HANDBOOK OF SHELLS. 37 



trays must be made. This may easily be done as follows : cut 

 a rectangular piece of cardboard two inches longer one way than 

 the length of the match-tray, and two inches more the other way 

 than twice the width of the match-tray ; 

 then with a pencil rule lines one inch from 

 the edges and parallel with them (Fig. i); 

 next cut out the little squares (a a, act) 

 these lines form in the corners of the piece 

 of cardboard, and then with a penknife 

 cut half through the card, exactly on the 

 remaining pencil-lines, and bend up the 

 pieces, which will then form sides for your 

 tray ; and by binding it round with a piece 



of blue paper, you will have one that will 



Fig. i. How to cut a look neat, uniform with the others, and 

 cardboard tray. yet be just twice their size. If required, 

 you can make in the same way any size, only take care that they 

 are all multiples of one standard size, as loss of space will 

 thereby be avoided when you come to the next process in your 

 cabinet. This is, to get a large box or tray in which to hold 

 your smaller ones. 



The simplest plan is to get some half-dozen cardboard boxes 

 (such as may be obtained for the asking or for a very trifling cost 

 at any draper's), having a depth of from one to two inches (ac- 

 cording to the size of your shells) ; in these your trays may be 

 arranged in columns, and the boxes can be kept one above the 

 other in a cupboard or in a larger box. More boxes and trays 

 can, from time to time, be added as occasion requires, and thus 

 the whole collection may be kept in good working order at a 

 trifling cost. A more durable form of cheap cabinet may be 

 made by collecting the wooden boxes so common in grocers' 

 shops, cleaning them with sand-paper, staining and varnishing 

 them outside, and lining them inside with paper ; or, if handy 

 at carpentering, you may make all your boxes, or even a real 

 cabinet, for yourself. 



HOW TO COLLECT SHELLS. 



Provision being thus made for the comfortable accommodation 

 of your treasures, the next consideration is, how to set about col- 

 lecting them. Mollusca are to be found all over the globe, from 

 the frozen north to the sun-baked tropics, on the land or in 



