66 THE CHINK-SHELL. 



The first one, shown in Fig. 51, is Lacuna unifasciata^ 

 Cpr. , La-ku'-na u-ni-fas-si-a'-ta. This some- 

 what lengthy name may be freely translated, 

 the One-banded Chink-shell. It is a very 

 Fig. 51. little thing, about one-sixth of an inch in 

 length, and consists of but few whorls. It is brown 

 and glossy, with the color broken into dots on the 

 keel of the body-whorl. The aperture is semi-lunar, 

 and the flattened columella has a small umbilical 

 fissure, from which circumstance it is called the 

 Lacuna^ or Chink-shell. It is worth looking for, 

 and can often be found on sandy beaches. 



Lacuna solidula^ Lov. , so-lid^-u-la, is a northern 

 species, and has a shell sometimes half an inch in 

 length, though often it is of less size. It is three- 

 whorled, strong, smooth, with small umbilicus, brown 

 surface and white columella. 



Lacu7ia porrecta, Cpr., por-rek'-ta, resembles Fig. 

 51, but is broader and more compact. It is found on 

 kelp. 



Paludinella Newcombiana^ Hemphill, has four dis- 

 tinct, rounded whorls. The shell is thin, smooth, 

 and is covered by a brown epidermis. The aperture 

 is nearly circular. The length is one-fourth of an 

 inch or less. My specimen is from Humboldt bay. 



Assiminea Californica^ Cooper, As-si-min'-e-a Cal- 

 i-for'-ni-ca, has a shell rounded, thin and brown. 

 The spire is short and conical, and the whole shell is 

 less than one-eighth of an inch long. This species 

 may be said to be almost amphibious, living much of 

 the time out of water. Specimens have been gathered 

 near Oakland, California. 



Such an array of minute, uncommon shells as the 

 past few pages have presented may make the timid 



