SUGGESTIONS FOR BEGINNERS 
Whenever you collect shells it is well either to 
make a record or write a label stating where and 
when they were found. There are a number of 
things which you will wish to learn about them, 
three of which are as follows: their names, their 
structure, and the habits of the animals which con- 
structed them. This book is designed to enable you 
to obtain the names, so that yousmay be able to 
speak of your shells intelligently, and to suggest a 
proper mode of classification. It also gives hints 
concerning the structure and markings of the 
shells, and tells you some things about the habits of 
the mollusks to which they originally belonged. 
Very much, however, will depend upon your 
spirit of investigation. Never be satisfied to simply 
know the name of a shell, but go on to learn all you 
ean about the life of its former occupant. The 
more familiar you become with this book, the 
easier you will find the work of naming shells. 
Note the general plan and order of the chapters. 
Study the pictures carefully, and you will soon 
learn the probable place to turn for the description 
of an unknown shell. Consult the ‘‘List’’ freely, 
and put the number of the species on your labels. 
This will help in classification. If you have oppor- 
tunity, look up the references and consult other au- 
thorities. 
