PREFACE. 



collected by preceding amateurs. By the former 

 means he obtained the moft rare and curious pro- 

 ductions brought from Africa, the Eaft and Weft 

 Indies, the iflands of Ceylon, Amboyna, and 1 

 Borneo ; from China, Peru, New Zealand, and the 

 newly difcovered iflands in the fouthern ocean. By 

 the latter means he procured every thing which he 

 did not before poffefs in greater perfe£tion from the 

 cabinets of Prince Charles of Lorraine, M. Blonde! 

 d'Azaincourt, M. de Montriblou, M. de Nanteuil, 

 M. le C. De la Tour d'Auvergne, Mynheer Gevers, 

 the late Duchefs Dowager of Portland, and many 

 others. 



It muft, however, be obferved, that this collection 

 will not be diftinguifhed fo much for the number of 

 articles as for the care with which they have been 

 felected; and it is proper alfo to remark, that of 

 its parts the Conchologia, or Shells, feems to have 

 been M. de Calonne's principal attraction; for 

 amonglt them will be found a greater number of 

 the moil perfect and unique fpecimens than will be 

 Icen in any other collection ; every piece that was 

 mutilated, of a bad colour, or too common, has 

 been excludedi It is certainly not too- much to 

 affert the fuperiority of this part to every thing of 

 the kind in Europe. 



It is matter of great regret to the proprietors, that 

 owing to the length of time required to compile the 

 following fheets having been conliderably greater 

 than they were at all aware of, but little more than 

 * the 



