Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-16

When You Go to the Beach Take Along
Trowel and . Basket.

When You Go to the Beach Take Along .
TrOwel and . Basket.
DIRECTLY NEARLY EVERY CHILD WHO
- visits the seashore at this season Of the
year takes along little bucket and spade for
the purpose Of digging in the sand and making
collections Of shells and other interesting OBJ
tects. The grown person who finds amusement
in the study Of nature can hardly do better
than to initiate this infantile example. with O
view to gathering on the beach, in the shadows
and among the rocks, specimens which will SUBJ
sequently prove an agreeable memorial of o
summers vacation. To begin with it is only
necessary to supply ones self with trowel. q
water-tight jar for preserving living animals
and good sized basket to carry large shells in
Thus equipped the holiday maker by the oceans
strand can pass many a happy day in hunting
for all sorts Of odd things from the casual peri
Wrinkle to the rare but priceless egg of the
mythical shark
WHAT SURF WATER CONTAINS.
1t ID wonderful how vastly numerous are the
creatures which live along the sea beach Prof.
Shaler says that the surf water on the coast
may be regarded as o very rich kind of soup,
being filed with the debris of animals and
plants chewed up by the turmoil Of the waves
1t is extremely nourishing and is capable Of
sustaining an enormous amount Of life Great
quantities OF organic matter from the deeper
ocean are continually drifting to the shore.
where 1t Is ground up as in n mill. Because the
surf line 1s the best provisioned part of the sea,
creatures OF ever so many kinds multiply there
In countless numbers Not only do they find
plenty to eat. but they are comparatively
waters would prey upon them. It is
very curious indeed to observe
now they are modified for living comfortably in
the midst of the wild seething breakers, some
burrowlng in the sand. while others. like the
oarnacles, attach themselves to the rocks, lift
ing their Shiny valves to breathe between the
waves which dash upon them.
BEYOND REACH OF THE TIDE.
Now and then, however, a great storm comes
from the southeast and tears up great masses
OF sand, which it throws, together with the I'M
fortunate occupants. beyond the reach Of SUBJ
sequent tides. DR.. John Ford says that it is
not unusual for hundreds of tons Of mollusks to
be thus forced from their homes and left to die
OF starvatlon and exposure. One would not
conceive, unless he had begun collection of
them, how many sorts of shell fish live along
the beach. There are quite number of edible
species besides the oyster and the hard and soft
CLANS The sea mussels are very good to eat.
as are also the periwinkles. Fishermen on
Long Island sound make soup ont of the big
conchs, but the dish is not relished by epicures
Scauops are excellent when properly cooked, as
everybody knows who has tried them. as are also
the curious razor fish," which curiously re-
semble the instrument for shaving after which
they are named.
The amateur collector will also add to the as
sortment in his basket ''canoe Shells" lark
shells, boat shells, "cup and saucer Shells"
ladder shells" and many other oddities. the
entire number of species of mollusks to be
found along the New Jersey shore exceeding
fifty.