ARRANGING SHELLS. 219 



great lustre, even although many of the shells should be dim 

 in their natural state. 



Oiling shells has a wonderful effect in restoring their 

 colours, when obscured by the surface being somewhat de- 

 composed, and of a chalky appearance. If not too much 

 decomposed, the spots and colours will have all their original 

 freshness. Shells are composed of animal matter and lime, 

 and when they are decomposed, it is from the animal matter 

 being set at liberty by the action of some acid : consequently, 

 the application of oil is a substitute for the animal mattei 

 which they had lost. 



SIMPLE METHODS OF ARRANGING CABINETS. 



The most simple method of arranging shells in a cabinet, 

 is to place them in boxes or trays made of card-paper. First 

 cut white cards of the size you wish the boxes (if they may 

 be so termed) ; then take a pair of steel dividers which are 

 fixed with a screw, and set them to the size the depth of the 

 sides is wished ; place the card upon a piece of pasteboard, 

 and draw the dividers along the surface, one leg being guided 

 by the edge of the card; press pretty hard so as to make a 

 deep groove ; then cut out the corners, and press up the 

 sides, which will be found to stand quite stiff; but if great 

 nicety is wanted, a piece of paper may be pasted on the cor- 

 ners. On the bottom of every box should be written the 

 name of the shell it contains, with its country and habitat ; 

 a reference to some author who describes it; and such other 

 remarks as may be thought necessary. 



My friend Mr. Nichol, Lecturer on Natural Philosophy, 

 has a remarkably neat method of preserving his shells: it is 

 by attaching conical or raised pieces of cork to pasteboard ; 

 they are made to fit as nearly as possible the size of the 

 apertures of univalve shells, which completely prevents them 

 from rolling about in the drawers, and then it has this advan- 

 tage, that the shells can be taken in the hand and examined 

 on all sides. 



Another plan is to attach all the shells to pieces of thick 

 t2 



