and of little value: some rare varieties are, 

 however, occasionally found. Of the land- 

 shells we are quite ig'norant ; we are therefore 

 ansious to obtain them. A ship, in which the 

 Author was an officer, sounded on a coral reef 

 of great extent, in the channel of iMosanibique, 

 from whence, and nearer the island, he pro- 

 cured some fine specimens. 



The Red Sea and its islands produce man^- 

 fine shells. Lord Valentia, (now Earl Mount- 

 nurris), durinj:;; his tiavels in those part*, dis- 

 covered some new varieties. I take this oppor- 

 tunity of acknowledging; his Lordship's genero- 

 sity, in presenting me with his duplicates. 



We know notliing of the shells that occur on 

 liie eastern coast of Al'rica, until we arrive at 

 Zanzibar and ]Mosambique : from these coasts 

 \\ e have received a few interesting varieties, and 

 immense quiuuilies of the commonest class of 

 cow ries, which are biought liome by the ships 



