ON COLLECTING SHELLS. 283 



Steiiotrema can be cleaned by removing the animal, but these 

 and all shells below them in size, except the Succineas, should 

 be dropped into the alcohol. Naked mollusks (snails or slugs) 

 should be placed in a separate collecting bottle of alcohol, 

 because of the mucus which they so plentifully shed. After 

 death, when they have become somewhat stiffened, this mucus 

 may be readily removed from their bodies with clean water. 

 They are most conveniently preserved in alcohol. The larger 

 species of land shells may be dropped, promiscuously, into the 

 collecting boxes mentioned above. AVhen a sufficient number of 

 specimens has been secured, they must be cleaned and prepared 

 for the cabinet. The following tools are necessary : 



A few hooks of annealed wire, of different sizes and lengths. 

 Take any piece of such wire, put a short, pine handle of suitable 

 size on one end, and file the other to a somewhat slender point. 

 These are used for drawing the snails out of their shells. They 

 will hold better if 3-ou bend the point into a small hook. 

 Two or three brushes of different sizes. 



A test-tube, five or six inches long, and half an inch in 

 diameter, and a pint of perfectly clean white sand. A syringe ; 

 a rubber one, an inch diameter in the barrel, and six inches 

 long, with a small nozzle aperture, is the best. 



A small strainer, such as is used for tea or coffee ; and a 

 shallow pan, say two inches deep, and six inches in diameter. 



Let us begin with the larger snails and wash every one clean. 

 Have 3^our pan of hot water on the stove, your unclean shells and 

 implements all handy on a low table near by. Put two or three 

 or half a dozen if you are tolerably sure of success, into your 

 strainer, to which a wooden handle has been fixed. Set it with 

 the shells into the hot water, and allow it to remain for a minute 

 or less. Life is out, and taking one of the specimens in your 

 left hand, between the thumb and fore-finger, hook one of your 

 wire implements into the animal, making a gentle effort to with- 

 draw it. If it comes out readily, draw out the others and throw 

 them into a dish of clean, tepid water. If the animals cannot be 

 withdrawn readily, scald them again for a short time. Thej'- 

 will usually come out easily enough, but certain species cannot 

 be withdrawn if scalded too much. These are matters of expe- 

 rience and will be learned by perseverance. Shells that 3'ou 

 cannot at first succeed with, on account of irregularities in the 

 aperture, small size, etc., will be mastered after awhile. Having 

 withdrawn the animals wash the shells again thoroughly on the 

 outside, and syringe them thoroughly inside, shake out the water 

 and lay them on a newspaper to dry, mouth downward. The 

 specimens thus prepared will be perfect, clean, and a delight 

 either for study or exchange. The small shells remain to be 

 looked after. If they are clean, leave them in the alcohol for a 



