Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-04-21
PAPER NAUTILUS.
California'S Island Beaches Closely
Watched by Searcher< for the
Beautiful and Coveted Treasures

nautilus may bring SIS, and $500 has
been paid for very large specimen.
That being the case it is not sur
prising that the people living on the
islands off the California coast get
out in their boats bright and early
after heavy gales to search the little
beaches for the coveted treasure.
The shells are thrown up by the
waves, but unless promptly taken
away the next rush OF water may
break them to pieces. The name
paper nautilus suggests the extreme
fragility of the vaselike shell, deeply
futed and coiled, with sharp keel
and the most graceful ribs, and some
times more than 10 or II inches
across.
While the empty shells are scarce
they are positively common compared
with the rarity of the occupied ones.
A writer in Country Life in America
says that he has hunted the beaches
for years, hoping to find living nau-
titus, but without success.
Three were brought to him by more
fortunate searchers, and for while
he kept one alive. 1t took food from
his hand and the first photographs
ever made OF living paper nautilus
were secured. The she'll" he says,
"is not essential to the animal; it is
only dainty object having the shape
of shell, formed for the protection
of its eggs. 1t is, then, a nest and in
no way connected with the animal,
as in the case of the pearly nautilus,
where the animal forms partitions as
is grows and is connected with them
all by a fieshy pedicle or cord. The
paper nautilus can dart out OF its
fairy ship at seconds notice
CHANGING into the shell We may see
a yellow bunch Of miniature grapes
hanging from the interior wall-the
eggs-and perched in front of them
is the argonaut, looking very much
like an octupus or devilfish. From the
number of empty shells found upon
Santa Catalina beaches in winter and
summer it might be assumed that the
arg0naut deserts the shell at times
and lives rowing octopus-like life.
in appearance it is one of the most
beautiful Of all animals as it rests in
it's shell, trembling with color, as
waves Of rose, yellow, green, violet
and all tints of brown are continually
sweeping over it; now irised in the
most delicate shade OF blue, now
brown or green, changing to rose,
vivid scarlet or molten silver. So
sensitive is it that every convulsive
| movement of the mantle Of my paper
nautilus, in taking in water to breathe
and forcing it out of the siphon,
caused a wave of color to pass over
the entire body.
When the water was taken in the.
| color cells contracted, leaving it pale
| for a fraction OF a second; when l.
was forced out they evidently re-
Taxed and the entire surface was suf-
fused with color to disappear as
quickly, giving continuous heat
lightning effect.
THE body of the little argonaut is
a mere sac from three to six inches
in length. The head appears to be
separated from the body by a neck
and in each side are large, black.
staring eyes, surrounded by band
of silver tinted with ultra-marine
continually changing.
"The glare of this hypnotic eye is
striking, and when the animal sinks
into its shell or hides the eye can be
plainly seen through it. The eye also
has peculiar sac or cover that slides
over it in lieu of lid, which deaden
the sight but does not destroy It.
Like the octopus, it has eight arms
or tenacles, in pairs, which rise from
the head and surround the small
mouth. in which are seen two black,
parrotlike beaks with which the nau-
titus nips its food. Below the mouth
is the so-called siphon-a tube about
as large as mans finger-which
seems to possess a sense peculiarly
it's own, and double function--it
serves to carry off the water taken in
at the gills: or it can throw a Jet of
water and ink. or water alone, dis
lance OF five or six feet into the air,
or while in the water can almost in
stantly permeate it with a cloud of
ink. Forcing water through this ST.
phon violently, the argonaut shoots
itself along Or swims, and by poift-
ing it up or down it can change the
direction at will
of the three living specimens that
l have kept in confenment one was
four or FIVE inches long. another eight
or nine. The small one was extremely
active, leaving its shell to crawl about
its prison and darting back with great
agility. directing its funnel backward
at the cluster of eggs hanging in the
interior of the shell. always paying
the most assiduous attention to them
to prevent the intrusion OF any para
site or enemy.
1T would recline against the weed
covered rock, watching me or cycling