COLLECTING SHELLS. 215 



draws it down. The circumference of the upper part is pro- 

 vided, on the contrary, with small pieces of cork, which raise 

 it up; thus the bag remains always open at the bottom of 

 the sea. The bag is dragged by means of a rope, which 

 attaches it to a boat, the motions of which it follows. The 

 lead with which the lower part of the aperture is loaded, 

 causes is to drag strongly along the bottom of the sea, the 

 shells and marine plants of which are pulled off, and enter 

 the bag as it is moved forward. 



OF THE RAKE. 



In many cases, the bag has not sufficient power to detach 

 those shells which adhere strongly to rocks, at the bottom 

 of the ocean ; in which case, the rake will be found an effi- 

 cient instrument. 



The rake is composed of a cross-piece of iron, armed with 

 teeth, and attached to a long handle, of a similar form to the 

 rake used by gardeners, except that from the two extremities 

 of the cross-iron proceed two iron branches, which are at- 

 tached to the handle, and which form, with the cross-piece, 

 a kind of semicircle. This semicircle serves for attachment 

 and aperture to a net, in shape of a bag. This rake is fixed 

 by the end of a handle to a rope, by means of which, fishers, 

 in a boat, draw it in by the help of a capstan. The teeth 

 of the rake drag along the bottom of the sea, and detach the 

 marine bodies which adhere to it ; these are received into the 

 net, by means of which they are brought up to the surface. 



Land Shells inhabit nearly every country of the globe. 

 They are found in woods, hedges, and gardens, where they 

 take up their residence in the hollows of trees, crevices of 

 rocks, holes in old walls, the roots of hedges, under stones, 

 amongst moss ; or adhere to the branches and stumps of 

 trees, and under the shade of leaves, or amongst nettles, or 

 other weeds. It is during the day that they retire to those 

 situations, and in the evening they are met with crawling 



