MELVILL : THE PRINCIPLES OF NOMENCLATURE. 443 
The treatise he had prepared on this subject remained un- 
published till 1742, when it was given to the world by 
Gualtieri, incorporated in his ‘Index testarum conchyliorum 
queze adservantur in Muszeo Nicolai Gualtieri.” This was 
published at Florence, and contained over one hundred plates 
of shells. No one can peruse the system adopted by Gualtieri, 
who had become possessed of the MS. of Tournefort’s work, 
without at once perceiving the fount from which Linnzeus 
sought, and obtained, inspiration. 
Following the date of the death of Tournefort, we next in 
chronological order, arrive at REAuMUR, who published in 
1715-17 some physiological works on testaceous animals, in- 
cluding the formation of pearls in the oyster. 
Several conchologists of less note, BARRELIER, RuyscH, 
VALENTINI, and others, followed, until in 1722 the appearance 
of a most important work created quite an epoch in the science. 
This was the ‘“‘Methodus nova testacea marina in suas 
classes, genera, et species distribuendi” of CaroLus NICOLAS 
Lane or LANnGIus, and was a quarto work published at Lucerne. 
Dr. Maton, to whose disquisitions on the subject of these 
pre-Linnzan authors we are all indebted, says truly of him 
that ‘‘ his system, so far as Marine Testacea are concerned, and 
of these alone he treats, certainly glances at the great clue to 
simplicity, which was afterwards so successfully and admirably 
seized by the great reformers of natural history in general.” 
In this work great stress was laid upon 
(a) The hinge of Bivalves. 
(4) The mouth of Univalves. 
Langius divides shells into three classes :— 
(a) Testacea marina univalvia, non turbinata. 
(6) Cochleae marinae, 
(c) Conche marine. 
1742 
1715-17 
1722 
