Beautiful Shells of New Zealand An Illustrated Work for Amateur Collectors of New Zealand Marine Shells, With Directions for Collecting and Cleaning Them Classic Reprint

E. G. B. Moss

ISBN 10: 0364185015 / ISBN 13: 9780364185018

Published by Forgotten Books, 2018

About this Item

New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Seller Inventory # LX-9780364185018

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Beautiful Shells of New Zealand An Illustrated Work for Amateur Collectors of New Zealand Marine Shells, With Directions for Collecting and Cleaning Them Classic Reprint
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0364185015
• ISBN 13: 9780364185018
• Binding: HRD
• Condition: New
• Weight: 312 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Excerpt from Beautiful Shells of New Zealand: An Illustrated Work for Amateur Collectors of New Zealand Marine Shells, With Directions for Collecting and Cleaning Them

In this work marine shells alone are dealt with, our numerous land and fresh water shells being, with six or seven exceptions, small and insignificant. Of land and fresh water shells about two hundred varieties, and of marine shells about four hun dred and fifty varieties, have up to the present been discovered in New Zealand. For some inscrutable reason, however, the New Zealand authorities are continually changing the classical names of our shells. The names I have used are taken from the late Professor F. W. Hutton's last list, published in 1904. It is really time some attempt was made to stop this foolish proceeding. Most of the shells, since I began collecting'20 odd years ago, have had their names changed once, many of them twice, and some even three times. It is more than probable some of the names will be altered while this volume is in the press. These frequent changes in the names cause great confusion, and but for the kindly help and encouragement given me by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, of Auckland, I should have hesitated to undertake its publication.

What most ennobles science is the willingness to give assistance to beginners shown by really scientific men, and doubly pleasing is that help to the recipient when given spontaneously and without stint.

This is the first attempt to publish a popular work on New Zealand shells, and is written by an amateur for amateurs. Nearly every shell likely to be met with by an ordinary collector (except the minute shells) will be found in the ten plates at the end of this work. I have endeavoured to describe the shells in simple language, as the scientific words may puzzle some of my readers. For instance, Professor Hutton describes a certain shell as thick, irregular, sharp ribbed, with the margin dentated or lobed, very inequivalve; upper valve opercular, compressed, wrinkled, with thick concentric laminae; lower valve cucullated, purple, white within, edged with purple or black; lateral margins denticulated; hinge generally attenuated, produced, pointed. When a shell is found that fully answers this description you will know it is an Auckland rock oyster. Errors and omissions will, I trust, be charitably dealt with, as the inevitable mistakes of a man who is blazing a track. I have endeavoured to give the Maori names also, but, unfortunately, in different parts of New Zealand the same name is frequently used for different shells.

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