12 
over portions not covered with growths, so as to reduce the risk 
of the colour fading. When the animal is removed and the growth 
cleaned away, wash, scrub, and dry, as with dead shells. 
Shellfish are sometimes obtained by dredging with a 
naturalist’s dredge, or by diving for them, or lifting them out of the 
water with instruments such as hay forks and hooks. Sandy 
beaches and banks yield many of the most beautiful specimens, but 
only with experience will the collector be able to identify the marks 
of the syphons of the various shellfish. Nearly all shellfish that 
burrow have two syphons, or tubes, which they push through the 
sand. The water is drawn down one syphon and up the other; 
and as it passes through its stomach the mollusc absorbs the animal 
and vegetable particles in the water. Some of these shellfish live 
feet below the surface of the sand; some, such as the common cockle, 
only a fraction of an inch. Apparently even cockles do not come 
to the surface, except to die. Some instinct seems to urge a 
shellfish, when sick unto death, to save its fellows from infection 
by leaving the common shelter. Cockles found on the surface are 
to be avoided as unhealthy, and, unless they die naturally, are 
soon killed by the carnivorous shellfish. It does not take one of 
the whelk family long to bore a hole in the centre of the cockle 
shell. It knows too much to risk having its radula, or tongue, 
nipped off by putting it between the partly-open valves of the dying 
cockle. The end of the syphon, which projects from the sand, is 
like a miniature sea anemone. Each sand-burrowing shellfish has 
a different shaped end to its syphon, and the skilled collector can 
tell at a glance what shellfish is down below. If he can grip the 
syphon with his hand he will have no difficulty in digging up the 
shellfish, even such a deep-living one as the Panopaea (Plate VIIL., 
Fig. 3), one of which was captured by Mr. C. Spencer on Chelten- 
ham Beach, near Takapuna Head, in Auckland Harbour. I 
believe this was the only Panopaea captured in New Zealand in 
situ, and was about eighteen inches below the surface of the sand 
at half-tide mark. If he miss gripping the syphon he will 
probably lose the shellfish; as it can burrow nearly as fast as a 
man can dig with his hand. A beginner cannot do better than take 
a small spade, and walk along a sandy beach at low water. As 
the tide begins to rise, and the buried shellfish feel the water, he 
will see the sand moving, or showing signs of life; and if he digs 
quickly enough he may unearth rare and beautiful specimens for 
his cabinet. 
