32 THE NAUTILUS, 



expected to correspond with each other, to exchange specimens, and 

 to help each other in their scientific work. Once a year the 

 members report to the secretary, and the secretary reports to the 

 president of the Association, Prof. H. H. Ballard, Pittsfield, Mass. 

 Prof Josiah Keep, Mills College, Cal., is president of the Chapter, 

 and Dr. M. L. Leach, Wexford, Mich., is acting secretary. 



STRENGTH OF LIMPETS, i 



According to J. Lawrence Hamilton, M. R. C. S., the limpet is 

 probably the strongest of known animals, excepting perhaps the 

 Venus verrucosa of the Mediterranean Sea, which pulls 2,071 times 

 its own weight when out of its shell. At Folkestone, Eng., Mr, 

 Lawrence Hamilton found that the common sea shore limpet which 

 weighs about half an ounce when deprived of its shell, required a 

 force exceeding 62 lbs. to remove it from its powerful grip upon the 

 rock, or 1,984 times its own dead weight. The superficial area of 

 the base of the limpet experimented with measured 2.4 sq. inches. 

 Mr. H. doubts whether the limpet's adhesive force has anything to 

 do with the question of atmospheric pressure. A curious illustra- 

 tion of the limpet's strength is given by another naturalist. On 

 a w\arm diy day in summer, on the Northern Coast of Scotland, a 

 hare approached a limpet and endeavored to moisten its tongue by 

 contact with the watery looking flesh of the latter ; instantly, the 

 limpet closed on to a rock pinning the hare fast by the tongue and 

 holding it until the animal was caught by the observer of the 

 occurrence. 



COLLECTING CHITONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. 



Excerpts from a Diary. 



BY MRS. M. BURTON WILLIAMSON. 



Whilst peering under a rocky shelf (at Point Fermin) I saw some- 

 thing that seemed to move when I touched it accidentally with my 

 knife. I pushed my knife under one end of it — the only end visible — 



1 We are indebted to Mr. S. R. Roberts for this interesting note on the adhesive 

 power of the Limpet. It is from tlie Illustrated Amei-icati. 



