3 



OYSTERS, muscles, clams, or limpets may 

 be treated in the same way; or they may be 

 opened with a knife, and the animal cut out ; 

 which must be done very gently, lest the shell 

 should be chipped or broken : but the forme* 

 method is preferable, since the shell opens spon^- 

 taneously, when in boiling water. The same 

 care should be taken in separating limpets from 

 the rocks, for the least chipping renders them 

 little esteemed. 



THIS operation being performed, the shells 

 should be immediately rinsed and stowed away, 

 without any further attempts at cleaning or po- 

 lishing. The epidermis forms a principal char- 

 acter, and should on no account be removed; 

 the perfection of a shell depends on its being in 

 its natural state. 



MANY shells are so extremely beautiful, that 

 few persons can resist the temptation of hand- 



