180 Dr. M atom's and Mr. Rackett's 



particularly rich in insects and shells, he was enabled to afford 

 abundant information to the lovers of both these orders of the 

 animal kingdom. The Mttseum Ludovica Ulrica Regince may be 

 considered as the best of Linnaeus's Testaceological works, and, 

 as it is so frequently quoted in the Systema, becomes, though 

 now very scarce in this country, of indispensable utility to the 

 scientific student. It describes 434 species of shells, and the re- 

 marks subjoined to the definitions of each are admirable for their 

 precision, minuteness, and regularity. This volume was pub- 

 lished in 1764 ; but, though posterior in date to that of the 10th 

 edition of the St/st. Nat., it retains the old divisions of Concha, and 

 Cochlea. The last of Linnams's works, viz. the Mantissa altera, 

 contains thirty-five species not described in any of the books al- 

 ready mentioned. — It ought to have been remarked in an earlier 

 part of this account, that our great author's Travels contain de- 

 scriptions of several species of Testacea at considerable length; 

 but, from the language in which these were written, they are of 

 little use to the English reader. The Iter Westro-gothiaim con- 

 tains one plate of shells, which, however, represents the univalves 

 reversed, as if they were all heterostrophous. 



In regard to the terms and peculiar descriptive manner adopted 

 by Linnaeus in this part of his labours, they are no less surprising 

 for their happy expressiveness, appropriateness, and utility, of 

 application, than in other departments of the science of nature, to 

 which he gave the same new aspect and stability of reformation. 

 They constitute a language of his own, — a language so eminently 

 subservient to the purposes for which it was calculated, that it 

 would alone be sufficient to mark the superior genius of Linnaeus. 

 At the same time we cannot hesitate to confess, that a few of 

 these terms, however strongly they may be warranted by the si- 

 militudes and analogies which they express, and Avhich when so 



pointed 



