80 THE NAUTILUS. 



MY FIRST YEAR COLLECTING AND STUDYING SHELLS. 



[Report of H. Lowe. From the Transactions of the Isaac Lea Conchological Chapter of the- 

 Agassiz Association for 1894 ] 



My knowledge of collecting shells is quite limited as I have only 

 studied conchology for about a year. I have collected chiefly at 

 Long Beach and San Pedro, but prefer the latter place for collect- 

 ing as it offers a great variety of beach, rocks, sand and mud flats. 

 At Dead Man's Id. are to be found rock shells in abundance, the 

 Chlorostoma, Monoceros, and Littorina clinging in dark patches on 

 the rocks of the breakwater, while among them are bright red star- 

 fish and Chitons. 



The Pomaulax undosiis are also plentiful, for at one time I picked 

 up thirty-five living specimens in one place. On the great pieces of 

 kelp which are seen floating in the tide pools, are often found colonies 

 of the beautiful Norrisia norrisii with their strawberry colored 

 bodies extended from the shell. 



I have found beautiful live specimens of Sernele decisa in sand 

 between the rocks on the Bay side of Dead Man's Id. and good spec- 

 imens of the Cordium quadriyenariinn in the mud flats. Olivella 

 biplicata may be found at low tide between Rattlesnake Id. and 

 Terminal Id. 



Most of the shells of Alamitos Bay are bivalve, while those of San 

 Pedro and Dead Man's Id. are mostly Gastropods. 



This Summer Neverita rechiziana has been quite plentiful for I 

 found one hundred and twenty-five in one morning at the Douax 

 beds at Long Beach, and I found it quite true as Prof. Keep says, 

 that the Natica eat clams for I caught them while boring into 

 Donaces. * * * * * Among other interesting relics which I found 

 this Summer was the house which the Oedalina subdiaphana Desh., 

 builds. It is made of sand and some substance which holds the 

 sand together and covers the shell completely except for two tiny 

 holes left for the siphons. It is about an inch long, and may some- 

 times be seen lying on the mud flats at Alamitos Bay, and resembles 

 lumps of sand. The shell of the little inollusk which lives inside is 

 pure white and very delicate, the lines of growth are distinct and 

 the ligament is internal. 



You mav have wondered in walking along the beach, what the 

 curious formation of sand, looking like a horse's hoof was. By some 



