takes a boat out in the sound and rakes or pulls a 

 hand seine through the shallow water. 



If you'd rather somebody else do the work, 

 ask a fisherman to search his nets. That's how 

 Carolyn Smith found her 5-inch Northern 

 moon snail shell, a world record. 



Or try snorkeling or diving. Going under- 

 water is the best way to find big shells in good 

 condition. But not many collectors are willing 

 to go to such depths in North Carolina, says 

 Tom Van Landingham, president of the Shell 

 Club. 



"If you want to find the live shells, you've got 

 to go in the muck," Smith says. 



It's not unusual to have to crawl in the mud, 

 wade through the tide or snake among the 

 grasses to find that perfect shell. 



In the bays and sounds, you'll find more 

 shells in the morning or late afternoon because 

 moUusks don't like the hot, drying sun. Smith 

 says. Or go out at night, when species such as 

 whelks stalk their prey. 



Then seek the hidden clues. 



In the mud flats, look for trails. Moon snails 

 and olives, bury in the mud and leave their 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



"footprints" in the form of tiny tunnels. 



Two holes in the mud mean a bivalve is 

 buried beneath the surface. Follow the holes 

 with your fingers to find a clam or scallop. 



Whelks make a big lump in the sand. A tiny 

 tip of the shell may stick out and give you a clue 

 to its whereabouts. 



Peer under rocks on the jetties where mol- 

 lusks sometimes attach. Or comb through an 

 oyster bed to find feeding mollusks such as the 

 tulip. 



An abundance of tiny shells like periwinkles 

 and dove shells cling to the grasses in the 

 marsh. 



To make them even harder to find, most 

 shells are camouflaged with algae, mud, bar- 

 nacles or sponges. 



So why go to all this trouble? 



Live shells are more desirable from a collec- 

 tor's standpoint. Smith says. They're new and 

 fresh, and are usually not nicked or broken. 



Smith, as most collectors, realizes that taking 

 live specimens raises environmental questions. 

 The best answer she can offer is the understood 

 Continued on next page 



