CONCHOLOG) 
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Tor accumulation of rare and beautiful shells 
has ever been viewed as forming a wore elegant 
cabinet than any other department of natural 
history, not only from their easy arrangement, 
variety and beauty of colors, and singularity of 
Shape, but from their durability and facility of 
collection. They have hence become an _ inte- 
resting source of amusement and delight. 
It may be also here remarked, that the magni- 
ficent collections in British Natural History of the 
late Colonel Montague, consisting principally of 
shells from the counties of Cornwall, Devonshire, 
and Dorsetshire, have been purchased from his 
éxecutors, for the British Museum, at a great cost. 
But although it has been usual to consider 
Conchology merely as a source of amusement or 
ornament to tne collector, or as Gling up a depart- 
ment in one of the classes of Naturai History, we 
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