Journal anid proceedings. 6g 



failed except in a few cases. The colored edition of the work is 

 very expensive, and probably the Public Library Board considered 

 it was not justified in spending all at once the large sum required 

 for the purchase when completed. In a communication from either 

 the Author or the Publisher, Philadelphia, U. S., it was stated the 

 intention was to publish it by numbers and family groups until com- 

 pleted. If so, perhaps it would have been better to appropriate a 

 small sum annually for the purchase than to expend a trifling amount 

 for the cheaper edition, which proves to be of little value for educa- 

 tional purposes. Ruskin's remark in his famous lecture, " Sesame 

 and Lilies," or " King's Treasures," seems applicable in this case : 

 " No book (especially on Conchology) is worth anything which is 

 not worth much." Although rare shells no longer command the 

 extravagant prices formerly obtained, the modern dealers' profits 

 most certainly must be very great, judging from consignments the 

 writer received from China and Ceylon recently. We have in the 

 Museum case at the entrance three families of the MoUusca univer- 

 sally admired — the Volutes, Cones and Cowries. In the first are 

 included the Mitres (about 500 species), which Ward, of Rochester, 

 holds to be a distinct family, not a Subgenera as others suppose. 

 He states they are recognized by an acute apex, well developed 

 spire, and plicate Columella. The type is Mitra Episcopalis or 

 M. Rapalis, Singapore {Limieus) One of the rarest Volutes formerly 

 was Aulica Junonica. Its selling price was $200. At present it 

 may be purchased for from $4 to $6, according to size, state of 

 preservation, etc. 



Voluta Hebrcea was also highly esteemed as a rarity in my 

 younger days. It may be obtained for considerably less now, but I 

 am unable to find the price paid for a very fine specimen in my 

 possession, which may not be represented in Mrs. Carey's collection- 

 I may be mistaken here, since I trust solely to memory in this 

 instance, and a closer investigation may prove the assertion 

 to be quite erroneous. On examining some lists received from the 

 United States, I could not find the Voluta Imperialis mentioned. I 

 imagine it must be very expensive. The figure representing the 

 shell leads one to think the Royal name was not by any means ill- 

 suited. 



The type of the family is the well-known Voluta Musica (from 



