The Violet Snails 



who were just going to church, thought I was a lunatic, and 

 perhaps they were not far from right. At last I reached the 

 schooner, took off and threw away my suit, which was utterly 

 ruined, and got my precious mollusks into sea water to soak. 

 Although at least half of them were broken, yet when I cleaned 

 them I had the satisfaction of counting up over two thousand 

 good shells. 



When the wind blows this little sailor ashore, on Floridian, 

 Mediterranean or Pacific Island beach, an increasing number of 

 interested observers gather a few uninjured specimens to watch in 

 the aquarium jar. Better opportunity still comes to the naturalist 

 on a voyage of discovery. While one group is busy dredging 

 for deep sea forms of life, another in a row boat, with dip-net and 

 tin pail, may skim the surface and collect the small but wonderful 

 pelagic mollusks. "The blind snail of the sea" is among the 

 most interesting of the varied ocean fauna. On shipboard or in 

 the ordinary seaside aquarium it is quite at home. 



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