37 



The Nautilus. 



Vol. VI. AUGUST, 1892. No. 4 



COLLECTING NOTES. 



BY CHAS. T. SIMPSON. 



During a brief vacation last Cliristmas, Mr. John B. Henderson, 

 Jr., of Washington, and the writer made a flying visit to the west 

 coast of Florida, in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, for the purpose of 

 collecting shells ; and I have thought that perhaps a few notes on 

 our work might be of interest to the readers of the Nautilus. 

 The country thi'oughout this region consists of ordinary sandy pine 

 land, interspersed here and there with ponds and hammock or hard- 

 wood tracts of from an acre or so to several miles in extent. This 

 region in general is one of the flattest on the globe, and as a con- 

 sequence the sea is in most places quite shallow and thousands of 

 acres of mud flats are often laid bare at very low tides or during 

 " Northers," affording wonderfully rich collecting grounds for the 

 naturalist. We fitted ourselves out with a five or six ton sail-boat 

 accompanied by a skipper and a good-natured cook, and with two 

 weeks provisions, a gallon of alcohol, a dredge, and several large 

 note books which were to be filled with original observations and 

 discoveries, we sailed away as eager for adventures as Lord Bate- 

 man. 



I want to say to anyone who attempts to collect marine shells or 

 animals, that first and foremost it is all important to use the dredge. 

 This implement is so simple, so easily constructed, and is so efiicient 

 that the merest tyro never ought to try to get along without it. A full 

 description of one and its mode of working can be found in Wood- 



