CollecMg American Seashells 61 



gravel or is skipping over the bottom. Sometimes it is next to impossible to 

 dredge downhill, so try in the opposite direction if your dredge is failing to 

 dig in. On dredges with iron bridles it is suggested that one arm be attached 

 to the frame merely by a small cord, so that it will break loose and free the 

 dredge should it snag on rocks or corals. 



When hauls are brought aboard they should be screened and washed 

 to remove mud and sand. If this is not convenient, at least the extraneous 

 material may be thrown away and the remainder put in sacks for home sort- 

 ing. In tropical waters, gloves should be worn to prevent serious stinging by 

 certain kinds of sponges. Be sure to make a record of the depth, location 

 and date of haul. 



Fish and lobster men often bring up rare shells in their traps, and this 

 suggests, of course, the possibility of setting one's own traps. Successful 

 traps may be purchased or built M'ith a little ingenuity, if the entrances are 

 made so that snails can easily enter. Dead fish or spoiled meat will attract 

 the carnivorous gastropods, but to date no magical "catnip" has been found 

 to lure the herbivorous species. Even simpler than the trap is the system of 

 weighting a burlap bag of spoiled meat with rocks near the low-water line. 

 Nassarius Mud Snails, Melongena Crown Shells and a host of other species 

 may be collected nearby the next night. 



If you have yet to collect your first live Olive or Terebra shell, wade 

 along the shores of a sandy bay on a quiet, moonlight night, and with the 

 aid of a flashligrht follow aloncr the trails in the sand. A dozen daytime visits 



CO 



to the same locality will never compare to one hour of night collecting. Not 

 only are sand-dwelling mollusks on the move, but in rocky regions the cow- 

 ries, mitras and murex shells are out from under their hiding places and 

 traveling along in full view. 



It is perhaps appropriate here to mention the dangers of over-collecting 

 in certain localities. This is to be avoided particularly if certain species have 

 taken several seasons to build up their populations even to a moderate size. 

 By leaving at least most of the immature specimens and perhaps one or two 

 adults, you will assure yourself of good collecting at the same spot at a later 

 date. While it is unreasonable to expect people to roll back the rocks they 

 have overturned, some collectors do this in order to obtain additional speci- 

 mens on the next visit. Once destroyed by sunlight and air, protective algae 

 and sponges need many months to grow back. However, the blame for 

 extinction of many beautiful mollusks at Lake Worth, Florida, and in many 

 other places rests not with greedy collectors but with super-drainage experi- 

 ments, city pollution and construction work. 



Keeping accurate locality data with specimens you have collected is 

 most essential. Many private collections are eventually left to museums for 

 the enjoyment and use of future generations. Today's crowded museums 



