Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-08-23

IN the Natural history Museum AT
South Kensington, are known to exist
For a long time only two specimens
were known, one belonged to a French
man, the other to a Dutch naturalist,
and the story goes, when the Dutch
man died and his specimen was sold
the Frenchman bought it and crushed
it under his heel, saying: "Now my
specimen is the only one."
These twelve specimens are not like
ly TO be added to, for recent dredging
operations in the Philippines have
fa;lel to procure any; and it is said
the original birthplace of the Glory
of the Sea has been destoyed by an
earthquake.
Nopicture, not even a photograph, ever
does the Glory of the Sea justice, the net
work of the pattern is too fine to be
reproduced; but the exquisite shape
can be seen in good print.
The Field of the Cloth (COnus ter
tLiusl IS better known; but it is very
variable shell, in size, shape, color and
pattern; it may generally be recog-
niZed by its triangular white marks,
aud waving brown lines on a ground of
yeilowish brown, the cloth of gold of
the admiring conchologists who named
it.
Then there are the episcopal cones,
and the abbots. the golden cones, and the
crocus cones, all from tropical seas,
and all capable of taking a very high
polish.
TIE crocus cones are easily recog-
nizr by their color, which is yellow,
often shading into dark orange from
the pa!est primrose.
When discovered in their original
locality, that is in coral reefs, or in the
tissuros of rocks. their smooth elabor-
ately decorated shells are wrapped IN
an epilermis, which is horny envel.
ope or layer of membraneous matter,
with which many shells are covered.
| Here in their rocky homes, they prey on
other shell-fsh, and collectors must be
wary in taking them, for the bite of
some species is not only very severe,
but venomous also, their tongues be-
ing armed with very sharp, finely
barbed teeth.
TIE cones belong to those molluscs
| which rejoice in n head; and in their
case; it is a very distinct part, having
| two tentacles on which the eyes are
seated; the body can be extended
largely, or compressed at the animals
pIcnsure; but the mantle from which
the beautiful thick shell is formed is
S"artv.
Enormous prices are sometimes
given for these favorite shells; Gloria
DIHris has fetched ten times its weight
in gold, so highly do conchologists
prize the symmetry of its shape, and
the rLaste beauty of its pattern and
color.
Nature is nothing ifnot variable, she
never wearies us with monotony, she
10 e5 surprises and variety, so when we
turn to the murexes, as exquisite in
their way as the cones in theirs, what
change DO we indl The cones may be
|nid to belong to the classical type of
she'll beauties, where symmetry of
Urm and subdued color are the highest
gu l.tiCs, but the murexes are the wild
country maidens of the sea. whose
charm lies IN their brilliant coloring
and rich curls, who scorn classical
models and strike out in q path of
their own. Who shall say these rustic
Ucauties are less graceful and lovely
Il "A the more refined cones?
II the artist who painted Venus's
Comb thought more of color and less
of design than the designer of the
Field of the Cloth of Gold, who shall
blame him?
If the sculptor who moulded the |
spikes and curl, of the morex pre- |
fcrred to let his fancy run riot in |
thorus end rough endIve shaped leaves |
lnstent OF contining it within the |
strictly beautiful curves of the cones, |
shall lie not also have his admirers?
The outside of the shell of the mur-
eXes is always rough and crinkled, it is |
the smooth cnGmelI,d surface of the |
interior that is SO richly culored; the |
crimson mouth OF Nenus's COmb, the !
pink-tipped frinoes of the Suire's |
Head IL d the Regal Murex; the red !
lips of the Rosebud Murex-these show
the mysterious artists depth of color
and power of delicate gradatIons of
tCun.
The animal of Venus's Comb pos.
sesses the power of dissolving the spiky
curls which surround his shell when
he wishes to enlarge his house, and is
also capable or growing them again
when he has enlarged 1t.
The mantle of the murex is large,
and rlUged sometI-res on both sides,
bat generally on the right side only;
t is from tins frin that the spikes
and curls are developed, each row of
spikes marking a fresh growth. Un-
like the cone, the animal of the murex
hns no jaws, but the mouth Is armed
with barbed teeth, and the head has
two long tentncles; the rounded foot is
short.
The Indian Ocean is the best hunt
ing-ground Tor these e1quisitely col
ored shells; here, pasturing on the
sea weed, five, or ten, or twenty
fathoms deep, they may be found; not
content though with the food the sea-
weed offers, but feeding on other mol
luscs
Very nearly related to the beautiful
murex is the Fusus or Spindle shell,
which, though of very benutiful form,
cannot boast the rich colDring nor
spiky curls of the murex; but some for
eign speci are prettily marked with
orange lines on a saffron color, Il
ground. These shells ara turre.ed
ani, though thick and knotty, ther are
smooth to the touch, whine the interior
has the same smooth enamelled surface
as the interior of the mureX.
Preity toys for the weter-babies are
the spindle shells, and less liable to
prick their baby fingers than the
thorny mu' cxes, which seem to verify
the proverb, mo r1se without ,
thorn" for the murex is to other shells
what the rose is to other flowers.
1t Is good for land babies, rs well as
to toy with these lovely
sometimes, to admire their
beauty, to rejoice IN it, for it is the
shadow of the smile on the face of the
Creator.
'Iiateful the dark-blue sky
VaulIed over the dark-hlue sea;
Death Is the end of life; ahi why
Should life Cll labor be?"