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XIV. P.bfervaJiotts .on tire Hinges of Brit'ifb B'lvohff Shells. 

 , By Mr. WUllam Wood, F.L.S. 

 Read January 6, 1801. 



Among the many authors who have either noticed fhells in 

 their works on Natural Hiftory, or have written profefledly on the 

 fubjeft, it is rather extraordinary that no particular attention fhould 

 have been hitherto paid to their hinges ; more efpecially as they 

 afford the leading characters by which fhells are arranged. 



Da Gofta, indeed, in his Elements of Conchology, has figured 

 the hinges of the feveral genera of bivalves ; but many of them are 

 not calculated to give a clear idea of the parts which they are in- 

 tended to reprefent : befides, he has confined himfelf to one fpecies 

 in a genus, vihich is by no means fufficient, inafmuch as many of 

 the hinges of the fame genus of fhells differ materially from one 

 another in their fpecific charaders. 



Figures on this fubjeft have been given alfo in the laft volume of 

 the Amanitates Academica ; but thefe are more calculated to miflead 

 than to inflruft. The confideration that fomething of this kind, 

 executed in a more accurate and comprehenfive manner than has 

 hitherto been done, is flill a defideratum among conch ologifts, has 

 induced me to attempt the following obfervations, which I lay be- 

 fore the Society with all diffidence, confcious that they are far 

 from being faultlefs, and that fome fhells are omitted which may, 



6 for 



