FMOSFECTUS. 



Before entering upon our subject, we feel ourselves 

 called upon to explain the nature of the Work we 

 propose to bring under Public notice, and in some 

 measure to show its utility. In doing this we shall 

 endeavour to be as brief as possible. As we have 

 expressed ourselves in our Titlepage, our Work is to 

 consist of Engravings illustrative of the Generic 

 Characters of the several classes generally included 

 under the common name, SHELLS; and it will 

 include, with but few exceptions, all that Linn^ and 

 Linneans receive under the term Vermes TEST ACE A. 

 It is not our intention to adopt implicitly either the 

 System or the Genera of any Author who has previ- 

 ously written on Conchology, we certainly see great 

 reasons for adopting many of the Genera lately estab- 

 lished, and we are perfectly convinced that the im- 

 mortal Linne would have done the same himself had 

 he seen the very numerous subjects that have come 

 under the notice of later writers, he would have found 

 his own Genera inadequate, and have yielded to the 

 force of necessity by establishing many new ones. 

 Neither do we intend to enter into the investi2:ation of 

 the subject farther than is necessary for the purposes of 

 usefulness ; but we do not mean to confine ourselves to 

 one or two observations where we think the subject either 

 requires or deserves a more full elucidation. Nor cali 

 we observe any particular order \u the publication of 



