iv 
PREFACE. 
collected by preceding amateurs. By the forme? 
means he obtained the mod: rare and curious pro- 
ductions brought from Africa, the Eaft and Weft 
Indies, the iflands of Ceylon, Amboyna, and 
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 pofTefs in greater perfection from the 
cabinets of Prince Charles of Lorraine, M. Blonde! 
d’Azaincourt, M. de Montriblou, M. dfe Nanteuil,. 
M. le C. De la Tour d’Auvergne, Mynheer Gevcrs, 
the late Duchefs Dowager of Portland, and many 
others. 
It mud, 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 
felectcd ; and-it is proper alfo to remark, that of 
its parts the Conc.hologia, or Shells, feems to have 
been M. de Calonne’s principal attraction y for 
amongft them will be found a greater number of 
the mod perfect and unique fpecimens than will be 
feen in any other collection ; every piece that was 
mutilated, of a bad colour, or too common, has 
been excluded. It is certainly not too much to 
aflert the luperiority 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 confidcrably greater 
than they were at all aware of, but little more than 
x . to- 
