24; Fanciful Ideas for a Museum of Shells. 



the nest with part of the shell on their back ; a beautiful pro- 

 vision of nature in favour of those which are most assailable 

 by enemies. 



Mr. Bewick remarks, that " kingfishers are not so numer- 

 ous as might be expected from the number of eggs found in 

 their nests ; owing, probably, to the young being destroyed 

 by floods, which must often rise above the level of the holes 

 where they are bred." Whether the still greater quantity of 

 air assists in rendering the young kingfishers at their birth 

 more competent to encounter this additional risk, I am unable 

 to state. The departure of these birds to the coast, on the 

 approach of cold weather, may be accounted for on the sup- 

 position, that instinct has taught them that they are less likely 

 to be deprived of their food, by the effects of diminished tem- 

 perature, near large bodies of salt water : but some of your 

 readers may probably suggest other reasons and better. 



March 18. 1828. S. T. P. 



Art. VI. Fanciful Ideas for a National Museum of Shells, 



By CONCHILLA. 



Sir, 

 As your Magazine seems to embrace every branch of 

 natural history, I venture to lay before you the plan of a 

 national museum of shells, so contrived as to have a high 

 metaphysical relation to society in general. That shells are 

 capable of as much I will endeavour to show ; and in order 

 to prepare myself at least a serious hearing, I beg you to 

 reflect upon the importance which, at different times, has, by 

 all nations, been attached to shells. How can any man de- 

 spise a shell, when he reflects how many heroes of old were 

 not only content to quaff" nectareous draughts in shells in ho- 

 nour of their mistresses, but also to pour from them libations 

 to the gods themselves? How many of the poets also " tune 

 the vocal shell?" And more than all, the classic scholar will 

 find, that even the most gallant of the ancients allowed Venus 

 herself nothing more than a shell for a car. I have been led 

 particularly into these reflections from a tour which I lately 

 made through Holland. During my progress it was my good 

 fortune to visit Scheveningen, the little sea-port of the Hague, 

 where I employed the greater part of the day very agreeably 

 in the examination of a cabinet of shells. These were cer- 

 tainly neither rare nor arranged in a very scientific manner; 

 but there was altogether a novelty in their disposition which 



