132 THE ELEMENTS 



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those of warm climates have in general 

 a finer polish, and exceed all others in 

 point of colouring. 



There is great deception practised 

 by the dealers in shells, by which 

 means they easily impose on those 

 who are unacquainted with them. If 

 a shell happens to have the lip broken, 

 they take a common file, and form it 

 anew ; thereby the character of the 

 shell is completely altered. Some go 

 so far as even to form a canal, to imi- 

 tate rare shells, and also counterfeit 

 stria? : when they have accomplished 

 this, they then imitate the external 

 colouring, and finish the whole by a 

 coat of varnish. The shells they thus 

 transform are, in general, worn speci- 

 mens, which are of no earthly use ; 

 though in some instances good shells 

 are sacrificed to obtain their ends. 



Much might be here said on the 

 arts practised to alter, patch up, and 

 beautify shells ; but this has no con- 



