CHAPTER VI. 



The Morning Walk — My Search for Shells— Success 

 Assured — The Olive Shell— Its Habits and Habitat 

 — Directions for Cleaning Shells — Other Olives — 

 The Black Mitre — Volvarina Varia — The Rice 

 Shell — Other Minute Species — The California 

 Frog Shell — Its Curious Mode of Growth— The 

 Oregon Priene. 



ONE fine summer morning I rose very early, took 

 my long rubber boots, an old hoe, and a basket, put 

 a few crackers in my pocket, and silently stole away 

 from the little tent among the pines where the rest 

 of my family were continuing their slumbers. I fol- 

 lowed the long path which led along the cliffs, here 

 coining down close to the shore, and there cutting off 

 a sharp headland of rocks, till I reached my destina- 

 tion. This was a little strip of sandy beach from 

 which the water had all receded, for it was at the very 

 lowest ebb of the early tide. I sat down on a rock, 

 took a cracker from my pocket, and began to investi- 

 gate both it and the prospect. In front of me was 

 the strip of sand sloping down to the light waves ; 

 behind me was the high bank of earth, and the rocks 

 were on either side ; but no shells were to be found 

 except a few well-worn specimens which had been 

 tossed up by some departing wave. 



But I was not expecting to find shells in plain sight, 

 so I cheerfully pulled off my shoes and drew on those 

 very convenient appendages, the long rubber boots. 



