80 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



The doctor made the first find of interest. 

 Turning over a submerged piece of dead coral, 

 several brown egg-shaped creatures appeared, 

 covered with curious short tentacles. They were 

 evidently mollusks ; but where was the shell ? 

 "Now watch the transformation," said the 



doctor, as the boys 

 crowded around ; 

 and, touching one 

 of the animals, the 

 curious covering 

 rapidly drew in 



moneta. 



posing the exquisitely polished shell of a Cy- 

 prcea or cowry, the micramock of the reefers. 



" I have often wondered," said Harry, " how 

 they retained their polish ; this explains it." 



"Yes," replied the doctor. "They live in 

 these rough places, and to protect the shell, and 

 rebuild it when worn away or broken, this sin- 

 gular covering is thrown out. You are all fa- 

 miliar with the spotted cowry ; it is a relative 

 of this ; the family is a very large one. The 

 Cyprcea moneta, or money cowry, is imported 



