On Cleaning and Polishing Shells. 27 
ON CLEANING AND POLISHING SHELLS. 
All shells, whether inhabited or not, when 
taken, should be soaked for a while in hot water, 
to remove the dirt which may adhere to them, and 
dissolve the saline (that is, salt) particles contained 
in the sea water; they should then be thoroughly 
dried, and if, as is the case with many, they natu- 
rally possess a good polish, they are at once fit for 
the cabinet. Generally, however, it happens that 
when shells are dry, they lose much of the peculiar 
brilliancy of hue which they possess when seen 
through the medium of the glstening water; to 
restore this, wash them over with a thin solution of 
gum arabic, or white of egg. Some collectors use 
a varnish made of gum mastic, dissolved in spirits 
of wine; this is, perhaps, preferable, as it is not 
affected by moisture. Many shells have a very 
plain, dull appearance, in consequence of being 
covered over with a kind of skin called an epi- 
dermis, a word derived from the Greek, and signify- 
ing the outer skin, sometimes called the cuticle. 
To remove this, soak the shell in warm water for 
some time, and then rub it over with a stiff brush 
until the covering is removed; should this be very 
thick, it will be necessary to mix a little nitric 
