Enclosed with this edition of the Bulletin is a registration form for the Molluscan Forum, which is designed to enable research students and other beginners in molluscan research to give presentations in a friendly and informal atmosphere, to meet one another ( and potential supervisors ), and to have an enjoyable time with like-minded people. People working on molluscs, whether for their intrinsic interest, or because they are good tools or models for studying processes or systems, tend to be scattered, and perhaps rather isolated from others. The Forum provides a chance for newcomers to build networks, and to become part of a community of researchers. Undergraduates doing projects or dissertations involving molluscs are particularly welcome: this may be the place where they meet a future supervisor ( and where the smart supervisor may meet the best potential research students! ). Abstracts of accepted contributions will be put on the ociety's web-site, which is already attracting "hits" from across the world: another way for newcomers to make their presence felt. We have dropped "young" from the title of this event, not out of any concern for political correctness, but because we are keen to attract anyone starting out in molluscan research, regardless of age. Part-time and mature students, and amateurs are very welcome.

We hope the meeting will have an international flavour, and I am contacting centres of molluscan research in Europe and North America. If any one knows of non-members who might be interested at home or abroad, please send me the details. While students will have the floor, and the poster space, we hope that more experienced workers will come too: to listen, to ask sympathetic questions, to meet and encourage the next generation of molluscan researchers, and, perhaps, to meet their next research student or research fellow! We hope that this will be a regular event in the Society's calendar, either annually or every two years.

Views and enquiries to: r.cameron@sheffield.ac.uk

Robert Cameron