273 



CHAPTER XLIV, 



WORDS ! WORDS ! NOTHING BUT WORDS ! 



Supposing the reader to have received from the preceding 

 cha]3ters some general idea of British Mollusca, — their na- 

 ture and habits, how they live and where they wander, — and 

 to have had awakened within him an interest in the sub- 

 ject, he will naturally desire to know by what means a further 

 acquaintance may be made with them. He may perhaps be 

 dis|3osed to obtain a more particular knowledge of their 

 natural characters and of their artificial classification. For 

 this purpose, it will be necessary to consult books of more 

 extensive information and of higher scientific pretension 

 than this. In such books however the inquirer will meet 

 with difficulties for which he was not prepared. In the 

 present work, thus far, the writer has endeavoured to convey 

 an impression of the subjects, by means of language such 

 as would be used in describing familiar things in every-day 



T 



