130 THE MAUTILUS. 



Shells, make it proper to place the matter anew before the members 

 of our Chapter. Those who have the opportunity of consulting 

 Vol. XII of the " Manual of Conchology," will find a full discus- 

 sion of the subject ; but as there are some who cannot consult that 

 excellent authority, I propose to use some of the statements of Prof. 

 Pilsbry in connection with this report. 



There are six species of the genus in question to be found upon 

 our Western Coast, only three of which, however, are sufficiently 

 abundant to be called common. The first of these species, and 

 probably the best represented in respect to the number of specimens, 

 is Haliolis Cracherodii Leach. This is the common "black aba- 

 lone," so called on account of the dark color of the outer layer of 

 its shell. The " Manual " gives the limits of locality as " Fallarones 

 Is. to San Diego." Probably the Faralloues Is. ofF San Francisco 

 are meant, a natural mistake having been made in the spelling, but 

 I think the species reaches much farther to the northward than the 

 latitude of these islands. I should like to have my suspicions con- 

 firmed or refuted by those who have made northern observations. 



One morning during (he last summer I took advantage of the low 

 tide and explored the granite rocks that form the promentory be- 

 yond the Point Pinos lighthouse near Moutery. The waves have 

 been breaking for ages over those venerable cliffs, and the results of 

 their work are distinctly seen. Out in the water, quite far from 

 land, you get glimpses of sunken rocks, the very bones of the ancient 

 cape. Nearer are a series of small and precipitous islands, most of 

 which you can reach at low tide. Strewn all over the bases of the 

 cliffs are masses of granite, some of them loose boulders, while others 

 are the seamed and weather-worn outcroppinga of the underlying 

 ledges. Many of the rocks are covered with a thick mat of sea- 

 weed, but others are gray and bare. 



Venturing out as far as safety would allow, I was amazed to find 

 the available roosting on some of the cliffs almost literally covered 

 by young specimens of the species under consideration. The shells 

 averaged, perhaps, three inches in length ; a few were twice that 

 size, but many were much smaller. Their keen instinct teaches these 

 animals to seek the least exposed positions, a deep and narrow cleft 

 in the rock being the favorite retreat, and there, away from danger, 

 they congregate in great numbers. As the tide came in I was ob- 

 liged to leave them, and so could not continue my observations, but 

 I fancy that when they were well covered with water they loosened 



