THE CONCHOLOGIST. 



A NATURAL HISTORY TREASURE HOUSE. 



We lately paid a visit to the well-known establishment of Mr. R. F. Damon, of Weymouth, now half a century old, 

 He kindly showed us over his wai'chouse, which occupies a large block of lofty, well-lighted rooms (formerly the " Belle Vue 

 Assembly Rooms,") capable of holding many hundred people. Here on all sides we beheld cabinets tier upon tier, their 

 drawers tilled with choice fossils from every formation in the British Islands, and also from those of Europe, America, and 

 elsewhere ; hundreds of drawers full of the most lovely recent shells, land, freshwater, and marine, from every part of the 

 world ; corals, dry and in spirits ; star fishes and sea urchins of wondrous form and beauty ; thousands of tall and short glass 

 iars, filled with snakes, lizards, fishes, crabs and lobsters, centipedes, beetles, ascidians, zoophites, all the varied form of land 

 and' marine life ; cuttle fishes, ai-gonauts, devil-fishes, and other queer sea-beasts. Glazed showcases, crammed with Old 

 Red Sandstone fishes from Scotland and Canada, such as Hugh Miller and Agassiz loved so well ; chalk fishes from the 

 Lebanon, and Tertiary ones from Monte Bolca and elsewhere. Living species of Pentacrini (sea lilies) in spirits and fossil 

 ones from the Lias, the Wenlock limestone and the Carboniferous rocks. Beautiful groups of minerals from Russia, Derby- 

 sliire, Cornwall, Brazil, and himdreds of other localities. The walls were hung with snakes, tortoises, lizards, and fishes, 

 huge sponges from the Indian Ocean ; antlers of many species of deer, horns of bison, tusks of the mammoth ; a cast of the 

 skeleton of the long-tailed Oolitic bird, the Archccojjtcryx from Solenhofen : skulls of the extinct sea-cow (Rhytina gigas) 

 from Bering's Island, and casts of the Elasmotherium from Russia (a huge animal related to the rhinocerous), and many 

 other strange beasts. 



Mr. Damon showed us models of all the famous diamonds and coloured precious stones, executed to scale-from exact 

 casts of the real stones, and manufactured expressly for him. 



Thousands of objects in spirits have lately been added by Mr. Damon from the " Godeffroy Museum," also of hundreds 

 of birds' skins, ethnological casts and preparations. In one case we saw a fine example of the 3fecocheirus kaempferi from 

 Japan, the largest crab in the world, whose arms measure over ten feet in length, and are as thick as the bone of a man's 

 leg. After two hours we had seen our fill of the wonders of Mr. Damon's storehouse. As we passed out, some dozens of 

 freshly-caught dog-fish were just being packed and sent off to one of the University laboratories to be the subject of dissec- 

 tion on the morrow. We never had such a delightful morning, and shall long recollect our visit to Mr. Damon, whose Guide 

 to the Geology of Weymouth and the Isles of Portland and Pui-bock, makes his name familiar to all geologists who visit this 

 charming Coast of Dorsetshire. 



N. 8. -Museums in England, Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, America, Australia, Japan, etc., have 

 been furnished with Natural History Objects from this Establishment. 



TO SECOND-HAND BOOKSELLERS. 



WANTED. — Any Conehological Works (English or Foreign), 

 Pamphlets, Reprints, &c. Lists will oblige, stating lowest 



price for cash, less usual discount. 



The Editor, " The Conchologist," 



108, V/oodsley Road, Leeds. 



-jC 



CHARLES ^. JEFFERYS,*^ 



Natura..st, TENBY, 



OFFERS FOR SALE AT iMODERATE PRICES. CHOICE EXAMPLES OF 



BRITISH SHELLS, CRUSTACEANS, ECHINODERMS, 



British ajid Foreign Birds' E^gs and Skins, Lcpidoptcra, &c., (Src. 

 APPARATUS OF ALL KINDS. 



SPECIAL: MICRO-PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE RADUL/E OF BRITISH MOLLUSGA. 



Carefully-prepared Darts oj the Helicidee. 

 PRICE LISTS FREE. OVER 100,000 SPECIMENS IN STOCK. 



Printed by M^^Corquodale & Co. Limited, Leeds. 



