80 THE NAUTILUS. 
ISAAC LEA DEPARTMENT. 
{Conducted in the interest of the Isaac Lea Conchological Chapter of the Agassiz Associa- 
tion by its General Secretary, Mrs. M. Burton Williamson. ] 
For the benefit of our new members I will say that while the 
Popular Science News is the official organ of the Agassiz Associa- 
tion, THe Navriwus is the official organ of our Conchological 
Chapter. 
Please bear in mind the annual reports and dues are to be sent 
in next month. This department is made up from the reports of 
our members. Let us make this year’s volume of Transactions the 
best we have ever had. 
The volume when last heard from had just been forwarded by 
Mr. Hilles Smith to Mr. James H. Lemon, Toronto, Ontario. The 
book has “ gone the rounds” rather slowly this year. 
COLLECTING DURING THE SUMMER OF 796. 
[Extract from the report of Mr. H. Howe. From the Transactions of the Isaac Lea 
Chapter for 1896]. 
During the summer months I collected around San Pedro and 
Long Beech. A very pretty and rather rare shell is the Acteon 
punctocelatus Cpr., commonly called the “barrel shell.” It may 
be found alive during June, July and August, at the roots of the 
eel-grass where it comes to breed. The eggs are almost microscopic 
and are laid in coiled masses about one inch in length, which is 
twice the size of the entire Mollusk shell and all. The Acteon 
(also called Rictaxis) lives in deep water and can only be collected 
during the breeding season. 
In August I made a trip to Anaheim Landing in company with 
a friend, also a collector. As the low tide occured at four o’clock 
in the morning (and we live about ten miles away) we had to start 
at two o’clock in the morning. On arriving at our collecting 
ground we set to work and soon had excavated several fine 
Glycimeris generosa and Schizotherus Nuttalli. These are about 
the hardest shells to collect that I know of, for they live from two 
to three feet down in the mud. In the soft clay we dug out some 
fine Pholas pacifica and Zirphea crispata, Bulla nebulosa and Pecten 
cequisuleatus, were very large and plentiful. At this place I found 
my first live Nassa perpinguis. When hunting for the burrows of 
