SOME HOUSE-BOAT BUILDERS 
44 Miss King gave us The Chambered Nautilus 
to learn to-day/ 5 said Alice. “ At first it seemed 
awfully hard, but after she had told us about this 
little creature of the ocean, I got at it better.” 
“ Is it not queer how the nautilus grows by 
building a 4 more stately mansion 5 all the time? ” 
queried Tommy. 44 Just imagine walling up 
one’s old den with a curved plate of pearl and 
moving into newer and larger quarters! They 
say that empty nautilus shells of many chambers 
are often cast up by the sea. That is how the 
little animal comes by the name 4 the chambered 
nautilus/ In some places it is known as the 
pearly nautilus.” 
44 And a beautiful shell it has,” said Auntie. 
44 But not more beautiful than that of the paper 
nautilus, which has a lovely white-fluted shell, so 
thin and transparent that it shows the dainty rose 
and silver tints of the body beneath.” 
44 One of the strangest things about the nau¬ 
tilus,” observed Alice, 44 is that it is not fastened 
to its shell. Neither does it quite fill it. Its shell 
is just a dainty little house-boat in which it floats 
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