A FIELD GUIDE TO THE SHELLS

Shell collecting as a hobby can begin in childhood and last to old age. This book is for those who want to go in for it seriously- not for the casual beachcomber. There is factual data on how to empty, clean shells, how to keep records of finds, to label, and a basic system of classification and identification by association. The successive steps are indicated- structure, orders, groups, families, genus. Shells are then listed under four main divisions, with enough about them for budding, as well as trained, conchologists to use. Third of the Field Guide Series, this will be uniform in format, and is compact with photographs of over 100 species. There's a glossary of terms, a key plate, but it is not a beginning, first book on the subject.