Life Beneath the Waves. 67 



alive it has a smooth shining surface, 

 usually yellow or brown, with streaks of 

 deep crimson on its spiral rings ; we are 

 told that it is called the Necklace Natica 

 on account of "the curious ribbon-like form 

 in which its eggs are laid, somewhat re- 

 sembling a broad necklace of pearls." 



The chief peculiarity of the Necklace 

 Natica is the extraordinary way in which 

 the animal spreads its body over its shell 

 when crawling about from place to place. 



The lesser Sea-snail of the two illustra- 

 tions is the prettiest shell ; like the one just 

 described, its surface is smooth and 

 polished ; its colour bluish-white, with 

 rows of violet; the streaks are arranged in 

 rows over the entire shell, not merely at 

 the top like those on the Necklace Natica. 



The pretty little shells called Cowries, or 

 Tokens are very plentiful on some of our 

 53 



