Popular Conchology
The Shell Cabinet Arranged According to the Modern System
With A Detailed Account of the Animals
and
A Complete Descriptive List of the Families and Genera
Of Recent and Fossil Shells
by Agnes Catlow
2nd Edition published by Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London, UK, in 1854, hardcover, embossed green cloth on boards, 4.5 by 7.5 inches, about 11.5 by 19 cm., 370 pages plus 32 pages advertising other books published by Longman et al, and a 1-page errata sheet. The book is illustrated with fine line drawings in varying sizes of shells in the text. There is a folded chart of the molluscan systematics as a part of the book.
This book was one of the most popular shell books of its day. It was printed in much large quantity as compared to most shell books of its time. Consequently, it is one of the lowest-priced antique shell books that you can find. I am writing this review in 2021 and this copy of the book is now 167 years old. The covers are worn and faded for about a quarter of the entire lower front cover and also to a much lesser extent on the lower back cover. The spine is partially separated and slightly chipped. The pages are toned, but they are in good condition for a book this old. There is some foxing on the front title page. There are two small penned inscriptions, one on the inside of the back cover and one on the end flyleaf with perhaps catalog numbers and previous owner's names. There is an advertisement by a dealer in natural history specimens pasted inside the back cover.
