tellen, Tdlina radiata, which is so plentiful along the shores of Florida 

 and the West Indies? You notice that the right valve looks not unlike 

 the horizon at sunrise, the brilliant rays of color spreading in different 

 directions from a common center. The various species of the family 

 live buried in the sand or sandy mud, and are found throughout the 

 world. The siphons of the tellen 

 are very long and are separated, 

 the upper one being half or three- 

 quarters as long as the lower one. 



m , ,, i-n Gari vespertina. An English tellen shell. 



Ine lOOt IS rather long and pointed, Note the two long, separated siphons. (Tryon.) 



and admirably adapted for burrow- 

 ing. The long siphons enable the animal to bury itself to quite a depth 

 below the surface of the sand. At Newport, I have gathered many hun- 

 dred specimens of this beautiful little pink tellen, TelUna tenera; the 

 shell of which you see is tinted a delicate pink or pinkish white. 



" Placed beside these tellen shells you will note another and related 

 family, the Psammobiidce, which contains some very pretty and inter- 

 esting shells. I purchased a book yesterday on the shells of the 

 Pacific Coast of the United States, entitled 'West Coast Shells,' writ- 

 ten by a California gentleman, Professor Josiah Keep." The Professor 

 drew a small volume from his pocket, and said, " If you will turn 

 to page 199, you will find an excellent description of one of these 

 animals, called Psammobia rubroradiata, or the red-streaked Psammotta" 

 Harry took the book, turned to the page indicated, and read as follows: 



" i But I wanted to see more of him, so I took a large jar, filled it 

 half full of beach sand, added as much sea-water as it would hold, 

 and plunged my prize into the same. He rested quietly for a few 

 minutes, and then began to open his shell and cautiously put out his 

 two siphons. Soon afterward, from between the two edges of his shells, 

 came his big, white, spade-shaped foot. He drove it down into the sand, 

 curved it a little to one side, gave a vigorous pull, and, lo! his shell 

 followed, though just why, I could not clearly understand. Though 

 the jar was large, he reached the bottom before his shell was wholly 

 covered with sand, and had to content himself with a half-above-ground 

 tenement. Next morning his siphons were stretched out some six inches 

 in length. I never thought before that there Avas any particular beauty 

 to the siphons of a clam, but for this red-lined one my opinion quickly 

 changed. Imagine two tubes made of the finest pink and white silk, 

 stretched over delicate hoops arranged at regular intervals ; then think 

 of them as endowed with life, and waving with a graceful motion through 

 the water, and you will have a faint idea of their exquisite texture and 



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