182 Dr. Maton's and Mr. Rackett's 



rable in this part of the Si/stema, Avith which he seems to have 

 been less conversant than -with any other; and so little dependence 

 is there on his references and synonyms, that the same figure is 

 frequently found to be (quoted for species most widely different 

 from one another; and even the same species, in more than one 

 instance, is described twice. A writer who should undertake to 

 rectify these errors would perform a truly valuable service to Tes- 

 taceology. Such an opportunity presented itself to a country- 

 man of ours, who has recently put the Si/sf. Nat. into an English 

 dress, and Avho has professed having availed himself of the im- 

 provements and additions of later naturalists; yet we cannot find 

 that Dr. TURTON has done more than having trodden in the 

 steps of Gmelin, not perceiving even the most glaring of his 

 inadvertencies. It would be wholly useless and superfluous, 

 therefore, to assign any place to the English editor of Linnaeus's 

 Systema but that of a mere translator. 



The remark we have made relative to the comparatively small 

 number of rare species figured by Seba is applicable also to the 

 superb and costly Avork of 



REGENFUS, 



which, though it reflects honour on the artist and on the monarch 

 by whom he was patronized, has conferred but little benefit on 

 Testaceology as a science. It contains twelve beautifully coloured 

 plates, in imperial folio, each plate compehending twelve shells. 

 The descriptive part (which is in both French and Danish, and 

 was the work of Professor Kratzenstein and Dr. Ascanius,) is pre- 

 ceded by a full list of authors, and by an account of the prin- 

 cipal cabinets of shells at that time existing in Denmark. Front- 

 ing each plate is a good table of synonyms, which may be consi- 

 dered as one of the most useful parts of the work ; but the spe- 

 cies 



