CHAPTER IX. 



The Red Pedicularia and the Brown Cowry — Other 

 Cowries — Live Shells and Dead Shells — The 

 Coffee-bean Shell— The Eratos — Ovulum — Diala 

 — Fresh-Water Shells, Including Valvata, Flumi- 

 nicola, and some others. 



ON February ist, 1864, Dr. Newcomb described a 

 little shell which, up to that time, had been found 

 in but very small numbers. The name which he 

 then applied was Pedicularia Californica, Newc, 

 Pe-dik-u-la'-ri-a Cal-i-for'-ni-ca. An enlarged repre- 

 sentation is shown in Fig. 42, from which you will 

 see that the aperture and the outer lip are greatly- 

 extended, and that the spire is completely 

 hidden. The inside of the shell is smooth 

 and glossy, but the outside is slightly rough. 

 By the aid of a microscope, one is greatly 

 Fig. 42. pleased to see a fine system of minute lines 

 and meshes. 



Its color is peculiar for our shells, being a rich, 

 rosy pink, far more beautiful than that of the famous 

 " Peach-blow Vase." During the past twenty years 

 a considerable number of these little red shells have 

 been found, but they are still rare, and are gathered 

 almost wholly from corals and sea-fans which are 

 brought up from tolerably deep water. When fully 

 grown the shell is nearly half an inch in length. 



Another fine shell of our coast is the Brown Cowry, 

 shown in Fig. 43. Its scientific name is Laponia 



