54 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and pale brown, but some of the land snails have splendid houses. 

 One in my cabinet is in broad bands of white and brown, lined 

 with rose color. The violet sea snail is one of the most fascinat- 

 ing of all the group. Great herds of these bright, purple crea- 

 tures are sometimes seen on the surface of the ocean feeding upon 

 3feduscB (jellyfish). Each carries an enormous float, from the 

 under side of which the eggs hang down. The float is formed 



IHeroce7'a lambis, showing prongs made by mantle. Pelican's Foot 



{Aporrhaispes pelicani). 



by a secretion from the foot and is made up of a great many 

 little bubbles. When storms occur the floats often become sepa- 

 rated from the creatures to which they were attached, but the 

 eggs develop just as well. The violet snail is never found on 

 shore, except when cast up by violent storms, being a lover of the 

 high seas. 



The largest littoral (shore-inhabiting) univalve on the Massa- 

 chusetts coast is a common globular snail {Natica heros). It lives 

 on clams and other bivalves, and is interesting on account of its 

 curious egg masses, known to the children who gather them on 

 the beaches as " sand-saucers." 



The olive shells are so called from their resemblance to that 

 fruit. They are all pretty, being curiously marked with difi:erent 

 shades of brown, but the most striking of the family is the East 

 Indian harp shell, which is very beautiful, with its longitudinal 

 ribs, representing the strings of the harp. The animal which 

 lives in it is exceedingly shy, and if it is captured it draws itself 

 into the shell as far as possible. The whole of the foot will not 

 go in, however, and this is quickly drawn across the sharp edge 

 of the aperture and cut off. If the animal is set free again in its 

 native element it will redevelop its foot. 



The miter shells are varied and brilliant in coloring. Some 

 of mine are white with orange spots, others brown and purple, 

 and all showy. They are named from their resemblance to the 



