THE NAUTILUS. 39 



I have found three species of Purpura here and many varieties, 

 but the handsomest one is Purpura crispata Chenm. In my mind, 

 the finest shell belonging to Puget Sound is this Purpura when 

 banded orange and white. This shell usually does not see the light 

 of day. Some persons prefer the deep orange variety. Both live 

 under the water on the under side of stones or in rocky places, and 

 are either obtained by dredging or at very low tide. Purpura lac- 

 tuca Esch. is not found in so deep water, hence its white color; it is 

 exposed to the rays of the sun sometimes. About September 1st, 

 you can notice a great many purpuras closely packed together, 

 clinging to rocks laying their eggs, which are in little capsules and 

 resemble yellow oats stuck on end thickly over parts of the rock. 

 Each capsule contains three or four dozen eggs, which require about 

 four months to hatch, if they are not doomed before by some star- 

 fish hungry for an egg dinner. You can find a few egg cases almost 

 any time of the year, but most of the eggs are laid during the 

 mouths of August and September. Purpura lives on mussels, limpets 

 and barnacles, or, if food gets scarce, it will eat dead fish. But the 

 Purpura are not always victorious, for, when a crab wants a " pur- 

 ple tea," he shows no mercy to the destroyer of other homes, but 

 inserts his strong claws under the operculum of the Purpura and 

 digs him out and devours him. 



O 



One June morning, at Point Defiance, I saw three Calliostoma 

 eoztatum eating a sea-weed breakfast. They looked so dainty and 

 seemed to enjoy the bright sunshine so thorough!}', that it was with 

 some regret that I placed them in my basket. 



One of my friends dug up a fine Priene oregonensis Redf. It was 

 five inches long and covered with a heavy dark brown epidermis. 

 When the epidermis is removed, the shell is white. It has a strong 

 epidermis. I have found a few specimens of Bittium fi/osnm Gld., 

 under stones at low tide, and several Margarita papilla. Orepidnla 

 dorsata Brod. I have found by the hundreds growing on the shells, 

 especially upon Placunanomia maerosehisma Desh. The Littorina 

 are very plentiful and are large. I have searched for Chrysodomus 

 dints Rve., but have seen no traces of it. Perhaps it is found only 

 on the ocean beach, and does not care for the Sound. 



Modiola modiohis L. (Modiolus capax Conr. V) grows to an enor- 

 mous size in the vicinity of Puget Sound. My husband brought me 

 several from Henderson Bay ; the smallest measured 7 inches in 

 length, the largest 9 inches, and was 4 inches in diameter. These 



