22 Beautiful. Shells. 
These words are derived from the Latin, unus— 
one, bi—two, multus—many, and therefore it may 
at once be seen that they apply to shells having 
one, two, or several pieces or divisions. Valve 
comes from the Latin valva, and means a folding 
door, a lid, a piece moving on a hinge, as the 
divisions in several of these shells do. 
This order of arrangement is generally followed 
by those who make a collection of shells for a 
cabinet; and to this we shall adhere, as at once 
the most simple and convenient, when we come to 
describe the several species of testaceous mollusks. 
We will now say a few words on 
TAKING AND PRESERVING SHELLS. 
A diligent searcher along any beach or coast 
line will be sure sometimes to light upon curious 
and valuable specimens, and especially after violent 
storms may such be sought for, with the greatest 
chance of success, for the agitation of the waters 
will then have loosened them from their natural 
beds and dwelling-places, and cast:them on the 
shore. Very frequently, however, they will be so 
beaten about and defaced, that they will be compa- 
ratively valueless; if enveloped in tangled masses 
