They have done time as jewelry and tools, as medicines, currency, and symbols of industry--and they have intrigued people, from beach-combing toddlers to serious scientists, since time began. Native interest meets natural history in this exquisitely illustrated account of the science and culture of seashells.



With closeup photography and basic explanations of different shell types--univalves, bivalves, and cephalopods--how they are formed, what mollusks inhabit them, their morphology and life cycles, and much more, this is the book for anyone with an interest in seashells.



This book includes information on the bewildering array of shell shapes, colors, sizes, and types, and describes where the different shells can be found throughout the world. As informative as it is visually arresting, the book will appeal to amateur and expert, collector and casual beachcomber.

A natural history of the science and culture of seashells, this exquisitely illustrated volume includes close-up photography and basic explanations of different shell types--univalves, bivalves, and cephalopods--how they are formed, what mollusks inhabit them, their morphology and life cycles, and much more. With its bewildering array of shell shapes, colors, sizes, and types, and descriptions of where the different shells can be found, the book will appeal to amateur and expert, collector and desultory beachcomber alike.