lOii Beautiful S/ieUs. 



"\Ye liere give a representation of tliis sliell, and 

 also of the sliell of tlie pretty little Pearly Trigonia 

 {T. margaritacea), included in tlie Arcades family ; 

 this is a rare species, found only in the seas ot 

 Now Holland, 



SCALLOP SHELLS. 



Several species of Scallop Shells are found scat« 

 tered about on our shores ; they belong, as before 

 stated, to the family PcctinidcUj the meaning of 

 which term has been already explained. These shells 

 were called by Cuvier '' the Butterflies of the Ocean,^^ 

 on account of the various and beautiful colours 

 which they exhibit. Some of them are exceedingly 

 thin, and brittle as glass ; one species found in the 

 Arctic regions is as transparent as that substance, 

 and is therefore called P. vitreus, from the Latin for 

 glass, which is vitrcum. One of the commonest of 

 our native Scallops is the St. James's Cockle (P. 

 Jacohceus) . This shell is found in great plenty along 

 our southern coasts ; it is often referred to by old 

 writers, on account of having been commonly worn 

 in the hats of pilgrims to Palestine or the Holy 



