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CollecMg American Seashells 61
gravel or is skipping over the bottom. Sometimes it is next to impossible to
dredge downhill, so try in the opposite direction if your dredge is failing to
dig in. On dredges with iron bridles it is suggested that one arm be attached
to the frame merely by a small cord, so that it will break loose and free the
dredge should it snag on rocks or corals.
When hauls are brought aboard they should be screened and washed
to remove mud and sand. If this is not convenient, at least the extraneous
material may be thrown away and the remainder put in sacks for home sorting.
In tropical waters, gloves should be worn to prevent serious stinging by
certain kinds of sponges. Be sure to make a record of the depth, location
and date of haul.
Fish and lobster men often bring up rare shells in their traps, and this
suggests, of course, the possibility of setting one's own traps. Successful
traps may be purchased or built M'ith a little ingenuity, if the entrances are
made so that snails can easily enter. Dead fish or spoiled meat will attract
the carnivorous gastropods, but to date no magical "catnip" has been found
to lure the herbivorous species. Even simpler than the trap is the system of
weighting a burlap bag of spoiled meat with rocks near the low-water line.
Nassarius Mud Snails, Melongena Crown Shells and a host of other species
may be collected
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nearby the next night.
If you have yet to collect your first live Olive or Terebra shell, wade
along the shores of a sandy bay on a quiet, moonlight night, and with the
aid of a flashligrht follow aloncr the trails in the sand. A dozen daytime visits
to the same locality will never compare to one hour of night collecting. Not
only are sand-dwelling mollusks on the move, but in rocky regions the cow-
ries, mitras and murex shells are out from under their hiding places and
traveling along in full view.
It is perhaps appropriate here to mention the dangers of over-collecting
in certain localities. This is to be avoided particularly if certain species have
taken several seasons to build up their populations even to a moderate size.
By leaving at least most of the immature specimens and perhaps one or two
adults, you will assure yourself of good collecting at the same spot at a later
date. While it is unreasonable to expect people to roll back the rocks they
have overturned, some collectors do this in order to obtain additional specimens
on the next visit. Once destroyed by sunlight and air, protective algae
and sponges need many months to grow back. However, the blame for
extinction of many beautiful mollusks at Lake Worth, Florida, and in many
other places rests not with greedy collectors but with super-drainage experi-
ments, city pollution and construction work.
Keeping accurate locality data with specimens you have collected is
most essential. Many private collections are eventually left to museums for
the enjoyment and use of future generations. Today's crowded museums