LINNAEUS. 3 



111 the year 1735 Linnaeus published his first edition of the 

 Systema Naturce*, in which he divides the shells into 8 genera 

 only ; viz. Cochlea, Nautilus, Cyprea, Haliotis, Patella, Den- 

 toliuin. Concha, and Lepas, which were aug-mented in his 

 tenth edition, in the year 1758, to 32. In 1767 he published 

 the twelfth and last edition, which contains 35 genera and 807 

 species. 



Professor Gmelin published a thirteenth edition of the Sy- 

 stema Naturce in 1788, in which he has increased the number 

 of species to 2334 -f- ; but it abounds with errors, several spe- 

 cies being described twice over under different names ; the 

 references also are frequently erroneous. This edition has been 

 translated into English by Dr. Turton. 



Liniifeus may justly be considered as the first who succeeded 

 in arranging shells in any thing like a complete manner ; but 

 when we consider the small number known in his time, what 

 he has done must be considered rather as laying the founda- 

 tion of the science than as having brought it to perfection. If 

 we examine the different editions of the Systema Naturce, and 

 also the Museum Ludovices Ulricce, we find there are many 

 alterations and improvements introduced by him, as he be- 

 came acquainted with more species ; and no doubt, if he had 

 lived at the present time when the number known is so greatly 

 increased, he w^ould have made still more improvements. 



The propriety of increasing the number of genera has ap- 



* Linn. Trans, vol. 7. p. 176. + Ibid. p. 181. 



