280 WEST COAST SHELLS 



behind pieces of loose bark, among the twigs forming 

 a wood-rat's nest, and in other out of the way phices. 

 Many empty shells I also found, to my great regret, 

 tor each had a hole in the side or near the apex, 

 showing that the owner's lite had been violently 

 taken away. For this act of vandalism the blue jays 

 were evidently responsible to a large extent, and even 

 while I was collecting my few specimens, these 

 saucy birds stormed and scolded in the trees, as if I 

 was the real robber anci not they themselves. I verily 

 fear that these reckless marauders, combined with 

 their confederates, the ground squirrels, will speedily 

 rob Cypress Point of one of its chietest attrac- 

 tions. 



However, I took 

 away a number of 

 specimens of the dor- 

 Fig. 270 mant snail, as well as 



a good many of the 

 best shells which the jays had dared to desecrate, 

 and after their long summer's sleep I placed some 

 of the former in a fernery and sprinkleci them with 

 water. After a few hours they slowly pushed them- 

 selves out into the open world and became quite 

 lively for snails, and seemed to enjoy their state of 

 captivity to a reasonable degree. One of these cap- 

 tives posed for his picture one fine day, anci you see 

 the result in the engraving. 



The shell is umbilicated and seven-whorled; the 

 spire is low conical, and the outer lip is but slightly 

 thickened. The peristome is whitish, but the shell 

 is dark chestnut, with a still darker band, which is 



