THE NAUTILUS. 41 
home in my basket, and, after cremating the bodies, placed both 
shells in my cabinet. Both these shells are abundant on the Sound, 
and are easily obtained by digging in the sand and mud. The 
Macoma family thrives here. I have not found M. secta, but M. 
nasuta and M. inquinata are prized by the Indians as food, and M. 
inconspicua is found by the hundred, the exterior slightly eroded by 
the mud in which it dwells, but the inside of the shell is of a bright, 
rich, shiny pink; pale yellow and pure white are also found. The 
shell is about the size of a finger-nail. 
I was surprised to find upon the rocky beach at Brown’s Point a 
living specimen of Lyonsia californica Conr. It was moving about 
in a pool of water among pebbles and rocks. It seems marvelous 
that its thin, delicate little shell could remain uncrushed an instant ; 
but it seemed to enjoy life as well here in the rugged, stormy north 
as it does in the warmer waters of the “land of sunshine and blue 
skies.” 
Cardium corbis is more hardy, though, unlike most of our north- 
ern shells, it is smaller than its southern cousins C. quadragenerium 
and Liocardium elatum, but it is much more numerous than either 
of these species.” 
Pecten hastatus Sby. is called by many our “ prettiest shell,” and 
with the thousands of little spears (hastatus), toothed edges and dell- 
cate coloring, it is indeed a lovely shell. I saw one for the first time 
(living) at Point Defiance during the month of April. It was 
caught on the top of a rock by becoming entangled by a piece 
of sea-weed ; it opened and closed its shell rapidly, making a curi- 
ous sound. The orange color of the animal shone and glittered in 
the sun. The circulation could be seen and the working of the 
heart and other organs. This Pecten is a deep-water species, swims 
about freely in the water and moves about at the same angle as a 
kite does in the air. It lives among sea-weeds and is found in great 
abundance at Fox Island in the spring of the year. The lower 
valve is bleached by the sand. It lives in the water and is never 
exposed to the rays of the sun, hence the delicacy of the color. This 
shell-fish has black eyes, and can tell when a hand or a bird comes 
to grasp it. I have seen Amusium caurinum in deep water, but 
have never succeeded in capturing one, as it is obtained only by 
dredging in very deep water. It is brown outside, white within, and 
has 20 ribs, and is not so handsome as P. hastatus. 
2 And is also a much heavier shell than the southern Cardium. M. B. W. 
