Thanks to David for citing a source of this material. Naturally, I had to read it.
As it transpires, the "tract" is a 214 page disquisition on what was known about "mollusks" to the science of 1841. As David notes, that category, at that time, included brachiopods and barnacles.
The booklet is quite a tour de force with diagrams of snail hearts and barnacle anatomy and on and on. I learned from it such diverting items as that the English of the time thought that the ingestion of snails made for fat sheep.
The last 3 pages, as expected, concluded by drawing some apologetic conclusions from the science but, as a piece of literature, it definitely rates as a fairly heavy-duty textbook on the science of "mollusks." Actually, it's a quite impressive summary with considerable detail included.
As to the "inmates", the term seems designed to be an eye-catching title feature rather than a theme of the teaching.
Emeritus Professor of PhysicsOglethorpe University, Atlanta, GAebooks at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=John+Cramerpaperback books at
https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=john+a.+cramer&type=&pn=2
On Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 08:42:50 PM EDT, David Campbell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
The book is available on BHL:https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/42908#page/9/mode/1up
Based on the contents, I suspect that commensals are counted along with the shell makers as "inmates". 1841 popular publication means that barnacles, tunicates, and brachiopods are included as well as mollusks.
On Wed, Apr 10, 2024 at 2:23 PM [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Stumbled across this curiosity book on eBay.
Most amused by the title,
...I'm assuming they are referring to the animal inside as an Inmate?
Leslie
"Shells and their Inmates", 1841.
The Religious Tract Society, London.
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Dr. David CampbellProfessor, GeologyDepartment of Natural Sciences110 S Main St, #7270Gardner-Webb UniversityBoiling Springs NC [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscsTo leave this list, click on the following web link:http://listserv.uga.edu/scripts/wa-UGA.exe?SUBED1=conch-l-L&A=1Type your email address and name in the appropriate box andclick leave the list.----------------------------------------------------------------------
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