34 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



— as the name signifies. This Ilaulover does not dif- 

 fer in form from time to time, neither in size ; the shape 

 and area being the same known to Des Barres in 1776, 

 to William Mitchell in 1838, and to more recent sur- 

 veyors. 



Upon the shores of Nantucket which are washed by 

 the tides, though the rise and fall is not as great as one 

 would imagine who is not acquainted with the currents, 

 are found among the usual varieties of sands many 

 beautiful pebbles, and occasionally a precious stone. 

 Some of the amethysts picked up at Maddequet have 

 been of great value, and have been thought worthy of 

 fine settings as jewelry. 



From the sands of the shore we pass on to the 



Conchology. 



Though the many shells which fill the museums and 

 adorn the residences of our town are brought from dis- 

 tant coasts, frequently from tropical shores, yet Nan- 

 tucket has a conchologia of its own. Besides the 

 " pilgrim" shells, so numerous that we almost over- 

 look their beauty, the " money " shells, the " cradle " 

 shell, the " razor " shell, the many varieties of conch 

 and mussels so conspicuous upon our beaches, there 

 are many others so minute that only a careful observer 

 can distinguish them from the grains of sand, while 

 the dredge frequently reveals to the student those 

 which can only be seen by a powerful microscope. 



Among the sea-urchins and the divers kinds of star- 

 fish, rare specimens have been found which have been 

 duly noticed by Agassiz in his reports. In regular 

 gradation from the sea-urchin and the star-fish we 



