Shells

I once read that H. L. Mencken periodically bundled up everything on his desk and sent it to some local institution like the Pratt library. I can identify with his need to preserve things as they are, at that particular time. This is why I like slice-of-life photos like this.

I found most of these shells after a big storm on Assateague Island in October. I looked up some of the shells that are typically found there and they include the channeled whelk, the knobbed whelk and the lightening whelk. (These all look like knobbed whelks.) The color also depends on the variety of animal that lives in a specific area, which is why there are a lot of black and white shells here. I read that some whelks live on clams and they eat one a month. The animals pry open the clam and then use a tongue-like appendage to rasp at the clam. Also on Assateague, I've also found whelk egg capsules. These are confusing at first because they look rather bony and more like a spine than something you would associate with these shells.

Resource:

Assateague Shells