Forward by Dr. R. Tucker Abbott. A sequel to S. Peter Dance's Shell Collecting: an illustrated history, this book discusses and illustrates some of the worl'ds rarest sea shells. Part I shows how the rarity cult began and how it gathered momentum throughout the 19th Century; how and where rare shells have been gathered, and how they have fared at auction. Part II discusses 50 rare shells, all of them being illustrated in color. These shells have many points of interest apart from their beauty. Most represent species first collected well over a century ago but which had not been found again until very recently. Some were found in deep water, others on tropical reefs and one or two even in the stomachs of fishes.