200 Dr. M axon's and Mr. Rackf.xx's 



scriptivc part of the museum, appeared the sumptuous and splen- 

 did folio which illustrates it by eighteen admirable engravings 

 (containing upwards of 200 coloured figures), besides vignettes 

 and other ornamental appendages. This volume cannot be said 

 to have been surpassed by any similar performance, either in 

 elegance or utility, and may justly be considered as one of the 

 most valuable works of which the lover of shells can become 

 possessed. 



In 1776 were published the " Elements of Conchology " of 



DA COSTA. 



As this author wrote after Linnaeus* it might be expected that 

 a system, in which he professes to differ materially from that great 

 naturalist, would have contained some important improvements. 

 It is worthy of remark, however, that, after abusive strictures on 

 the Linnean system, Mr. da Costa builds his own chiefly on the 

 general characters which Linnaeus himself has made use of. For 

 example, the turbinated univalves are characterized by the shape 

 of the aperture, and the bivalves by the nature of the hinge. When 

 the student is informed that he must make himself acquainted 

 with four orders, sixteen families, and thirty-nine g<??w« of uni- 

 valves, and with three orders, sixteen families, and twenty-three 

 genera of bivalves and multivalves, before he arrives at specific 

 distinctions, none of which our author considers in this perform- 

 ance, he Avill most probably abandon the new system in disgust. 

 It cannot but be acknowledged that the volume contains some 

 judicious remarks on the study of this branch of natural history, 

 and on the authors who have treated of it. There are also useful 

 instructions for collecting, cleaning, and preserving specimens. 

 Still more acceptable to the public were two other works of this 

 author; one of which, however, was on too extensive a scale to 



admit 



