The CaUnet, 25" 



** He furnisTies his closet first, and fills 

 The crowded shelves with rarities of shells ; 

 Adds orient pearls, which from the wave he drew, 

 And all the sparkling stones of various hue." 



When live sliells_, as they are called — that is, 

 having the living fish in them — are obtained^ the 

 best plan is to place them in spirits of wine ; this- 

 at once deprives the inhabitant of life^ witliout 

 injuring the sliell, v^liicli should tlien be placed in 

 hot water for a time ; the body of the mollusk is 

 thus rendered firm^ and may be removed by means 

 of some pointed instrument. Care should be taken 

 to leave no portion of animal matter within, or 

 after a while it will become putrid, and give out 

 a stain, which w^ill show through and injure the 

 delicate markings of the shell. The surest, most 

 expeditious, and least troublesome mode of cleans- 

 ing a shell, is to place it in an ant heap for a day 

 or two ; the busy little insects will penetrate into 

 its inmost cavities, and remove hence all offending^ 

 matter. There will be no difficulty in this respect 

 with the multivalve and bivalve kinds, which are 

 only kept closed by means of a set of muscles, 

 which can be tightened or relaxed at the pleasure 

 of the animal within, and become powerless to 

 keep the shell closed as soon as that is dead* 



