THE NAUTILUS. 39 
I have found three species of Purpura here and many varieties, 
but the handsomest one is Purpura erispata Chemn. In my mind, 
the finest shell belonging to Puget Sound is this Purpura when 
banded orange and white. This shell usually does not see the light 
of day. Some persons prefer the deep orange variety. Both live 
under the water on the under side of stones or in rocky places, and 
are either obtained by dredging or at very low tide. Purpura lae- 
tuca Esch. is not found in so deep water, hence its white color; it is 
exposed to the rays of the sun sometimes. About September 1st, 
you can notice a great many purpuras closely packed together, 
clinging to rocks laying their eggs, which are in little capsules and 
resemble yellow oats stuck on end thickly over parts of the rock. 
Each capsule contains three or four dozen eggs, which require about 
four months to hatch, if they are not doomed before by some star- 
fish hungry for an egg dinner. You ean find a few egg cases almost 
any time of the year, but most of the eggs are laid during the 
months of August and September. Purpura lives on mussels, limpets 
and barnacles, or, if food gets scarce, it will eat dead fish. But the 
Purpura are not always victorious, for, when a crab-wants a “ pur- 
ple tea,” he shows no mercy to the destroyer of other homes, but 
inserts his strong claws under the operculum of the Purpura and 
digs him out and devours him. 
One June morning, at Point Defiance, I saw three Calliostoma 
costatum eating a sea-weed breakfast. They looked so dainty and 
seemed to enjoy the bright sunshine so thoroughly, that it was with 
some regret that I placed them in my basket. 
One of my friends dug up a fine Priene oregonensis Redf. It was 
five inches long and covered with a heavy dark brown epidermis. 
When the epidermis is removed, the shell is white. It has a strong 
epidermis. I have found a few specimens of Bittium filosum Gld., 
under stones at low tide, and several Margarita pupilla. Crepidula 
dorsata Brod. I have found by the hundreds growing on the shells, 
especially upon Placunanomia macroschisma Desh. The Littorina 
are very plentiful and are large. I have searched for Chrysodomus 
dirus Rve., but have seen no traces of it. Perhaps it is found only 
on the ocean beach, and does not care for the Sound. 
Modiola modiolus L. (Modiolus capax Conr.?) grows to an enor- 
mous size in the vicinity of Puget Sound. My husband brought me 
several from Henderson Bay; the smallest measured 7 inches in 
length, the largest 9 inches, and was 4 inches in diameter. These 
