In memoriam William Adam, 1909-1988

This preliminary note records the death of Prof. Dr. William Adam in Brussels on 3.XI.1988. Born in The Hague, Holland, on 27.I.1909, Adam read biology at Utrecht university where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1933. From 1932 to 1974 he served with great distinction as a malacologist in the Brussels museum, from 1969 as head of the invertebrate section; in addition he held various university posts. His numerous and outstanding publications cover the non-marine molluscs of Belgium, the Cephalopoda, the gastropod families Streptaxidae (terrestrial, mainly Africa) and Nassariidae (marine), and other subjects. A complete biography with bibliography will be published elsewhere by the present author.