694 NATURAL HISTORY OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 



Odostomia stria-tula, Philine lineolata, Amphisphyra hi emails, Amphisphyra debilis, Diaphana Goulflii, 

 and Cylichna alba among salt-water forms; with many species of Melampm, Paludina, Planorbis, 

 Limnea, Physa, and other fresh-water genera. 



But many of these species, and several not mentioned here, have additional claims to our 

 notice. For example, Buccinum undatum, the Cape Ann "Periwinkle," might well serve as food, 

 since in Europe it has long been thus utilized. In all the coast towns of England and Scotland 

 this shell is peddled for food, under the name "Whelk" or " Wilk," and it may be bought at all 

 the street-corners in the poorer quarters of London, where it is esteemed a great luxury. Our 

 Whelk might equally well be eaten, and is very common northward from Cape Cod to the arctic 

 regions, living chiefly on rocky shores, but also inhabiting muddy bottoms. It is thus accessible 

 to castaways upon bleak arctic coasts where no other edible shell-fish of consequence occurs, and 

 ought not to be forgotten by those who take the risk of shipwreck in Labrador or Greenland. 



Next demanding attention are two of the largest mollusks on the Atlantic coast north of the 

 tropics Fulgur carica and Sycotypus canaliculata. North of New Jersey these two are confused 

 under the general names of " Periwinkle," " Winkle," and " Wrinkle." The former of these species 

 extends "northward only to Cape Cod," and is uncommon beyond Long Island, while the second 

 is of more frequent occurrence in Vineyard Sound and along the Connecticut shore than south- 

 ward. Both are carnivorous, and find in the Oysters a quiet, easy prey ; they consequently do 

 great damage to the beds, and are properly destroyed by fishermen whenever a chance occurs. I 

 believe this is especially true of the Sycotypus. On the coast of New Jersey and southward, 

 where the Fulgur reaches an immense size, and is known as the "Conch," the oystermen complain 

 very little of it. 



The Sycotypus is more common north of New York, though it does not exist at all beyond 

 Cape Cod; while along the coast of New Jersey and southward it is the Fulgur which is charge- 

 able with nearly all mischief perpetrated, since the other species is rarely seen. Occasionally, as 

 Verrill mentions, specimens of both may be found crawling on sandy flats or in the tide-pools, 

 especially during the spawning season, but they do not ordinarily live in such situations, but in 

 deeper water, on hard bottoms off shore. It is needless to say that they do not burrow at all, 

 though they are able to insert the posterior part of the foot into the sand sufficiently to afford 

 them a strong anchorage against currents. A very soft or a very rocky bottom they equally 

 avoid. 



The curious egg-cases of these mollusks, to which the names "sea-ruffle" and "sea-necklace" 

 are often given by fishermen, always attract the attention of visitors to the sea side, who find 

 them cast upon the beaches; and we can well echo the pious exclamation of the old historian of 

 Martha's Vineyard, "The Author of nature makes a wonderful and copious provision for the 

 propagation of this worm!" The eggs are discharged in a series of disk-shaped, subcircular, or 

 reniform, yellowish capsules, parchment-like in texture, united by one edge to a stout stem of the 

 same kind of material often a foot and a half or two feet in length. "The largest capsules, about 

 an inch in diameter, are in the middle, the size decreasing toward each end. On the outer border 

 is a small circular or oval spot, of thinner material, which the young ones break through when 

 they are ready to leave the capsules, each of which, when perfect, contains twenty to thirty or 

 more eggs or young shells, according to the season." Verrill adds interesting particulars, as 

 follows : 



"Dr. Elliott Coues, who has observed Fulgur carica forming its cases at Fort Macon, North 

 Carolina, states that the females bury themselves a few inches below the surface of the sand on 

 the flats that are uncovered at low water, and remain stationary during the process. The string 



