XIV. 



THE POMPANO-SHELLS. 



BIG SAKASOTA is an island on the Gulf coast of lower Florida, 

 which began its history as an oyster bar and mangrove key in the 

 way described in the last chapter. 



Walking along the seaward verge of this island one January morning, 

 while a stiff sou'-wester was charging the gleaming beach with whole 

 squadrons of " white horses," I noticed everywhere tiny holes, like pin- 

 pricks, in the wet, white shell-sand displayed at low tide. These pin- 

 holes, I knew, must indicate that a mollusk was buried under each one of 

 them, but of what sort I did not at first ascertain. 



I also noticed that the waves seemed to be casting up great numbers 

 of live wedge-shells, or pompano-shells, to which conchologists give the 

 name Donax va/ridhilis. They are extremely pretty little mollusks, double- 

 valved like the mussel, always less than an inch long (at least this species), 

 nearly square-cut at one end, but well tapering at the other, and marked 

 in bright colors after the most exquisite patterns. The ground tint is 

 generally white, but it may be bluish or greenish or pink, straw-color, 

 salmon, saffron, or chocolate. The surface of the shell is finely ridged in 

 delicate lines radiating from the little knobs or beaks at the hinge on the 

 " back " of the shell to the margin, where each ridge ends in a minute 

 tooth. The teeth of each valve half shut past one another when the shell 

 is closed, so as to interlock and become perfectly tight all ronnd, with the 

 exception of a breathing crevice at the blunt end. Moreover, above the 

 ground shade and delicate sculpturing of the shell are laid broadening, 

 ray-like dashes of color spreading outward from the beaks ; or, if these 

 are wanting, ornamental bands run lengthwise, parallel with the margin, 

 so as to be concentric, while in some gaudy specimens both styles of 

 marking prevail. 



A student of decoration might study with profit the striking arrange- 

 ments of colors which these markings show. How do you like the 

 idea of soft canary-color overlaid with a narrow stripe or two of Yan 



