After your clean shells have dried (in shade, not sun), go over them with a rag dampened in light oil.  This insures preservation and restores their natural luster.  Every three months or so, rub them with oil again—­their most delicate colors will remain brilliant for years.  Don’t ever use shellac, lacquer or varnish.  Get a reference book from your library and identify your shells.  Keep an account of when and where you collected them.

Store your shells in closed containers to protect them from sunlight and dust.  Almost any set of small drawers or a cabinet will do.  Matchboxes or pillboxes are excellent for small specimens.  For display purposes, glass-covered cases are best to prevent handling of the shells.  A shell’s beauty is often deceptive.  Many unattractive and drab shells are worth hundreds of dollars while the most colorful are frequently valued at a dollar or less.  The rarity of a species determines its value.  A truly valuable shell may come from deep, inaccessible waters or remote lands—­or it may be one of an extinct species.  A Slit Shell collected 100 fathoms down in waters off the British West Indies is valued at $1000.  Another undersea treasure, the Glory-Of-The-Seas, was first found in 1771 and one time would bring the conchologist $1500.  The greatest rarities, however, are truly valueless and are not for sale.

. . .And there it is, the fascinating hobby of shell collecting.  It’s a lot of work—­but a lot of fun, too.

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Take a sieve.  Or an orange sack.  Besides carrying your shells, it may help you catch them.  A few pint bottles will hold delicate ones.

Mask (or goggles) is essential for looking underwater.  Bathing suit or old clothes, of course.  High shoes (or sneakers)—­never go barefooted!  Heavy cloth gloves.  Watch out for sunburn!

Gig or fish spear (if you’re going South) to keep pesky crabs, sea urchins off.  Clam digging Hoe or trowel for burrowing shells.

Vinegar for first aid, in case you’re stuck by urchin’s spines.

Chisel and Hammer to get the clingers, spatula for frail limpets.  You may find other hardware handy, but these are basic.

NOW LET’S LOOK AT ROCKS

ROCKS ARE MADE OF MINERALS

Rocks, to begin with, are made of minerals.  What is a mineral?  The definition may sound difficult—­a mineral is a chemical element or compound (combination of elements) occurring naturally as the result of inorganic processes.  But don’t be discouraged.  Things will clear up soon.

The world contains more than 1,100 kinds of minerals.  These can be grouped in three general classes.