The Encyclopedia of Shells

A recognition guide and reference on shells, featuring an illustrated directory of twelve hundred shells and shell families, information on habitat, distribution, and conservation, shell buying tips, and advice on maintaining a collection

This book for serious shell collectors, not vacationers, provides color photographs of over 1000 types of shells. While the photographs are exceptionally clear, they are unfortunately almost all the same size, without a representation of scale, regardless of the actual size of the shell. Distribution, habitat depth, and relative availability to collectors are explained in descriptions. Coverage is worldwide with extensive representation from the Far East, including many shells rarely seen by casual shell collectors. Nevertheless, libraries having one of the editions of R. Tucker Abbott and S. Peter Dance's Compendium of Seashells (1990, American Melacologists. 4th ed.) will not need this volume unless their collections are exhaustive.
- Susan Klimley, Columbia Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.