,,beautiful ,,shells3 ,,their ,,nature1 ,,structure1 ,,and ,,uses ,,familiarly ,,explained2 ,,with ,,directions ,,for ,,collecting1 ,,cleaning1 ,,and ,,arranging ,,them ,,in ,,the ,,cabinet2 ,,descriptions ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,remarkable ,,species1 ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,creatures ,,which ,,inhabit ,,them2 ,,and ,,explanations ,,of ,,the ,,meanings ,,of ,,their ,,scientific ,,names1 ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,terms ,,used ,,in ,,conchology4 ,,by ,h4 ,g4 ,,adams1 ,author of 8,nests and ,eggs of ,familiar ,british ,birds10 8,beautiful ,butterflies10 8,favourite ,song ,birds10 8,a ,story of the ,seasons10 c4 c4 ,,illustrated ,,with ,,numerous ,,engravings ,,coloured ,,plates4 ,,london3 ,,groombridge ,,and ,,sons1 #e1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 ,m ,,dccc ,,lvi4 ,,introduction4 ,,what ,,are ,,shells8 ,dr4 ,johnson gives us no less than eight different meanings for the word ,,shell4 ,first1 he calls it #8,the hard covering of anything2 the external crust4' ,second1 #8,the covering of a testaceous or crustaceous animal4' ,and here we may stop1 for this is just the signification which has to do with our subject2 so let us turn the sentence inside out1 and see what we can make of it4 ,we all know what a covering is--an outer coat1 a case1 a protection from injury1 a husk1 a crust1 a--in short1 a shell1--scyll or scell1 as our ,saxon forefathers called it2 schale1 as the ,germans now term it4 ,no ,latin nor ,greek here1 but the good old ,saxon tongue1 somewhat rough and rugged1 perhaps1 but stout and sturdy1 and honest and serviceable2 a kind of language to stand wear and tear1 like a pair of hob-nailed shoes1 with little polish1 but useful1 yes1 very useful6 ,well1 we have got so far1 now comes a hard word--,,tes-,,ta-,,ce-,,ous1 what can it mean8 ,it is pronounced tes-ta-shus1 comes from the ,latin testaceus--having a ,shell1 and means consisting of1 or composed of shells2 so we find that a testacean is a shell-fish1 and testaceology is the science of shells4 ,johnson's second meaning of the word testaceous is #8,having continuous1 not jointed shells1 opposed to crustaceous4' ,so we find that some naturalists call those testaceous fish1 8whose strong and thick shells are entire and of a piece1 because those which are joined1 as the lobsters1 are crustaceous40 ,now some of the true testacean have shells in more than one or two pieces1 and therefore this last explanation of the term is rather calculated to mislead a learner2 but we shall explain presently wherein the difference consists between them1 and the ,,crus-,,ta-,,ce-,,ous1 or1 as we pronounce it1 krus-ta-shus1 fish consists4 ,here is another long word1 it comes from the ,latin crusta1 a word of many meanings1 all having reference to an outer coat or covering4 ,my readers know all about pie-crust1 and have perhaps heard a surly1 snappish1 peevish person called a crusty fellow2 they will now understand what is meant by a crustacean and crustaceology1 that part of ,zoology which treats of crustaceous animals4 ,they constitute quite a large family1 these ologies1 and have a strange way of twisting themselves about1 and exchanging limbs and features1 so that one is puzzled at times to tell which is which4 ,but here we have fixed two of them1 called ,,testaceology and ,,crustaceology1 twin brothers1 and very much alike in their characteristics4 ,let us have a good look at them1 so that we may know them again if we should lose sight of them for awhile4 ,now we will spell over the name of the first-- ,,conchology4 ,why1 it is changed already8 ,has this science of shells then another name8 ,yes1 and this is it1 pronounced kong-kol-o-gy1 and derived from the ,latin concha1 which means properly a shell-fish with two shells1 joined by a hinge1 as the oyster1 the cockle1 etc4 ,this present volume then is a work on ,conchology1 the subject of it is ,conchiferous1 and whoever studies it will be doing something towards becoming a ,conchologist4 ,so much for names and titles2 but still we have the question to answer1 ,what are shells8 ,in a learned work called a ,cyclopdia1 we find it stated that 8shell is the hard calcareous 7that is chalky7 substance which protects1 either partially or entirely1 the testaceous mollusks externally1 or supports certain of them internally40 ,all this you will understand1 except perhaps the word #8mollusks2' this is a term applied to soft-bodied animals1 such as shell-fish1 snails1 etc41 about which we shall have more to say as we proceed4 ,by this we learn that all shells are not external or outer coverings1 some are internal or inner supports for the soft1 jelly-like bodies to which they belong1 thus performing the duty of bones4 ,an example of this is seen in the shell of the ,cuttle ,fish1 called by naturalists ,sepia1 a description of which will be found further on in the book4 ,shells are either ,crystalline or ,granular4 ,now look at those two words1 they almost explain their own meaning4 ,crystalline shells are those which have more or less of clearness1 transparency as we say1 so that if held against the light it shews through them2 they are sometimes called ,porcellaneous shells1 from their resemblance in this respect to porcelain1 or chinaware2 the ,common ,cowry1 7,cypra ,tigris17 is a shell of this description4 ,granular1 or1 as they are sometimes called1 ,concretionary shells1 are the most hard and compact2 it is in these that the substance called nacre1 or mother-of-pearl1 is mostly found4 ,one of the commonest examples is the oyster shell2 if broken across it will be seen to consist of very thin plates1 or lamin1 as they are termed1 closely packed together4 ,the thinner these lamin may be the more lustrous and beautiful appears the lining of the shell2 that shifting play of colours which we call iridescent1 from iris--the rainbow1 is then brightest and most noticeable4 ,a very remarkable substance is this mother-of-pearl2 smooth1 and shining1 and delicately-tinted4 ,who would expect to find such a beautiful lining to the rugged1 rough1 dingy-looking oyster1 or mussel shell8 ,truly these mollusks1 some of them1 live in gorgeous palaces4 ,and the most curious part of the matter is that from the fluids or juices1 of their own bodies1 and from the chalky matter collected from the water1 they are enabled to secrete or deposit such wonderfully-constructed habitations1 which after all are little more than chalk4 ,burn a heap of oyster shells1 or any other testaceous coverings1 and you get lime the same as that produced by burning the white lumps from the chalk-pit1 which lumps1 by the way1 are said to be composed wholly1 or for the most part1 of marine shells4 ,this we should call cretaceous matter1 from creta1 which is the ,latin for chalk1 or calcerous1 from calcis--lime4 ,granular shells you have been told are sometimes called concretionary1 this is because they contain a large amount of this chalky deposit4 ,the rock called limestone1 geologists tell us1 is composed entirely of fossil shells and mud1 or what was once mud1 dried and hardened1 most likely by extreme heat1 to the consistence of rock4 ,wonderful this to think of2 huge mountains1 and mighty masses1 and far-stretching strata1 forming a large portion of the crust of the earth1 made up chiefly of the coverings of fishes1 a great portion of them so small as to be scarcely visible to the naked eye4--,truly wonderful6 ,but we shall have more to say upon this head when we come to speak of ,fossil ,shells1 as well as on the subject of ,pearls1 in our chapter on the fish in whose shells they are chiefly found4 ,it has been a matter of dispute with naturalists whether the testaceous mollusks have shells at all before they issue from the egg1 and the main evidence favours the opinion that1 generally speaking1 they do possess what may be considered as a kind of pattern or model of the habitation which they are to build4 ,this appears to be of a pale horn-colour1 and destitute of any markings2 but as soon as the animal enters upon an independent state of existence1 it begins to assume its distinctive shape and colour1 gradually increasing with the growth of its living tenant1 and becoming more and more decidedly marked1 until it attains its full perfection of testacean development4 ,thus the age of some shell-fish can be at once determined by the peculiar conformation and markings of the shell4 ,the relative portions of animal and earthy1 or rather chalky matter1 which compose these shells1 varies considerably in different kinds2 in those called ,crystalline or ,porcellaneous1 the animal deposit is much less than in the granular or concretionary shells1 where it not only constitutes a large part of the whole substance1 but is more dense1 that is thick1 and also has the appearance of being membraneous1 or organized matter4 ,we can perhaps best explain this by saying that whereas the different chalky layers of the crystalline shell seem merely glued together by the intervening animal fluid2 those of the granular shell1 as the oyster1 appear to be connected by interlacing membranes4 ,but all this my readers will learn more about from more advanced and scientific works if they proceed1 as ,i trust they will do1 in the study of ,,conchology1 a science which has in a greater or less degree attracted the attention of curious and contemplative minds in all ages1 and the study of which it has been well said is peculiarly adapted to recreate the senses1 and insensibly to lead us to the contemplation of the glory of ,god in creation4 ,,beauty ,,and ,,value ,,of ,,shells4 ,in shells1 as in all the works of the ,almighty ,creator1 we may observe an infinite variety of form1 and if they do not all strike us as alike graceful1 yet in each1 however plain and simple1 there is some peculiar beauty1 whether it be the mere hollow cup1 or the simple tube1 the smooth or twisted cone1 the slender spire1 the convoluted oval1 or half circle1 ribbed or spiked1 with a lip curving out like the leaf of a water lily1 or a narrow rim1 like that of a golden chalice2 they are indeed elegant1 each perfect of its kind1 and bearing the impress of a constructive skill far above that of man1 who copies from them some of the most graceful and elegant designs wherewith to ornament his buildings1 and shapes in which to fashion his articles of luxury or utility4 ,the most beautiful scroll-work of marble chimney-pieces1 cornices of rooms1 and other enriched portions of both public and private structures1 are those in which the forms of shells have been taken for the patterns of the artistic designs2 and how tasteful and appropriate is the employment of the shells themselves as ornaments for the mantle-piece1 side-board1 and chiffonniere4 ,then too1 8,the rainbow-tinted shell1 which lies ,miles deep at bottom of the sea1 hath all ,colours of skies1 and flowers1 and gems1 and plants40 ,not only has it grace and elegance of form1 but it has also richness1 and delicacy1 and variety of colouring4 ,in some species the tints are intensely vivid as the shifting lights of the aurora borealis1 or the glowing hues of an autumnal sunset2 in others pale and delicate as the first indications of coming morn1 or the scarcely-perceptible tinge of a just expanding flower-bud2 in some the colours are arranged in patterns1 regularly disposed2 in others1 in masses and blotches1 of varying shapes and degrees of intensity2 in some again they seem to change and melt one into the other1 like the prismatic hues of the rainbow4 ,in all1 whether distinct and unconnected1 or intimately blended1 whether regular or irregular1 they are beautiful exceedingly4 ,nor is their beauty of an evanescent1 that is fading1 or vanishing character2 unlike plants and animals1 which when once dead1 are extremely difficult of preservation4 ,shells1 being composed of particles already in natural combination1 are almost indestructible2 unless exposed to the action of fire1 or some powerful acid1 they will remain the same for ages1 requiring no care or attention1 beyond occasionally removing the dust1 which would collect upon and defile their pearly whiteness1 or obscure the brilliancy of their colours4 ,so easily collected1 arranged1 and preserved1 and withal so singular and graceful in form1 and rich and various of tint1 one cannot wonder that ,shells have always had a conspicuous place in all museums1 and other collections of natural history objects2 neither can we feel surprised that a high value should have been set upon rare specimens2 as much as a thousand pounds it is said has been given for the first discovered specimen of the ,venus ,dione2 another shell called the ,conus cedo nulli1 is valued at three hundred pounds2 and the ,turbo scaloris1 if large and perfect1 is worth one hundred guineas2 while the ,cypra aurantium1 or ,orange ,cowry1 if it has not a hole beaten through it1 will fetch fifty guineas4 ,it has been calculated that a complete collection of ,british ,conchology is worth its weight in silver4 ,the following quotation is from 8,the ,young ,conchologist10 by ,miss ,roberts2--our readers will do well to peruse it attentively3--8,we admit that shells are beautiful1 and that they are admirably adapted to the exigencies of the wearers2 but how shall we account for the endless diversity of shades and colours1 varying from the sober coating of the garden snail1 to the delicate and glowing tints which are diffused over some of the finer species1 in the infinite profusion of undulations1 clouds and spots1 bands and reticulated figures1 with which these admirable architects enrich the walls of their beautiful receptacles4 ,the means of producing them must be sought for in the animals themselves4 ,their necks are furnished with pores replete with colouring fluid1 which blends insensibly with the calcareous exudation already noticed1 and thus occasions that exquisite variety in their testaceous coverings1 which art attempts to emulate1 but can never fully equal4 ,thus far is the result of observation and experiment4 ,it now remains to account for the extraordinary fact that the stony exudations of testaceous animals condense only on those parts where they are essential to their welfare4 ,but here investigation ends--the microscope has done its office4 ,it seems as if material nature delighted to baffle the wisdom of her sons1 and to say to the proud assertors of the sufficiency of human reason for comprehending the mysteries of creation and of ,providence1 #8,thus far can you go1 and no farther2 even in the formation of a shell1 or its insignificant inhabitant1 your arrogant pretensions are completely humbled4'0 ,,uses ,,of ,,shells4 ,in speaking of shells as ornaments1 and objects worthy of our study and admiration1 we have already mentioned some of their uses1 for surely that which contributes to the intellectual improvement and innocent pleasure of mankind1 is in its degree useful4 ,but on the more narrow ground of utility1 shells may also claim a high place in our estimation4 ,to man in a barbarous and uncivilized state1 they furnish the means of performing some of the most important operations of daily life1 being extensively used as a substitute for iron4 ,the savage frequently forms his knife1 his hunting spear1 and his fish-hook of hard shell4 ,lister relates that the inhabitants of ,nicaragua1 in ,south ,america1 fasten a shell1 called the ,ostrea virginica1 to a handle of wood1 and use it as a spade4 ,in ,north ,america the natives use a blue and white belt composed of shells called the ,venus mercenaria1 as a symbol of peace and unity1 and there too the gorget of the chieftain's war-dress is composed of the pearl-bearing mussel1 called by naturalists ,mytilus margaritiferus4 ,many ,african tribes use the ,murex tritonis as a military horn1 and a rare variety of this shell1 which has the volutions reversed1 is held sacred1 and used only by the priests4 ,among the ,friendly ,islanders the ,orange ,cowry is a symbol of the highest dignity4 ,the ,money ,cowry1 7,cypra moneta17 forms the current coin of many nations of ,africa2 and a certain number of these shells strung together1 are considered by the slave-hunting chiefs1 as an equivalent for so many black-skinned brothers1 whom they sell into hopeless bondage4 ,among nations1 too1 in a high state of civilization1 shells are often used for economical as well as ornamental purposes4 ,to say nothing of mother-of-pearl1 which is converted into so many articles useful as well as pretty1 scallop1 or oyster shells1 are frequently employed as scoops by druggists1 grocers1 and the like2 and in the country the dairy-maid1 with the larger kinds of the same shell1 skims her milk1 and slices her butter2 while sometimes by the poor people of both towns and villages1 the deeper specimens are converted into oil lamps4 ,one very important use1 my young readers will understand1 when ,i speak of a ragged urchin1 who shouts to every passer-by--#8,please remember the grotto6' ,in ancient times1 we are told1 the people of ,athens recorded their votes on public occasions1 by marks upon a shell1 thus ,pope says-- 8,he whom ungrateful ,athens would expel1 ,at all times just1 but when he signed the shell20 in allusion to this custom1 of which we are reminded by such ,english words as ,attestation1 a certifying1 a bearing witness2 ,testify1 to give evidence2 ,testament1 a will1 or written disposal of property1 etc42 all having their origin1 it appears1 in the ,latin testa--a shell4 ,in ancient poetry we find the word ,testudo used to signify a musical instrument1 also called a lyre or lute1 which instrument1 according to tradition1 was first made by passing strings1 and straining them tightly1 over the shell of a tortoise4 ,so the poet ,dryden1 describing those who listened to the music drawn from this simple invention1 says-- 8,less than a ,god they thought there could not dwell1 ,within the hollow of that shell ,that spoke so sweetly40 ,a ,greek writer1 called ,apollodorus1 gives this account of the invention of music by the ,egyptian god ,hermes1 more commonly known as ,mercury4 ,the ,nile having overflowed its banks1 and laid under water the whole country of ,egypt1 left1 when it returned to its usual boundaries1 various dead animals on the land2 among the rest was a tortoise1 the flesh of which being dried and wasted by the sun1 nothing remained within the shell except nerves and cartilages1 or thin gristly bones2 these being shrunk and tightened by the heat1 became sonorous1 that is sounding4 ,against this shell ,mercury chanced to strike his foot1 and pleased by the sound caused thereby1 examined the shell from which it came1 and so got a notion1 as we say1 how he might construct a musical instrument4 ,the first which he made was in the form of a tortoise1 and strung with the dried sinews of dead animals1 even as are the lutes1 harps1 and fiddles of the present day4 ,this fanciful mode of accounting for the origin of music1 is thus alluded to by a writer named ,brown3-- 8,the lute was first devised ,in imitation of a tortoise' back1 ,whose sinews parched by ,apollo's beams1 ,echoed about the concave of the shell2 ,and seeing the shortest and smallest gave shrillest sound2 ,they found out frets1 whose sweet diversity ,well touched by the skilful learned fingers1 ,roused so strange a multitude of chords4 ,and the opinion many do confirm1 ,because testudo signifies a lute40 ,and now we are among the myths and fables of antiquity1 we may just mention another application of the shell to musical purposes4 ,neptune1 who1 according to the ,grecian mythology1 was the god of the sea1 is frequently represented as going forth in his car in great state and pomp1 with a body-guard of ,tritons2 some of whom go before with twisted conch shells as trumpets1 with which we are to suppose they make delightful harmony4 ,venus1 too1 the goddess of beauty1 rode on the ocean foam in a testaceous car4 ,thus ,dryden says1 that ,albion--our native land1 so called on account of its chalky cliffs1 from the ,latin alba--white3-- 8,was to ,neptune recommended2 ,peace and plenty spread the sails2 ,venus in her shell before him1 ,from the sands in safety bore him40 ,but without believing all these fables1 more poetical than true1 we may soon convince ourselves that in the hollow chambers of a shell1 there does seem to dwell1 like an imprisoned spirit1 a low sad kind of music4 ,an ,english poet1 named ,walter ,savage ,lander1 has well described this in these lines-- 8,of pearly hue ,within1 and they that lustre have imbibed ,in the sun's palace porch1 where1 when unyoked1 ,his chariot wheel stands midway in the wave2 ,shake one1 and it awakens2 then apply ,its polished lips to your attentive ear1 ,and it remembers its august abodes1 ,and murmurs as the ocean murmurs there40 ,wordsworth1 too1 gives a beautiful description of a child applying one of these pearly musical-boxes to his ear4 ,many other uses of shells might be mentioned1 to show that they perform an important part in the operations of nature1 as the means and modes by and in which ,god sees fit to order the affairs of this world are frequently called2 and also promote the ends of science1 and the arts of every-day life4 ,by the decomposition of the shells1 of which they are partly composed1 solid rocks frequently crumble to pieces1 and spreading over a considerable surface1 form a fruitful soil for the nourishment of vegetation4 ,the character of the testaceous deposits1 too1 enable geologists1 as those who study the nature and structure of the earth are termed1 to come to important conclusions on many points connected with the subject of this investigation4 ,and if we include1 as the subject of our book allows1 the inhabitants of shells1 how wide a field of usefulness opens before us4 ,how many thousands of our industrious population depend wholly1 or in part1 upon the capture and sale of shell-fish for their support4 ,in some parts1 as the western and northern ,islands of ,scotland1 they have in times of scarcity afforded sustenance to the dwellers on the bleak and barren shores1 who but for them must have perished4 ,but of all this we shall have more to say when we come to describe the different members of the testaceous family4 ,we will now offer a few remarks upon ,,the ,,inhabitants ,,of ,,shells2 ,which belonging to that division of ,natural ,history called the ,mollusca1 from the ,latin ,mollis--soft2 these ,molluscous animals1 then1 are animals having a soft body1 and no internal skeleton4 ,you may be quite sure that a ,mollusk will never break its bones1 because it has none to break2 it has a shell1 however1 which may be broken1 at least in some cases1 for all ,mollusks have not snug habitations of the kind2 but wander about the watery or earthy world in which they live1 quite naked2 such as the sea and land slugs1 and some worms1 leeches1 etc43 but with these we have nothing to do1 our present subject including only a part of ,,malacology1 another member of that queer ology family1 deriving its name from two ,greek words signifying soft1 and a discourse2 hence it means a discourse upon soft1 or soft-bodied1 animals1 that is mollusca4 ,it is only a part then of ,malacology that we have to do with2 that part which relates to the shell-inhabiting mollusks1 and strange creatures enough some of these are4 ,we will have a look at them presently2 just now it will be sufficient to observe that the mollusca testacea1 or soft-bodied animals1 furnished with shells1 possess the power of exuding1 that is1 discharging from various parts of their bodies a sticky kind of fluid1 which mixing with the chalky matter collected from the water1 and becoming hard1 forms1 in process of time1 the shelly covering which is at once a dwelling and a defence for the inhabitant4 ,miss ,pratt1 in her delightful book on 8,common ,things of the ,sea ,coast10 observes of these shells that1 8,we gather up those which we find1 and looking at their structure would fain know something of the inmate of such a dwelling4 ,all nature proclaims the goodness of ,god4 ,we hear that the bird which wings its way over our heads has a song of joy2 the bee hums delightedly by us2 and the little shrimp which darts in the clear pool1 seems full of merriment4 ,was the inmate of the shell less cared for by its ,maker8 ,no doubt the little builder had some sense of joy1 as he framed from his own substance the house which excites our admiration4 ,doubtless his existence1 short and sluggish as it was1 had its own consciousness of pleasure2 and obscure as is his history1 and little calculated as such a creature might seem to perform an important part in the economy of creation1 yet we know that he had a work to do1 not only for the living creatures of the sea1 but for the well-being of man himself40 ,,classification ,,of ,,shells4 ,the great naturalist ,linnus divided shells into thirty-six genera1 each of which comprised a number of species2 of these species somewhere about two thousand five hundred have been described and classified2 the varieties1 more or less distinct1 are almost countless4 ,of shells found on and about the ,british ,isles1 there are about five hundred and fifty species1 or1 we should rather say were1 for diligent enquirers into this branch of ,natural ,history1 are almost daily adding to the number4 ,we have already seen that shells are sometimes called ,crystalline1 and sometimes ,granular1 in accordance with certain peculiarities of construction before mentioned3 this is one mode of division2 there are several others made use of in different systems of arrangement1 which only a deeper study of the subject than can be here entered upon1 would enable one to understand2 the plainest and most common1 however1 is that which has reference to the form of the shell1 which is one of these-- ,illustration3 ,,univalve4 ,,bivalve4 ,,multivalve4 ,whelk4 ,mussel4 ,barnacle4 ,these words are derived from the ,latin1 unus--one1 bi--two1 multus--many1 and therefore it may at once be seen that they apply to shells having one1 two1 or several pieces or divisions4 ,valve comes from the ,latin valva1 and means a folding door1 a lid1 a piece moving on a hinge1 as the divisions in several of these shells do4 ,this order of arrangement is generally followed by those who make a collection of shells for a cabinet2 and to this we shall adhere as at once the most simple and convenient1 when we come to describe the several species of testaceous mollusks4 ,we will now say a few words on ,,taking ,,and ,,preserving ,,shells4 ,a diligent searcher along any beach or coast line1 will be sure sometimes to light upon curious and valuable specimens1 and especially after violent storms may such be sought for1 with the greatest chance of success1 for the agitation of the waters will then have loosened them from their natural beds and dwelling-places1 and cast them on the shore4 ,very frequently1 however1 they will be so beaten about and defaced1 that they will be comparatively valueless2 if enveloped in tangled masses of sea-weed1 they are likely to be preserved from injury2 and such heaps of uprooted marine vegetation will often afford a rich harvest to the young conchologist1 who should always carefully examine them4 ,many of the shells are so minute as scarcely to be seen with the naked eye1 therefore this search can scarcely be properly effected without the assistance of a pocket lens1 the cost of which is but trifling4 ,the undersides of pieces of stranded timber1 the bottoms of boats lately returned from a fishing voyage1 the fisherman's dredge or net1 the cable1 and the deep-sea line2 all these may prove productive1 and should be looked to whenever opportunity offers2 nor should the search for land and fresh-water shells be neglected1 for many of these are very curious1 as well as beautiful1 and no conchological collection is complete without them4 ,for these1 the best hunting grounds are the ditch side and the river bed1 the mossy bank and the hedge-row2 amid the twining1 serpent-like roots of the old thorn and elder trees2 the crevices of the garden wall1 the undersides of stones1 and all sorts of out-of-the-way holes1 nooks1 and corners1 where may be found the ,striped ,zebra1 and other prettily-marked snail shells1 and many other kinds worthy of a place in-- ,,the ,,cabinet2 which may be either large or small1 plain or handsome1 in accordance with the means of the collector4 ,perhaps for a beginner just a nest of shallow drawers in a deal or other case1 may be quite sufficient2 these drawers should be divided into compartments1 on the front side of each of which should be pasted a neatly written label1 with the common and scientific name of the species of shell contained in it1 together with brief mention of the date when1 and the place where1 it was taken2 and any observations relating to it which can be comprised in a few words1 and may seem to the collector of sufficient interest to warrant their insertion4 ,this would be a good beginning2 by and by1 when the collection is large1 the knowledge more ample1 and the outlay can be spared1 it will be time to think of something ornamental--mahogany and glass1 and carved or inlaid work1 such a ,cabinet as would properly display and enhance the beauties of your testaceous treasures1 which are too often stowed away1 with other natural curiosities1 in a very disorderly1 higgledy-piggledy sort of manner1 like the collection described by ,dryden4 8,he furnishes his closet first1 and fills ,the crowded shelves with rarities of shells2 ,adds orient pearls1 which from the wave he drew1 ,and all the sparkling stones of various hue40 ,when live shells1 as they are called1 that is having the living fish in them1 are obtained1 the best plan is to place them in spirits of wine1 this at once deprives the inhabitant of life1 without injuring the shell1 which should then be placed in hot water for a time1 the body of the mollusk is thus rendered firm1 and may be removed by means of some pointed instrument2 care should be taken to leave no portion of animal matter within1 or after a while it will become putrid and give out a stain1 which will show through and injure the delicate markings of the shell2 the surest1 most expeditious1 and least troublesome mode of cleansing a shell1 is to place it in an ant heap for a day or two2 the busy little insects will penetrate into its inmost cavities1 and remove hence all offending matter4 ,there will be no difficulty in this respect with the multivalve and bivalve kinds1 which are only kept closed by means of a set of muscles1 which can be tightened or relaxed at the pleasure of the animal within1 and become powerless to keep the shell closed as soon as that is dead4 ,great care must be taken to preserve unbroken the smaller parts of these shells1 such as the hinges or teeth1 as on the structure of these the scientific arrangement into genera chiefly depends2 the beard also1 as it is called1 and silky threads1 must not be removed1 as these have much to do in determining the particular species4 ,river and land shells are generally very thin and brittle1 and must be carefully handled2 their colours are not usually so brilliant as those of the marine species1 but they form links in the testaceous chain1 which are necessary to a proper study and elucidation of conchology4 ,the most glowing and gorgeous of all shells are those brought from the ,tropical seas1 and1 excepting in a few rare instances1 specimens of most of these can be obtained at little cost from any dealer1 or from sailors returning from a voyage4 ,if it is necessary to send either those1 or ,british shells1 any distance1 or to pack them away in a small compass1 the best plan is to wrap them separately in soft paper1 place them in a box1 and then pour in sawdust1 bran1 or fine sand1 very dry1 until all the open spaces are completely filled up4 ,,on ,,cleaning ,,and ,,polishing ,,shells4 ,all shells1 whether inhabited or not1 when taken should be soaked for a while in hot water1 to remove the dirt which may adhere to them1 and dissolve the saline1 that is salt1 particles contained in the sea water2 they should then be thoroughly dried1 and if1 as is the case with many1 they naturally possess a good polish1 they are at once fit for the cabinet4 ,generally1 however1 it happens that when shells are dry1 they lose much of the peculiar brilliancy of hue1 which they possess when seen through the medium of the glistening water2 to restore this1 wash them over with a thin solution of gum arabic1 or white of egg2 some collectors use a varnish made of gum mastic1 dissolved in spirits of wine2 this is perhaps preferable1 as it is not affected by moisture4 ,many shells have a very plain1 dull1 appearance1 in consequence of being covered over with a kind of skin called an epidermis1 a word derived from the ,greek1 and signifying the outer skin1 sometimes called the cuticle4 ,to remove this1 soak the shell in warm water for some time1 and then rub it over with a stiff brush until the covering is removed2 should this be very thick1 it will be necessary to mix a little nitric acid with the water1 but this must be done very cautiously1 for if too strong it will remove all the lustre from the surface of the shell subjected to its influence4 ,sometimes the file1 and a substance called pumice stone has to be used1 but these are dangerous agents in inexperienced hands4 ,the best polish for the shell after the skin is removed1 is a red earth called tripoli1 applied on a piece of soft leather4 ,,fossil ,,shells4 ,an eminent ,geologist1 named ,dr4 ,mantell1 has very beautifully and poetically termed rocks 8,the ,medals of ,creation40 ,as on coins and medals we see stamped enduring records of great historical events1 so upon the rocks are written by the finger of ,god1 a history of some of the mighty changes which the earth has undergone1 and fossil shells are among the plainest and most easily read of the characters or letters1 in which these truths are written4 ,as ,dr4 ,harvey1 in his 8,sea-side ,book10 observes1 8,shelly-coated mollusca have existed in the waters of the sea and in rivers1 from a very early period of the world's history1 and have left in its most stratified rocks and gravels abundance of their shells preserved in a more perfect manner than the remains of most other animals4 ,now as the species in the early rocks differ from those found in later formations1 quite as much as the latter from the mollusca of our modern seas1 the gradual change in the character of the embedded shells marks a certain interval of time in the world's history40 ,so we see that these rocks are the leaves of a great book1 written all over with wonderful truths1 and those who study such sciences as ,geology and ,conchology1 are enabled to read much that is there written4 ,every fossil shell that such a student picks out of the chalk1 or limestone1 is like a letter in the ,alphabet of ,creation2 it has a significance1 or meaning1 and a number of such put together1 form as it were1 words and sentences1 that can be made up into chapters1 full of instruction1 aye1 and of amusement too4 ,the study may seem a little dry at first1 but never mind1 go on1 and you will soon be rewarded for your diligence1 by the wonders that will unfold themselves to your understanding--the fresh and delightful views which you will obtain into the wide universe1 the new and enlarged ideas of the wisdom and goodness of the ,creator1 and of the formation1 habits1 and connexion each with each of his various creatures4 ,properly to treat of fossil shells1 would require a book of itself1 and a large book too2 we can here but allude to the subject1 as a part1 and a very important and interesting part of the study of ,conchology2 more will be said about it in a volume which we purpose writing for this series1 on ,rocks1 and the petrified organic remains found in and about them4 8,those relics of an older world1 which tell ,of changes slow or sudden1 that have past ,over the face of nature2 fossil shell1 ,shark's tooth1 and bone of megatheran vast1 ,turned into stone1 and so preserved to show ,man of those things whereof he ought to know40 ,,beautiful ,,shells4 ,,univalves4 ,gasteropoda is a name given by some naturalists to a very extensive group of molluscous animals2 the term is derived from two ,greek words1 signifying stomach and foot2--it has reference to the kind of fleshy foot which generally occupies the whole under side of the body1 and by the contraction and extension of the muscles of which1 the creature is enabled to glide1 with a slow but steady motion1 from place to place4 ,the ,slug and the ,snail are the commonest examples which can be adduced of gasteropods2 and one may tell by their slimy tracks1 shining like silver in the morning sunshine1 that during the night1 which is their principal feeding time1 they manage to get over a considerable extent of ground1 although 8a snail's gallop0 is a proverbial expression for slow motion2 but it is astonishing how much work of any kind may be done if one 8keeps at it20 by doing this the ,tortoise beat the ,hare1 illustrating the truth of the proverb1 that 8slow and sure wins the race40 ,if you watch a ,snail travelling with its house upon its back1 it does not seem to make much way1 and you are inclined to think that it will be long ere it reaches the new settlement to which it appears journeying with bag and baggage2 but leave the spot for a while1 and the chances are that on your return1 the 8slow coach0 will have got somewhere out of sight4 ,here is a lesson for boys and girls2 whatever you take in hand1 don't be in a hurry1 and if people say you are 8slow10 think of the snail1 and keep on6 ,illustration ,this1 then1 is a shelled mollusk of the third class1 called ,gasteropoda1 according to the system of the ,french naturalist ,cuvier4 ,it has a distinct head1 which1 like the hinder part of the body1 which we may call a tail if we like1 projects1 when the creature is in motion1 considerably from the shell2 it is also furnished with what we commonly call horns1 naturalists say tentacles1 from the ,latin tento--trying1 or essaying2 with these the creature1 as it were1 feels its way2 being extremely sensitive2 they answer the purpose of organs both of sight and touch2 put your finger slowly towards one of them1 and you will observe that1 even before contact1 it begins to retract1 or draw in1 as though sensible of the approach of some opposing body1 as it no doubt is4 ,these horns of the snail1 then1 are its feelers--eyes to the blind1 fingers to the fingerless2 so ,god provides for his creatures all that may be necessary for their existence1 and compensates for the deprivation of one sense or organ1 by some admirable contrivance which meets the necessities of the case4#a #a ,it appears likely that the little knobs at the end of the snail's feelers1 are1 as some naturalists assert1 in reality eyes2 if so1 we were wrong in calling the creature blind4 ,yet is their position and construction so different from organs of sight generally1 that they serve rather to strengthen than invalidate the above observations4 ,the number of the horns varies in different kinds of snails from two to six1 and some have none at all4 ,these tentacles1 when present1 are always situated above the mouth2 some of them have the knobs at the base1 others at the sides2 and it has been conjectured that they may be organs of smell1 as well as of sight and touch4 ,,the ,,common ,,snail ,is called by naturalists ,helix aspersa1 the generic name being derived from a ,greek word signifying spiral1 and having reference to the shape of the shell2 the plural is ,helices1 a term applied to all convoluted or twisted shells1 which terminate in a point like a church spire3 a spiral-shelled fossil is called a helicate4 ,the specific name comes from the ,latin asper--rough1 whence also our ,english word asperity--roughness1 and several others4 ,the ,helicid1 or ,helix family1 is that which includes the land shell ,snails and the naked ,slugs1 and in this family there are several genera2 they are distinguished from the shelled water ,snails1 both sea and river1 by having a different breathing apparatus1 and some other points of internal construction which it is not necessary to describe here4 ,the ,common ,snail has a mouth1 of which it makes good use1 as market gardeners well know1 and yet this mouth is not furnished with teeth2 instead of these1 the upper lip1 which is of a horny texture1 is what is called dentated1 from the ,latin dentus--a tooth1 that is1 divided or separated1 so as to present somewhat the appearance of a row of teeth in the jaw2 this lip is of an arched form1 and appears to be a very serviceable kind of instrument to ,mr4 ,helix aspersa1 who1 if his character be not aspersed1 is very destructive to all sorts of greenery4 ,the lower lip is divided only in the middle1 where there is an opening of some width3 it is not horny1 like the upper one4 ,snails lay eggs1 which are about the size of very small peas2 they are soft1 and of a whitish colour4 ,being semi1 that is1 half1 transparent1 or clear1 their contents can be partly seen2 and in those of a water ,snail1 deposited against the side of a glass bottle1 the young were detected with partially formed shells upon their backs4 ,to shew how tenacious they are of life1 it has been mentioned that ,mr4 ,s4 ,simon1 a ,dublin merchant1 had a collection of fossils and other curiosities left him by his father2 among these were some shells of ,snails1 and fifteen years after the collection came into his possession1 his son had the shells to play with1 and placed them in a basin of water1 when lo6 out came the slimy bodies and knobbed horns of several of the ,gasteropods1 no doubt hungry enough after their long sleep4 ,we all know that our ,common ,snails hybernate1 or sleep through the winter4 ,as soon as the chills of autumn are felt1 they seek out some snug crevice in an old wall1 or burrow in the earth1 or congregate beneath garden pots1 roots of trees1 thatched roofs1 or in any hole or corner that may be convenient1 and then throwing a kind of temporary skin1 like a drum head1 which naturalists call operculum1 over the opening of their shells1 and sticking themselves fast to the sides of their refuge1 or to each other1 they sleep away1 careless of frosts and tempests4 ,a moist and rather warm state of the atmosphere seems most congenial to the land ,snails1 some species of which are found in all countries1 except those where the most intense cold prevails4 ,generally speaking1 they do not like dry heat1 and to escape from it will get under stones1 and into other cool places1 from whence a shower brings them forth in such numbers1 the smaller species especially1 as to lead to the popular belief that it sometimes rains ,snails4 ,these ,gasteropods1 although extremely injurious to vegetation1 must not be regarded as worse than useless1 as they commonly are2 besides furnishing food for several wild1 as well as domesticated1 birds1 they are no doubt a nourishing article of diet for man4 ,the ,romans had their cochlearia1 where ,snails were regularly fed and fattened for the table2 and the ,french at the present day their escargotoires1 or ,snailery1 for the same purpose2 some of the ,snails so kept1 attain an immense size1 as well they may if fed1 as by the ,romans1 on new wine and meal4 ,many poor persons1 especially those who are consumptive1 might no doubt derive much cheap sustenance and benefit from using the larger species of ,helicid1 which might be collected from hedges and gardens as food4 ,why should they not eat those as well as the marine mollusks1 such as ,oysters1 ,cockles1 ,whelks1 etc4 ,snails have an extraordinary power of re-producing any part which may be injured or cut off1 even to the extent of the whole head1 as has been observed to be the case2 the reparation of injury done to the shell they can effect easily1 as can all testaceous mollusks4 ,respecting the construction of the shell it may be observed that it is produced in the thickness of the mantle1 or cloak-like covering which envelopes the body of the animal2 the formation commences at the small end or spire1 and gradually goes on1 whorl upon whorl1 as the still widening circles which give the ridgy appearance to most univalves1 are called4 ,columella1 or pillar1 is the name given to the spire on which the cones are rolled2 this is sometimes solid1 and sometimes hollow2 when the latter1 the open end is called the ,umbilicus1 meaning the navel or centre4 ,the opening at the bottom1 from which the animal issues1 is the last portion finished1 and this is called the aperture1 a ,latin word adopted into the ,english dictionary4 ,some of these ,helices are wide and flat1 even hollow and cup-like1 with the whorls rising above the pillar--these are called discoid shells2 others which are long and narrow1 with projecting spires1 are termed turbinated shells2 the former being more or less flat or disk-like1 the latter twisted1 whirling1 like a spinning-top1 from the ,latin turbo--a whirling1 a turning round4 ,illustration3 ,,discoid4 ,illustration3 ,,turbinated4 ,if we take a ,common ,snail1 and plunge it into boiling water1 which will instantly kill it1 so that it can be removed from the shell1 we shall find the whole of that part of the body which was lodged in the upper whorls1 or spiral part of the shell1 is covered with a thin membrane or skin2 this is called the mantle1 and that portion of it which corresponds with what we may consider as the back of the mollusk1 and which is considerably thickened1 is termed the collar2 here are situated the glands1 which secrete the colouring and other matter of which the shell is mainly composed2 although the substance called nacre1 or mother-of-pearl1 is secreted in the thinner part of the mantle2 it is however from the collar that the growth or increase of the shell proceeds4 ,it is in accordance with certain variations in the shape and disposition of this mantle and collar1 that shells assume such very different shapes4 ,sometimes the whorls or spiral ridges1 are projected or thrown far out1 and this produces the turbinated shell4 ,sometimes they scarcely rise above each other1 but rather spread towards the sides1 and then we have the discoid shape4 ,generally speaking1 the whorls of a shell take a direction from left to right1 but occasionally an opposite one2 they are then called sinistral1 or left-handed shells3 such are not common4 ,if one of the twisted shells be divided length-ways1 it will be seen that the inside of the whorls wind in an ascending direction1 round the ,columella1 or central column1 as the spiral staircases in the ,crystal ,palace4 ,but let us return to our ,garden ,snail1 who has many near relatives in ,britain1 several of which have beautifully-marked and convoluted shells1 as will be seen by a reference to our coloured illustrations1 ,plate ,i4 ,we will introduce them in due order4 ,fig4 #a1 the ,banded ,snail1 7,helix nemoralis17 from the ,latin nemus--a wood or grove2 the prettily-striped shells of this species may be found in great plenty among the roots and in the crevices of the rugged boles of old forest trees1 as well as in hedge-rows and in mossy banks1 and other situations near woods4 ,fig4 #b1 the ,heath ,snail1 7,h4 ericetorum17 from erica1 the ,latin for heath2 a small species with brown bands1 remarkable for its large umbilicus1 perforating the centre of the shell nearly through4 ,fig4 #c1 the ,silky ,snail1 7,h4 sericea17 from the ,latin sericus--silk-like2 the shell of this species is covered with short slimy hairs1 which give it a glistening appearance4 ,fig4 #d1 the ,stone ,snail1 7,h4 lapicida17 from the ,latin lapis--a stone3 ,linnus called the species the ,stone ,cutter1 probably on account of its habit of frequenting stony places1 and the peculiar construction of the shell1 which has a sharp edge running round each whorl2 it is commonly found lodged in the cavities of loose-lying stones1 but which it can scarcely be suspected of having hollowed out for its own accommodation4 ,fig4 #e1 the ,elegant ,cyclostome1 7,cyclostoma elegans47 ,on turning to the dictionary1 we find that cyclostomous means having a circular mouth4 ,this species is sometimes called ,turbo elegans2 the beautifully-marked shells are often found in chalk-hills covered with brushwood4 ,this pretty mollusk has a curious mode of travelling2 the under surface of the foot1 which is long1 is divided by a deep fissure1 into two narrow strips1 like ribbons2 these take hold of whatever the creature may be moving on alternately2 one keeping fast hold while the other advances1 in like manner to fix itself1 and drag the body forward4 ,fig4 #f1 the ,undulated ,plekocheilos1 7,p4 undulatus27 the ,latin plecto--to twist or twine1 seems to be the root from which the generic name of this ,snail is derived2 the specific name will be easily understood2 to undulate1 is to flow like waves1 and the lines on the shell it will be seen are undulating4 ,this is not a ,british species1 but is introduced here to give variety to the group2 it is a ,west ,indian ,mollusk1 and is found in immense numbers in the forests of ,st4 ,vincent2 it glues its eggs to the leaves of a plant which holds water1 and thus secures for them a damp atmosphere at all times4 ,and here we must conclude our chapter of ,land ,snails1 leaving unnoticed very many beautiful and interesting species1 both ,british and ,foreign4 ,many poets have alluded to the ,snail1 but we can only find room for a few verses by ,cowper3-- ,to grass1 or leaf1 or fruit1 or wall1 ,the snail sticks close1 nor fears to fall1 ,as if he grew there1 house and all ,together4 ,within that house secure he hides1 ,when danger imminent betides ,of storm1 or other harm besides1 ,of weather4 ,give but his horns the slightest touch1 ,his self-collecting power is such1 ,he shrinks into his house with much ,displeasure4 ,where'er he dwells1 he dwells alone1 ,except himself has chattels none1 ,well satisfied to be his own ,whole treasure4 ,thus hermit-like1 his life he leads1 ,nor partner of his banquet needs1 ,and if he meets one only feeds ,the faster4 ,who seeks him must be worse than blind1 7,he and his house are so combin'd17 ,if1 finding it1 he fails to find ,its master4 ,,fresh-,,water ,,shells4 ,many of the following group of ,fresh-water ,shells1 are remarkable for elegance of form1 and some for richness of colouring2 hence1 perhaps1 the scientific name applied to the family in which they are mostly included--,limnid1 which1 like limn--to paint1 agrees with the ,french enluminer4 ,these mollusks are found in rivers1 streams1 ditches1 and moist marshy places4 ,like those which live wholly on land1 they breathe through lungs1 and therefore cannot exist without air2 which accounts for their frequently coming to the surface1 when under water4 ,in brooks1 as well as in stagnant pools1 which abound with aquatic plants1 they may be found in vast numbers1 feeding upon the moist vegetation4 ,illustration ,the ,common ,limnea1 7,l4 stagnalis17 is mostly an inhabitant of stagnant waters1 where it is often seen floating with the shell reversed1 as in a boat2 this shell1 like most of those of the ,fresh-water ,mollusks1 is thin1 and easily broken2 the shape it will be seen1 is peculiarly elegant1 the spire being slender and pointed--very different from that of the ,spreading ,limnea1 called by naturalists1 ,l4 auricularia1 from aurus--the ear1 to which the broad aperture1 or opening of the shell1 may be compared2 this resembles the other species in its habits4 ,the ,horny ,planorbis1 in ,latin ,p4 corneus1 from cornu--a horn4 ,the shape1 you will see1 is flat1 the whorls rolling upon each other like the folds of a bugle horn2 this shape would be termed orbicular1 from orbis--a sphere1 or circular body4 ,this is the largest ,european species of ,fresh-water ,shells so constructed2 it is often found in deep clear ditches1 and yields a beautiful purple dye1 which1 however1 soon becomes dull1 and changes2 it cannot be fixed1 and is therefore valueless4 ,the mouth of this shell in fine specimens1 is tinged with pale violet or lilac4 ,illustration ,there is another kind1 the ,keeled ,planorbis1 7,p4 lurinatus17 which has the outer edge of the shell finely ridged1 or keeled2 it is very small1 and very plentiful in fresh-water1 both running and stagnant2 where1 too1 is found the ,common ,physa1 7,p4 fontinalis17 the latter word meaning a spring or fountain4 ,this little mollusk is a quick and active traveller1 it sometimes comes out of its shell1 and throws itself about in an extraordinary way1 keeping fast hold by its foot2 the generic name1 ,physa1 would seem to have reference to the round1 smooth1 delicate shell1 and to come from the same root as ,physalite1 which means a topaz3 the members of this genus are very numerous1 being found nearly all over the globe4 ,the next belongs to the family ,auriculad1 or ,ear ,shells4 ,the ,midas' ,ear1 7,a4 ,mid27 this handsome shell is prized by collectors2 it comes from the ,east ,indies4 ,midas1 it is said1 was one who set himself up for a judge of music in the old fabulous times1 and not appreciating that of ,apollo1 was rewarded by the angry god with a pair of ass's ears4 ,illustration ,the ,cone-shaped ,melampus1 7,m4 corniformis17 also an ,ear ,shell1 is found in the rivers of the ,antilles ,islands4 ,it is a pretty shell2 the formation is much the same as that of many of the most highly-prized varieties of ,marine ,shells2 of these we shall have to speak presently4 ,melampodium in ,latin1 signifies a poisonous plant called ,black ,helebore2 in the ,mythology1 ,melampus was a great magician1 who did all sorts of wonderful things2 but we cannot tell what relation there exists between either the plant or the magician and this pretty cone shell4 ,to give variety to this group1 we will now throw in a land species called ,megaspira ,ruschenbergiana1 about the origin of whose name we cannot even hazard a guess2 the termination of the generic name1 you will see is spira1 and a glance at the shell will at once suggest a reason for this2 its long tapering spire consists of twenty-three closely-set gradually increasing whorls4 ,this is a rare shell1 whose inhabitant has not yet been described by naturalists2 several of the marine species closely resemble it in shape4 ,much more might be said about the ,land and ,fresh-water ,shells1 but we must here leave them1 having a wide field before us1 namely1 the ,sea or ,marine ,testacea1 one of the most common of which is ,illustration ,,the ,,whelk1 ,a univalve shell inhabited by a gasteropod mollusk1 or1 we should rather say1 naturally so tenanted1 for very frequently it is taken possession of by the ,soldier or ,hermit ,crab1 which having no hard covering to protect their soft plump bodies1 are obliged to take lodgings where they can get them1 and generally prefer the ,whelk shell1 of which we here give a figure4 ,illustration ,this is one of the commonest of our ,marine ,mollusks2 it is called by naturalists ,buccinum undatum2 the first1 or generic term1 being the ,latin for a trumpet1 and the second1 or specific name1 meaning waved1 or1 as we often say1 undulated4 ,so we call this the ,waved ,whelk2 fishermen term it the ,conch1 or the ,buckie1 and tell strange stories of its ravenous appetite and murderous propensities2 how1 with its spiny tongue1 situated at the end of a long flexible proboscis or trunk1 it drills a hole in the shell of the ,oyster1 or other testacean1 and sucks out the contents2 empty shells1 so drilled1 are frequently found on the shore1 and often1 when the dredge is let down into an oyster bed1 it comes up time after time filled with ,whelks1 of which such numbers are sometimes taken1 that they are sold to the farmers to be used as manure for the soil4 ,this mollusk is a favourite article of food with the poorer classes of our land1 but it is hard and indigestible4 ,the shell may frequently be found in large numbers among the beach stones2 it is strong and firm1 from three to four inches long1 of a dirty yellowish white4 ,there are two other ,whelks common upon our coasts--the ,stone or ,dog ,whelk1 7,b4 lapillus17 from the ,latin lapis--a stone1 and ,b4 reticulatum1 so called because the shell is reticulated1 or marked with many lines crossing each other1 like net-work2 it comes from the ,latin reticulum--a net2 hence also we have reticule--a small work bag1 at one time very much carried by ladies4 ,,rock ,,shells1 ,are so called on account of their rough and wrinkled forms2 they are nearly allied to the ,whelks1 to which they bear a close resemblance4 ,several species are found on our shores1 the most common being the ,humble ,murex1 7,m4 despectus17 from the ,latin despecto--to despise2 this is often used by the fishermen for bait4 ,some of the foreign ,rock ,shells are very curious and beautiful2 three of them will be found on ,plate ,,ii4--,figs4 #a1 #b1 and #c4 ,the ,common ,thorny ,woodcock1 7,m4 tribulus17 from the ,french for trouble1 whence we have also tribulation1 which is sometimes said to be a thorny path4 ,this curious shell is also called ,venus' ,comb4 ,it is found in the ,indian ,ocean1 from whence it is also brought4 ,fig4 #b1 the ,woodcock's ,head1 7,m4 haustellum17 from the ,latin haustus--a draught2 the bill of the ,woodcock being adapted for sucking4 ,this term is also applied to insects that live by suction4 ,the shell1 it will be seen1 is destitute of spines1 but it is ribbed and beautifully marked4 ,fig4 #c is worthy of its name--the ,royal ,murex1 7,m4 regius17 from regno--to reign4 ,it is a splendid species1 of the rich colouring of which1 art can give but a faint impression4 ,it is brought from the western coast of ,central and ,south ,america1 where1 as well as in the islands of the ,south ,pacific1 many new shells of the genus ,murex have been discovered4 ,illustration ,one shell found on our own coast1 often mistaken for a ,whelk1 is the ,pelican's-foot ,strombus1 called in scientific language1 ,strombus pes-pelicanus1 which is but a ,latinized form of the ,english name4 ,this shell varies greatly in shape in different stages of its growth1 and by an inexperienced conchologist1 the young1 middle-aged1 and old ,strombus1 might be taken for distinct species4 ,in the ,strombid family1 so called we know not why1 the same word in ,latin meaning a kind of shell-fish1 are some species which have produced pearls4 ,one member of the family which we sometimes see in collections1 is a large and very beautiful shell2 this is the ,broad-winged ,strombus1 7,s4 latissimus17 probably from latesco--to wax or grow broad1 or large2 issimus being in the superlative degree1 would indicate that this shell was very much so1 as we find it is1 sometimes measuring as much as twelve inches across4 ,in ,plate ,,ii1 is a representation of this handsome shell1 greatly reduced in size1 of course3 see ,fig4 #d4 ,we here give a figure1 as more curious than beautiful1 of the ,scorpion ,pteroceras1 7,p4 scorpius17 which also belongs to the ,strombid family2 as does the curious ,chinese ,spindle1 7,rostellaria rectirostris47 ,the generic name of the first of these species1 comes from the ,greek ,ptero1 pronounced tero1 meaning a wing1 and cerus--waxen4 ,both the generic and specific names of the second refer to the peculiar conformation of the shell1 being derived from the ,latin1 and meaning a straight line or beak4 ,illustration3 ,,chinese ,,spindle4 ,on ,plate ,,iii1 will be found the ,imbricated ,purpurea1 7,p4 imbricata17 ,fig4 #a1 which claims a close alliance with the ,whelks4 ,the generic name has reference to the dye yielded by this1 as well as all the shells of the genus2 the specific name comes from the ,latin imbrex--the gutter-tile2 thus imbricated1 a term often used in ,natural ,history1 means ridged1 like the roof of a house1 where the tiles are placed to overlap each other1 so that the rain will run off4 ,the ,persian ,purpura1 or1 as it is called in ,latin1 ,purpura ,persica1 ,fig4 #b1 is another handsome shell of this family group2 its name indicates the place where it is found4 ,the other species described comes from ,south ,america1 and the ,p4 lapillus1 7the meaning of the specific name has already been explained17 is common on our shores1 being found in great abundance on the rocks at low waiter4 ,we read in scripture1 of ,tyrian purple1 and there is every reason to suppose that the rich colour was obtained from these and other shell-fish4 ,,periwinkle4 ,illustration ,this is the commonest representative which we have of the family ,turbinid1 which comprehends1 according to ,cuvier1 all the species which have the shell completely and regularly turbinated1 that is1 if we translate the ,latin word into ,english1 twisted4 ,the little ,periwinkle1 7here he is17 is by no means a handsome mollusk1 but some of his relatives are very beautiful as we shall presently show4 ,he is called by naturalists ,t4 littoreus1 from littoralis--belonging to the shore1 and often eaten by boys and girls with great relish2 but he is not very digestible1 and sometimes occasions dangerous disorders4 ,the ,swedish peasants believe that when the ,periwinkle crawls high upon the rocks1 a storm is brewing from the south2 but ,linnus quotes a ,norwegian author to shew that according to popular belief1 it foretells the approach of a land wind with a calm on shore4 ,man may learn much of elemental changes from an observation of the movements and habits of all living creatures1 which are instructed by ,god to provide for their safety and wants1 and often perceive1 long before man himself does1 the indications of calm and tempest1 rain and drought1 etc4 ,but our little ,turbo1 what of him8 will you boil him1 and pick out his curled-up form with a pin8 or let him go crawling about the rocks1 feeding upon the delicate earlier growth of marine vegetation8 ,in the former case1 you will have to reject the little kind of horny scale attached to his foot1 which forms1 when he retires into his habitation1 a closely-fitting door to make all snug4 ,several species of this genus are found on our shores2 one of those is the ,turbo rudis1 or ,red ,turbo1 which has a very thick periwinkle-like shell1 about three-quarters of an inch long2 the colour is dull red1 fawn1 or drab4 ,of the foreign ,turbin1 sometimes called ,turban ,shells1 we will now introduce two or three species1 which will be found on ,plate ,,iii4 ,fig4 #c is the ,marbled ,turbo1 7,t4 marmoratus17 from the ,latin marmor--marble2 a large handsome shell well known to conchologists1 and a native of the ,indian seas4 ,fig4 #d is the ,twisted ,turbo1 7,t4 torquatus27 this shell1 when deprived of its outer coat or layer1 is beautifully nacreous1 or if we may so speak1 mother-of-pearly4 ,the specimens which have reached ,england were brought from ,king ,george's ,sound4 ,fig4 #e is called ,cook's ,turbo1 7,t4 ,cookii37 this is a handsome ,south ,sea shell1 oftentimes of large size4 ,it has been found in great numbers on the coast of ,new ,zealand4 ,on ,plate ,,iv1 we have placed two very curiously formed and marked shells1 called ,wentletraps1 also belonging to the family ,turbinid4 ,the scientific name is ,scalaria1 from the ,latin scala--a ladder1 which the ribbed shells are supposed to resemble4 ,of this genus there are about eighty distinct species known2 they are mostly deep-sea shells found in warm latitudes1 although several inhabit the ,european seas1 and one1 the ,common ,false ,wentletrap1 7,s4 communis17 ,fig4 #a1 may often be picked up on our own shores4 ,fig4 #b1 the ,royal ,staircase ,wentletrap1 is a rare and valuable shell1 generally brought from ,india and ,china2 the scientific name is ,s4 pretiosa1 given to it by the ,french ,naturalist ,lamarck1 on account of the high price which it fetched1 pretiose1 in ,latin1 meaning costly1 valuable4 ,as much as #ajj have been given for a single specimen of this shell2 and a fine one1 especially if it exceed two inches in length1 yet commands a considerable sum1 although not nearly so much as that4 ,a good deal like the ,false ,wentletrap in general outline1 is the ,awl-shaped ,turritella1 found in the ,african and ,indian ,seas4 ,this is the ,t4 terebra of naturalists2 the first name referring to the turret shape common to the genus1 and the last being the ,latin word for an auger1 or piercer4 ,the ,roseate ,turritella1 7,t4 rosea17 is also sometimes seen in collections2 the beautiful rosy tint of the live shell changes to a dull red or brown1 on the death of the mollusk4 ,,trochus1 ,,or ,,top-,,shell4 8,of the shelled ,mollusca which the dredge ever and anon brings up10 says ,mr4 ,gosse1 in his delightful volume on the ,aquarium1 or ,aqua-vivarium1 as the glass tank in which living marine animals and vegetables are kept1 is called1 from the ,latin aqua--water1 and vivo--to live1 8the ,trochi are among the most conspicuous for beauty4 ,the chief glory of this genus is the richly-painted internal surface of their shells1 in which they are not excelled by any even of the true margaritiferous or pearly bivalves40 ,of this ,trochid family1 a few of the members must be introduced to our readers2 it is rather a numerous one1 consisting of more than one hundred species1 which are scattered nearly all over the world1 few seas being without some of them4 ,they are found at various depths1 from near the surface to forty-five fathoms down1 creeping on rocks1 sand1 masses of sea-weed1 etc4 ,we will first speak of those found on our own shores1 the two commonest1 as well as the smallest of which1 are the ,grey and the ,spotted ,trochi1 scientifically named ,t4 cinerarius and ,t4 maculata1 the translation of the first ,latin specific name being ashy or ash-coloured1 and that of the second1 spotted4 ,trochus1 in the same language signifies a top1 and has reference to the shape of most of these shells1 which are something like a boy's whip-top4 ,children on the coast sometimes call the last-named of the above species ,pepper-and-salt ,shells1 because in colour they resemble the cloth so named4 ,the ,muddy-red ,trochus1 7,t4 ziziphinus17 so called1 perhaps1 because in colour it resembles the ziziphia1 or fruit of the jujube tree1 is also common with us4 ,this shell is about an inch long1 of a grey tint dashed with dark spots1 these follow the line of the spiral turnings1 which are very regular1 proceeding from the opening below to the apex or point4 ,seen on shore1 its colours are dull and faint1 but beneath the water1 inhabited by a living mollusk1 it looks as though made of pearl1 and studded with rubies2 the animal1 too1 is richly coloured1 being yellow with black stripes4--,see ,plate ,,iv1 ,fig4 #c4 ,not so common as the last is another ,british mollusk of this genus1 called the ,granulated ,trochus1 7,t4 granulatus47 ,it is the larger1 and1 as many think1 the more elegant shell of the two1 being in colour1 a faint flesh tint or yellowish white1 shaded here and there with purple2 the spiral lines which encircle it are composed of small round knobs which stand out like beads4 ,there is a singular shell of this genus1 called the ,carrier ,trochus1 7,t4 phorus27 it is generally found loaded with foreign objects1 such as shells1 small stones1 bits of coral1 etc41 which it attaches to itself1 and so goes about like a collector of natural curiosities1 with his cabinet on his back4 ,the ,imperial ,trochus1 7,t4 imperialis17 ,fig4 #d1 whose scientific name explains itself1 is one of the handsomest shells of the genus2 it is very rare1 and has hitherto been found only at ,new ,zealand4 ,let us give our young readers a specimen of the way in which scientific writers describe shells2 thus1 this foreign ,trochus1 they tell us is 8orbicularly conical1 the apex obtuse1 the whorls turgidly convex1 squamoso radiate at the margin40 ,this is quite a simple affair to some descriptions1 and simple in fact it is to one1 who1 by attentive study1 has become familiarized with the meaning of the terms4 ,to one also who is acquainted with the ,greek and ,latin tongues1 they will be sufficiently plain1 although he has never seen them applied before1 for they are all derived from those dead languages1 as they are called1 and so convey their own meaning to every educated naturalist1 no matter of what nation he may be2 and hence their chief value4 ,it is not necessary for our readers to trouble themselves about the meaning of such terms at present2 by and by it will be necessary for them to do so1 if they wish to prosecute the study of any natural science4 ,but about the ,imperial ,trochus1 with its 8orbicularly conical0 shell--that term we may explain as round and cone-like2 a reference to ,fig4 #d1 ,plate ,,iv1 will shew what is meant by this more clearly than words can1 and likewise exhibit the beautiful markings of this species1 with its ground tint of rich violet brown4 ,this beauty is often obscured by calcarious incrustations1 and marine plants1 shewing that the mollusk is sluggish in its habits--a slothful creature4 ,so it is with human beings1 sloth covers and hides the good qualities and virtues with an overgrowth at all times difficult to remove1 and oftentimes destructive of all that is fair and good in the character4--,children1 be not slothful6 ,the ,obelisk ,trochus1 7,t4 obeliscus17 is a rare white and green shell1 sometimes seen in collections2 it is of a conico-pyramidal form1 not remarkable for beauty1 and is a native of the ,indian seas4 ,mr4 ,gosse speaks of the ,tops and ,winkles as among the most useful inhabitants of the ,aquarium2 they mow down with their rasping tongues the thick growth of ,conferv which would otherwise spread like a green curtain over the glass walls of the tank1 and obstruct the view of its inhabitants4 ,here is this author's description of the beautiful piece of mechanism by which this work is effected3--8,the appearance and position of the organ would surprise any one who searched for it for the first time1 and as it is easily found1 and as ,periwinkles are no rarities1 let me commend it to your examination4 ,the easiest mode of extracting it1 supposing you are looking for it alone1 is to slit the thick muzzle between the two tentacles1 when the point of a needle will catch and draw out what looks like a slender white thread1 two inches or more in length1 one end of which is attached to the throat1 and the other1 which is free1 you will see coiled in a beautiful spiral manner1 within the cavity of the stomach4 ,by allowing this tiny thread to stretch itself on a plate of glass1 which is easily done by putting a drop of water on it first1 which may then be drained off and dried1 you will find that it is in reality an excessively delicate ribbon1 of transparent cartilaginous substance or membrane1 on which are set spinous teeth of glassy texture and brilliancy4 ,they are perfectly regular1 and arranged in three rows1 of which the middle ones are three-pointed1 while on each of the outer rows a three-pointed tooth alternates with a larger curved one1 somewhat boat-like in form4 ,all the teeth project from the surface of the tongue on hooked curves1 and all point in the same direction40 ,and with this curious piece of mechanism the little ,winkle works away and cuts down swathe after swathe of the minute vegetation1 just as a mower does the meadow grass2 only the mollusk eats as he goes1 and so gets payment for his labour2 the man has it in another and to him more useful form4 ,we might tell a very long story about these ,tops and ,winkles1 which are nearly related to each other1 but must now pass on to describe the rest of the shells on ,plate ,,iv1 which are the ,perspective ,solarium1 7,s4 perspectivum17 ,fig4 #e1 the generic name comes from sol--the sun1 and viewed perspectively1 that is1 in such a position that the whole top of the shell is at once presented to the view1 looking like a flat surface1 it presents a circular appearance1 marked with rings and rays like representations of the sun sometimes do4 ,the ,variegated ,solarium1 7,s4 variegatum17 ,fig4 #f1 is a small but very pretty shell1 somewhat rare4 ,the mollusk is remarkable on account of the singular shape of its operculum1 which differs from that of all other species2 it is of a cone-shape1 and covered from top to bottom with what are called membranous lamell1 that appear to stand out like little shelves winding up spirally4 ,this singular form of operculum has been long known to naturalists1 but it is not until lately that they have discovered to what species of testacean it belonged4 ,let us here explain that operculus is the ,latin for a cover or lid4 ,,cones1 ,,volutes1 ,,mitres1 ,,and ,,olives4 ,these are names given by collectors to certain classes of univalve shells distinguished by peculiarities of formation1 more or less distinct4 ,we shall describe two or three of each1 that our readers may have some idea of the meaning of the terms which are often used by those who speak or write on conchology4 ,the family of ,cones1 called ,conid1 is an extensive one1 considerably above two hundred species having been discovered4 ,many of them are very beautiful both in shape and colour1 so that they are highly valued by collectors2 they are principally found in the southern and tropical seas1 upon sandy bottoms1 at depths varying from a few feet to seventeen fathoms4 ,the shells are generally thick and solid1 rolled up1 as it were1 into a conical form2 the most familiar illustration that can be given of this form is a sugar-loaf1 which all these shells more or less resemble in general outline1 as thus-- ,illustration ,cones are either plain or coronated1 that is1 crowned1 having rows of projections round the top of the shell1 like the second of the above figures2 and this forms a mark of division into two classes1 although these classes often run1 as it were1 one into the other2 some plain cones having slight irregularities of surface1 and some crowned ones being very nearly plain4 ,the ,common1 or ,ordinary ,cone1 7,conus generalis17 ,plate ,v4 ,fig4 #a1 is an elegantly-shaped and beautifully-marked shell1 having much the appearance of being carved out of some rare kind of marble4 ,the ,lettered ,cone1 7,conus littoralis17 ,fig4 #b1 appears to be scribbled over with ,hebrew1 ,greek1 or ,arabic characters1 and almost every species has something peculiar in its markings2 clouds and veins1 and dots1 and stripes1 and bands1 of every conceivable shape and mode of arrangement1 may be met with in these shells1 whose surface1 when the epidermis1 or outer skin is removed1 bears a beautiful polish4 ,curious names have been given to some of them1 such1 for instance1 as the ,high ,admiral1 ,vice ,admiral1 and ,guinea ,admiral1 which indicate the rank they hold in the estimation of collectors4 ,from five to twenty guineas is the price at which good and rare ones have been valued1 and one1 the ,conus cedo nulli1 which may be translated1 the ,cone second to none1 has fetched the enormous sum of three hundred guineas4 ,it must not be supposed that these shells exhibit all their beauties when1 inhabited by a carnivorous1 or flesh-eating mollusk1 they move slowly about1 or lie for a time motionless among the rocks and sand-beds of the ocean4 ,the before-mentioned epidermis1 which is the ,latin for the outer skin of the human body1 covers them like a cloak or mantle1 which is the name it bears among naturalists4 ,much careful labour is required to bring them to a fit state for cabinet shells4 ,,volutes form an extensive family of shells under the name ,volutin4 ,the greater part are natives of tropical seas1 and dwell far down so that they are seldom found on the coast1 except after storms4 ,there are a few ,european species1 but these are not remarkable for beauty1 as most of the others are4 ,the generic name signifies twisted1 or rather wreathed1 as flowers or leaves might be1 about some central object4 ,in these shells the spire is generally short1 as it is in many cones1 sometimes scarcely apparent2 the form is usually elegant1 and the markings often striking and handsome4 ,on ,plate ,v1 will be found three examples--,fig4 #c is the ,undulated ,volute1 7,v4 undulata17 the ,latin for a little wave is undula1 and these marks are like the lines caused by the flowing of the waves on a sandy shore3 this shell is found chiefly in the ,south ,pacific2 the animal which inhabits it is prettily-marked with zebra-like stripes4 ,fig4 #d is called the ,pacific ,volute1 7,v4 ,pacificus27 the shape1 it will be seen1 is somewhat different1 being more angular1 and it is without the waved lines4 ,fig4 #e1 the ,bat ,volute1 7,v4 vespertilio17 is more decidedly knobbed or spiked1 approaching nearly to the shape of some of the coronated ones4 ,this species is found in the ,indian seas2 the specific name is the ,latin for a bat4 ,,mitres2 these are usually considered as a genus1 or branch of the ,volute family2 the scientific name is mitra1 the form is generally long1 slender1 and pointed--something like the bishop's mitre1 hence the common name of the genus4 ,in the ,episcopal ,mitre1 7,m4 episcopalis17 ,plate ,,vi1 ,fig4 #a1 we see this form in its greatest perfection2 this is a handsome shell found in the ,indian seas1 and on the coasts of the ,south ,sea ,islands4 ,the mollusk is remarkable for a long proboscis1 double the length of the shell1 the extremity of which swells into a club form1 and has an oval orifice or opening3 the specific name episcopalis1 comes from the ,latin1 and means of1 or like a bishop4 ,the ,tanned ,mitre1 7,m4 adusta17 from the ,latin adustus--burned or parched1 is1 what is called fusiform and turretted1 that is1 shaped like a spindle1 and having a spire or turret-like termination4 ,the streaks of colour are transverse1 that is1 running the length of the shell1 or in other words1 they are longitudinal2 this1 too1 comes from the ,south ,sea ,islands4 ,fig4 #b is the ,wrinkled ,mitre1 7,m4 corrugata17 from the ,latin corrugo--to wrinkle2 it is very different both in shape and markings1 from the last species2 the whorls1 it will be seen1 are angulated or pointed above1 and the lower part of the shell is much larger than the spiral or upper portion4 ,it is a true mitre nevertheless1 although not just such a one as a bishop would like to wear4 ,it inhabits the ,indian ,ocean1 the coast of ,new ,guinea1 etc4 ,,olives2 these1 for richness of colour and brilliancy of effect1 will bear comparison with any genus of shells4 ,naturalists speak of them collectively as ,olivin2 they belong to the ,volute family1 and are said to number about eighty species4 ,most of those which have reached this country1 have come from the ,mauritius1 where they catch them with lines baited with portions of ,cuttle-fish4 ,we have here depicted two of them1 namely1 the ,figured ,olive1 ,fig4 #c1 7,oliva textilina17 from the ,latin textilus1 which is woven or plaited2 and the ,ruddy ,olive1 ,fig4 #d1 7,o4 sanguinolenta17 from sanguis--blood4 ,we must now bring our notice of the ,univalves to a conclusion2 there are several genera1 and many very curious and beautiful species which we have been unable to notice at all1 and of those which we have1 a short account only could be given2 sufficient however1 as we trust1 to interest our readers in the subject1 and induce them to continue the study of it into larger works4 ,before leaving this division of shells1 we would call their attention to one of its greatest ornaments1 that is the ,ventricose ,harp ,shell1 7,harpa ventricosa17 from the ,latin ventriculus--the stomach1 applied to this shell on account of its swelled or inflated shape4 ,nothing1 however1 can be more elegant than the whole form1 nor more beautiful than the markings of this lovely species1 7see ,plate ,,vi1 ,fig4 #e17 which belongs properly to the ,whelk family4 ,,cowries4 ,of ,cowries we have already spoken in our chapter on the ,uses of ,shells1 they are among the commonest of our testaceous ornaments1 and are remarkable1 especially the foreign kinds1 for richness and diversity of colour1 and the high polish which they bear4 ,the native species are small plain shells1 commonly called ,pigs1 from some real or fancied resemblance which they bear to the swine2 they are pretty little white-ribbed shells1 and are tolerably plentiful on various parts of the ,british coasts4 ,there are three kinds1 namely1 the ,louse ,pig1 or ,nun ,cowry1 the ,flesh-coloured1 and ,european ,pig ,cowries4 ,the first of these is of a pale reddish colour1 with six square black spots on the back2 the second is a beautiful rose tint2 and the third is ash-coloured or pinkish1 with three black dots1 and a white streak down the back4 ,the ,money ,cowry1 7,cypra moneta17 used as current coin in many parts of ,india1 as well as on the coast of ,guinea1 is a yellow and white shell1 with a single band of the former colour2 it is small of size1 and is sometimes called the ,trussed ,chicken1 for the same reason as the term ,pigs is applied to its ,british relatives4 ,these ,cowries are obtained principally about the ,phillippine ,islands1 the ,maldive ,islands1 and the coast of ,congo1 where1 after high tides1 the women collect them in baskets mixed with sand1 from which they are afterwards separated and cleaned1 when they are ready for the market4 ,they are only useful as coin so long as they remain unbroken4 ,the value of a single shell is very small1 as the following table will shew3--,four ,cowries make one gunder2 twenty ,gunders one punn2 four ,punns one anna2 four ,annas one cahaun2 and four ,cahauns one rupee4 ,the value of the latter coin is equal to two shillings and threepence1 ,english money1 and this would be exchangeable for five thousand one hundred and twenty ,cowries2 so that it would never do to pay large sums in this kind of coin3 a waggon would be required to convey a few pounds with4 ,in this country the ,money ,cowries are frequently used as markers or counters in social games2 they are generally white1 in shape rather broad and flat1 being much spread out round the edges1 which are slightly puckered1 like frills4 ,here are two figures of the shell1 exhibiting the back and front view4 ,illustration ,on ,plate ,,vii1 will be found a group of other ,foreign ,cowries1 most of which will be recognized as familiar ornaments of the mantel and side-board4 ,fig4 #a is the ,spotted or ,leopard ,cowry1 sometimes also called the ,tiger ,cowry1 7,c4 tigris17 which1 in the earlier stages of its growth1 is simply marked with broad bands of lighter colour across the shell4 ,fig4 #b1 the ,map ,cowry1 7,c4 mappa17 curiously marked and shaded1 so as to resemble a coloured map2 there are several varieties of this beautiful shell1 such as the rosy and dark variety from the ,pearl ,islands1 in the ,indian ,ocean2 the ,citron and ,dwarf ,rich-mouthed variety1 from the ,mauritius4 ,fig4 #c1 the ,mole ,cowry1 7,c4 talpa17 the last word being the ,latin for a mole1 is of a more slender form than most other species of the ,cyprid family1 so called on account of their beauty1 ,cyprea being a name of ,venus1 the goddess of beauty4 ,any one who has seen a mole1 must be struck with the resemblance of its general outline to this shell1 of which there is a darker-coloured variety of somewhat stouter form1 called exustus--burned or scorched4 ,of the ,poached-egg ,cowries there are several species1 the most common is called by naturalists ,ovulum ovum1 ,fig4 #d1 from ovum--an egg2 the back of this shell is much elevated and rounded2 it is smooth and white2 the inside is orange brown4 ,some of the ,poached-egg group are of a more slender and angular shape1 as1 for instance1 that called the ,gibbous1 7,o4 ,gibbosa27 the moon when more than half-full1 is called gibbous1 that is rounded unequally1 as this shell4 ,illustration ,few shells undergo greater changes1 both of shape and colour1 during the process of growth1 than the ,cowries1 which are called in ,france ,porcelaines1 on account of their high polish and brilliant hues2 a single species in different stages of development1 might well be1 and often is1 taken for distinct shells4 ,much might be said about the ,mollusks which inhabit them1 but our present subject has rather to do with their outer covering than their internal structure4 ,the most rare and valuable1 if not the most beautiful of these ,cowries1 is the ,c4 aurora1 or aurantium1 ,morning-dawn1 or ,orange ,cowry1 a perfect specimen of which has been sold for fifty guineas4 ,there is a very curious shell called the ,common ,weaver's ,shuttle1 7,oculum volva17 generally included in the ,cyprea family2 of this a representation will be found on ,plate ,,vii1 ,fig4 #e4 ,this is brought from ,china4 ,,bivalves4 ,acephalous ,mollusks1 with ,bivalve ,shells1 is the name given by modern naturalists to the class of animals of which we have now to speak2 the only one of these terms which will require explanation is the first2 it comes from the ,greek1 and means headless1 so an ,acephalan is a molluscous animal without a head1 as ,,the ,,oyster1 ,which may be considered as the ,king of ,bivalves2 his palace1 to be sure1 is somewhat rough and rugged outside1 but within1 its walls are smooth and polished1 lustrous and iridescent1 and altogether beautiful2 of a nacrous or pearly appearance1 now flushing into a rose tint1 now fading into pure white1 and adorned sometimes with goodly pearls of price2 truly this monarch of the ,conchifers has a habitation worthy of a prince1 wherein he lives in right royal state4 ,our readers may smile perhaps at the idea of the solitary ,oyster doing this1 down there on his mud bank or rocky anchorage ground1 shut up in his dirty-looking shells1 and holding1 as it seems1 commune with no one1 not even his fellow mollusks2 how can he be said to live in royal state1 or indeed any state at all1 except in a most weary1 stale1 flat1 and unprofitable one8 ,and this only shews how erroneously those often judge who do so hastily1 and from first appearances4 ,if we take a peep through a microscope1 under the direction of a naturalist named ,rymer ,jones1 we shall see that 8the shell of an ,oyster is a world occupied by an innumerable quantity of animals1 compared to which the ,oyster itself is a colossus4 ,the liquid enclosed between the shell of the ,oyster contains a multitude of embryos1 covered with transparent scales1 which swim with ease2 a hundred and twenty of these embryos1 placed side by side1 would make an inch in breadth4 ,this liquid contains besides1 a great variety of animalcul1 five hundred times less in size1 which give out a phosphoric light4 ,yet these are not the only inhabitants of this dwelling--there are also three distinct species of worms40 ,let us see if there are any hard names here that want explaining before we go any further4 ,the first we stumble upon is ,colossus1 which comes from the ,latin1 and means a great image or statue1 like that which ancient historians tell us once bestrode the entrance to the harbour of ,rhodes4 ,embryo comes from the ,greek1 and means something small and unfinished1 that is to expand or grow into a more perfect form1 as the seed into a plant4 ,animalcul1 are minute or very small animals1 such as cannot be distinguished without the help of a microscope1 hence they are sometimes called microscopic animals2 this word comes from the ,latin animalis1 which means having life4 ,phosphoric signifies luminous1 or giving out light4 ,the ,greek name of the morning star is ,phospha4 ,in ,latin1 ,phosphorus is a term applied to a substance which chemists extract from bones and other animal matter1 and which1 when exposed to air1 burns with a pale blue light1 like that emitted by the glow-worm4 ,many of the oceanic or sea animalcul are exceedingly phosphorescent1 so that by night1 the waves appear like billows of flame4 ,of this luminosity of the ocean1 as it is termed1 we shall have to speak on another occasion4 ,we will now return to the ,oyster1 who1 it will be seen1 is by no means so solitary in his bivalve palace as might be supposed4 ,he has his torch-bearers1 and other attendants1 quite a host of them1 no doubt magnificently dressed1 if we could but see them to advantage1 and well instructed in the several duties which they have to perform4 ,oh yes1 certainly1 as the ,irish poet has said1 8,of all the ,conchiferous shell-fish1 ,the ,oyster is surely the ,king20 ,shall we continue the quotation8 and say 8,arrah ,mick1 call the people who sell fish1 ,and tell them a dozen to bring3 ,for it's ,i that intend to demonstrate1 ,the creature's phenomena strange1 ,its functions to set every one straight1 ,and exhibit their structure and range40 ,scarcely will our limited space permit us to do this1 but a few of the most remarkable particulars about this common ,acephalan1 we feel called upon to set before our readers4 ,first1 then1 it belongs to the class ,conchifera2 this is a word which we must stop to examine a little2 it seems to come from the ,latin concha1 which means a shell-fish with two shells1 in other words a bivalve mollusk4 ,second1 our ,oyster belongs to the class ,pectinid4 ,now pecten is the ,latin for a comb1 and this class includes those bivalve shells whose edges are toothed1 or1 as it is said1 pectinated2 in the scallop and the cockle shells this peculiarity is more observable than in those of other members of the class1 and these form the typical1 or so to speak1 pattern genus1 pecten4 ,thirdly1 the ,common ,oyster is a ,monomyarian ,conchifer4 ,ah6 that's something like a name for the acephaloid monarch6 ,look at these two words1 mono-myarian1 di-myarian1 you know of course that mony-syllable means one syllable1 and dis-syllable means two4 ,you sometimes hear of a person who leads a monotonous life1 and you think perhaps of the ,oyster shut up in his shell all alone1 one by himself2 this notion you now know to be a false one2 although it is true that he has but one abductor muscle1 and therefore belongs to the division of the ,pectinid family called ,monomyaria1 while the ,pearl ,oyster has two1 and therefore belongs to that termed ,dimyaria4 ,if1 as they say1 there is reason in the roasting of eggs1 surely there must be in the names given to the classes and divisions of shells4 ,we hope to have succeeded in making the why and the wherefore in this case somewhat plain2--one--two--and away we go out of this maze of hard names4 ,but what about the abductor muscle1 above spoken of8 well1 this must be explained2 abduce1 coming from the ,latin abduco1 means to separate1 to draw away1 hence we have abduction4 ,during the life of an ,oyster1 the usual and natural state of the shell is that of being kept open for a little distance1 to allow the water necessary for its nourishment and respiration to flow in and out2 but as a security against danger1 it was necessary to furnish the animal with the means of rapidly closing the shell1 and retaining the valves in a closed state4 ,these actions being only occasional1 yet requiring considerable force1 are effected by means of a muscular power1 for which purpose one or two1 or sometimes more strong muscles are placed between the valves1 their fibres passing directly across from the inner surface of one to that of the other1 and firmly attached to both1 and these are called the abductor muscles1 because their office is to draw or pull2 how strongly they do this those whose business it is to open ,oysters can best tell2 if the animal within were not alive1 the process would not be a difficult one1 as in that case the muscles would be relaxed1 and the shell would come open of itself1 so that actually people who eat ,oysters directly they are opened1 swallow them 8all alive-,o60 ,if a pair of the shells from which the delicious morsel has been extracted1 be taken in the hand1 it may be noticed that one is much thinner1 smoother1 and flatter than the other2 this is the side most exposed to the action of the water2 the rougher and rounder side is that which is attached to the rock1 or other substance to which the animal forms an attachment1 that is usually life-long4 ,the two portions of the shell are joined together by a hinge of curious workmanship1 which is formed of the inner layer of the shell1 and strengthened by a ligament which is wonderfully elastic2 when the shell is drawn together by the abductor muscles1 the ligament is at full stretch1 and as soon as they relax at all1 it contracts1 and causes the shell to gape4 ,this process is repeated as often as may be necessary for the safety and sustenance of the animal within1 whose mouth is situated at the narrowest part of its habitation1 namely1 near the joint of the hinge1 which connects its upper and under shell4 ,the anatomical structure of the ,oyster is more perfect than would be supposed1 from its apparently low state of organization2 it has a heart1 liver1 and intestinal canal1 and a bag near the mouth1 which answers the purpose of a stomach4 ,its breathing organs are gills1 closely resembling those of most other fish2 it has little vessels which convey the bile from the stomach to the liver1 and may perhaps be subject to bilious attacks1 as well as those who swallow this curious piece of organization at a mouthful1 without thinking at all of the goodly structure they are demolishing4 ,there is the tiny heart with its series of blood-vessels1 just as perfect as in the larger animals4 ,there are the nerves in the shape of minute feelers1 which appear to be acutely sensible not only of actual contact with foreign bodies1 but also of sounds and movements from without4 ,a very nice sense of feeling appears to reside in what is called the beard1 in scientific language bissus2 this is a kind of double fringe to the two lobes of the mantle1 or sac1 as it is called1 which envelopes the body of the animal1 and floats free from the shell1 except just at the part nearer the valve where it is attached4 ,we have just spoken of the beard of the ,oyster1 and this reminds us of a conundrum which may serve to amuse our readers1 and enliven these dry details a little4 ,why is an ,oyster the most anomalous1 that is strange1 contradictory1 creature in existence8 ,do you give it up8 ,well then it is because 8,it wears a beard without any chin1 ,and leaves its bed to be tucked in40 ,again1 by this allusion to the 8tucking in0 of ,oysters1 a phrase more expressive than polite1 we have recalled to memory the saying of a quaint old author1 that they are 8ungodly1 uncharitable1 and unprofitable meat2 ungodly1 because they are eaten without grace2 uncharitable1 because they leave nothing but shells1 and unprofitable because they must swim in wine40 ,not1 generally1 however1 are they eaten in this luxurious manner1 a little pepper and vinegar is all they commonly get in the way of sauce1 and those who swallow them thus accompanied1 seem to do so with infinite relish4 ,a very long chapter1 if not a whole book1 might be written about the historical associations of ,oysters1 for which our country has been famous1 as far back as the time of the first ,roman invasion2 much1 too1 might be said about the ,oyster beds and fisheries1 which give employment to thousands of our industrious population1 but all this has so little to do with natural history1 that we can find no excuse for dwelling upon it here4 ,it is quite within the range of our subject1 however1 to state that the 8spat0 or 8spawn0 of the ,oyster is cast about the beginning of ,may3 at first it resembles a drop of greenish tallow1 but by the aid of the microscope it may be seen to consist of a great number of minute particles1 each of which is an egg1 and will by-and-by become a perfect fish2 these increase in size very rapidly1 and after floating about for a while1 sink to the bottom1 and become attached to rock or some other substance1 in which position1 if not violently detached or removed1 they complete their growth1 and live out the term of their natural life4 ,their food is minute animalcul1 and microscopic vegetation1 on the nature of which their flavour greatly depends4 ,they have many enemies besides man2 the whelk1 and the crab1 the sea-star1 or 8five fingers10 and the large drum-fish1 which swallows them almost by the bushel1 shells and all2 these help to thin the ,oyster-beds1 and make the dredger's labours less remunerative than they would otherwise be4 ,here is a picture of one as he stands in his boat just about to throw his dredge into the sandy bottom1 where he knows the delicious testaceans do1 or ought to1 lie most thickly4 ,the dredge1 which is a triangular iron frame with a net over the bottom1 will naturally sink1 and when the line to which it is attached ceases to run out1 the dredger will put his boat in motion1 and draw it thus over the ,oyster-bed1 and then pull it up filled1 it may be1 with little fat 8,miltons10 or large 8,colchesters10 or such other kind as the spot is known to yield4 ,illustration ,the ,latin for ,oyster is ,ostrea1 and that is a name given to a genus of the ,pectinid family1 comprising beside the ,o4 edulis1 or ,common ,oyster1 many other species4 ,edulis means eatable4 ,home naturalists divide these ,ostraceans into two groups1 first with simple or undulated1 but not plaited valves2 second1 those which have the borders of their valves distinctly plaited4 ,to the first group belong the ,common ,oyster1 and between thirty and forty other living species which are found principally in warm and temperate latitudes4 ,in the ,polar ocean none have been discovered1 and in the hotter climates they are most abundant1 being found in large beds or banks near the coast1 and often attached to rocks and even to trees which grow by the water1 so that the accounts of some old travellers who stated that they saw ,oysters growing upon trees1 were not so false as many supposed them4 ,illustration ,illustration ,the annexed figure is that of the ,cock's-comb ,oyster1 ,ostrea ,crista-,galli1 a native of the ,indian ,seas1 and a very remarkable shell1 on account of its crooked or deeply indented form2 the specific name means cock's-crest4 ,the ,chinese ,window ,oyster1 called ,placuna ,placenta1 which we may1 if we like1 translate into a pleasant or agreeable cake2 the shell1 it will be seen1 is round like a cake1 and its smoothness and regularity of form render it agreeable to look upon2 this species too comes from the ,indian ,seas1 where it is taken on sandy bottoms4 ,the ,american ,spiny ,oyster1 or ,spondylus ,americanus1 brings us into another family1 that of the ,water ,clams1 called by naturalists ,spondylid2 with the spines stuck out every way1 and no way in particular1 it looks like a head of hair greatly in need of the assistance of one of its pectinated relatives4 ,the specific name of this curious shell explains itself2 the generic name comes from the ,latin ,spondylis--a kind of serpent4 ,illustration ,passing over the family ,malleid1 or ,hammer ,oysters1 we come to the ,meleagrinid1 or ,pearl ,oysters1 of which ,fig4 #a1 ,plate ,,viii1 is an example1 this is the ,m4 ,margaritifera of naturalists1 the mollusk in whose shells pearls are chiefly found4 ,here are two long words2 ,meleagris is the ,latin for a ,guinea or ,turkey ,hen1 to the markings of whose plumage naturalists might have imagined the shells of this genus bore some resemblance4 ,there was1 says the mythology1 a celebrated hero of antiquity named ,meleaga1 but we can hardly suppose that there is any association between his name and that of a genus of ,oysters1 of which edible we read the ancients were very fond1 and they are said to have had a fancy not only for the mollusk itself1 but also for the pearls found in its shell1 which at their luxurious banquets they dissolved in wine1 to make the draughts richer1 or at all events more expensive2 and this brings us to the specific name of the ,pearl ,oyster1 ,margaritifera1 which comes from the ,latin ,margarita--a pearl2 the ,french use this word slightly altered in the spelling1 thus ,marguerite for both a daisy1 and ,a ,,pearl4 ,this jewel1 so highly valued for its chaste beauty1 is but a secretion of animal matter1 resulting from the efforts of some uneasy mollusk1 annoyed by a foreign substance1 which has found its way into his habitation1 to make the best of an unavoidable evil by enclosing it in a soft smooth covering4 ,let us imitate the ,oyster1 and when annoyed or afflicted1 by meekness and patience1 and christian charity1 strive to turn our vexations and troubles into 8pearls of great price10 and 8goodly pearls10 like those mentioned in scripture4 ,it is on the north-west coast of the ,island of ,ceylon1 in the ,indian ,ocean1 that the ,pearl ,oyster most abounds1 and there it is that the ,pearl fishery is conducted in the most extensive1 systematic1 and successful manner2 this fishing commences at the beginning of ,march1 and upwards of two hundred boats are usually employed in it2 in each of these boats are ten divers1 who go down to the ,oyster-beds1 five at a time1 and so relieve each other2 there are besides thirteen other men who manage the boat1 and attend to the divers4 ,altogether it is computed that from fifty to sixty thousand persons1 in some way engaged in the fishery1 or preparation1 or sale of the pearls1 assemble at and near the scene of operations1 which must be indeed a busy one4 ,the number of ,oysters taken during the period of the fishing1 which is about a month1 must be prodigious4 ,one boat has been known to bring on shore1 in the day1 as many as thirty-three thousand2 they are placed in heaps1 and allowed to remain until they become putrid1 when they undergo a very elaborate process of washing and separating from the shells1 which are carefully examined and deprived of their pearly treasures4 ,the stench arising from the decomposed animal matter is described as horrible1 and the whole process filthy and loathsome in the extreme2 yet out of the slime and mud and disgusting effluvia1 come every year gems of inestimable value1 calculated to adorn the brow of beauty1 and form ornaments the most pure and delicate that can be imagined4 ,for the exclusive right of fishing on the banks of ,ceylon1 for a single season1 as much as #abj1jjj have been paid to the ,english government by one person1 who sublets boats to others4 ,pearls vary greatly in value according to their colour and size2 those which are perfectly white are the most valuable2 next to these are those which have a yellowish tinge2 the smallest kind1 used for various ornamental purposes1 are called seed pearls1 the refuse is made into a kind of confection called chimum1 highly relished by ,chinese epicures4 ,a single ,oyster will sometimes contain several pearls1 which are generally embedded in the body of the animal1 but are sometimes fixed to the shell2 it is recorded of one rich mollusk1 that there were found in his possession no less than one hundred and fifty precious jewels2 he must have been a miser1 or perhaps he had taken them in pledge from his less provident neighbours4 ,from the earliest time1 pearls have been considered as valuable ornaments2 they are mentioned in the book of ,job1 7see chap4 xxviii1 verse #ahth417 and are often alluded to by ,greek and ,roman writers4 ,various attempts have been made to imitate them1 and one mode of producing them1 practised1 it is said1 more than a thousand years ago1 is still carried on in ,china4 ,in the shells of ,pearl ,oysters1 holes are bored1 into which pieces of iron are introduced2 these wounding and irritating the animal1 cause it to deposit coat upon coat of pearly matter over the wounded part1 and so the pearl is formed4 ,artificial pearls are made of hollow glass globules or little globes1 covered on the inside with a liquid called pearl-essence1 and filled up with white wax4 ,historians speak of an ancient traffic in native pearls carried on by this country2 and in modern times1 ,british pearls of considerable value have been discovered1 one not many years since1 by a gentleman who was eating oysters at ,winchester1 was valued at two hundred guineas4 ,generally1 however1 the pearls of this country are inferior in the two requisites of colour and size4 ,interesting accounts of ,pearls and ,pearl-fishing1 will be found in 8the ,penny10 and 8,saturday ,magazines10 and many other works easy of access4 ,there our young readers may learn of the perils and dangers to which the poor divers are exposed from the voracious sharks1 which hover about the fishing grounds1 and make a dash at their victim1 heedless of the written charms1 with which the priest or shark-charmer has provided him previous to his descent1 and of much more than we can find space here to tell4 ,all we can now do is to give the portrait1 as drawn by ,thomas ,hood1 of a lady who takes up her abode in all the pearl-producing bivalves1 and who is therefore1 perhaps on this account1 called ,illustration3 ,,the ,,mother ,,of ,,pearl4 ,,the ,,mussel ,,and ,,the ,,cockle4 ,it is in the ,dimyaria division of the ,conchifera that we must look for these familiar bivalves1 the ,mussel1 or1 as it is sometimes spelled1 ,muscle1 and the ,cockle2 the former called in scientific language ,mytilus1 which in ,latin means simply a shell-fish1 and the latter ,cardium1 which may have reference to the hinge of this bivalve1 or the heart-shape assumed by several of the species2 cardo1 in ,latin1 signifying the hinge of a gate1 and cardesco1 a stone in the shape of a heart4 ,it is to the ,mytilid family that we shall first direct our attention1 and here we find the ,common or ,edible ,mussel1 7,m4 edule17 and many other species1 in all of which the shell is more or less elongated1 or lengthened out1 and pointed at one end4 ,the members of this family are abundant on most rocky coasts1 where facilities are afforded for the mollusks to moor themselves to rocks1 stones1 and other substances covered at high-water1 but left dry by the retreating tide4 ,they are not1 however1 confined to shores of this description1 but are sometimes found in vast numbers on low sandy or pebbly flats1 which run far out into the sea2 these are called beds of ,mussels1 and are1 like the ,oyster grounds1 specially cared for and protected4 ,as a ship by its cable1 so commonly the ,mussel1 by its bissus or beard1 is made fast to its anchorage-ground1 be it pebbly or sandy beach1 or jutting rock4 ,sometimes1 however1 the mollusk travels1 and this is how it manages to do so2 it has a stout fleshy foot1 in shape something like that of a chubby child1 and this it can advance about two inches beyond the edge of the shell1 then fixing the point of it to a piece of rock or any other body1 and contracting it1 the shell is drawn onward1 and sure1 though slow1 progress is made in any desired direction4 ,the ,pinna1 as the marine ,mussel is called1 has a foot which is cylindrical in shape1 and has at the bottom a round tendon1 almost as long as itself1 the use of which appears to be to gather in and retain the numerous threads with which1 when inhabiting the shores of tempestuous seas1 it lashes itself fast to the fixed objects around2 these threads are fastened at various points1 and then drawn tight by the animal1 whose instinct teaches it that its brittle shell would soon be broken in pieces1 if suffered to roll hither and thither at the mercy of the waves4 ,the ,mussel has a very curious method of preparing its cable for this service2 it is not woven1 nor spun1 nor drawn out of the body1 like the web of the spider1 but produced in a liquid form1 and cast in a mould which is formed by a groove in the foot1 extending from the root of the tendon to the upper extremity2 the sides of this groove are formed so as to fold over it and form a canal1 into which the glutinous or sticky secretion is poured2 there it remains until it has dried into a solid thread1 when the end of it is carried out by the foot1 and applied to the object to which it is to be attached2 the canal is then opened through its whole length to free the thread1 and closing again is ready for another casting2 as if conscious how much depends upon the security of his lines1 the animal tries every one after he has fixed it by swinging itself round so as to put the threads fully on the stretch2 when once they are all firmly fixed1 it seems to have no power of disengaging itself from them2 the liquid matter out of which they are formed1 is so very glutinous1 or glue-like1 as to attach itself firmly to the smoothest bodies4 ,the process of producing it is a slow one1 as it does not appear that the ,pinna can form more than four or five in the course of twenty-four hours4 ,when the animal is disturbed in its operations1 it sometimes forms these threads too hastily2 they are then more slender than those produced at leisure1 and1 of a consequence1 weaker4 ,on some parts of the ,mediterranean coast1 as in ,sicily1 gloves and other articles have been manufactured from the threads of this mollusk2 they resemble very fine silk in appearance4 ,illustration ,the foot of the ,cockle1 of which we here give a figure1 is commonly employed in scooping out the mud or sand1 beneath which it conceals itself2 this useful limb assumes the form of a shovel1 hook1 or any other instrument necessary for the purpose2 it appears to be a mass of muscular fibres1 and to possess great power4 ,as a boatman in shallow water sends his vessel along by pushing against the bottom with his boat-hook1 precisely so does ,mr4 ,cardium travel2 he doubles up his foot into a club1 and by an energetic use of it as a propeller1 makes considerable headway along the surface of the soft sand beneath the waters4 ,in this way1 too1 some members of the genus solen force their way through the sand2 while those called ,tellina spring to a considerable distance1 by first folding the foot into a small compass1 and then suddenly expanding it1 closing the shell at the same time with a loud snap2 so that you see these sober-looking mollusks are sometimes frolicksome fellows2 this is an enforcement of the lesson1 judge not by appearances4 ,some of the species1 both of the ,mussel and ,cockle families1 have very beautiful shells4 ,we give a representation of one of each1 on ,plate ,,viii4 ,fig4 #b is the ,magellanic ,mytilus1 7,m4 ,magellanicus17 found chiefly in the ,straits of ,magellan2 it is generally four or five inches long1 the shells when polished are very brilliant1 the deep purple colour changing into rich violet1 as they are held in different lights4 ,in most cabinets the large fan-like delicate shells of the genus ,pinna may be observed2 the largest species is that called ,pinna flabellum1 taken in the ,mediterranean2 it sometimes exceeds two feet in length4 ,the first of these names is a ,latin word signifying1 besides a shell-fish1 the fin of a fish1 or the wing feathers of a bird--hence the term pinion2 it refers to the fin-like or wing-like shape of this shell4 ,flabellum means a fan1 referring probably to the bissus of the mollusk1 which is fine and glossy1 like silk1 and very abundant4 ,many pretty specimens for figuring might be selected from the ,naid1 a family of ,fresh-water ,mussels1 so called from the ,naiades1 fabulous divinities of the streams and rivers4 ,the shells of many of these1 which are of considerable thickness1 are lined with the most brilliant nacre1 and in these1 as might be expected1 pearls are sometimes found4 ,one species1 abundant in some ,english rivers1 called the ,mya ,margaritifera1 or1 as some say1 ,uno elongates1 has long been celebrated for this valuable production4 ,it was most likely with pearls from this mollusk that ,julius ,csar adorned a breast-plate1 which he dedicated to ,venus1 and hung up in her temple4 ,the rivers ,esk and ,conway were formerly celebrated as ,british pearl-fishing grounds2 a ,conway pearl was presented by her chamberlain1 ,sir ,richard ,wynn1 of ,gwyder1 to ,catharine1 ,queen of ,charles the ,second2 and in the royal crown of ,britain this jewel is said still to occupy a place4 ,sir ,john ,hawkins1 the circumnavigator of the globe1 held a patent for the pearl-fishery of the ,river ,irt1 in ,cumberland4 ,the rivers of ,tyrone and ,donegal1 in ,ireland1 have1 or had1 their pearl-bearing ,mussels2 we read of one which weighed thirty-six carats1 7a carat is nearly four grains17 but not being of perfect shape and colour1 it was only valued at forty pounds4 ,we also read of another purchased by ,lady ,glenlealy1 for #aj1 and found to be so perfect and admirable1 that #hj was afterwards offered for it1 and refused4 ,these ,naid have not a bissus like the ,marine ,mussels1 they are therefore never attached to one object2 they use their foot as a propeller in traversing the muddy floor of the pond or river1 and they have a very funny way of getting along indeed2 first1 they open the valves of the shell1 put out the foot1 and after some little hard work1 manage to set themselves up on edge2 they then proceed by a series of jerks1 leaving a deepish furrow in the mud behind them4 ,we will now go to ,fig4 #c1 the ,spined ,cytherea1 the ,cytherea or ,venus ,dione of naturalists2 the meaning of the term is the mother of ,venus1 who was1 as you will remember1 the goddess of beauty1 given to this shell perhaps because it is entitled to occupy a place at the head of the ,cytherea1 a genus of the ,cardiid1 or ,cockle family1 of which genus there are about seventy-eight living species2 this1 as it is the most rare1 is also1 perhaps1 the most beautiful2 it is found in the seas of ,america1 and is remarkable for the row of spines on the hinder border of each valve2 these vary much in size and number1 being in some individuals long and far apart1 in others1 short1 thick1 and closely set4 ,the colour of the shell also varies considerably1 being sometimes of a delicate rose colour2 at others1 more of a claret2 at others again1 bordering on purple4 ,it was for one of the first discovered specimens of this shell1 that #ajjj is said to have been given4 ,truly a ,venus of value this2 it ought to be called the ,queen of ,cockles6 ,our next example1 7see ,fig4 #d17 is the ,spotted ,tridacna1 7,t4 maculatus17 the latter term signifying spotted4 ,in the ,chamid or ,clam family1 is placed the ,tridacna genus1 the discovered species of which are not numerous2 they are chiefly found in the ,indian seas4 ,the one above mentioned claims pre-eminence for beauty4 ,we cannot quite see the applicability of the generic name2 ,tridacnus1 in ,latin1 signifies to be eaten at three bites1 but he must be a man of large capacity indeed who could so devour the head of this family1 the ,giant ,tradacna1 7,t4 gigas17 a single specimen of which has been known to weigh as much as five hundred and seventy pounds2 from three to four hundred is by no means an uncommon size4 ,the shell of this giant mollusk is of a very picturesque shape1 something like its spotted congener1 as we call anything of the same kind or genus1 only it is somewhat plainer1 and more deeply ribbed and indented4 ,the inside is of a glossy whiteness1 and it is frequently used as a basin for garden fountains1 or the reception of rills or little jets of water1 which sparkle in its stainless hollow4 ,in the church of ,st4 ,salpice1 at ,paris1 is a shell of this immense ,clam1 the valves of which are used as receptacles for holy water2 it was presented to ,francis the ,first1 by the republic of ,venice4 ,fancy the clapping to of such a pair of valves1 when the animal closes its shell in alarm1 and the strength of the cable required to moor it to the rocks or coral reef4 ,the spotted species here figured has a solid and heavy shell1 very elegantly shaped1 and beautifully marked1 as will be seen2 the greatly reduced size of the figure prevents anything like justice being done to the original4 ,illustration ,the above is a figure of the ,heart ,isocardea1 7,i4 cor17 which is also a member of the ,clam family1 and one of the most elegantly-shaped shells in the whole range of ,conchology4 ,it is a native of the ,mediterranean and other seas of ,europe1 and has been taken in deep water on the ,west coast of ,ireland4 ,we complete this group with a representation of the curious ,arcad family1 or ,ark shells1 as they are commonly called1 because one of the species was thought to resemble the ark built by ,noah4 ,mr4 ,swainson tells us that the animals of these shells affix themselves to other bodies by a particular muscle1 which is protruded through the gaping part of the valves2 they also adhere1 when young1 by means of the bissiform epidermis1 or bissus-like outer skin3 this species is a native of the ,atlantic ,ocean and the seas of ,europe4 ,the ,antique ,ark1 7,a4 antiqua17 is very like the ,common ,cockle1 being of a white colour1 and heart-shaped4 ,we give below a representation of this shell1 and also of the shell of the pretty little ,pearly ,trigonia1 7,t4 margaritacea17 included in the ,arcad family2 this is a rare species1 found only in the seas of ,new ,holland4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,scallop ,,shells4 ,several species of ,scallop ,shells are found scattered about on our shores2 they belong1 as before stated1 to the family ,pectinid1 the meaning of which term has been already explained4 ,these shells were called by ,cuvier 8the ,butterflies of the ,ocean10 on account of the various and beautiful colours which they exhibit4 ,some of them are exceedingly thin1 and brittle as glass2 one species found in the ,arctic regions1 is as transparent as that substance1 and is therefore called ,p4 vitreus1 from the ,latin for glass1 which is vitreum4 ,one of the commonest of our native ,scallops is the ,st4 ,james' ,cockle1 7,p4 ,jacobus27 this shell is found in great plenty along our southern coasts2 it is often referred to by old writers1 on account of having been commonly worn in the hats of pilgrims to ,palestine1 or the ,holy ,land1 as the scene of our ,saviour's life and death was called4 ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 in his poem called 8,the ,pilgrimage10 thus enumerates the different articles considered necessary for a ,palmer1 as these pilgrims were termed3-- 8,give me my scallop shell of quiet1 ,my staff of faith to lean upon1 ,my scrip of joy1 7immortal diet17 ,my bottle of salvation1 ,my gown of glory1 hope's true gage1 ,and thus ,i'll make my pilgrimage40 ,this ,mollusk1 it may be noticed1 like many other bivalves1 has a flat1 and a concave or hollow shell3 in early times when plates and drinking vessels were not so plentiful as they are now1 one of these served the former purpose1 and the other the latter2 thus1 in speaking of a feast1 a ,gaelic or ,scottish bard has said-- 8,the joy of the shell went round40 ,sometimes the species termed ,pecten opercularis1 was used as the pilgrim's badge2 the specific name comes most likely from the ,latin operculum1 whose meaning has been explained4 ,illustration3 ,,common ,,scallop4 ,this too1 is a common ,british shell1 as is also the little speckled ,scallop1 7,p4 varia17 which may be found on almost any part of the coast where the water-line is margined with a sandy ridge4 ,the shells are generally about two inches long1 of various colours1 clouded1 speckled1 and marked with about twelve ribs4 ,there is a foreign species called the ,flounder ,scallop1 ,p4 pleuronectes1 which is remarkable for having the two valves of the shell of different colours1 the upper one being of a rich reddish brown1 and the lower one white3 the specific name has reference to this1 being compounded of the ,latin pleura--something double1 and necto--to join4 ,the fish called the ,flounder1 is brown above and white beneath1 hence the ,english name of this shell4 ,the preceding engraving of the ,common ,scallop1 viewed from the front1 shows the flat and concave form of the two valves of this shell1 and also the depth of the indentations or ridges4 ,,limpits4 ,among the rocks of the ,british coast1 there are no shells more frequently met with than those of the ,common ,limpit1 ,patella vulgata2 they lie scattered about like so many little empty cups1 each having1 on the death of the mollusk1 fallen from the rocky cavity in which it was embedded1 and which was just large enough to contain it4 ,here the animal attaches itself so firmly by its fibrous foot1 which is hollow in the centre1 and acts like a sucker1 that it is almost impossible to loosen its hold otherwise than by inserting something thin1 like the blade of a knife between it and the stone4 ,by this power of adhesion1 the ,limpit is protected from the violence of the waves1 and also from its numerous enemies1 aquatic birds and animals1 which have a relish for its flesh4 ,still vast numbers are used as food1 both by man and the inferior creatures1 so that the means of defence furnished to the ,limpits of the rock1 are not always sure4 8,the peasantry of the western isles of ,scotland10 we are told by ,miss ,pratt1 8look to the ,periwinkles and ,limpits1 which abound on the rocks1 for their daily meal1 often for long seasons1 subsisting almost entirely upon this humble food4 ,in the ,isle of ,skye1 the inhabitants are often1 at one time of the year1 without any other source of provision40 ,then comes the ,sea-gull1 and the ,duck1 and the ,pied ,oyster-catcher1 to feed on the poor little mollusk1 the bill of the latter bird being admirably adapted for loosening its hold on the rock4 ,patella in ,latin signifies a salad-dish1 a knee-pan1 and several other domestic utensils1 of a broad shallow make1 and hence we find the plural form of the word applied to the ,limpit family1 whose shells are of such a shape4 ,members of this family are found on all rocky coasts1 except those of the ,arctic seas2 on ,tropical rocks they grow to a large size1 and form a valuable article of food4 ,a very curious piece of mechanism is the tongue of the ,common ,limpit1 it is from two to three inches long1 and has a spoon-like extremity1 so that it looks1 when extended from the mouth1 like a small snake2 if examined through a microscope1 it is seen to be armed throughout its whole extent with rows1 four deep1 of sharp hooked teeth1 and between each row are placed two others1 which have three points1 and are set in a slanting position2 the use of this arrangement we cannot at present determine1 but no doubt it has a perfect adaptation to the wants of the animal4 ,there are shell-fish called ,key-hole ,limpits1 which belong to the genus ,fissurellid1 from fissura--a cleft or slip1 from whence comes also fissure4 ,all the members of this genus are distinguished by the aperture at the top of the shell1 shaped like a key-hole1 which is situated exactly over the breathing organs1 and serves as a channel for the water necessary for respiration4 ,frequently upon the fronds of the large olive sea-weeds may be found a tiny shell shaped something like that of the ,common ,limpit2 it is of an olive green colour1 with blue streaks1 and is called1 from its clearness1 the ,pellucid ,limpit1 ,p4 pellucida4 ,there is also another much like it in appearance1 which naturalists call ,p4 lvis4 ,to the labours of these little mollusks1 according to ,dr4 ,harvey1 may be partly attributed the destruction of the gigantic ,alg1 7sea-weed47 ,eating into the lower part of the stems1 and destroying the branches of the roots1 they so far weaken the base1 that it becomes unable to support the weight of the frond2 and thus the plant is detached and driven on shore by the waves4 8,and so the forest tall that groweth1 ,underneath the waters clear1 ,does the little woodman mollusk1 ,level every year2 ,from small causes1 great results-- ,teaching you to persevere40 ,,rock-,,borers4 ,the family ,pholad comprises a group of mollusks1 the boring habits of which have long been known2 they penetrate wood1 hard clay1 chalk1 and rocks1 and devastate the labours of man2 they attack the hulls of ships1 the piles which form the foundations of piers and break-waters1 and they force themselves upon our attention by the loss of property1 as well as of life1 which results from their hidden depredations4 ,of this family1 those belonging to the genus ,pholus may be more especially likened to the ,edomites of ,scripture1 because they take up their abode in the rock1 and hollow out for themselves dwellings therein4 ,with a shell as thin as paper1 and brittle as glass1 the wonder is how these ,rock-borers work their way into and through hard stones4 ,some naturalists assert that they effect this by means of an acid which decomposes the substance of the rock1 and renders it soft2 others1 that the animal keeps turning round and round like an instrument called an auger1 and so gradually rasps away the surface of the stone with the angles of its shell1 but we question whether the shell would not be worn out first in such a process4 ,the generic name of these 8stone-piercers10 comes from the ,greek word ,pholeo--to hide1 and the rocky chambers which they hollow out for themselves1 are as snug hiding-places as can well be imagined2 yet1 however deep they may go into these gloomy caverns1 as we should be apt to suppose them1 they need not be in darkness1 for it appears that these ,pholades emit a most remarkable light1 whether phosphorescent or not does not appear to be determined2 so strong is it1 that it is said to illuminate the mouth of the person who eats the mollusk2 and it is remarked by ,dr4 ,priestly1 that 8contrary to the nature of most fish1 which give light when they tend to putrescence1 this is more luminous the fresher it is1 and when dried its light will revive on being moistened with water40 ,so that in more respects than one these rock-borers are mysteries4 ,the most common of them1 perhaps1 is the ,prickly ,pidduck1 or ,peckstone1 7,p4 dactylus17 which is much used by the fishermen of our coasts as bait2 the specific name is the ,latin for a fruit shaped like a finger1 which is something like the shape of this mollusk1 as will be seen by the annexed engraving4 ,illustration ,the genus ,pholus is very widely distributed1 and all the species have the same boring habits as those of our own coast1 which we need not enumerate4 ,like them too in this respect are the marine worms called ,teredo1 which make their way into the bottoms of ships1 and all submerged timber1 but these will be more fully spoken of in another volume4 ,the above figure exhibits the ,pholas dactylus as it appears in a section of rock1 split open for the purpose of seeing the shelly miner at his work4 ,,multivalves4 ,we have insensibly passed from the ,bivalve shells to those composed of several pieces1 and therefore called ,multivalves2 properly1 perhaps1 the ,rock-borers1 last described1 come into this division1 for although their covering consists mainly of two principal portions or valves1 yet there are often additional parts2 in some a calcarious tube envelopes the whole mollusk1 leaving only an opening behind2 this is more especially the case with those which most resemble worms1 such as the genera ,teredina and ,teredo1 included by ,lamarck in the family which he calls ,tubulid4 ,the first group of multivalves we shall have to notice1 are ,,the ,,chitons1 forming the family ,chitonid4 ,the term has a ,greek derivation1 and means a coat of mail4 ,these mollusks are covered by a shell formed of eight distinct portions1 arranged along the back in a single row1 and attached to a mantle which resembles leather1 being very tough and wrinkled2 the edges of this mantle extend beyond the borders of the plates1 which overlap each other1 so as to constitute a kind of armour1 very different from the conical shell of the ,limpit1 or the turbinated1 that is twisted1 case of some of the ,borers4 ,the coverings of the ,chitons are variously marked1 so that each distinct species is known by its peculiar pattern1 as a knight of old by the quarterings of his shield4 ,all the mantles1 however1 have scaly1 hairy1 or spiny margins4 ,in this coat of mail1 the animal can roll itself up like an armadillo1 and so be tolerably secure from its enemies2 it has an oval foot1 the sides of which are covered with small leaflets1 and by means of this it can attach itself to rocks1 like the ,limpit1 or travel about in search of adventures4 ,it has no distinct head1 therefore it is acephalous2 nor any perceptible eyes4 ,the mouth is furnished with a long tongue1 curled up spirally1 like a watch-spring1 and armed with horny teeth4 ,the members of the ,chiton family are numerous1 being found on most rocky shores2 they attain the largest size in the hottest climates1 having never been found very far north4 ,the ,british species are small1 and not more than two or three in number2 they may be found adhering to stones near low-water mark4 ,we give a figure of one of these called the ,tufted ,chiton1 7,c4 fascicularis27 this word is from the ,latin fasciculus--a little bundle of leaves or flowers1 and it refers to the hairy tufts that edge the mantle of this marine slug4 ,illustration ,,barnacles1 ,or1 as they are sometimes called1 ,bernicles1 belong to what naturalists term the class ,cirrhopoda1 sometimes spelled cirripeda1 which appears to be derived from the ,latin cirrus--a tuft or lock of hair curled1 and pede--a foot2 hence the term may be translated hairy-footed4 ,such of our readers as have seen the ,common or ,duck ,barnacle1 7,pentalasmis anatifera17 will at once understand the applicability of this term4 ,many a piece of drift wood comes to land literally covered with long fleshy stalks1 generally of a purplish red colour1 twisting and curling in all directions1 and terminating in delicate porcelain-like shells1 clear and brittle1 of a white colour1 just tinged with blue1 from between which project the many-jointed cirrhi1 or hair-like tentacles1 which serve the purpose of a casting net1 to seize and drag to the mouth of the animal1 its prey1 which consists of small mollusks and crustacea4 ,this is the ,barnacle about which such strange stories are told by old writers1 who affirmed that the ,barnacle or ,brent ,goose1 that in winter visits our shores1 is produced from these fleshy foot-stalks and hairy shells by a natural process of growth1 or1 as some philosophers of our day would say1 of development4 ,gerard1 who1 in #aeig1 wrote a 8,historie of ,plants10 describes the process by which the fish is transformed into the bird2 telling his readers that as 8the shells gape1 the legs hang out1 that the bird growing bigger and bigger the shells open more and more1 till at length it is attached only by the bill1 soon after which it drops into the sea2 there it acquires feathers1 and grows to a fowle40 ,there is an amusing illustration given in ,gerard's book1 where the young ,geese are represented hanging on the branches of trees1 just ready to drop into the water1 where a number of those that have previously fallen1 like ripe fruit1 and attained their full plumage1 are sailing about very contentedly4 ,it was part of this theory that the ,barnacles were of vegetable origin1 they grew upon trees1 or sprung out of the ground like mushrooms2 so we find in the works of an old poet named ,du ,bartas1 these lines3-- 8,so slow ,bootes underneath him sees ,in the icy islands goslings hatched of trees1 ,whose fruitful leaves1 falling into the water1 ,are turned1 as known1 to living fowls soon after2 ,so rotten planks of broken ships do change ,to ,barnacles4 ,o transformation strange6 ',twas first a green tree1 then a broken hull1 ,lately a mushroom1 now a flying ,gull40 ,the investigations of modern science have quite exploded this foolish notion2 we now know exactly what transformations the ,barnacle undergoes2 strange enough some of them are1 but it does not change into a ,goose1 although its specific name has reference to that bird1 being derived from anas1 the ,latin for ,goose4 ,the shell of the ,barnacle is composed of five pieces joined together by membranes2 four pieces are lateral1 that is to say1 they form the sides1 the word comes from the ,latin latus--a side2 the other is a single narrow slip1 which fills what would otherwise be an open space down the back between the valves2 these parts of the shell appear to be somewhat loosely connected1 so as to allow free action to the animal lodged within1 which is enclosed in a fine skin or mantle4 ,the mouth is placed at the lower part1 near the opening1 whence the cirrhi issue forth2 this mouth is a curious piece of mechanism1 being furnished with a horny lip covered with minute palpi1 or feelers2 there are three pairs of mandibles1 that is jaws1 the two outer ones being horny and serrated1 that is jagged or toothed like a saw2 the inner one is soft and membranous1 that is1 composed of little fibres1 like strings1 crossing each other1 as we see what are called the veins in a leaf4 ,much more might be said about the internal structure of the ,cirrhopods1 or ,balani1 as the ,barnacle group is sometimes called1 from the ,latin ,balanus--a kind of acorn4 ,by some naturalists1 the term is not applied to the stalked ,cirrhipoda1 like that we have been describing1 but only to the sessile kinds1 that is1 those which set close or grow low2 from the same ,latin root comes the ,english word session--a settling4 ,the coverings of these ,dwarf ,barnacles are sometimes called acorn shells2 they are commonly white1 of an irregular cone shape1 composed of several ribbed pieces1 closely fitted together with an opening at the top1 closed by an operculum1 or stopper4 ,these shells cover in patches the surface of exposed rocks1 drift wood1 and any other substance4 ,some of the mollusks affix themselves to the bodies of ,whales1 others form a lodgment in the hollows of corals and sponges4 ,once fixed they remain so during life1 taking their chance of such suitable food as may come within their limited sphere of action4 ,at an earlier stage of their existence1 both their shape and habits are very different1 being lively little creatures1 swimming about hither and thither like water-fleas4 ,they are about the tenth of an inch long1 and of most grotesque appearance1 having six jointed legs set with hairs1 the whole being so arranged that they act in concert1 and striking or flapping the water1 send the little body along in a series of bounds2 then the creature has two long arms1 each furnished with hooks and a sucker1 and a tail tipped with bristles1 which is usually folded up under the body2 its pair of large staring eyes are pedunculated1 that is1 set upon foot-stalks2 it has a house on its back1 like a bivalve shell1 into which it can collect its scattered members when occasion requires4 ,when of sufficient age to settle itself in life1 and become a staid member of submarine society1 it fixes itself to some convenient object1 throws away its eyes as no longer useful1 gets rid of its preposterous limbs1 enlarges its house1 and sits down to fishing in a small way for an honest and respectable livelihood4 ,a piece of timber covered with ,stalked ,barnacles1 wriggling and twisting about like so many helmeted snakes1 and waving their plume-like cirrhi1 is a very curious sight4 ,they sometimes attach themselves to ship's bottoms in such numbers as to retard their progress through the water2 they do not1 however1 bore into and destroy the timber1 like the ,teredines1 or ship worms1 to which we have alluded in our brief notice of the ,pholad4 ,the growth of ,barnacles must be very rapid1 as a ship perfectly free from them1 will often return after a short voyage1 with her bottom below the water line completely covered4 ,we give a representation of a group of these stalked mollusks1 as they appear affixed to a piece of timber4 ,this is the ,common1 or ,duck ,barnacle4 ,illustration ,,cuttle ,,fish4 ,strange and monstrous as are the forms of many of the creatures that inhabit the deep1 there are perhaps none more so than those belonging to that division of the class ,cephalopoda1 called ,sepia or ,cuttle-fish4 ,but before we go any further let us enquire what is meant by a ,cephalopod4 ,our readers have already learned that ,gasteropod means stomach and foot1 and that acephalous means headless2 now here we have a word which takes a portion of each of the others1 cephal--head1 and peda1 or poda--a foot1 consequently ceph-a-lo-po-da1 is a class of molluscous animals which have their feet1 or organs of motion1 arranged around the head1 something1 you may suppose1 like that celebrated hero of nursery rhymes1 8,tom ,toddy1 all head and no body40 ,only our bag-shaped ,mr4 ,sepia1 with his great round staring eyes1 and numerous legs or arms1 whichever you please to call them1 all twisting and twining about like so many serpents1 is a much more formidable looking individual4 ,a strange fellow is this altogether2 he has a shell1 but he does not use it for a covering1 he carries it inside of him1 and it serves the purpose of a sort of back-bone2 it is horny and calcarious1 light and porous1 as our readers well know1 having most likely often used it to take out unsightly blots1 or erase mistakes in their copy or cyphering books4 ,when ,mr4 ,sepia walks abroad1 he sticks his little round body upright1 so that his eyes1 and mouth1 which is armed with a parrot-like beak1 are brought close to the surface over which he passes1 while his long twining legs go sprawling about in all directions2 on the insides of these legs are a great number of small circular suckers1 by means of which the animal can fix itself to any object so tightly that it is almost impossible to detach it without tearing off part of the limb4 ,woe be to the poor unfortunate fish that chances to come in its way2 the snaky arms are thrown around it1 and made fast1 and away goes the cephalopod for a ride1 eating on the road to lose no time1 on the finny steed that carries it4 ,in some species each of the suckers has a hook in the centre1 which of course renders the hold yet firmer1 and no doubt adds to the disagreeable sensation which their tight compression must cause2 it is likely that these hooks are intended to retain the hold of soft and slippery prey1 which might otherwise be too agile for the 8ugly customer10 that would affectionately embrace it4 ,but ,mr4 ,sepia1 though well armed in front1 is rather open to attacks in the rear of his soft naked body2 to provide for such an emergency1 he is furnished with a little bag of inky fluid1 which he squirts out in the face of his pursuer1 and escapes under cover of the cloud2 this is the substance used by painters1 and called sepia1 whence the generic name of the mollusks which produce it4 ,in the ,british seas none of these cephalopods attain so large a size as to be formidable to man1 as they do in warmer climates4 ,it was asserted by ,dens1 an old navigator1 that in the ,african seas1 while three of his men were employed during a calm in scraping the sides of the vessel1 they were attacked by a monstrous ,cuttle-fish1 which seized them in its arms1 and drew two of them under water1 the third man was with difficulty rescued by cutting off one of the creature's limbs1 which was as thick at the base as the fore-yard of the ship1 and had suckers as large as ladles2 the rescued sailor was so horrified by the monster1 that he died delirious a few hours after4 ,an account is also given of another crew who were similarly attacked off the coast of ,angola2 the creature threw its arms across the vessel1 and had nearly succeeded in dragging it down1 and was only prevented doing so by the severing of its limbs with swords and hatchets4 ,a diligent observer of nature has asserted that in the ,indian seas ,cuttle-fish are often seen two fathoms broad across the centre1 with arms nine fathoms long4 ,only think1 what a monster6 with a body twelve feet across1 and eight or ten legs like water-snakes1 some six and thirty feet long4 ,well may it be said1 that the ,indians when they go out in boats are in dread of such1 and never sail without an axe for their protection4 ,there is a story told by a gentleman named ,beale1 who1 while searching for shells upon the rocks of the ,bonin ,islands1 encountered a species of ,cuttle-fish called by the whalers 8the ,rock-squid10 and rashly endeavoured to secure it4 ,this cephalopod1 whose body was not bigger than a large clenched hand1 had tentacles at least four feet across1 and having its retreat to the sea cut off by ,mr4 ,beale1 twined its limbs around that gentleman's arm1 which was bared to the shoulder for the purpose of thrusting into holes of the rocks after shells1 and endeavoured to get its horny beak in a position for biting4 ,the narrator describes the sickening sensation of horror which chilled his very blood1 as he felt the creature's cold slimy grasp1 and saw its large staring eyes fixed on him1 and the beak opening and closing4 ,he called loudly for help1 and was soon joined by his companion1 who relieved him by destroying the ,cuttle-fish with a knife1 and detaching the limbs piece by piece4 ,there are several species of these cephalopods2 the most generally distributed appears to be the ,octopus vulgaris1 or ,common ,cuttle-fish1 which is sometimes found on our own shores1 where also may be obtained the ,common ,sepiola1 ,s4 vulgaris1 usually about three inches long1 and the ,officinal ,cuttle-fish1 ,s4 ,officinalis1 which is about a foot in length2 we give below small figures of each of these three species1 to show the difference in the shape3 the two last1 it will be observed1 have1 in addition to the eight tentacles1 which give the generic name ,octopus1 signifying eight1 two long side arms1 the use of which does not appear to be very clearly determined4 ,illustration3 ,o4 ,,vulgaris4 ,s4 ,,vulgaris4 ,s4 ,,officinalis4 ,,nautilus ,,and ,,ammonite4 ,the ,nautili are called testaceous cephalopods1 our readers know1 or ought to know1 the meaning of both these terms4 ,like the ,cuttle-fish they are sometimes called ,polypi1 because they have many arms or tentacles1 the word poly1 with which a great number of ,english words commence1 being the ,greek for many4 ,an ancient writer named ,aristotle1 after describing the naked cephalopods1 says1 8,there are also two polypi in shells2 one is called by some1 nautilus1 and by others1 nauticus4 ,it is like the polypus1 but its shell resembles a hollow comb or pecten1 and is not attached4 ,this polypus ordinarily feeds near the sea-shore2 sometimes it is thrown by the waves on the dry land1 and the shell falling from it1 is caught1 and there dies4 ,the other is in a shell like a snail1 and this does not go out of its shell1 but remains in it like a snail1 and sometimes stretches forth its cirrhi40 ,the first of these animals1 there can be no doubt1 is the ,argonaut1 or ,paper ,nautilus1 and the latter that which is called the ,true ,nautilus1 of both of which species let us say a few words1 which we will introduce by quoting some beautiful lines from a poem called 8the ,pelican ,island10 by ,james ,montgomery4 8,light as a flake of foam upon the wind1 ,keel upwards from the deep1 emerged a shell1 ,shaped like the moon ere half her orb is filled3 ,fraught with young life it righted as it rose1 ,and moved at will along the yielding water4 ,the native pilot of this little bark ,put out a tier of oars on either side2 ,spread to the wafted breeze a two-fold sail1 ,and mounted up and glided down the billow1 ,in happy freedom1 pleased to feel the air1 ,and wander in the luxury of light40 ,the tiny mariner here alluded to1 is the ,paper ,nautilus1 common in the ,mediterranean and some tropical seas2 its scientific name is ,argonauta argo4 ,in the mythology1 we read that ,argo was the name of a ship that carried a certain ,grecian named ,jason1 and a crew of argives in search of adventures2 some say that the term is derived from a ,greek word signifying swift3 this party of mariners1 said to be the first that ever sailed upon the sea1 was called ,argonauts1 or1 as it might be freely translated1 seamen of the ship ,argo4 ,nauticus1 in ,latin1 signifies anything relating to ships or navigation1 and here you have the whole origin of the name of this little ,argonaut1 about which we must sing you a song written by ,mary ,howitt1 before we proceed further3-- 8,who was the first sailor2 tell me who can2 ,old father ,neptune8--no1 you're wrong1 ,there was another ere ,neptune began2 ,who was he8 tell me4 ,tightly and strong1 ,over the waters he went--he went1 ,over the waters he went6 ,who was the first sailor8 tell me who can2 ,old father ,noah6--no1 you're wrong1 ,there was another ere ,noah began1 ,who was he8 tell me4 ,tightly and strong1 ,over the waters he went--he went1 ,over the waters he went4 ,who was the first sailor8 tell me who can2 ,old father ,jason8--no1 you're wrong1 ,there was another ere ,jason began1 ,don't be a blockhead1 boy6 ,tightly and strong1 ,over the waters he went--he went1 ,over the waters he went4 ,ha6 'tis nought but the poor little ,nautilus-- ,sailing away in his pearly shell2 ,he has no need of a compass like us1 ,foul or fair weather he manages well6 ,over the water he goes--he goes1 ,over the water he goes40 ,many more poems of the like nature we might quote1 for this little shelled cephalopod has been a favourite with the poets time out of mind1 and in some instances they and the less imaginative naturalists have disagreed in their accounts of its form and operations1 for instance1 ,pope says-- 8,learn of the little ,nautilus to sail1 ,spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale40 8,catch a fiddle-stick10 say some naturalists1 the little ,nautilus does nothing of the sort2 and if you go to him to learn navigation1 you will never be much of a sailor2 he may teach you how to sink to the bottom and rise again1 and that kind of knowledge might be worth something to you if you could breathe under water2 and he might teach you how to swim1 but not how to sail1 for in spite of all poetic theories1 he does the former and not the latter4 ,most usually he walks about at the bottom of the sea on his long arms1 something like the ,cuttle-fish1 feeding on the marine vegetation2 the shell is then uppermost2 if we could look inside of it we should see numerous little chambers or cells1 the larger and outermost of which only are inhabited by the mollusk1 the others being filled with air render the whole light and buoyant4 ,through the centre of these chambers1 down to the smallest of them1 runs a membranous tube which can be exhausted or filled with fluid at the pleasure of the animal1 and the difference thus effected in the weight of the shell enables it to sink or swim2 in the latter case1 up it goes to the surface1 and 8keel upwards from the deep10 emerges1 as the poet has said1 but once there it soon reverses its position4 ,the shell becomes like a boat it is true1 but its inhabitant neither points a sail nor plies the oar1 but propels itself along stem foremost by a muscular action1 which by alternately compressing and loosening a kind of siphon1 throws out jets or gushes of water1 which by the resistance they meet with from the surrounding fluid1 give the desired onward motion1 and away the swimmer goes1 his long arms gathered closely together1 and streaming behind like the tail of a comet1 and its round eyes keeping a sharp look-out on either side4 ,should it espy danger1 the body and limbs are withdrawn into the shell1 and the fluid driven through the central tube1 so as to compress the air in the pearly cells1 and down sinks the swimmer once again to his native depths1 where 8,the floor is of sand like the mountain drift1 ,and the pearl shells' spangle the flinty snow2 ,and from coral rocks the sea-plants lift ,their boughs where the tides and billows flow1 ,the water is calm and still below4 ,for the winds and waves are absent there2 ,and the sands are bright as the stars that glow ,in the motionless fields of upper air4 ,and life in rare and beautiful forms1 ,is sporting amid those bowers of stone1 ,and is safe1 when the wrathful spirit of storms1 ,has made the top of the waves his own40 ,we give below two figures of the ,argonaut1 one of which represents him crawling at the bottom of the sea1 and the other swimming on the surface4 ,illustration ,the ,true1 or ,pearly ,nautilus1 7,n4 ,pompilius17 the origin of whose specific name we have been unable to discover1 is much like the ,argonaut in appearance and general construction2 the shell is externally smoother and more iridescent1 it is also generally somewhat thicker than the former kind1 and has internally more chambers or divisions2 its pearly lustre renders it a beautiful ornament1 and the large size it frequently attains a very conspicuous one4 ,its inhabitant has several peculiarities of organization1 which distinguish it from the ,argonauts1 but into these we need not enter2 neither can we pause to describe the other species of nautili1 the shells of which1 like those of the ,cowry and other univalves1 are covered with a membrane which hides their beauty4 ,this membrane or mantle sometimes extends some distance beyond the edge of the shell1 and1 being of a light and filmy appearance1 may have been mistaken for a sail hoisted by the creature to catch the breeze1 while its long arms1 thrust up into the air or down into the water1 may have been thought to be masts or oars1 so that the poets are not so much to be blamed1 if they say as ,wordsworth does4 8,spread1 tiny ,nautilus1 the living sail1 ,dive at thy choice1 or catch the freshening gale40 ,nearly allied to the ,nautili are these beautiful fossil shells called ,ammonites1 from their fancied resemblance to the horns of a heathen deity or god1 called ,jupiter ,ammon4 ,these shells1 at once the wonder and pride of geologists1 are found in the chalk formations1 and thousands of years must have passed away since they were inhabited by living creatures4 ,the ,nautili which swam and sported with them at the depths of the ocean1 as is proved by the shells of many species found in the same chalky deposits1 have still their living representatives1 but those winding galleries and pearly chambers once fragile as paper and brittle as glass1 now turned into1 and surrounded by solid stone1 are all shells of extinct species1 and we can hardly see and handle them without some degree of awe and reverence2 when we reflect on the great and wonderful changes that have passed over the earth since they were formed by a hand divine1 instinct with the breath of life1 and then to be embedded in the rock as everlasting characters by which the unborn generations of men might read in history of those changes1 and of the providential dealings of ,god with his creatures4 ,of these ,ammonites1 and other fossil shells1 much more will have to be said in our proposed geological volume2 the poem which follows will very appropriately conclude the above remarks1 and our present little work on shells--beautiful1 wonderful shells6 useful1 ornamental1 instructive6 ,the subject is one which we would earnestly invite our young readers to study3 it is but here introduced2 we have picked up a few1 very few1 of the wonders and beauties of conchology1 and presented them to their notice in the hope that they may be induced to desire a more intimate acquaintance with this branch of natural science1 which has been hitherto greatly neglected4 ,to understand it thoroughly1 much attention and perseverance will be required1 but even a slight acquaintance with it will yield both pleasure and profit to the mind4 ,illustration3 ,,nautilus4 ,illustration3 ,,ammonite4 ,,the ,,nautilus ,,and ,,the ,,ammonite4 ,the ,nautilus and the ,ammonite1 ,were launched in storm and strife2 ,each sent to float in its tiny boat1 ,on the wide1 wild sea of life4 ,and each could swim on the ocean's brim1 ,and anon its sails could furl1 ,and sink to sleep in the great sea deep1 ,in a palace all of pearl4 ,and their's was a bliss more fair than this1 ,that we feel in our colder time2 ,for they were rife in a tropic life1 ,in a brighter1 happier clime4 ,they swam 'mid isles whose summer smiles ,no wintry winds annoy2 ,whose groves were palm1 whose air was balm1 ,whose life was only joy4 ,they roam'd all day through creek and bay1 ,and travers'd the ocean deep2 ,and at night they sank on a coral bank1 ,in its fairy bowers to sleep4 ,and the monsters vast of ages past1 ,they beheld in their ocean caves2 ,and saw them ride in their power and pride1 ,and sink in their billowy graves4 ,thus hand in hand1 from strand to strand1 ,they sail'd in mirth and glee2 ,those fairy shells1 with their crystal cells1 ,twin creatures of the sea4 ,but they came at last to a sea long past1 ,and as they reach'd its shore1 ,the ,almighty's breath spake out in death1 ,and the ,ammonite liv'd no more4 ,and the ,nautilus now in its shelly prow1 ,as o'er the deep it strays1 ,still seems to seek in bay and creek1 ,its companion of other days4 ,and thus do we1 in life's stormy sea1 ,as we roam from shore to shore2 ,while tempest-tost1 seek the lov'd--the lost1 ,but find them on earth no more6 ,g4 ,f4 ,,richardson4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,i4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,ii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iv4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,v4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vi4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,viii4 ,,index4 ,,page4 ,,introduction4 ,what are ,shells iii ,conchology iv ,beauty and ,value of ,shells vi ,uses of ,shells viii ,the ,inhabitants of ,shells xi ,malacology ib ,classification of ,shells xii ,taking and ,preserving ,shells xiii ,the ,cabinet ib ,on ,cleaning and ,polishing ,shells xv ,fossil ,shells ib ,,univalves4 ,the ,common ,snail #ah ,fresh-water ,shells #bc ,the ,whelk #bf ,rock ,shells #bg ,periwinkle #bi ,trochus1 or ,top-,shell #ca ,cones1 ,volutes1 ,mitres1 and ,olives #ce ,cowries #ch ,,bivalves4 ,the ,oyster #da ,pearls #di ,the ,mussel and the ,cockle #ea ,scallop ,shells #eg ,limpits #ei ,bock-borers #fa ,,multivalves4 ,the ,chitons #fc ,barnacles #fd ,cuttle ,fish #fg ,nautilus and ,ammonite #ga ,,works ,,by ,h4 ,g4 ,,adams4 ,second ,edition1 ,coloured ,illustrations1 elegantly bound1 price #cs4 #f;d4 ,,favourite ,,song ,,birds4 ,containing a description of the ,feathered ,songsters of ,britain1 with an account of their ,haunts1 ,habits1 and ,characteristic ,traits2 interspersed with choice passages from the ,poets1 and quotations from eminent ,naturalists4 ,in ,fcap4 #hvo4 cloth1 with ,vignette ,portraits1 price #fs4 #f;d4 ,a ,,cyclop,,dia ,,of ,,poetical ,,quotations4 ,consisting of ,choice ,passages from the ,poets of every age and country1 classified under distinct heads1 and alphabetically arranged for ready reference4 ,in ,fcap4 #hvo41 cloth1 with ,vignette ,portraits1 price #fs4 #f;d4 ,a ,,cyclop,,dia ,,of ,,sacred ,,poetical ,,quotations4 ,classified and arranged under ,subject ,headings1 illustrated by striking ,passages from ,scripture1 and forming altogether a ,complete ,book of ,devotional ,poetry4 ,,the ,,young ,,naturalist',s ,,library4 ,price #as4 each1 in ,ornamental ,cover2 #as4 #f;d41 ,cloth ,gilt4 ,i4 ,,nests ,,and ,,eggs ,,of ,,familiar ,,british ,,birds4 ,with ,eight ,plates1 containing ,forty-eight ,figures of ,eggs1 drawn and coloured from ,nature4 ,,ii4 ,,beautiful ,,butterflies--,,british ,,species4 ,containing the ,history of a ,butterfly through all its changes and transformations2 with ,eight ,coloured ,plates1 illustrating ,twenty-two ,species4 ,,iii4 ,,beautiful ,,shells4 ,their ,nature1 ,structure1 and ,uses familiarly explained2 with ,eight ,coloured ,plates1 and numerous ,wood ,engravings4 ,,iv4 ,,humming ,,birds1 ,described and ,illustrated1 and an ,introductory ,sketch on their ,structure1 ,plumage1 etc42 with ,eight ,coloured ,plates1 and several ,wood ,engravings4 ,,london3 ,,groombridge ,,and ,,sons1 #e1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 ,,now ,,publishing4 ,,lowe',s ,,foreign ,,ferns4 ,a ,,natural ,,history ,,of ,,ferns1 ,exotic and ,british1 in ,monthly ,parts1 ,price ,one ,shilling2 each ,part containing ,four ,coloured ,plates1 and numerous ,wood ,engravings4 ,by ,e4 ,j4 ,,lowe1 ,,esq41 ,f4,r4,a4,s41 ,f4,g4,s41 etc4 8,it is really the cheapest work for its excellence we have ever seen40--,athenum4 ,a ,,history ,,of ,,british ,,birds4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4 ,a4 ,in #as4 ,parts1 ,royal #hvo42 each containing ,four ,accurately-,coloured ,engravings4 ,vol4 #e ,completed1 price #ags41 ,cloth ,gilt4 ,cases for binding the ,vols41 #bs4 each4 ,a ,,natural ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,nests ,,and ,,eggs ,,of ,,british ,,birds4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4 ,a41 ,in #as4 ,parts1 ,royal #hvo42 each containing ,four ,coloured ,plates4 ,vol4 #c ,completed1 price #bas4 ,cases for binding the ,vols41 #bs4 each4 ,a ,,natural ,,history ,,of ,,british ,,butterflies4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4 ,a4 ,in #a ,vol41 ,royal #hvo41 price #bjs4 ,it may also be had in #as4 ,parts4 ,case for binding the ,vol41 #bs4 ,a ,,bible ,,natural ,,history4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4 ,a4 ,in ,imperial #afmo41 price #ajs4 #f;d41 ,cloth1 with #afj ,coloured ,engravings4 ,to be had also in #bj ,parts at #f;d41 each containing ,eight ,coloured ,plates4 ,a ,,book ,,of ,,natural ,,history4 ,by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4 ,a4 ,in ,imperial #afmo41 price #ajs4 #f;d41 ,cloth1 with #afj ,coloured ,engravings4 ,,the ,,naturalist2 a ,magazine of ,natural ,history in all its branches4 ,conducted by the ,,rev4 ,f4 ,o4 ,,morris1 ,b4,a4 ,published on the #ast4 of each month in ,royal #hvo41 #bd pages1 price #f;d41 with occasional ,engravings4 ,,the ,,dahlia3 its ,history and ,cultivation1 with ,descriptions of all the best ,show ,flowers4 ,by ,,robert ,,hogg4 ,royal #hvo41 price #bs4 #f;d41 illustrated with ,nine ,coloured ,plates1 from ,original ,drawings1 expressly executed for this ,work1 by ,,james ,,andrews4 ,,the ,,indian ,,wife2 a ,tale4 ,by ,o4 ,s4 ,,round1 ,,esq4 ,price ,one ,shilling4 ,,london3 ,,groombridge ,,and ,,sons1 #e1 ,,paternoster ,,row4