ON THE BEACH AT LOW TIDE 



As treasures that men seek, 



Deep-buried in sea-sands, 

 Vanish if they but speak 



And elude their eager hands. 



- LONGFELLOW. 



One morning in the month of August, our quartette of conchologists 

 with Professor Parker, boarded the little steamer at Providence, Rhode 

 Island, for a trip down the bay. Our destination was a small place 

 called Rocky Point, where it was our purpose to dig clams and collect 

 the various species of mollusks which live on the rocky shore. The 

 ride down the bay was delightful, and the scenery was very beautiful. 

 On either side, the hills rose from the water and stretched far away 

 in soft undulations, their sides green with grass and trees, and their 

 gentle slopes dotted here and there with the cottages of those who 

 were spending the summer in this delightful region. A fresh sea- 

 breeze was blowing, and the buoyancy caused by this pleasing aspect 

 of nature made us feel equal to almost any emergency. 



After a ride of about an hour we arrived at Rocky Point. On this 

 occasion, our collecting outfit consisted of two spades, several baskets, 

 some wide-mouthed bottles (one of which contained alcohol), a num- 

 ber of glass vials for any small shells which we might find, and the 

 ever ready tweezers. 



The tide was out, and a long stretch of muddy beach lay before us, 

 with here and there a pool left by the retreating water, or a rock covered 

 with seaweed, barnacles, and sea-moss. We made our way across this 

 stretch of mud, our objective point being a smooth portion of the 

 beach some three-fourths of a mile distant, where clams were said to be 

 abundant. As we walked along, little jets of water shot up here and 

 there, showing where a clam had become alarmed and had shut his 

 door suddenly, causing the little water-spout. 



Arriving at our destination, we were soon prepared for wading ; 

 then two of our number took spades and began to dig. At the 

 first movement of the spade, up shot the tiny water-spouts in every 

 direction, showing that the clams were there " in force." A little 



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