especMly to birds' eggs, geological speci- 

 meus and shells. 



His reputation as a strictly reliable 

 dealer in naturalists' supplies is world 

 wide. He does an enormous mail business 

 from his home office at Albion, N. Y,, 

 and during the summer runs branch 

 stores at Chautauqua and other summer 

 resorts, Mr. Walter F. Webb is now as- 

 sociated with Mr, Latiin and conducts the 

 western branch located at 3571 Cottage 

 Grove avenue, Chicago, 111. 



During the World's Fair Mr. Lattin 

 displayed some of his collections in the 

 Anthropological building. They occu- 

 pied some 2.000 square feet of space and 

 were a constant attraction. 



Mr. Lattin has lately purchased the 

 great Jewett collection of shells. This is 

 the result of a life work of Col. Ezakial 

 Jewett of California, The collection con- 

 tains 50,000 specimens of nearly 10,000 

 distinct species. Col. Jewett, who died 

 in 1877, was one of the most expert and 

 enthusiastic conchologists in the country. 

 His home was in Uiica, N. Y , but he 

 passed three winters in Florida engaged 

 in colhcting, and he also went to Panama 

 and California for successive seasons. 

 During the summer seasons he was en- 

 gaged mostly in correspondence with 

 scientists in different countries for an ex- 

 change of shell?, and in mounting and 

 arranging the collection at his residence. 

 Professor Louis Agassiz considered this 

 one of the very finest collection of shells 

 from a scientific standpoint in the coun- 

 try. It fills six cabinets of 225 drawers, 

 besides several glass cases in which the 

 larger specimens are displayed. Col. 

 Jewett bequeathed the collection to his 

 daughter, Mrs, Sarah Boyce, of Santa 

 Barbara, herself an experienced collector. 

 Col. Jewetl's daughter tells some interest- 

 ing stories about those shells. She says : 

 "While drifting about Florida one day his 

 boat suddenly touched what seemed to^ 

 be a rock but it proved to be an immense 

 specimen of the Fasciolaria, alive and 

 traveling," This specimen weighs sever- 

 al hundred pounds. She mentions also 

 his loy at finding while in Panama a fine 

 example~of the Columbella Harpa, a 

 very rare shell. 



The Jewett collection was inventoried 

 by the late Dr. Newcombe several years 

 ago at over $12,500. There is a marvel- 

 ous variety from the great giant clam 

 shells weighing 500 pounds down to the 

 tiny Pteropods, those rare and fragile 

 shells which feed on the "gulf weed" and 

 are seldom found. There are over one 

 hundred varieties of the Cardium or heart 



shells, most popularly known as cockle 

 shells, and of Unio, or fresh water clam, 

 there are no less than 350 varieties in the 

 collection. Every known point in the 

 world is represented among the speci- 

 mens, the most brilliant being found in 

 the tropical waters. There are sixty- Ihree 

 varieties of the Trintoo, or trumpet shells, 

 some of them two feet long and found 

 only in the Mediterranean, ladian and 

 South seas. Among the natives of the 

 South sea it is used as a military horn 

 and a most stupendous noise can be made 

 with one of them. Mr Lattin tried an 

 experiment in this line with one of his 

 specimens awhile ago and had the whole 

 hamlet of Gaines in less than ten minutes 

 in fear that Gabriel had come. 



Some of the most beautiful shells, both 

 in delicacy of formation and in oo'dring, 

 were shown among the specimens of the 

 spondylus. Mr. Lattin tells a funny story 

 in connection with these shells. In his 

 exhibit at the World's Fair were many 

 beautiful specimens, and during his ab- 

 sence an unscientific young assistant took 

 charge. Being asked by a visitor respect- 

 ing these shells, he became confused and 

 stated that they were of the Spondulix 

 variety, and on the visitor expressing sur- 

 prise at the name, he confidentially ex- 

 plained that it was because each one cost 

 so much, ranging in price from $5 to $10 

 each, 



Mr. Lattin and his assistants will begin 

 the work of overhauling the Jewett col- 

 lection at once, and making it even moie 

 complete, and he considers that there is a 

 year's hard work ahead. He will add 

 several large purchases of shells which he 

 secured from the late Dr. Newcomb of 

 Cornell, through London auction rooms, 

 and a small but valuable collection of 

 shells from Mrs, Oaverno of Lockpori ; 

 also a collection made by a New Bedford, 

 Mass , man. 



In a short time Mr. Lattin expects to be 

 the owner of the most complete and val- 

 uable collection of shells, from a scientific 

 standpoint, in the world. 



The Southern board of Immigration of 

 North Carolina has made an offer to Mr. 

 Lattin to arrange and take charge of its 

 natural history exhibit and it is not un- 

 likely that he may accept, though it will 

 be impossible probably for him to devote 

 more than a portion of his time to it. This 

 work and the reclassification of his im- 

 mense shell collection will probably fully 

 occupy his time for a year to come. 



Mr. Lattin's daily mail runs from 50 to 

 150 letters and every part of the world is 

 represented, the little hamlet in Orleans 

 county seeming to be the central point for 

 collectors everywhere. New finds of 



