THE FRONTISPIECE. 57 



Fig. 41 (Frontispiece) represents one of the rarest 

 as well as one of the most beantiful of all the marine 

 species of our West coast. The specimen from which 

 this figure was drawn w^as obtained from deep water 

 in Monterey bay. 



The shell is spindle-shaped, with a conical spire 

 which slopes with the utmost grace to the apex, a 

 long aperture, and an outer lip which has the char- 

 acteristic notch near its junction with the whorl. 

 The shell is marked with many fine lines of growth, 

 each of which retains the peculiar notch. The color 

 is a rich, brownish yellow, diversified by several 

 narrow bands of reddish brown. Its entire length 

 is nearly three inches. Lastly, its name is Surcida 

 Carpenteriana^ Gabb, pronounced, Sur'-cu-la Car- 

 pen-te-ri-an'-a. I sincerely trust that many of my 

 readers may some day see and admire one of these 

 beautiful shells ; but even from the figure, you will 

 notice its peculiar gracefulness of form. When we 

 see one of these rare and pleasing creations which 

 has been brought up from the depths of the ocean, 

 how forcibly the lines of Gray come back to us : 



" Full nianj' a pearl, of purest ray sereue, 

 The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear." 



