Abstract
THE new edition of Mr. Edward Step's “Shell Life” is very attractive with its many delicately coloured plates. It is a popular account of all common mollusca, marine, fresh-water, and land, of Britain, and not only the shells but also the animals are described with notes on their habits. It is admirably fitted for its purpose—to introduce those who have no scientific training to the delights of collecting and observing one of our most interesting groups of animals, but we cannot help wondering whether the author's way of coining popular names whenever possible for even the rarer shells is really the best way. Such names as the ‘peppery furrow-shell,’ ‘Turton's weasel-eye,’ ‘despisedeolis’ and ‘least whelk,’ do not, we think, really appeal to the lay mind more than the scientific names, even though based on these. Moreover, they have no meaning for anyone other than British, whereas to know the scientific name at least puts one in touch with foreign correspondents. However, as the scientific names are always added, this is a small matter.
Shell Life: an Introduction to the British Mollusca.
By Edward Step. (New and revised edition. Pp. 421 + 32 plates. (London and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., Ltd., 1927.) 7s. 6d. net.
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Biology. Nature 122, 533 (1928). https://doi.org/10.1038/122533a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/122533a0