OF CONCHOLOGY. 135 



this cautiously with a feather, to the 

 places you wish removed, for a very 

 short period, it will soon decompose 

 the extraneous matter : two minutes 

 at a time is as long as it can with 

 safety be applied, but one minute's 

 application often has the desired effect: 

 it should then be immersed in cold 

 water, and the parts well scrubbed 

 with a nail-brush and soap. Should 

 the crust not be entirely removed, 

 this process may be repeated, but the 

 greatest care is to be used not to allow 

 the acid to touch the inside, as it will 

 instantly remove the fine enamelled 

 surface. Some are so cautious as to 

 melt bees* wax, and coat the parts of 

 the shell they do not wish touched 

 with the acid. 



When water is used too hot, in the 

 first process, it often makes the fine 

 polished surface crack in a thousand 

 directions. 



After the process of corrosion, some 



