Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-17
SHELLS OF HIGH PRICE
Ways-Treasures in shells.
ssMoLLUsKs ARE AMONG THE MOST

hrNasures IN SnefIs.
ssMoLLUsKs ARE AMONG THE MOST
AL interesting of creatures" said conch-
oiogist to writer for The STAR. There is
one species. somewhat like small clam. that has
never been found any where else than attached
to the stomachs Of . kind Of crayfsh in Pacific
winters. 1t may exist elsewhere, but science
only knows il ~ the friend and companion of
the crustacean referred to. The curious BIZ
valve secures itself in position beneath the
crayfsh by a rope that it makes for itself. and
there it lives, feeding upon the debris Of what
the crab eats.
1--WE know most shell fish az Of sedentary
habits, like the oyster and the clam, but in
infancy they are all free swimmers BY means
Of their fms aud the ocean currents they travelto
great distances and thus diffuse their tribes
over the earth. Countless members Of these
little voyagers are continually drifting from
the shores into the open sea, where they perish.
their tiny and fragile shells becoming part of
deposit forever accumulatng even IN the
deepest part Of the ocean.
BENEATH PARENT sHrLIS.
''Some of these little creatures shelter them
selves for q time beneath the shells Of their
parents. while many avoid being drifted away
by spinning silken threads for cables with
which to moor themselves. At this period Of
their hves even young oysters and other BIZ
valves have eyes. After few days Of this
sportive existence the sedentary m ollusks settle
IN the places where it il their intention to re-
main for the rest Of their lives. Some of them
secure themselves to rocks with cement; the
ship worms adhere to timber; the razor fish
burrow in sand or mud; the mussels spin ropes
to hold themselves by. and the oysters attach
themselves to whatever is clean and hard by
ieafy expansions of their shells.
POWER OF TRAVELLING.
"Othertribes retain the power of travelling
at viii and shift their quarters from time to
| time in search of food. The river mussel drags
! itself slowly along by protruding and contracs-
ing Its flexible foot; the cookie makes short
leaps; the scollop bounds rapidly by opening
and shutting quickly its tinted valves, and the
larger species are thus able to make leaps Of
one or two yards; a nearly related species
vaults through the water like butterfly
through the air. Pond snails can glide along
the surface Of the water. shells downward. The
cuttlehsh walk head downward on their out
spread arms or swim by expelling water from
their bodies
.Some mollusks, like the Land suai,s, which
are the enemies Of the gardeners, are egetable
feeders, while others are Of carnivorous habits
The bivalves live usually infusoria or on
microscopic plants in the water Many devour
their own relatives, "a boring wheiks feed upon
oysters Mos. active and rapacious OF all are
the cuttletish and squids, which prey apon
fishes and crustaceaus-
MoLLUsKs As FOOD.
MANY Wild animals live more or less on mol
lusks. The rat and the raccoon will devour
them when pressed by hunger. Muskrats are
very fond Of fresh water mussels. The South
American otter and the crab-eating opossum
constantly resort to salt marshes and the sea in
order to feed upon the moiiusca. Wsiruses
live almost exclusively upon certain kinds Of
ottn fa%a ~ -
and many quarts OF their undigested beaks will
sometimes be found in the stomach of the
grampus. In regions frequented by whales
may be seen thousands of bodies OF cuttlehsh,
thrown away after the heads have been bitten
of and eaten. The bodies are presumably con-
sidered indigestible on account of the cutie
bones which they contain. The great octopus,
Notwithstanding its cunning and powers OF de-
Tense, is frequently the victim of the coAger
eel, which seizes it in its most secluded retreats
BAEE AND BEAUTIFUL
"High values have been placed on rare and
beautiful shells from the earliest times. The
Friendly Islander wears the orange cowry as q
mark of chieftainship. and the New Zealander
polishes the elenchus into an ornament more
brilliant than pearl. One species OF uuivalve 10
so much esteemed by the natives Of the New
Hebrides that they will give in exchange FOR q
single specimen half q ton of sandalwood
worth si0O. Shell ornaments have been found
together with the bones OF prehistoric men In
the caves OF southern Europe. One OF the mos.
precious shells OF the world is the cypraea
aurantia of the Friendly Islands. II 10 OF
golden hue and as big as peach. There are
two specimens Of 1t in the collection at the
Smithsonian Institution. 1t is worn by the
natives a sort OF order of mobility, and il SO
scarce that specimen was formerly worth
$3.50. Now one can be bought for clio.
FROM THE INDo-PACIFIc.
"The most beautiful shells in the world are
found in that region called the Indo-Paci6c,
and the business Of gathering them for ship
ping to Europe il q very large one. The ma
tives of ali the South Sea Islands depend to q
considerable extent, for food upon moliusks,
which they procure BY diving. Incidentally,
they preserve the handsome shells. Owing to
tho fact tina. the sea bottom in the shadows is
covered with white coral. anything that is
pretty or shining can be readily seem Another
very valuable shell is called the staircase
SHE'LL and Was formerly worth S100. Still
another is colored with salmon and white. 1t
is called the glory Of the sea- and no one
knows where it comes from. the Few specimens
now in collections having been obtained
through traders hands. The three largest
genealogical collections in the world are those
Of the Academy Of Natural Sciences in Phils-
delphia, the British Museum and the Museum
of Natural History at Paris. That of Philadel-
phin includes about IN, 600 specimens, con-
tanned in $1,000 trays, all mounted and
labelled"
LIFE ON THE OWL TRAIN.