General guide with plans and views of the building.

  • British Museum (Natural History)
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: General guide with plans and views of the building. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Near by is a small series of the shells of boring bivalves, many of them in the substances they perforate. Alongside are shown in a similar manner the varieties in form and structure presented by Univalve or Gastropod shells; many of the shells having- been cut to show their internal structure. Specimens of the horny or shelly plate (operculum) closing the mouth of many Gastropod shells are also exhibited. In one compartment are displayed spirit-preparations of Cephalopod Molluscs, such as Cuttle-fish, Squids, Nautilus, Paper-Nautilus, &c. Specimens of the horny beaks possessed by all members of this class are also exhibited; and a Pearly Nautilus (fig. 31), with the shell cut in two in order to show the air-chambers and the com- paratively small space occupied by the l< animal,” will be found of special interest. The main shell collection is contained in four parallel rows Rig. 29.—The Whelk (Buoeinum undatum), a Gastropod Mollusc, a, siphon; b, foot; c, tentacles; d, eyes; e, operculum. of table-cases, the arrangement commencing on the right as the gallery is entered. The first two rows contain the marine forms of Gastropods—a division which includes Snails, Slugs, Whelks (fig. 29), and all those Molluscs which crawl upon the under surface of their bodies; the Cones, Volutes, Mitras, and Murexes forming some of the most attractive groups. The two rows of cases on the left contain the Land-Shells, Bivalves, and Cephalopods. The Cockles, Oysters, Clams, Piddocks, Teredos, Scallops, and Ark-Shells represent some of the principal types of Bivalves, so called on account of their shells being formed of two pieces or valves. A Giant Clam (fig. 30), on the floor of the gallery, weighs 310 lbs., and measures 36 inches in length. The