S6 



CONCHOLOGY. 



IhtUs which have the appearance of a vulva ; crolieis, mi- 

 ti es, papal crouns, Pcru.in and Ethiopian crowns, tower of 

 Eabel,&c. are very beautifu! and coltlydiells, be:iriiii;fninii- 

 t^ide to the orders from whence they take their name. The 

 tiger, the bear's paw, the crane, the duck's foot, the fpur, 

 the fpoon-hinge, the tun, the bafon, the acorn, green 

 peas, the barnacle, the knife-handle, the gaper, the 

 plough, the cock's-comb, the fwallow, the melon, the 

 helmet, the cylinder, the needle, the ribbon, the furbe- 

 low, the grimace, the mafk, the olive, the cone, the poach- 

 ed egg, the fig, the turnip, the harp, the gold-moutli, the 

 filver-mouth, the dolphin, are all (hells merely defjgna- 

 tjve ot the things after which they are named, and where- 

 in are formed Jbme kind of relcmblance. Tlie buccina 

 and murices are many of them fliells of fnch ifrange fi- 

 gures, that thtry have given rife to appellatives equally 

 Itrange and vulgar; fuch as devils, fpideis, hump-backs, 

 devil's-claws, prongs, fkeletons, the grubs, the thorny 

 woodcock, ijc. Hence it is evident that trivial names 

 may be applied to (hells as far as the fptcies go, or as that 

 the fanciful imagination and invention of man can polii- 

 bly extend. 



The aflimilation of the names of (hells to fo many com- 

 mon objetts, is fuppofed to have firft introduced to the in- 

 genuity of man, the notion of (liell-work ; many elegant 

 Specimens of which are to be feen in the colleftions of 

 toLichologills ; in ornamental devices in noblemen's feats j 

 in hermitages, and in grottos. One of the moll magni- 

 iicent decorations of this kind in England, is the grotto 

 at Goodwood Park in Su(fex, called C.irneus feat, or grove 

 of Apollo, executed with iuptrior judgment and talte by 

 the delicate hand of the late duchefj of Richmond. 



Of collecting, CLEANING, and PRESERVING, 

 SHELLS. 



Conchologifts who are judicious in the choice of (liells, 

 and who value them in proportion to their fiiranefs and 

 elegance of decoration, always endeavour to obtain luch 

 as have been filhcd up alive ; for it is found that live (iiells 

 only bear the full glow of their natural colours. All 

 Ipecies of (liell filh, like other animals, have their parti- 

 cular retorts ; Ibme are pelagian, or inhabit only the deeps 

 of the fea ; others keep in le(s depths; ibme in (hallows 

 and in bays ; and fome are littoral, or inhabit the very 

 lliores. However, let their reforts be where they may, 

 all (hells (liould be procured from the deepell parts of 

 thofe reforts, and immediately after (forms on the fea 

 beaches and (hores ; bceaule, if much expoled to the fun, 

 their colours fade, and they are liable to other accidents 

 that injure them. In order to kill the filh, without in- 

 jury to the (hell. Da Cofta advifes to give them .-^ quick 

 dip in boiling water, and when they are cooled, to lay 

 them in cold water till they are cleaned; and in this 

 operation they (hould not be touched svith aquafortis, or 

 any other acid, nor ex|)ofed to the heat of the fire and lun. 



'J~he art of polifhlng ihells has but lately arrived at its 

 prefent high Itate of perfeilion ; and as the tafte for col- 

 lecling fea-(hells is become fo general, it may not l)e dil- 

 agreeable to the reader to find lome inllru^itions in exe- 

 cuting fo pleating a method of adding to their natural 

 beauty, the rules for which arc at prelent little kuowu, 

 though the etfed be lb much elleemed. Among the im- 

 menle variety of lltells which prefent themfelves to our 

 relearch, fome are fiken out of the fea, or found on its 

 fhores, in all their native perfeflion and beauty; their 

 colours being all fpread upon thefurface, and their natu- 

 ral polidi luperior to any thiifg that art could give. Where 

 nature in hcrftlf is thus perfeft, it were madnefs to at- 

 tempt to add any thing to her charms ; but in cafes where 

 the beauties are latent and covered with a coarler (kin, 

 art is to be called in, and the outer veil removed, that all 

 the internal beauties may appear. 



Among the lliells which are found naturiilly poliflied 

 are the porcelains, or cowries ; thecaihdes; the conchae 

 globol'sc, or tuns; lome buccina, the volutes, and the cy- 



linders, or olives, or, as they are often, though impro- 

 peily, called the rke//il>i; excepting only two or three, as 

 the liaia, the plum, and tne butter-tub rhombus, where 

 there is an unpromiling film on the furf.ice, hiding a great 

 (hare of be.uity within. Though the fiiells of tht(e ge- 

 nera are t ikcn out of the fea in all their beauty, and in 

 their utmoft n.iiural poli(h, yet there are feverai other ge- 

 nera, in which all or mrit of the Ipecies are taken up na- 

 turally toul, and covered with an epidermis, or coarfe 

 outer (kin, which is in many very opaque and rough. 

 The tellinae, the mulcles, the cochleae, and many others, 

 are of this kind. Rigid naturaiills intift upon having all 

 (liells in their native and genuine appearance, as they are 

 found when living in the lea; but the judicious concho- 

 logill contrives to have the fame (hells in different fpeci- 

 mens both rough and poliflied ; becaufe, by this means, 

 befides knowing the outfide of the (hell, he becomes bet- 

 ter acquainted with its internal iiruflure, and has the 

 additional pleafure of comparing the beauties of the (hell, 

 in its wrought ftate, to the coarfe appearance nature has 

 given it. How many elegancies in this part of the crea- 

 tion would be wholly lolt to us, if it were not for the 

 alliltance of an art of this kind ! Many fliells in their 

 native liate are like rough diamonds ; and we can form 

 no ju!t idea of their beauties, till they have been polilhed 

 and wrought into form. 



Though the art of poli(hing (hells is evidently a valu- 

 able one, yet it is very dangerous to the (liells ; for with- 

 out the utmoft care, the method uted to polifh and beau- 

 tify a (hell, often deliroys it. When a (hell is to be poliflied, 

 the firlt thing to be examined is, whether it have natu- 

 rally a (mooth furface, or be covered with tubercles or 

 prominences. A fhell which has a fmooth lurface, and a 

 natural dull polilh, need only be rubbed with the hand, 

 or with a piece of chamois leather, with fome tripoli, or 

 fine rotten (tone, and it will become perfectly bright and o( 

 a fine polilli. Emery is not to be trulled on this occafion, 

 becauie it wears away too much of the (hell. This oper.a- 

 tion requires the hand of an experienced perfon, that 

 knows how delicate the work mull be, and where he is 

 to (lop ; tor ill many of thefe (hells the lines are only on 

 the (urtace, and the wearing away ever fo little of the 

 fliell defaces them. A fliell that is rough, foul, and crul- 

 ty, or covered with a tartareous coat, mult: be left a con- 

 hderable time (teeping in hot water ; when it has imbibed 

 a large quantity of this, it is to be rublied with rough 

 emery on a Hick, or iiiraped with a knife, in order to get 

 o(f the coat. After this, it may be dipped in diluted aqua- 

 fortis, Ipirit of (alt, or any other acid ; and after reu.ain- 

 iiig a few moments in it, be again plunged into common 

 water. This will add greatly to tlie Ipeed of the work. 

 After this it is to be well rubbed with linen cloths, im- 

 pregnati-d with common (oap ; and, when by thcle means 

 it is made perfcilly clean, the polKhing is to be finiihed 

 with fine emery and a hair-brulh. If after this the fliell, 

 when dry, appears not to have lo good a poli(h as it ought, 

 it mull be rubbed over with a (olution ot gum arable ; 

 and this will add greatly to its glofs, without doing it the 

 (malltft injury. The gum-water mud not be too thick, 

 and then it gives no fenfible coat, onlylieightening the 

 colours. The white of an egg anfwers this purpoic alio 

 very well; but it is fubjeel to turn yellow. If the (hell 

 has an epidermis which will by no means admit the po- 

 lifli, it is to be dipped leveral times in diluted aquafortis, 

 that it may be eaten off; and then the (licU is to be ))0- 

 lilhed in the ufual way with putty, fine emery, or tripoli, 

 on the hair of a fine brufli. When it is only a pellicle that 

 hides the colours, the (hells mull be (tetped in hot water, 

 and after that the (kin worked off by drgrces with a Imooih 

 file. This is often the cafe with I'evcral of the cylinders, 

 which 'liavt: not the natural polilh of the reft. 



V/hen a Ihell is covered with a thick and fatty epider- 

 mis, as in feverai of the mulclcs and telliiia; j in this cale 

 aquafortis will do no iervice,as it will not touch the ikin ; 

 then a rough brulh and coarfe emery are to be uled ; and 

 ^ if 



