164 Dr. Maton's and Mr. Uackett's 
of the greatest naturalists the world has known, and will find that 
this composition (which had not before made its appearance in 
print) deserves to have had a place among the most important of 
his works. Besides the great number of new and expressive terms 
which were introduced into Testaceology, the genera constructed 
by Tournefort exhibit infinitely more science and precision than 
those of any preceding writer in the same branch. His classes are 
analogous to those which had begun to be in general use, namely, 
Univalvia, Bivahia, and Multivalvia ; but this author preferred the 
terms Mvnotoma, Ditoma, and Tolytoma* The classes are di- 
vided into familia, the characters of which are drawn chiefly 
from the general habit and contour; whereas those of the genera 
are founded in a great measure on the mouth or hinge, accord- 
ing as the shell is simple or vaived. Besides Toumefort's sys- 
tem, our author gives a specimen of that of Breynius ; but he 
adheres to Langius's, with the exception of the class Polytotna, 
borrowed from the first-mentioned writer. In the 110 plates which 
accompany Gualtieri's work are given figures of the most rare 
shells of the Asiatic and African shores ; several of which were 
very indifferently engraved by Buonanni and other authors, and 
many (especially of the Coni, Helices, and Neritce,) do not appear 
to have been engraved before. It must be remarked, however* 
that many of the subjects from which the drawings were made 
appear to have suffered from the polish of the dealer, and the 
outline is not always given with scrupulous fidelity : yet, upon 
the whole, the Index Testarum of Gualtieri is an useful and mas:- 
nificent work, and deserves a place among those which are most 
worthy of being consulted and referred to. As this did honour 
to Italy, so, in the same year, did that of 
D'ARGEN- 
