EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



often washed ashore in large niimbers. Many 

 rock loving shell fish, also quite differ- 

 ent, are present and extend well down on 

 the Keys. 



The middle Keys of Florida, those 

 midway between Miami and Key West, are es- 

 pecially rich in shells. There in quiet 

 waters the numerous sponges serve as hosts 

 and afford protection to a multitude of 

 suall forms which cling beneath them. To 

 wade about In the shallow water at low tide 

 is a revelation. The number of forms and 

 their beauty cannot but excite admiration. 

 The task of turning over sponges becomes an 

 easy one when the speculative urge is add- 

 ed. Keen delight is also found in operat- 

 ing the water glass in shallow water. By 

 this means many handsome little shells may 

 be detected clinging to weeds and grasses. 

 Lignumvitae Key was found a particularly 

 good place for these observations. Where 

 Angel Fish Greek Joins lower Biscayne Bay 

 live, upon weeds, the highly decorative As- 

 traeas, two sorts, one with long prominent 

 spines. 



The Key West area is commended on 

 account of its harboring many West Indian 

 shells which do not penetrate much farther 

 north. Saddle Bunch Key, upon the ocean 

 rocks, is a favorable station. Sand Island 

 close to the entrance of Key West harbor 

 provides shelter for a number of limpets 

 and forms not seen upon the mainland. The 

 Marquesas and especially the Tortugas are 

 extremely rich in shells and well repay the 

 visitor. Upon the latter the Carnegie In- 

 stitute of Washington maintains a biologi- 

 cal station where much valuable work is ac- 

 complished by the scientists stationed there 

 at certain times of the year. 



The beginner is advised to study 

 carefully the stations where mollusks live. 

 Repeated visits under varying tidal and 

 weather conditions are essential for suc- 

 cess. Marine organisms are constantly 

 shifting, as a rule, and only disabled ones 

 are thrown upon the beach when certain fac- 

 tors combine to force such an occurrence. 

 Some shells may line the beach one day and 

 not be seen again in years. A person favor- 

 ably situated may watch carefully a chosen 

 spot and from time to time the inhabitants 

 of distant shores may come to him. Regular 

 patrols of the shore line will richly re- 

 ward the persist-nt seeker of specimens. 



In New England, and the north gen- 

 erally, conditions under which mollusks live 



are not so different as at first might be 

 supposed. The rocky coast of Maine, how- 

 ever, affords shelter to many species which 

 could not possibD.y exist farther south. In- 

 dividuals are often very numerous in the 

 colder waters but the number of species is 

 much reduced. Many of the fine small deep- 

 er water shells may be obtained from the 

 stomachs of fish. 



Instructions for Collecting Mollusks 



In 1892 Dr. William h. Dall of the 

 United States National Museum prepared a 

 very valuable paper dealing exhaustively 

 with this subject. Unfortunately this pub- 

 lication is unavailable to the average stu- 

 dent and the following data should prove of 

 value. 



Mollusks live practically every- 

 where. The loftiest mountains, the broad- 

 est prairies, the most remote oceanic is- 

 lets and even deserts shelter and sustain 

 their lives. Intelligent and thorough 

 search will reveal them in limited or great 

 numbers. 



Marine Mollusks 



Many of our most eminent scientists 

 assert that all life originated in the sea. 

 There is no question but that the oceans 

 existed continuously since the earliest de- 

 velopment of life on the globe. Naturally 

 there persist in the great depths of the 

 sea conditions which have remained practi- 

 cally unchanged since the beginning of the 

 world. There are to be found forms of in- 

 calculable antiquity. These organisms are 

 of course obtainable only through costly 

 dredging operations but the literature per- 

 taining to these animals is available to 

 everyone T/ho has access to a good library. 



DEEP SEA DIVISIONS. There are sev- 

 eral divisional names applied to the vari- 

 ous Molluscan regions of the sea. They re- 

 fer to differences of latitude and tempera- 

 ture. 



The Littoral Region . All are famit 

 lar with this. It may in a general way ex- 

 tend from the shore to a depth of 100 fath- 

 oms. Here abundant light and vegetation 

 usually exist ex'^ept as the poles are 



