ij^ C O N C H L O G Y. 



The particular charader of this family 

 I make to be the deep toothing on the in- 

 ner edges of the lips, which diftinguiflies 

 it from the foregoing family of Semipor- 

 cellanae. Linnaeus has kept to this cha- 

 rn£ler; but Grew, Lifter, Argenville, Gual- 

 tieri, and others, not regarding it, have 

 confounded them all together. 



The Cowries are extremely numerous, 

 and moft of the fpecies very beautiful in 

 colour and polifh. They have this elegant 

 polifh even from the fea, naturally, or 

 without the aid of art ; and were they not 

 common Shells, would perhaps be as highly 

 valued as the Volutes or any others. 



It id of no importance to enumerate any 

 of the kinds. I (hall only remark, that 

 they feem to be litoral Shells, and chiefly 

 to inhabit the feas round Iflands ; for the 

 greateft number of them are found at the 

 Moluccas, the Maldives, Madagafcar, the 

 Weft India iflands, &c. 



Though 



