mediterranean seashells

The volume “Mediterranean Seashells” gives the meaning of the individual Latin words composing the scientific names of the conchiferous molluscs present in the Mediterranean Sea. With the implicit idea that “to understand the meaning of a name does help to remember it better”. In the first stage the authors had considered sufficient to compile a dictionary with only the etymology and translation of the Latin words, but then, to avoid the risk of giving only their personal interpretation, decided also to add, as confirmation, the authentic words (or a short summary) written by the naturalist when he described the mollusc to the scientific world. This obliged them to a deep and long research in libraries in Italy, in Europe and in the entire world. It has been a rather heavy work lasting almost 3 years, but it was worth the trouble, because in this way they are sure to have provided an explanation being very authoritative and correct from scientific viewpoint. In fact when they assigned the names to molluscs, the naturalists followed the most various methods: by recalling the shape of shells, the names of geographic places, of figures of mythology, of literature, of science, of the members of their own family or of their team, by playing upon words, by starting from their own opinion, etc. etc. In addition to the dictionary explaining 2100 items, the volume of 408 pages also includes other chapters: the check list updated up to the printing month; a references list, rich of 1065 titles; a glossary of the typical words used in malacology with explicative tables and drawings; a brief introduction to classic Greek and Latin used in the formation of scientific names.

Book price € 50,00 + € 7,00 for the delivery at the bookstore.

Languages: English and Italian