440 THE ANi:\IAL LIFE OP THE GROUP. 



various families here grouped as being too small to be illustrated or to receive 

 notice in a book of this character. 



The tiny fresh-water elarns ^^ are represented, so far as known, by a very 

 minutes species ^^ and a still smaller form ■^- on Oahn, ]\Iolokai. Kauai, and 

 perhaps other islands of the group. Both of these forms are very small, the 

 larger being less than two-tenths of an inch in diameter. 



Earthworms. 



The worms of the islands have never been exhaustively studied. A dozen 

 species of earthwoi-ms ^^ representing three genera are enumerated by Dr. F. E. 

 Beddard, who examined and reported on the material collected by Dr. Per- 

 kins. The species occurring in cultivated grounds appear to have been trans- 

 ferred to the islands by man. The leeches'''"' have not been studied. Two 

 species are quite common in the streams of Oahu, and there are doubtless 

 other species on the ditferent islands. But in general the fresh-water streams 

 of Hawaii have received but little attention from zoologists, doubtless owing 

 to the fact that they are known to be very sparingly inhabited b.v animals of 

 any considerable size, save a few fish and fresh-water shrimp. Of recent 

 years, however, frogs, tadpoles, mosquito fish ami dragon-fiy lai-va' have added 

 a welcome touch of life to the streams. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

 SHELLS FROjM THE SEA-SHORE: PART ONE. 



Ple.vsure op Collecting Shells. 



A ramble by the sea-shore usiuilly results in gathering shells, seaweed, 

 fragments of coral and such odd I'cnniants of life as are cast uj) liy the waves, 

 and it is from the desire to know more of the natural history of such objects 

 that many a person ha.s been led into the systematic study of the life of the 

 sea and thereby become a life-long student of nature. To t)ne with a taste 

 for such pursuits, the .sea -shore of the Hawaiian Islands furnishes a never- 

 failing and ever-changing lure. Winter or summer, day or night, one may 

 wander up and down the beach or wade in the shallow water for miles, know- 

 ing that he can never gi'ow too old nor become too full of knowledge to enjoy 

 nature's open scIkkiI by the sea-shore. 



The rlass of (ibjects most lialilc to attract the novice are the dead shells 

 strewn here and there along the sandy beach. Little by little oiu- comes to 

 realize that there are many dilTerent kinds of shells, and that realization 

 usually is the starting point of the collection of shells, for one soon appre- 

 ciates the necessity of specimens for comparison; and the pleasure of adding 

 little by little to the storehouse of one's treasures b.y one's own efforts is a 

 pleasure that has in it all of the joys of discoverv, knowdedge and possession. 



