Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-30
The Cabinets of the University.
CONTINUED
The splendid collection of
RECENT SHELLS

constitutes most attractive part Oi
the Cabinets of the University
There are few persons who do not
experience some pleasure in the
contemplation of these wondrous
structures of the Molluscan inhabi-
tants of the deep. The beautiful
and varied tints-the delicate and
fragile character of some, contrast
ing with the strength and massive
ness of others-the exquisite adjust.
ment of the hinge among Bivalves
the arrangements for syphonal
prOlOngation, and for muscular at.
tachment and movement the in
eXplicably strange duplicaCure oil
every marking end coloration as
evinced in the multitude of repre-
sentatives of any one species-the
close graduation of species by which
we pass without abrupt break from
one type of life to the most distant
and distinct-all these points, and
many others, obtrude themselves
upon the attentive examiner, as sub
jects most interesting and worthy
of study.
The extent and completeness OF
the collection will best be indicated
by giving the result OF the summing
up of the contents of the drawers. as
made by Prof Stewart himself his
catalogue is now before us, and clos
es with the following: "Recapitu-
lation-23O genera, 4, $50 species, II,
2S5 specimens"
The ARRANGEMENT is, in general,
according to the Geological classifi-
cation, the first drawer containing
the remains of Cephalopods, the
highest division of Mollusks. In
this are found two specimens of the
interior bone Of bone Of Sepia, such
as are frequently seen in Canary
bird cages; four fine specimens of
the Chambered Nautilus, one of
these being cut to show the septa
within; then there are six repre-
sentatives of the beautiful Argo-
nauta, commonly called Paper Nau-
titus, its shell being extremely thin
and delicate-it is not, however,
chambered, as is the true Nautilus !;
besides these, there are fifteen small,
light and white shells, of the genus
known as Spirula, allied to Argo-
nauta. The contents of this tray
represent some of the most highly
developed forms of MolIuscan life.
1t might be we'll to remark that the
position of an animal in the Zoolog-
zeal scale depends upon the charac-
ter of its soft body, of which the shell
often gives no satisfactory indica-
tions. ConchOlogy, therefore, which
is the science of shells, is but part,
although a charming part, of the
Zoology of Mollusks.
The next specimens belong to the
GasteropOds (of the class of Cepha-
lates). They are here in thousands,
and we can only mention some of
the most numerous. genera. The
first is Strombus, here represented
by y species, and 153 specimens,
some of them of huge dimensions,
as S. gigas. Pteroceras, an allied
genus, comes next. Near by is Mu-
rex, n species and SO specimens.
The NJ. tenuispina is particularly
attractive, from the number of its
long and delicate spines. Then we
have Triton and Fasciolaria, Turbi-
nella and Pyrula, Fqsus and Crepi-
duIa and Calyptrea. There are ZIG
specimens Of the common genera
Buccinum and Nassa. The beauti-
full Terebra has SO representatives,
Eburna IL, and Purpura 165. There
are 81 specimens of Cassis, the we'll
known Helmet-shell, some of which
are very large and extremely heavy.
The beautiful Harpa, with its splen.
didly polished and variegated sur
fece, crossed by bold and character
istic ribs, is represented by 10 spe-
cies, including y individual speci-
mems. Here, too, is the magnif-
cent Olivia, numerously present in
1l2 species and 557 specimens. The
genus Conus has 218 specimens /;
Cyprea, Al Natica, $50; Cerithu-
i'm, 1877; Melania, 085. Nerita and
Neritina number 800 specimens;
Turbo, rs; some of the latter had
portion of the epidermic layer re-
moved, to show the handsome
pearly structure beneath. The beau
tiful Trochus is here represented by
large and small specimens in all,
252. The mOther-of-p earl-lined Ha-
liotis; the many varieties of the
quantity shaped Fissurella; Patella
and Dentaliumj Chiffon, with its
segments; Helix, numbering 1924
followers; Bulimus and Achatina
Lymneus, Auricula Cyclostoma and
Bulla, all are here, and many others
too numerous to mention.
The partial enumeration just pre-
ceding, relates alone to Univalve
shells, Gasteropods. OF the BIZ
valves, there are two divisions:
Brachiopods and Lamellibranchs.
The former, which in early geolog-
zeal ages, greatly outnumbered the
latter, are now quite exceptional
only very few genera being known
as existing in the present seas. La
mellibFanohs are the predominant
type. This is illustrated by a COM
parison of the numbers of the speei-'
mems of each class, in our Cabinet.
Against 1920 Lamellibranchs we