With the issue of the twenty-second volume of the Transactions a new star rose on the conchological world. For here, under a name hitherto unknown, appeared a series of excellent descriptions of small land-shells, illustrated with unusually clear and detailed drawings by the same hand. In continuation an account followed of the jaws and radula of various minute snails. This very difficult work was beautifully done.

These contributions, signed “H. Suter,” were warmly welcomed by a little band of zoological research workers in Australasia. In answer to inquiries as to who our new comrade was, Captain Hutton replied that he was a Swiss, lately arrived in New Zealand with introductions from well-known European zoologists.

Henry Suter was born on the 9th March, 1841, and was the son of a prosperous silk-manufacturer of Zurich. He was educated at the local school and university, being trained as an analytical chemist. He joined the business of his father, and for some years engaged in various commercial pursuits.

From his boyhood he was deeply interested in natural history. He enjoyed the friendship and help of such men as Dr. August Forel, Professor Paul Godet, the brothers de Saussure, Escher von der Linth, and especially the well-known conchologist Dr. Albert Mousson.

Partly to improve his financial prospects and partly lured by the attraction of the fauna of a new country, Suter resolved to emigrate to New Zealand. It was the last day of the year 1886 when with his wife and a family of young children he landed in New Zealand.

He began his colonial career by taking up a remote selection in the Forty-mile Bush, in the Wairarapa district. It is only in a story that a middle-aged townsman can ever turn backwoodsman with success, and so after about a year Suter relinquished the hard and hopeless struggle.

At this critical time Captain Hutton, always a firm friend to zoologists, succeeded in obtaining for his protégé a post as assistant manager at the Mount Cook Hermitage. Subsequently work was available at the Canterbury Museum. After that, at one or another of the scientific institutions of New Zealand Suter spent the remainder of his life at congenial employment.

Henry Suter was an expert collector. He excelled in taking the minutest land-shells, to find which requires knowledge, patience, and the sharpest eyes. Specialists in other groups were often supplied by Suter with valuable material In Switzerland he had formed a fine collection of European land and fresh-water shells. This was afterwards acquired by the Australian Museum.

For several years Suter restricted his studies to the terrestrial and fluviatile Mollusca of his adopted country. When his work on these approached completion he proposed to extend his investigations to land Mollusca abroad. Hence his scattered papers on land Mollusca from Brazil, South Africa, and Tasmania. His friends, however, persuaded him that science would be better served if he relinquished the foreign shells and transferred his attention to the marine Mollusca of New Zealand. Not only did he take this course, but he finally embraced the Tertiary Mollusca also in his sphere of operations.