. The sea-beach at ebb-tide : a guide to the study of the seaweeds and the lower animal life found between tidemarks . ith vaseline about once a year. FAMILY VOLUTIDJEGENUS Valuta The Volutidae, like the cowries, are aris-tocratic shells. As was stated above,there are many collectors who have be-come so fascinated by the shells of a fewof these first families of fheMollusca thatthey make great efforts and spend no smallsums in seeking to complete their cabinetseries of the rare and more beautiful Volutidce certainly have very beauti-ful shells, and they are for the most partexceeding
. The sea-beach at ebb-tide : a guide to the study of the seaweeds and the lower animal life found between tidemarks . ith vaseline about once a year. FAMILY VOLUTIDJEGENUS Valuta The Volutidae, like the cowries, are aris-tocratic shells. As was stated above,there are many collectors who have be-come so fascinated by the shells of a fewof these first families of fheMollusca thatthey make great efforts and spend no smallsums in seeking to complete their cabinetseries of the rare and more beautiful Volutidce certainly have very beauti-ful shells, and they are for the most partexceedingly rare. The reason of theirrarity has no doubt something to do withtheir habits. They are probably largelydwellers upon rocky ground, where thedredge cannot reach them. There is butone species of Valuta upon the Americancoasts which is available to the shore-col-lector, and this is the well-known andmuch-sought-after The ani-mal of Valuta has a very broad foot, anda head curiously divided into two lobes, upon which are placed sessile eyes. A remarkable feature of the genus is the lack of an tohtta junonia. GASTEROPODS 399 l\junonia. This volute h;is never been taken alive in shallow waternear the shore, but is occasionally found cast upon the beach after vio-lent storms. Sanibel Island is the best locality. V. jitnoitia has anobtuse ;i|H>.\, a long aperture, and a shell from three to three and a halfinches in length. The color is cream-white, painted with rows of largedeep-red spots. In his American Marine Shells, published nearlythirty years ago, Mr. Tryon says: * This is the most rare and valuableA MM fit-aii marine shell; specimens in good condition sell for from fifty toone hundred dollars. A good specimen is probably not worth so muchto-day as when Mr. Tryou wrote, but it is at least worth a careful surveyof a Floridian beach after a storm. FAMILY MARGINELLIDJEGENUS Matt/inella This is a family of exquisite little shells. In point of beautythey w
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmarinea, bookyear1901
