Book IX. land of BARBADOS, 269 
Beauty of Shells, I cannot but obferve, that no antient Author, befides 
Lucretius, has taken notice of them in that View. His Lines are thefe: 
Concharumg; genus, parili ratione, videmus 
Pingere telluris gremium, qua mollibus undis 
Littoris incurvi bibulam lavit equor arenam. L. Ul. v. 374. 
The Race of Shells, with ever-varying Birth, 
So paint the Bofom of the bounteous Earth ; 
Where the calm Sea the concave Margin laves, 
And bathes the thirfty Beach with gentle Waves, 
In the next Place, the Study of Flowers is more expenfive. I confefs in- 
deed, that a Colletion of Shells cannot be prepared without fome con- 
fiderable Charge. But do not we daily fee large Sums thrown away on 
a fingle Tulip-root, the Succefs of whofe future Beauty is intirely pre- 
carious ? And are not the Hopes and Fears of its Mafter determined by 
Showers and Sun-fhine ? Befides, after much Pains and Solicitude, when 
the Flower is arrived at its utmoft Luftre, how foon does it fade! Where- 
as the Strength and Beauty of the Shell is fixed, and will fand through 
many Ages. Indeed, the only Argument that the Study of Flowers has 
to recommend itfelf to the Ladies, is, that it will admirably teach them 
how frail and fugitive is Beauty ! 
I fhall only add, that I hope the following Book, from what has been 
faid, will be confidered as not only written to gratify the Curiofity of the 
inquifitive Philfopher, but to improve the Imagination of the Female 
Artificer. 
Of the MuREX: 
UT of all the Shell-fifh, which are picked up on the Shores of this 
Ifland, the Purple-Fifh is the moft curious and valuable, and de- 
ferves a diftin& and a more accurate Defcription. : 
We make no Scruple to affert, that this Purple-Fith is the fo much 
celebrated Murex of the Antients; fince it fo well agrees with the Ac- 
count which Pliny and other Vaturaliffs have tranfmitted to us of the 
latter ; as we fhall endeavour to evince in the following Remarks. 
And that we may proceed with as much Clearnefs ‘and Perfpicuity as 
we can; it may not be amifs to enumerate the feveral Appellations with 
which this particular Species or Sort of the Purple-Fith was diftinguifhed 
from the reft, and to account for each as well as we may. 
I, It is too notorious, that claffical Authors, and more efpecially the ee 
Poets, have indi/criminately ufed the Words Purpura, and Murex; and” 
have given the general Name, Purple, to the feveral particular Tin&ures 
of thefe different Shell-Fifh, as if the Dye of the one did not differ from 
the 
