INTRODUCTION". Jj, 



And here It may not be unacceptable to inform future Inquirers that, in 

 order to facilitate the more eafy difcovery of thefe minute obje6ls, after the 

 Sand was perfedly dry, I put a handful on an open (heet of paper, and gently 

 fhook it from fide to fide, by which means, the minute Shells being lighter 

 than the fand, were feparated from and lay above it, and were thereby m.uch 

 more expeditioufly procured, than by any other means I could think of. 

 It is alfo advifeable to place the objefts for infpe6lion in a fituation where 

 no fudden blaft of air can come, otherwife, being very light, they may be 

 unexpectedly blown away, as I have too frequently experienced thereby the 

 lofs of feveral rare fpecimens ; indeed a carelefs breathing or cough, while 

 they were under examination, hath been attended with the fame difagreeable 

 accident. 



I beg leave to obferve to Gentlemen, efpecially to thofe who have read 

 Plancus's treatife, that, although the Sand of our coaft contains fo great a 

 variety of fpecimens, yet it is by no means (o produftive as the Sand at 

 Rimino, leaft, defpairing of fuccefs in their fiiffc tiials, they may be induced 

 to lay afide their further inquiries ; they cannot fail however of finding feme 

 of the mofl common in every parcel of it. 



The undertaking to make the enlarged drawings by the Microfcope exatSl, 

 from my want of practice, and the fmallnefs of the objects, was a matter of 

 more difficulty than I was aware of, and required much time and patience to 



overcome. Perfeverance however hath enabled me to reprefent the objedls, 



not only to the fatisfadion of my two worthy friends, Mr. Jacob and 

 Mr. Boys, but alfo of that moil noble Lady her Grace the Dutchefs Dowager 

 of Portland, who hath been pleafed to accept oF feveral of the minute 

 Shells here engraved, and whofe generous approbation and afiiftance in this 

 publication can never be forgotten without the hightfl ingratitude. To this 

 noble patronage I am happy to add, that of the veiy rcfpeftable and con- 

 fummate naturalirt Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart. Prtfident of the Royal Society, 

 who hath condefccnded, not only to compare the drawings with a confiderable 



number 



