INTRODUCTION. / 



frequently lose their delicate spines and foliations, by 

 being suffered to remain beating about on the shore. 



As land and river shells are seldom so beautifully form- 

 ed, marked, or colored, as those of the sea, they are iit 

 consequence rarely so much prized; however, their pre- 

 sence is absolutely necessary in all collections. 



The collector should keep the following objects in view, 

 whenever he commences the arrangement of his shells: 



Firgt, the order to which they belong, that is, whether 

 they are to class with the Multi valves, (i. e. shells of ma- 

 ny valves); Bivalves, (shells of two valves) ; or Univalves, 

 (shells of one part or piece only): which three grand di- 

 visions constitute the leading distinctions of shells. 



Secondly, he should be careful in placing them in the 

 proper genus of the order to which they belong. And 



Thirdly, he should avoid misplacing or confusing the 

 species which appertain to such genus ; and if in the course 

 of his studies he should be fortunate enough to obtain 

 any hitherto undiscovered genus, species, or variety, he 

 would do well to provide such an accurate description and 

 drawing, as would, by submitting them to the opinion 

 andjudgment of the scientific, confirm him in the cor- 

 rectness of his own conclusions, and tend to promote the 

 general advancement of conchological knowledge. 



Methods commonly and successfully adopted for preserving 



and cleaniny shells. 

 If theshellhas the animal alive in it, and you would wish 

 to kill it, nothing more is necessary than to place the 

 shell and fish in boiling water, and after some minutes 

 have elapsed, plunge them into cold water, which causes 

 the animal to contract, and renders it easier to be ex- 

 tracted; crooked pins, and other sharp instruments, are 



