LAMP-SHELLS AND THEIR ALLIES 



13 



Most shells that are sold in stores come from the 

 warm waters of the tropics where they grow more 

 abundantly than along cooler coasts, and as a rule 

 they are of a more attractive appearance and have 

 brighter colors than their neighbors which are ex- 

 posed to a more wintry climate. And so it happens 

 that though certain species of native shells may be 

 on sale, it is always best to consult some one who 

 knows before deciding upon the native locality of 

 any shell. In far Alaska I once bought a shell as a 

 native rarity, and afterwards found out that it was 

 really a Mexican species that had been carried to 

 that land, to sell to tourists. A little familiarity 

 with the shells of a coast will often give one a 

 pretty sure sense of what he ought to expect to 

 find there and will put him upon his guard against 

 imported novelties. And now, having given these 

 warnings against possible deceptions, let us turn to 

 the description of the chief species of shells which 

 are known to be true inhabitants of the territory 

 under consideration. 



There are on our northern Pacific coast only a 

 few species of Lamp-shells, or 

 Brachiopods, as they are called 

 in the books. Figure i repre- 

 sents the Snake' s-head Lamp- 

 shell, ^ erebratulina caput-ser- 

 pentis, Linn. You note that 

 the fraction Vs is placed under 

 the figure; this implies that 



its length and breadth are one- 

 third too great. Sometimes a 



Fig. l.x^(*) 



By permission, from Proceedings of United States National Museum. 



