_Brug._ Brugière. Author of "Dictionaire des Vers testacés, dans l'Encyclopédie," &c. _Cuv._ The late Baron Cuvier. Author of "Regne Animal," &c. _Defr._ Defrance. Contributor to the "Annales des Sciences Naturelles," &c. _Desh._ Deshayes. Author of "Coquilles fossiles des environs de Paris," &c. _D'Orb._ D'Alcide D'Orbigny. _Drap._ Draparnaud. Author of "Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de la France," &c. _Fer._ De Ferussac. Author of "Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles," &c. _Flem._ Fleming. _Gmel._ Gmelin. Author of an edition of Linnæus's "Systema Naturæ," &c. _Guild._ Rev. Lansdown Guilding. _Hübn._ Hübner. _Humph._ The late George Humphrey. _Lam._ Lamarck. Author of "Animaux sans Vertebres," &c. _Lin._ Linnæus. Author of "Systema Naturæ," &c. _Mont._ Montague. Author of "Testacea Britannica," &c. _Montf._ Montfort. Author of "Histoire Naturelle des Mollusques," &c. _Müll._ Müller. Author of "Vermium terrestrium et fluviatilum," "Zoologiæ Danicæ," &c. _Ranz._ Ranzani. Author of "Considerations sur les Balanes," &c. _Schum._ Schumacher. _Sow._ Sowerby. The late James. Author of "Mineral Conchology," &c. George Brettingham, Senr., "Genera of Shells," "Species Conchyliorum," &c. G. B. Jun. "Conchological Manual," "Conchological Illustrations," "Thesaurus Conchyliorum," Descriptions of New Shells in the Zoological Proceedings, &c. _Sw._ Swainson. Author of "Zoological Illustrations," "Exotic Conchology," "Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopedia," &c. _Turt._ Turton. Author of "British Shells." * * * * * INTRODUCTION. The Science of Conchology affords a very delightful and instructive amusement for the leisure hours of those who, retiring occasionally from the gaieties of fashionable life, seek pleasure in the quiet contemplation of some of the smaller, but not less wonderful operations of creative wisdom. And, although the study of shells would be more complete, and rank higher in the scale of philosophical pursuits, were it always accompanied by that of the animal inhabiting them, it nevertheless presents means of intellectual gratification, to many who cannot follow it beyond the cabinet and the boudoir. These may examine with admiration and mental improvement, the beautiful colouring and architecture of these wonders of the deep, they may exercise their taste and judgment in the selection and arrangement of specimens, and their discrimination in detecting and appreciating the distinctions upon which the arrangement is founded.