BY THE DEEP SEA. 



PELICAN-S-FOOT. 



Precious Wentletrap (S.pretiosd), 

 from China, for a single specimen 

 of which as much as forty guineas 

 has been paid. This was in the 

 days when shell-collecting without 

 any scientific object in view was 

 a mania with some wealthy peo- 

 ple; just as we have had the 

 tulip-mania, and now have the 

 orchid-mania affecting persons 

 who are impelled by fashion 

 rather than a love of knowledge 

 or the beautiful in Nature 4 . 

 However we may be inclined 



(Littorina Httored) as a species too common to need any 

 attention, it is bound to thrust itself upon our vision at every 

 turn among the rocks, where it swarms. It appears strange 

 that whilst this species is so largely eaten by the poorer classes 

 in towns as a "relish" for tea. the allied and almost equally 

 common species, L. rudis, should be let severely alone. But 

 the explanation is probably to be found in the fact that whereas 

 littorea deposits her eggs in the ordinary way, rudis retains 

 hers until they have hatched out. Now seeing that the Winkles 

 of both species develop their hard stony shells before they hatch, 

 it would be impossible to eat L. rudis without the great in- 

 convenience of having these hard gritty infants damaging one's 

 teeth. The smaller red, or bright yellow shell, that may be 

 found in abundance on the rocks and weeds between tide- 

 marks, is Littorina littoralis. 



The seeker for shells on a sandy shore must do as the 

 children do throw himself prone upon the beach, and hunt 

 thoroughly, inch by inch, examining the topmost layer first, 

 then lightly scraping it off and bringing fresh treasures to light. 

 In this manner he will certainly turn up the exquisite little 



