|
Agnes Catlow
Agnes Catlow (1806–1889) was a 19th-century British science writer best known for a popular book on conchology. Early life Catlow was born in 1806 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Catlow. By the 1860s Catlow and her sister Maria were living in Chertsey in Surrey. Background Not much is known of Agnes Catlow's family background and education. It is clear from her publications that she was well-educated, especially in such natural sciences as zoology and entomology. Throughout her life, she traveled widely, sometimes with her sister Maria, who was also a science writer. Catlow died at her house in Addlestone, Surrey on 10 May 1889 aged 82. Career Catlow was one of a group of mid-Victorian-era women scientific writers who published mainly for children, helping to bring science education into the home. As she said of her work in the preface to ''Drops of Water'', her 1851 book on microscopy, "My experience and observations may be more genial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conchology
Conchology () is the study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs; however, malacology is the study of molluscs as whole organisms, whereas conchology is confined to the study of their shells. It includes the study of land and freshwater mollusc shells as well as seashells and extends to the study of a gastropod's operculum. Conchology is now sometimes seen as an archaic study, because relying on only one aspect of an organism's morphology can be misleading. However, a shell often gives at least some insight into molluscan taxonomy, and historically the shell was often the only part of exotic species that was available for study. Even in current museum collections it is common for the dry material (shells) to greatly exceed the amount of material that is preserved whole in alcohol. Conchologists mainly deal with four molluscan orders: the gastropods (snails), bivalves (clams), Polyplacophora (chitons) and Scaphopoda (tusk shells). Ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
