198 CONCEPCION CONCHIFERA woollen, paper, and soap, and an annual fair which is one of the largest in Spain. CONCEPCION. I. A S. province of Chili, bounded E. by the Andes and "W. by the Pa- cific, and having the river Itata on the north and the Biobio on the south; area, about 3,600 sq. m. ; pop. 155,382. The soil is fertile and the climate delightful. The cereals and various kinds of fruits are produced in abun- dance. Among the chief exports are timber, lumber, hides, salted beef, and tallow. Coal of an inferior quality is mined in large quanti- ties. II. The capital of the province, situated on the right bank of the Biobio, 7 m. from its mouth, and 270 m. S. S. W. of Santiago, in lat. 36 49' 30" S., Ion. 73 5' 30" W. ; pop. about 15,000. It is a well built city, with wide streets crossing at right angles. Near the centre is a square with a fine fountain. Among the prin- cipal buildings are a handsome cathedral, a number of churches and free schools, an or- phan asylum, a lyceum, theatre, prison, hospi- tals, and barracks. It is the seat of a bishop. Its port, Talcahuana, about 12 m. distant, on the S. W. side of Concepcion bay, is one of the best in Chili. It has been rebuilt entirely since the earthquake of 1835, and now con- tains about 5,000 inhabitants, and a number of churches and schools. A railway from Tal- cahuana to Chilian, 112 m., now constructing, will materially increase its importance. The bay of Concepcion is shut in by the island of Quinquina, on each side of which is a good channel, and furnishes an extensive and safe anchorage. Concepcion was founded by Pe- dro Valdivia in 1550, on the S. side of the bay. It was burned by the Araucanians several times, and suffered severely from earthquakes. After the earthquake of 1751 it was rebuilt on its present site. In 1823 the Araucanians again destroyed a part of it, and it was near- ly ruined by the earthquake of 1835. CONCH (Lat. concha, a shell), a name given to many univalve shells, of the families strom- bidcB or wing shells, pyrulidce or fig shells, fasciolaridcs or band shells, &c. The name is also applied to the genus triton. The first named make curious egg cases, like flattened disks, attached in considerable numbers to a string on one side ; the strings are sometimes two feet long, and are the favorite food of many carnivorous mollusks. These animals were doubtless eaten by the American abo- rigines, as their shells are numerous in the Florida shell heaps, and, though very tough, they are now eaten by the poor. Some of the shells are valuable for making cameos; and the South sea islanders use the sea conch (tri- ton) as an instrument of music, blowing into the shell through the broken apex, thereby producing a loud and mellow sound. It is a species of sea conch which is represented as used by the god Triton. In many rural parts of the United States conchs of the genus strom- lus are used in place of dinner bells or tin horns, to cull persons from a distance. CONCHA. I. Jose de la, marquis of Havana, a Spanish soldier and statesman, born in Cor- dova de Tucuman, Buenos Ayres, in 1800. He took part in the war against the patriots in South America and against Don Carlos in Spain, became lieutenant general in 1839, and was captain general of the Basque provinces from 1843 to 1846. About this time he was placed at the head of the Spanish cavalry, and in 1849 was appointed captain general of Cuba, where he distinguished himself by his energy and the reforms he effected. He was removed shortly after the insurrectionary attempt of Gen. Lopez in 1851, and on his return to Spain published a valuable statistical work on Cuba. He joined his brother in opposing the govern- ment, and was banished from Spain in January, 1854. Subsequent to the July revolution of the same year he was reappointed captain gen- eral of Cuba, but was recalled on the return of Narvaez to power in 1856. He was subsequent- ly senator, ambassador in Paris, and member of the Miraflores cabinet. On the outbreak of the revolution of September, 1868, he was appoint- ed by Queen Isabella prime minister, and exer- cised the office until she crossed the frontier into France, when he followed her into exile. II. Mannelde la, marquis of Douro, brother of the preceding, born in Madrid in 1794. He fought in early life against Napoleon and the revolted Spanish colonies in South America, and after- ward against Don Carlos. As representative of the city of Cadiz in the cortes, he gave his support to Maria Christina and Isabella, and successively to the administrations of Espartero and Narvaez. In 1843 he was commandant in Valencia and Murcia, and in 1844 captain gen- eral of Catalonia. In 1847, during the com- plications with Portugal, he was put in com- mand of 6,000 men, and took possession of Oporto, by which victory he earned his title. In the same year he escorted Maria Christina to Paris, and on his return to Madrid resumed his seat in the cortes, where he was a conspic- uous member of the ultra conservative party. Subsequently he was reappointed captain gen- eral of Catalonia. Having issued at the end of 1853, in concert with O'Donnell and Bravo Murillo, the famous protest against the policy pursued by the government, he was banished from Spain in January, 1854, and repaired to Paris ; but he was soon recalled to Madrid by the revolution of July of that year. Gen. Con- cha was now made inspector general of cavalry and marshal; but on Oct. 12 following, when Narvaez came again into power, he was com- pelled to relinquish his positions. He is the author of a work on infantry and cavalry tac- tics, which is the accepted text book in all military schools and colleges in Spain. CONCHAS. See CONCHOS. CONCHIFERA (Lat. concha, Gr. /c<5y;n, a shell, andjfero, to bear), a class of mollusks including all the bivalve shells, as oysters, clams, scal- lops, &c. ; they were called lamelli-lranchiata by De Blainville. They are next to the univalves
