Testacea Britannica; or, British shells / [George Montagu].

  • George Montagu
Date:
1803-1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Testacea Britannica; or, British shells / [George Montagu]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/920 (page 8)
    Much', however, remains to be done; for when we confider the locality of the produdlions of nature, and the fmall portion of our extenlive coafts, which have been examined with a microfcopic eye, it need not be feared that the fubjeft will foon be exhaufted, or that we have yet a knowledge of one half of the fmaller fpecies, which elude the refearches of the naked eye. In order, therefore, to make the hidory of britifn conchology as compleat as the nature of things would admit, a work was wanting, that would bring the whole into one view, fyftematically arranged. ’ Such a work we have been induced to undertake, by the great variety of fhells which have fallen to our ' lot todifcover, many of which have never been defcribed as englifh, and fome entirely new; which, together with thofe already known, will make near four hundred and feventy different fpecies; a number far exceeding any thing hitherto on the fubjeft, and more than treble thofe defcribed by Da Costa; and we trud it will be re- eeived with that candour ufually bedowed on fo intri- cate, and arduous an undertaking; as our bed endea- vours have not been wanting to elucidate a fubjeff, the invedigation of which has been produ6five of fo much pleafure and amufement, our refearches having been ex- tendve;