130 THE NAUTILUS. 
Shells, make it proper to place the matter anew before the members 
of our Chapter. Those who have the opportunity of consulting 
Vol. XII of the “ Manual of Conchology,” will find a full discus- 
sion of the subject ; but as there are some who cannot consult that 
excellent authority, I propose to use some of the statements of Prof. 
Pilsbry in connection with this report. 
There are six species of the genus in question to be found upon 
our Western Coast, only three of which, however, are sufficiently 
abundant to be called common. The first of these species, and 
probably the best represented in respect to the number of specimens, 
is Haliotis Cracherodii Leach. This is the common “black aba: 
lone,” so called on account of the dark color of the outer layer of 
its shell. The ‘‘ Manual” gives the limits of locality as “ Fallarones 
Is. to San Diego.” Probably the Farallones Is. off San Francisco 
are meant, a natural mistake having been made in the spelling, but 
I think the species reaches much farther to the northward than the 
latitude of these islands. I should like to have my suspicions con- 
firmed or refuted by those who have made northern observations. 
One morning during the last summer I took advantage of the low 
tide and explored the granite rocks that form the promentory be- 
yond the Point Pinos lighthouse near Montery. The waves have 
been breaking for ages over those venerable cliffs, and the results of 
their work are distinctly seen. Out in the water, quite far from 
land, you get glimpses of sunken rocks, the very bones of the ancient 
cape. Nearer are a series of small and precipitous islands, most of 
which you can reach at low tide. Strewn all over the bases of the 
cliffs are masses of granite, some of them loose boulders, while others 
are the seamed and weather-worn outcroppings of the underlying 
ledges. Many of the rocks are covered with a thick mat of sea- 
weed, but others are gray and bare. 
Venturing out as far as safety would allow, I was amazed to find 
the available roosting on some of the cliffs almost literally covered 
by young specimens of the species under consideration. The shells 
averaged, perhaps, three inches in length; a few were twice that 
size, but many were much smaller. Their keen instinct teaches these 
animals to seek the least exposed positions, a deep and narrow cleft 
in the rock being the favorite retreat, and there, away from danger, 
they congregate in great numbers. As the tide came in I was ob- 
liged to leave them, and so could not continue my observations, but 
I fancy that when they were well covered with water they loosened 
