26 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
[EAST. ZOOL. 
The Eggs of Birds 
are placed in the smaller Table Cases along the side of the room; 
they are arranged in the same series as the birds in the Upright Cases. 
The Table Cases, in each department of the room, contain the eggs of 
the species in the Cases near to them. 
The Shells of Molluscous Animals 
are placed in the larger Table Cases across the sides of the room, 
(in progress of arrangement). 
Tables 1—26. Univalve Shells, 
belonging to belly-walking, or Gasteropodous Mollusca. 
Tables 1, 2. The Strombs, as the large pink-mouthed stromb, 
from the West Indies. With it are some of the pink pearls which 
are formed by the animal; they are extremely rare and valuable when 
of a good shape. The Diana ear stromb; the spiders’ claws, sea 
scorpions, &c., which are peculiar for the outer lip of the full grown 
shell being furnished with finger-like projections ; the terebellum, which 
is polished like the olive, but has no groove on the suture, and the 
front of the shell as it were cut off. The spindle strombs, of the Red 
Sea, which have the cavity of the tip of the shells filled up with 
crystalline matter as the animal grows. 
Tables 2 — 8. The various genera allied to Murices. 
Tables 2, 3. The Trumpet Shells ( Triton ), the larger species of 
which is often used as a trumpet by the natives of the Pacific Islands, 
The angulated or gadrooned triton. The gadrooned edge, so generally 
used by silversmiths, was taken from the finely wrought margin on 
the mouth of this shell. The frog shell ( Ranella ), so called because 
they are flattened shells, and have a ridge of spines on each side. 
Tables 3, 4. The Rock Shells {Murex), so beautifully ornamented 
with the foliaceous, curled and spinous protuberances with which their 
shells are adorned. Among others, the Murex trunculus of the Medi¬ 
terranean, which is believed to have yielded the Tyrian purple of 
the ancients. The Slit-mouthed Shell ( Pleurotoma ), with a notch 
on the hinder part of the upper lip, as the virgin slit-mouthed shell, 
from China. 
Tables 5, 6. The Cone Shells, among which is to be seen 
the celebrated Glory of the Sea ( Conus Gloria Maris'), from the 
Philippines; it is very like some varieties of the cloth of gold. 
The setting sun cone ( Conus Vespertinus), from the east coast of Africa. 
Tables 6, 7. The Spindle Shells ( Fusus ), and the Pear Shell {Py- 
rula) ; some of the shells have the whorls always turned in the contrary 
direction to the usual one, and have hence been called reversed; as 
the reversed spindle shell, from Sicify, or the Crag Rocks, and the re¬ 
versed pear shell. It is commonly believed that reversed shells of this 
kind are only found fossil; but this is not the case, and reversed spe¬ 
cimens of shells which have the whorls in the usual direction sometimes 
occur ; but they are monstrosities, produced by some accident of the 
animal before it is hatched. Specimens of the common whelk, and one or 
two other shells of these hinds are to be seen in the collection, but they 
are rare, and hence persons have been induced to believe that reversed 
shells are always very valuable, but this is not the case. A specimen of 
