Five cone shells in mottled brown, cream, olive and orange patterns, arranged on white like an antique natural-history plate.

A single small orange and white cone shell on a white background. — Inside: four of your photos stand up below this, with your note.

No. 11 of 27 · The Natural History Series

Cone Shells

Pictures by G. B. Sowerby IIWords by Lovell Reeve

Design this card$13.00~~$18.00~~

Five cone shells in mottled brown, cream and bright orange, drawn life size and coloured by hand by G. B. Sowerby II for Lovell Reeve's Conchologia Iconica of 1843. Each shell's pattern is laid down as the snail grows, by cells along its lip that switch on and off like a loom. For someone who loves the shore and the beauty of natural history.

Add four of your own photos and your own words; we print the card in the US and post it for you.

On the back

From the great natural-history books of the 1700s to the 1900s / CONE SHELLS / Conus / A cone shell's pattern is laid down as the snail grows, by cells along the lip of the shell that switch on and off like a loom. / Conchologia Iconica, 1843 / Lovell Reeve's great atlas of shells; G. B. Sowerby II drew every shell life size, coloured by hand. / SMITHSONIAN LIBRARIES / NATURAL HISTORY · JUST BECAUSE / No. 11/27

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