148 Dr. Maton's and Mr. Rackett's 
Sloane, estimate the museum of our indefatigable naturalist, that 
he offered him 40001. for it some time before his death. The mode 
by which he was most successful in obtaining specimens consisted 
in engaging captains and surgeons of ships to bring home what- 
ever appeared to them curious in the countries which, they 
visited, directing their choice and assisting their judgment by 
distributing among them printed lists and instructions. At length 
he conceived the design of publishing engravings of the principal 
rarities contained in his museum, and in 1702 he commenced its 
execution, in the work entitled " Gazophytacium Natura et Artis" 
This was divided into decads, and illustrated by what he called 
" classical and topical catalogues," which, however, did not ex- 
hibit, any more than the plates themselves, even an outline of 
scientific order: neither were they any further descriptive than 
as they pointed out the native countries of the several subjects* 
and, occasionally, the commonly received appellations. Yet the 
work acquires considerable value from the accuracy with which 
most of the figures are executed, and from its having been so 
frequently referred to by Linnaeus; as long as whose writings are 
consulted the Gazophylacium of Petiver must remain in repute. 
A great number of the subjects had never been figured before, 
especially of the Testacea, some of which have not been duly no- 
ticed or referred to in descriptions of the correspondent species 
until within a very late period. There are about fifty English 
shells among the figures. This useful work was completed in 
two folio parts, each containing fifty plates, which, in another 
edition, were increased to the number of one hundred and fifty- 
six, and they comprehend in the whole three thousand figures. In 
the same volume with the latter edition of the Gazophylacium there 
are twenty-two plates of Amboyna and East Indian shells, with 
names, references, &c. and containing above four hundred figures 
(but 
