The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-07

| ance that is enhancing 10 tne eye lou
| could search bric-a-br coliectlons over
| throunhout the world without finding any
| object that would so quickly appeal TO ana
| charm the eve. The haliotls Is natVe Oh
the Pacific Ocean, and fine specimen eau
| be secured for 10 cents. flaceu aniens
| bisoue ware or china on CABINET sheii OF
| parlor mantel il Will produce strlAiiS
| contrast. The halotis is one OF the gems OF
the collection that IS prepared 1or 80;
| The nautilus she'll is another signify malltei
| Gem. This is a pearl shell OF opalescent
lint. of which there are several pretty
! varieties. the rarest being the umDlhcateu
! specimen. sold at from So to So, according
to design. .1;,,,,,,
| of the shell world are popular among the
| woman collectors here and in Phlladepma.
| Among these are the colossal focus, when
sometimes grow to two feet IN length; ana
are curously formed, the Upper SGcll, 50
called because it is shaped like Upper,
with a long handle, the angel wing, ard the
| Venus basket The last named shell Is
sort of a coral gravel, made by an insect and
looking for all the world like him oil lace.
The basket shell is shaped like cornlc2pla,
and is so brittle that it is most dlilcult 10
secure n perfect specimen. 1t IS snow WnIte
and of the most exquisite design. ne
angel wing is also Il white shell and IS
biValve. The two halves look Ike 1Olueu
wings. with feathers clearly outlined on The
outer surface These shells are found IN the
West Indies and bring from 81 to s. per
nair. Another variety of rare she'll, much
sought by women, is the inter III reSen-
b,eS a bishops inter and IS Oddly marked
THE BLACK HELMET.
sThere are hundreds more of these prizes,
including the black helmet. shell that Is not
very rare which can be made very beautiful
by carving The ancentS cut their canoes
from The helmet shells. They are large and
make striking ornaments Tor the top Oh
parlor bookcase or table. 900
haS is q
THAT" said the concholoGiSt, sis ques-
ton that answer about a hundred times
month. by mentioning the superb specimen
! that * called the Gone Of the Holy Mary.
Wbv il is so called | do not know, but it Is
the rarest, because there are but two known
specimens in existence. One of them is IN
London, in the British Museum, l believe,
and the story is told that tie shell is valued
at several thousand pounds sterllng-a sort
of Kok-i-nOor among shells OF W0ndrous
beauty and rarity
''What is tile largest she'll known"
1.-The giant oyster. You can see the giant
oyster shells on exhibition in front of sew
, eral well-known oySter-saloous uptown.
: They are imported from India. remember
that | imported a pair that measured So
feet by 4. They weighed 500 pounds"
"And the smallest SHELF"
i SIS the rice shell. Lying in bulk in a
basket VI barrel the shells would be readily
= mistaken for rice grains.
The shell-colector promptly decided the
question. of which was the best shell col .lI
e Museum of Natural History. lie he, SAID the
= collection is valued at $4,000. There Is {!
i fine collection also at Columbia College,
Il he continued, land another still at Hamll-
o ton College. The Philadelphia Academy is
n constantly adding to its large collection.
: THE SHELL STUDY.
"New Workers." the expert added, " are,
as l said before, gradually awakening to an
interest in shell study and collecting. in
! iG q uar oar lrol
7 interest taken in conchology, aud it is a
credit TO those people. They come East and
North every summer to secure specimens.
Atlantic City boasts a greater sale oil shell
a gems than any other northern locailty.
n Large quantities of shells are sold also al
u the Jersey watering places. Among private
g collections Professor Ward of Rochester
Is Lawyer Shalcrnss of Philadelphia. MIR
IS Lawrence of BROOKLYN, Mr.. Dayton oil
n Brooklyn, Mrs. Robert l.. Stuart, and Mrs
Il Il Tillman of Jersey City, are among the best
"a known.
g The Philadelphia Academy is active in
the work of pushing the study of conchOl-
y ogy. 1t has issued the latest and best
u work on cOnchol0gy in the market 1t Is a
4 subscription work, issued in numbers, and
u costing complete, $780, Speaking of works
~ on coucholOgy, it is worth while to recall
" the fact that these publications rank in
IL value with the most costly OF publications.
- They are prizes much sought after IN old
e bookstores. Some of the oldest classics on
~ the subject are richly illustrated, and afford
II a most complete history of all that is rare
~ and beautiful and noteworthy in the shell
~ ! world"
The experts cigar had been long SMOKE
,ae out when he said this. He had tall iol
w an hour and a half and had fSiet.d OUT the
distinctive beauties, ~ nuuuled 1 u tars
nd ment Of his visitor. The latter thanked hin
of | Cordially.
d HOBBY.
ell "Oh, don't mention it," he said, in serene
te satisfaction. This is hobby with me.
We like to show natures art work and her def
as trickery of color combination in shells i
is one vast collection of jewelry not made
ny by man. | have only one favor to ask you
y. That is, try and get the Children, and theii
is parents too, to go TO the museum and study
Us Let them all enjoy the valued bric-a-brac o.
a. the sea. 1t will set them to thinking.
OF will add new pleasure and interest to the
y; vacation saunteriHg en- the seashOre."
hq 10 put to the test the specialists boas
al that 1T was possible to charm any novice by
"a: displaying any single one of the recognized
Oh beauties Of the shell world, the visitor
T. bought a gorgeous haliotiS uniyalve fol
n half dollar, and, stepping on a car, rode
~ up to the Casino lobby, and, just as the
m throng of theater-goers began to pour oui
A of the playhouse after the opera, held the
e shell so that the rays OF the electric.
Z. light could play upon its polished sur
n face. 1t was green-hued specimen, and
d the coIors flashed with everchangire
ie splendor, as bit OF changeabe silk alters
~ Its hue at every motion. Everyone who
30 caught SIGHT OF the shell stopped and
. watched the play of color wonderinglv. A
:, Knot OF admirers gathered around the
;" owner OF the she'll quickly and Piled him
Il with all sorts Of questions about the sea
-, gem. There was general exclamation of
9 surprise when he told how inexpensive the
u beautiful specimen was.
n THE RAINBOW UNIYALyE
Manager Charles Barton who is n shell
t collector himself, was the most critical adj
S mirer Of the rainbow univalve when i
d was IN south America some years ago." he
: said, II used to get up with the sun morn
q ings and saunter along the sea shore picking
h up the brilliant shells, and | got some eX-
qnlslte ones. just come over to my fiat and
: III show you what use / made of them. "
d lie opened his parlor and pointed to a big
= goli urn that rested on handsome table.
1t SliStened in the gaslight with many-hued
splendor II was an oddly beautiful orns-
. ment.
what is it?" his visitor asked interest
: edly.
=" That's common cider jug that got in
Sonnectlcut, transformed into bric-a-brac
y by my wife with the aid of the South
v american shells spoke Of" He held the
n S ieI jug up and turned it slowly to let the
light play upon the shells. 1.-The beautify
II ing OF this 81 80 jug was ACCOMPLISHED bv
, covering the entire surface with putty and
n sucking the shells on in artistic arrangement
It ~ W." an eye Ior the handsomest combination
a Oh eoiors; The putty was allowed to harden
IS and was then gilded, producing what we ike
70 70 call our 1eweled urn of gold. The idea
70 Of the use of putty is not new, but the com.
e blnatlou OF shells is novel, believe. and nv
" TRENDS are coed enough to say thai If l.
beautiful. 1t is a decorative Wrinkle thai
! one can woIk for himself, ana it is valuable
N too There are people who would give SD
=, n Tor the jug. Cheap vases, bottles, anything
Il that putty will stick to can be made beau.
u tiful in the same way"
In Town and Hnmlet