2 MULTIVALVES, BIVALVES, UNIVALVES. 



" Probably because you are better acquainted 

 with plants," observed his father, Mr. Elliot, 

 who had just entered the room : '' however, the 

 great naturalist, to whom you are indebted for 

 your knowledge of plants, did not consider shells 

 as objects beneath his attention." 



" You mean Linnaeus,"' said Lucy ; '' then he, 

 I suppose, separated shells into the three different 

 divisions — MulthvalveSy Bivalves^ and Uni- 

 valves.''' 



" You are right, Lucy," replied her father. 



'• Pray show me some bivalve shells," said 

 Charles ; '* I want to know their forms. A bivalve 

 is a shell with two openings, as I should imagine : 

 yes, I see that I am right, for you have given 

 me an oyster and a cockle." 



" Here are also Venus, TelVnui, Dona,x\ Area, 

 and Pinna,'"' observed Mr. Elliot, " all very easy 

 to distinguish." 



** 'The ancbor'd pinna and his cancer friend,' " 



repeated Charles. " So the Pinna is a bivalve ; 

 but what has Ve7ius to do with the matter ?" 



" That is very easy to understand,'"* said Lucy : 

 " the genus called by her name is remarkable for 

 beauty." 



" Now, Charles," said Mr. Elliot, " do you 

 clearly comprehend the verse that you have just 

 repeated .^" 



" I have heard that the Pinna is a shell-fish. 



