The Screw Shells. Tower Shells 



"lady's finger," china-like in texture, highly polished, and wound 

 with a series of narrow stripes in shades of brown on a white 

 foundation. Length, 2 inches. 



Habitat. — Peru. 



The Variegated Tower Shell (T. variegata, Linn.) is 

 clouded and streaked with chocolate colour upon a solid creamy 

 white, china-like surface, and finely sculptured with revolving 

 ridges. "Lady fingers" the children call these elegant shells 

 which taper to a needle point. The sixteen flattened whorls 

 are separated by narrow sinuses. Length, 2^ to 5 inches. 



Habitat. — Southern Florida, West Indies. 



Cooper's Tower Shell (7. Cooperi, Cpr.), two inches long, 

 yellow, streaked and spotted with brown, with a wide sinus, and 

 two strong ridges on the whorls, is found on sandy beaches in 

 Southern California when the tide goes out. This is a prime 

 favourite with children. 



T. acicula, Stimps., very thin and white and three-fifths 

 inch long, is found in the stomachs of cod and other fish from 

 Cape Cod northward. It has ten very convex whorls, each strongly 

 ribbed. Other species have been collected by fish on our north- 

 east coast, and have come into the hands of scientists. Of these 

 so very few specimens are known that they are not to be found 

 in ordinary collections. 



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