PREFACE. 



executed under the auspices of the French Government, which, 

 on account of their enormous cost, are as sealed books to the 

 naturaUsts of this country ; and he will be mainly indebted for 

 information on their habits and circumstances of existence to 

 the enterprising exertions of Hugh Cuming, Esq., whose free 

 manner of communicating the different incidents which arrested 

 his attention during fourteen years of indefatigable research, 

 cannot be spoken of in too high terms. The numerous obser- 

 vations made by this eminent traveller both in the Eastern and 

 Western Hemisphere, and his valuable collection of shells with 

 the soft parts in spirits, furnish matter of much interest and 

 importance. 



It is somewhat difficult in a work treating only of " shells and 

 the animals which produce them," to avoid referring occasionally 

 to some of those allied genera of mollusks which are entirely 

 naked ; the occasions however are few, and may be easily un- 

 derstood by referring to the writings of De Blainville, Deshayes, 

 D'Orbigny, Alder and Hancock, or any other malacological 

 author. 



The Elements of Conchology are addressed exclusively to 

 the * Collector of Shells'; and the author desires the work to be 

 simply recorded as an effort to induce a more legitimate tone 

 of enquiry amongst amateur conchologists, into the nature and 

 origin of those beautiful objects which afford them so much 

 intellectual recreation, and proclaim 



" The wisdom infinite 

 That brought them forth, but liid theii' causes deep." 



Kinu William Street, Strand. 

 February -iOth, 1846. 



