Historical Account of Testaceohgical Writers. lG5 
kinds of natural curiosities, shells forming no inconsiderable part 
of the cabinet. Though the works now alluded to came forth in 
Dutch and Latin, yet the Biblia Natura soon assumed an English 
dress; and its latest edition by Hill, containing the translation 
made by Floyd and notes copied from Reaumur, was a very ac- 
ceptable addition to the libraries of our countrymen. 
PLANCUS, 
of Arimini, published a curious book on shells found on the shores 
of the Adriatic, with an account of the tides in that sea: there 
are descriptions in it also of several marine productions besides 
Testacca, which, with the latter, are figured in five plates. Some 
of the species so nearly resemble the Cornua Ammonis, both in- 
ternally and externally, that the author might almost have been 
warranted in asserting the existence of recent specimens of those 
remarkable shells, so frequent in the fossilized state. The first 
edition of Plancus's work, " dc Conchis minus not is" was printed 
at Venice in 1739; the second at Home in 176*0, with nineteen 
more plates than appeared in the former, which contained only 
five; and in these five some additional figures are inserted. 
In the year 1742 appeared the splendid and valuable work of 
GUALTIERI, 
entitled " Index Testarum Conchyliorum qua adservantur in Musceo 
Nicolai Guaitieri, Fhilosophi et Medici Florentini" Sec. The author, 
in his preface, gives some account of the books that had been 
published before his time; he also exhibits a system composed by 
TOURNEEORT, whose manuscripts on this subject had been 
presented to Guaitieri by Professor Targioni. The curious reader 
cannot fail to be interested in whatever came from the pen of one 
i 2 of 
