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                               RUDIMENTS

                                  OF

                              CONCHOLOGY;

                                 WITH

                          EXPLANATORY PLATES.




               [Illustration: Rudiments of Conchology.]




                               RUDIMENTS

                                  OF

                              CONCHOLOGY:

                             INTENDED AS A

                 FAMILIAR INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE.

                                 WITH

                          EXPLANATORY PLATES,

                                  AND

               REFERENCES TO THE COLLECTION OF SHELLS IN
                          THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

                           BY THE AUTHOR OF

                    "THE GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENT," &c.

              [Illustration: A new and improved Edition.]

                                LONDON:

                          DARTON AND HARVEY,

                          GRACECHURCH STREET.

                                 1837.


                                LONDON:

                      PRINTED BY JOSEPH RICKERBY,
                            SHERBOURN LANE.


ADVERTISEMENT.


The Compiler of the following pages has derived the greater part of the
information contained in them from "The Conchology of Lamarck," from
"Burrows's Elements of Conchology," and other introductory treatises.

In the present Edition of this little Work many alterations and
additions have been made, with the hope of rendering it more useful to
the young student.


ERRATA.

[Note: Corrections were applied.]

  Page 3, _for_ Plate 1, _read_ Plate 2.

  Page 16, line 8, _for_ squamosa, _read_, squamosus.

  Page 20, _for_ candidas, _read_ candida; and _for_ Plate 3,
      _read_ Plate 2.

  Page 25, _for_ Plates 4 and 5, _read_ Plates 3 and 5; and
      _for_ gædaropus, _read_ gæderopus.

  Page 27, _for_ epiphippium _read_ ephippium.

  Page 35, line 12, _delete_ not.

  Page 36, line 14, _read_ Plate 2.

  Page 42, _read_ Bruguieres; and _for_ Pollicepes, _read_ Pollicipes.

  Page 64, line 3, _read_ Parmophorus--line 6, _read_ Plate 3.

  Page 68, line 5 from bottom, _read_ Carocolla.

  Page 76, line 6, _for_ Valvata _read_ Voluta.

  Page 90, line 4, _read_ anglicanum.




RUDIMENTS

OF

CONCHOLOGY.




CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.


"A box full of shells!" said Charles to his sister Lucy, who was
looking over her treasures with great attention. "What can you want so
many little shells for?"

"This box and its contents are the gifts of my cousin Jane," replied
Lucy: "she said that I might have her whole collection, if I could find
any pleasure in looking at shells without knowing anything about them.
But I am not _quite_ ignorant of the subject."

"Shells are pretty enough," said Charles; "but how troublesome to
distinguish the differences between each kind! I like plants better
than shells."

[Sidenote: MULTIVALVES, BIVALVES, UNIVALVES.]

"Probably because you are better acquainted with plants," observed his
father, Mr. Elliot, who had just entered the room: "however, the great
naturalist, to whom you are indebted for your knowledge of plants, did
not consider shells as objects beneath his attention."

"You mean Linnæus," said Lucy; "then he, I suppose, separated shells
into the three different divisions--_Multivalves_, _Bivalves_, and
_Univalves_."

"You are right, Lucy," replied her father.

"Pray show me some bivalve shells," said Charles; "I want to know their
forms. A _bivalve_ is a shell with two openings, as I should imagine:
yes, I see that I am right, for you have given me an oyster and a
cockle."

"Here are also _Venus_, _Tellìna_, _Donax_, _Arca_, and _Pinna_,"
observed Mr. Elliot, "all very easy to distinguish."

  "'The anchor'd pinna and his cancer friend,'"

repeated Charles. "So the _Pinna_ is a bivalve; but what has _Venus_ to
do with the matter?"

"That is very easy to understand," said Lucy: "the genus called by her
name is remarkable for beauty."

"Now, Charles," said Mr. Elliot, "do you clearly comprehend the verse
that you have just repeated?"

[Sidenote: THE PINNA AND THE CANCER.]

"I have heard that the _Pinna_ is a shell-fish, attended by a _crab_,
'his cancer friend;' but why it is called _anchor'd_ I do not know, but
_cancer_ is Latin for crab."

"Here is a species of _Pinna_," said his father, opening a cabinet;
"and these silken threads are the means by which it fastens itself
to the rocks. The animal is provided with a long foot, with which it
draws out the threads, or _byssus_. The _Pinna_ is sometimes called the
silk-worm of the sea. Lucy, do you know a univalve shell?"

"Oh yes, many!" replied Lucy, "here are rock-shells, cowries, limpets,
and cones. I know the difference between a cowry and a cone; but I am
not yet acquainted with a multivalve shell--will you show me one?"

"_Chiton_, or coat of mail, is