6 How to Know Shells Is is worth while to make a collection of shells. This is one of the most desirable channels into which to guide the collecting zeal of children. Pennies are better invested in gay-hued sea shells at the curio shop than in the equally dazzling display in the candy shop. I could never doubt the genuineness nor the enduring quality of a child's love for a growing shell collection after spending a winter at Long Beach, Cal., and seeing a child's small hoard of "a window shell, two Muricks (Murex) and a Turritella Cooperi I found myself !" grow till a small cabinet was needed to display and protect from dust a good variety of native and exotic speCies. Friends always rally to the assistance of the amateur conchologist. Shell dealers have tropical shells of great beauty at surprisingly small prices. When his experience is wider, the collector can obtain many of the species he desires by exchange with other collectors in different parts of the country, and in foreign countries. To all these resources are added his own industry in his own neighbourhood. Shell collectors are always enthusiasts, and their enthusiasm is likely to become con tagious, especially as it is supplemented by study of mollusks alive, in the aquarium and snailery and in their native haunts.
The Golden Age of Conchology was reached in the middle of the last century when Hugh Cuming returned from cruising among the islands of many seas, bringing as spoils of his wander ings thousands of shells of the Tropics, the largest and hand somest to be found in the world. He had twenty-five hundred different species of marine shells, and five hundred species of land shells. Such forms find refuge among groves of many-coloured corals and sea-weeds; the air-breathers hide among tropical vegetation, unseen because as gaily striped as the flowers. Many of these splendid shells were absolutely unknown to science. The tremendous effect they produced upon the shell collectors of Europe cannot be described. Magnificent private collections represented the grand passion of many wealthy and ambitious amateurs. Auction sales were patronised by persons of high social standing, noted conchologists, and shrewd speculators. These were centres of excited competition, where prices of rare and beautiful shells reached surprising heights.
Most of these private collections have been absorbed by great museums, where they are displayed for the enjoyment of the public, or are at least available to those who wish to study them.
7 How to Know Shells The great collections of this country are at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the Academy of Sciences in Philadel phia and the American Museum of Natural History of the City of New York. Chicago has a fine collection in its Academy of Sciences. Other cities are building up similar exhibits. Colleges and universities, public libraries and local museums house many private collections displayed where the public may use and enjoy them. In connection with the great museums scientists are devoting their lives to research.
Children and others interested in shells should pay occasional visits to some great collection. Conchologists of world-wide fame are very kindly people, eager to help beginners by identifying a perplexing specimen, or by helpful suggestions. Such experiences are enlightening and impressive, and leave very pleasant memories.
After such a visit we come home to our own with new pleasure. We take out the prettiest shells, finger their glossy, curving spires, and delight in their rich harmonies of colouring. We almost love them for their changeless beauty. What must it be like to gaze over a boat's side at the wonderful coral groves where such shells are seen alive! Shall we have the good luck to go some day to Jamaica, or to the Philippines, where live the most beautiful land shells in the world ? Or to the East Indian or Panama beaches, with their wonderful marine forms? Pending the decision of these fascinating questions, let us take a look into the aquarium where the pond snail hangs, shell downward, calmly grazing the green scum from the top in an irregular swath. In the snailery the hungry ones have found our offering of lettuce leaves. Outside, along the garden path, in the cool stillness of the summer twilight, Stoop to watch the tube-eyed snail Creep o'er his long, moon-glittering trail.
The life story of the most wonderful of tropical mollusks is not more interesting than that of the humblest snail that takes toll of our vegetable garden.
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