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there are twelve thousand species at the present lime 

 living on this world, each obeying this same law, yet 

 each in a different manner, and before these existed 

 fifteen thousand species inhabitants of the old world 

 obeyed a similar law. 



It is to the animal which has once occupied the shells 

 in our cabinets that we are indebted for them, therefore 

 the interest attached to their economy is very great, 

 Each shell, whether it be a bivalve or a univalve is the / 

 aggregate working of an endless number of diminutive ; 

 membranous cells less mostly than the thousandth part 

 of an inch in diameter, these contain in their tiny cavi- 

 ties the crystalline carbonate of lime by which they are 

 formed; this lime proceeding from the food they live upon. 

 How wonderful must be this law of nature, when we 

 reflect that each species produces shells always so 

 exactly alike as to be at once recognized, and when we 

 further consider the endless diversity of form and colour, 

 it is in the highest degree exulting to ponder on the 

 wisdom therein displayed of an all-wise Creator. 



The bivalves are lowest in the order of creation pos- 

 sessing no actual head. The blood of all molluscs is white, 

 and the animals crawl upon their bellies although it is 

 customary to call this portion of the animal the sole of 

 the foot. Some species masticate their food with teeth, 

 others suck in ibeir nourishment. 



It may b'e interesting to know from what the family 

 name of some of the shells have been derived. Thus 

 ancylus is from the latin ancile, a sacred shield; ano- 

 donta, signifying without teeth ; clausilia from clauclo to 

 shut [in reference to the power of shutting itself within 

 the shell] ; cyclas, orbicular ; helix a spiral line; limax 

 a slug ; niritina hollow ; paludina (rom palus a marsh ; 

 patella from a pearl ; valvata from valva a folding door ; 

 and f itrina from vitrum glass. 



Molluscous animals have soft bodies, and are destitute 

 d 



