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1494, contains a description of the Murex Purpurea, Ostrea, and a few other 

 remarkable shells, extracted chiefly from the works of Aristotle and Pliny, 

 and intermingled with the absurd and superstitious notions of the times. The 

 work of Albertus Magnus, entitled, " De Animalibus," which appeared in folio 

 in the year 1795, contains descriptions of some shells, as also that of Adam 

 Lonicerus " Historian Naturalis, opus novum," published 1551. 



The first writers who distinguished themselves by any attention to the study 

 of Conchology, after the revival of literature in Europe, were Belon, Ronde- 

 letius, and Gesner. Belon is celebrated for his travels in the east; and he was, 

 perhaps, one of the first learned men who travelled principally with a view to 

 natural science. On his return to Paris, in 1553, he published, besides 

 other works, an octavo volume, entitled " De Aquatilibus." The part appro- 

 priated to Conchology is not extensive: it is rather elementary and philo- 

 logical, than descriptive, but contains figures of a few shells engraved on 

 wood. 



The work of Rondeletius, who was professor of physic, at Montpelier, 

 appeared two years after. This bears the title of" Universa Aquatilium Histo- 

 ria," and contains upwards of 100 species of testaceous animals. This author 

 received much assistance from the labors of Aristotle and Pliny. 



In 1558, the work of Conrad Gesner, "Piscium et Aquatilium Historia," 

 made its appearance, and acquired much reputation. The work, " De 

 Mollibus Crustaceis, Testaceis et Zoophytis," appeared in folio, in 1606. 

 The figures are merely cuts on wood, and are rudely executed. Fabius 

 Columna published, in 1616, a treatise on shells, entitled " De Purpura ab 

 animali testacea fusa, de hoc ipso animali aliisque rarioribus testaceis quibus- 

 dam." A new edition of this work, with notes, appeared in 1675, edited by 

 John Daniel, Major. In 1655, was published at Copenhagen, a catalogue of 

 the natural and artificial curiosities in the museum of Olaus Wormius. The 

 sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters of this work are descriptive of shells. 

 These he divides into Univalvia, Vivalvia, Turbinata. In 1672, an account 

 of the collection of an Italian nobleman (Count Ludovico Mercardo) appear- 

 ed at Padua. The shells are comprised in twelve plates, and the subjects 

 are noticed specifically. Another edition of this work made its appearance at 

 Verona in the same year; in which, beside the twelve plates above mentioned, 

 (and which are engraved on copper,) one contains some cuts on wood. 



A description of the museum of the Duke of Holstein, issued from the press, 

 in 1666, edited by Adam Olearius, contains thirty-six plates, five of which 

 are devoted to Conchology. It is in quarto, and all the plates of shells are 



