LETTERS RELATING TO PHOLAS. 
81 
so, I am sure you will forgive me entreating you to plunge one 
specimen in spirits of wine, that the animal inhabitant may 
be submitted to the view of some experienced anatomist as it is 
always of importance to science that the shell, if possible, should 
be examined while the animal is attached to it. 
I am ashamed to say I have as yet only taken a very cursory 
view of the British shells with which you so liberally favoured me. 
My collection purchased in France, arrived just as the hurry 
of election was over and to unpack, to sort and ultimately prepare 
these shells for Mrs. Coodall’s arrangement occupied for some 
time the little leisure which I could devote to my hobby horse. 
Since then I have had the Lodge full of guests, who are absolute 
Goths, and care no farther for shells than, as they are the envelopes 
of good materials for fish sauce, — and the arrears of private and 
official business owing to three months’ absence on the continent, 
have entailed on me such a load of debt to correspondents that not 
one minute have I been able to bestow on the affairs of the British 
department (of shells). However large may be your collection, 
still, as even the most splendid and most perfect which I have seen 
have a few gaps owing to the want of particular Shells, I shall 
venture to infer that even you may have a list of desiderata. If 
you would favour me with such list it would give me great pleasure 
to be able to diminish it by the spare duplicates of my cabinet, 
in the arrangement of which on my descent into the valley, (for 
I am now perched on the top of Windsor Hill in my prebended 
house) I mean to proceed. I shall venture to hope that a certain 
pledge given by the Archdeacon and yourself on Election Monday 
will be redeemed in the course of the spring or summer of 1820 , 
by which time I shall expect to have made such progress as to be 
less ashamed of the condition of the trays. 
I take it for granted that you subscribe to Sowerby’s Genera of 
recent and fossil shells, of all the publications now issuing from the 
press in general conchology, it appears to me to be the most useful 
and to contain the most valuable information. With best regards 
and every good wish to the very Venerable and my young friend 
in which Mrs. Goodall unites with me. I have the honor to be 
My dear madam 
Your obliged & faithful servant 
J. Goodall. 
vol. v. 
G 
