CONCHOLOGY. 



The Analogy which exists in the Vegetable and Animal 

 Kingdoms is in many instances very striking and obvious. 

 Amongst the Plants lately added by the recent Discoveries 

 in the Southern Ocean, several have occurred which are 

 parasitical, or living upon other Trees ; of which we have 

 a familiar instance in the Misletoe. The same circumstance 

 occurs in the History of Shells, as several of the Lepas 

 and Patella obviously shew, but the most singular Shell of 

 this kind is the Proscenula, of which several have been, 

 lately discovered by Mr. Stuchbury, in the Strombus and 

 other large Shells, firmly adhering to the inside of the 

 Mouth. This curious Genus which is hitherto undescribed, 

 is flat and dish-shaped, in its general Form resembling the 

 Patella, but differs from it in having its Apex or pointed 

 summit placed at one end, and also below, a Proscenium, 

 Platform or small Stage, projecting in a circular form, from 

 under the Apex. Some of these are so small as to require 

 the Microscope to investigate them fully ; and indeed it is 

 not at all improbable, but that the Number of those Shells 

 which are concealed from our View by their smallness, 

 is greater by far than those which are so obvious and fill 

 our cabinets. Several Genera exist amongst the more mi- 

 nute kinds which are astonishing for the Singularity of their 

 Forms, and the JBeauty of their Colours. In this hitherto 

 unfrequented Path we have only the Labours of two emi- 

 nent Authors to guide our Steps ; we allude to Fichtel and 

 Soldanus, who have each of them scientifically endeavoured 

 to sketch an imperfect outline for the arrangement of future 

 writers. In the laborious descriptions of Mr. Boys, of / 

 Sandwich, who endeavoured to form a general Account 

 of some of the minute English Shells, the plates which 

 accompany the Work are not either sufficiently expressive 

 or beautiful. An hiatus therefore is left in this Part of 

 Natural History, which by an accurate delineation of the 

 objects may prove highly useful and entertaining. The 

 Fossil Shells, which are found enclosed in the substance of 



