inhahiting the United States. 



467 



Thomas Say, whp, if bis valuable life bad been longer 

 spared to science, would have enriched Conchology with 

 descriptions and figures of all the known species. As a 

 work so desirable is not now expected from any other 

 source, and as there already exists some confusion among 

 the species, caused by the want of correct figures, with- 

 out which the most accurate descriptions are liable to 

 be misunderstood, I shall make an attempt (though I 

 am conscious in an imperfect manner) to supply the his- 

 tory of this genus as it exists in the United States, and , 

 to ascertain and fix the species discovered by our own 

 authors, before they shall have been irrecoverably appro- 

 priated by others - 



It has often been objected to the study of shells, as 

 commonly pursued, that it is not a branch of Natural 

 History properly speaking, as it gives us no information 

 of the beings by which they are constructed and inhabit- 

 ed ; but consists merely of an artificial arrangement and 

 description of their least destructible parts. This objec- 

 tion has great weight, and should induce those who have 

 leisure and opportunity to devote more time than has 

 hitherto been given, to the observation of the habits and 

 manners of the animals, which, it cannot be doubted, are 

 fully as interesting, and as illustrative of the benevolence 

 and power of the Author of nature, as those of any 

 other class. To avoid this imputation in the present in- 

 stance, a description of the animal has been given when 

 it has teen possible to procure living specimens, and such 

 notices of their habits as the limited opportunities afforded 

 by a city residence have enabled me to obtain, will be 

 found under the remarks on the respective species. It is 

 to be noticed here, that the habits of the genus are remark- 

 ably similar ; so much so, that an account of one species 



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