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brilliance to the coloring of shells, and the variety is unlimited. 

 Along these sands you'll see the shell hunters in shorts and 

 sneakers, armed with a sack and clam fork, looking for angel's 

 wing, bleeding tooth, and jewel box. As for time, shells can be 

 found day or night, in the rain or sun, at high or low tide. 



Shells are carved into buttons and jewelry, ground into pow- 

 der to be used in the manufacture of fine porcelain, and fash- 

 ioned into miniatures to be 

 sold at curio shops in far- 

 flung places. Only live 

 shells are collected, not 

 beach-scarred skeletons. 

 The hunters take them 

 home and kill them by im- 

 mersion in fresh water to 

 save the luster. Then they 

 either add them to their 

 collection or start trading 

 with some other dyed-in- 

 the-sun conchologist. 



Some of these shells were found 

 on the Marco Island beach. The 

 clams (11) came from Key West. 

 The angel 's wings (18) , also a 

 member of the clam family, are 

 not found in this condition on 

 the beaches but are dug up in 

 tidal flats and later cleaned of membranes and the crusty material 

 found on the natural shell. (1) Panama Roller, (2) Smooth Auger, 

 (3) Calico Pecten, (4) Boat, (5) Disten, (6) Beehive, (7) Cockle, (8) 

 Silver Tip, (9) Crown Conch, (10) Coquinas, (11) Clam, (12) Lace 

 Murex, (13) Pinna or Pen Shell, (14) Sea Worm, (15) Rough Auger, 

 (16) Nutmeg, (17) Pecten, (18) Angel's Wings, (19) Shark Eye, (20) 

 Rose Petal, (21) Junonia, (22) Baby's Foot, (23) Coconut, (24) Star- 

 fish, (25) Coral, (26) Sunrise Shell (clam) , (27) Rose Murex, (28) 

 Turban. 



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