recent contributions to our knowledge of the fresh water shells of Tasmania - Part One

Abstract

In August, 1875, the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods contributed a paper to this Society on the fresh water shells of Tasmania. Prior to this date no systematic attempt had been made to arrange the fresh water shells of this island. It is true that five or six species were actually described in the scattered works of earlier writers, but these isolated observations in foreign works attracted little notice locally ; indeed, without special research and access to a good library of reference it would be impossible for ordinary students to obtain certain guidance on the subject. Mr. Woods fully described the shell characters of all the four forms known to him at this time, and from such characters, and from former references by other observers, he determined them to consist of 12 genera and 34 species, all of which, with the exception of five, he considered as new to science. This paper is a complete list of the species described by him : Includes drawings and tabular history of the classification of the Tasmanian fresh water shells.