148 Dr. Maton's and Mr. Rackett'^s 



Sloanc, estimate the museum of our indefatigable naturalist, that 

 he offered him 40001. for it some time before his death. The mode 

 by which he was most successful in obtaining specimens consisted 

 in engaging captains and surgeons of ships to bring home what- 

 ever appeared to them curious in the countries which they 

 visited, directing their choice and assisting their judgment by 

 distributing among them printed lists and instructions. At length 

 he conceived the design ofpublishmg engravings of the principal 

 rarities contained in his miiseum, and in 1702 he commenced its 

 execution, in the work entitled " Gazophylacmm Natures et Artis." 

 This was divided into decads, and illustrated by what he called 

 " classical and topical catalogues," which, however, did not ex- 

 hibit, any more than the plates themselves, even an outline of 

 scientific order: neither were they any further descriptive than 

 as they pointed out the native countries of the several subjects^ 

 and, occasionally, the commonly received appellations. Yet the 

 work acquires considerable value from the accuracy with which 

 most of the figures are executed, and from its having been so 

 frequently referred to by Linnaeus; as long as whose writings are 

 consulted the Gazophjlucium of Petiver must remain in repute. 

 A great number of the subjects had never been figured before, 

 especially of the Testacea, some of which have not been duly no- 

 ticed or referred to in descriptions of the correspondent species 

 until Avithin a very late period. There are about fifty English 

 shells among the figures. This useful work was completed in 

 two folio parts, each containing fifty plates, which, in another 

 edition, w ere increased to the number of one hundred and fifty- 

 six, and they comprehend in the whole three thousand figures. In 

 the same volume with the latter edition of the Gazophylacium there 

 are twenty-two plates of Amboyna and East Indian shells, with 

 names, references, &c. and containing above four hundred figures 



(but 



