Vlll PREFACE, 



whose experience in the scrutiny of Na- 

 ture's laws is, at least, not inferior to that 

 of any other man, — among those, there 

 are, probably, some who have been pre- 

 vented from availing themselves of his me- 

 thod of arrangement, by the want of an 

 elementary introduction, a key to the un- 

 derstanding of his Catalogue of Shells, as 

 translated by Dr. Turton, the only general 

 catalogue in English, that is at present 

 extant. 



It is with a'vievv in some degree to sup- 

 ply this deficiency, and to engage a more 

 discrimiuating attention to the beautiful 

 and interesting collections of shells which 

 are so frequently found in the cabinets of 

 those who know not how to value them, 

 as well as in the superb museums of the 



