If I lived on the beach, I would learn about all the different things I found on my beach. I would know which kinds of critters, and which kinds of plants lived there. I would find out what etched the shells, and what kinds of rocks resulted in the beach.
As it is, visiting a beach once in a while, I know some things. I know that I saw pieces of at least three different kinds of crabs, including horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs. I know I saw clams, and sand dollars, and mussels. I saw the remains of several different kinds of spiral-shelled creatures, some of which were snails and some of which were whelks.
This is a skate's egg case.
This looks like part of the spine of something pretty big. What, I don't know, but I'm guessing a fish, because of the spikes.
I bet this thing that looks like part of a jaw is no such thing. The edge of a shell, maybe? I'm thinking that if it were a jaw, the distinction between teeth and jaw bone would be obvious, and since the spikes seem to be seamless parts of the rest, it's not a jaw?
I felt a little the way I imagine an anthropologist must feel, when she looks at a pot sherd. "What can I learn from this piece of evidence?" Some of the shells were very thick indeed. Others so fragile that they shattered in my collecting bag from the pressure of other shells. Some of the thick ones were deeply etched, in trails meandering around the surface. I saw some pieces of some pretty big shells. I don't know how far north big shelled things can live.
If I lived near a beach, I would learn the answers to all these questions, for my beach........
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