THE WONDERS OF THE SHORE. 159 



and put the shells into your aquarium, and you will 

 find that an oyster at home is a very different thing 

 from an oyster on a stall. 



You ought, beside, to dredge many handsome 

 species of shells, which you would never pick up 

 along the beach ; and if you are conchologizing in 

 earnest, you must not forget to bring home a tin box 

 of shell sand, to be washed and picked over in a dish 

 at your leisure, or forget either to wash through a 

 fine sieve, over the boat's side, any sludge and ooze 

 which the dredge brings up. Many, — I may sa}', 

 hundreds of rare and new shells are found in this 

 way, and in no other. 



But if you cannot afford tlie expense of your own 

 dredge and boat, and the time and trouble necessary to 

 follow the occupation scientifically, yet every trawler 

 and oyster-boat will afford you a tolerable satisfac- 

 tion. Go on board one of these ; and while the trawl 

 is down, spend a pleasant hour or two in talking with 

 the simple, honest, stm^dy fellows who work it, from 

 whom (if you are as fortunate as I have been for 

 many a year past) you may get many a moving story 



