#phorcus

[snailspotter]

Today's snail: Phorcus lineatus | Lined Top Shell

(source)

[dwollsadventures]

This has nothing to do with the holidays.

Two sketches stitched together: the first is based off of a Roman mosaic of a buncha sea creatures and deities. Phorkys is portrayed as an ichthyocentaur in shape, with crab forelimbs, and red spiky skin. It's weird, but a cool creature design. Meanwhile, Keto is completely humanoid and sitting on his tail. While drawing it, I had the idea that, of all the divine family tree, Pontus' branch is the most loving of each other. We all know about Zeus' infidelity, and Rhea helped her children kill her husband, but we never hear about the marital troubles of Phorkys and Keto, or Ekhidna and Typhoeus.

Proteus, meanwhile, is taken from both Ovid's Fasti and the Odyssey. In the latter he's a shepherd of seals, so he has a bit of seal-ish whiskers and a slightly pointed face. Ovid describes him as having azure hair, which is dripping. (ᵇˡᵘᵉ ʰᵃᶦʳ, ᶦ ᵇᵉᵗ ʰᵉ ʰᵃˢ ᵖʳᵒⁿᵒᵘⁿˢ ᵗᵒᵒ...). Interestingly, the sea nymph that helps Menelaus capture Proteus says 'he is my father, or so they say'.

[morphons]

Beach finds from Durgan Beach, Grebe Beach, and Trebah Beach on the Helford River near Falmouth, Cornwall. 8 November 2019. 

1 king scallop (Pecten maximus) shell pair, which were found attached, but became unattached when the remanants of their previous occupant were removed. Apart from needing emptying and cleaning, it’s a perfect pair, inside and out – no holes or keel worm deposits. Grebe Beach.

1 rayed artemis (Dosinia exoleta) shell pair, attached. Trebah Beach.

3 common periwinkles (Littorina littorea). Grebe and Durgan beaches.

5 netted dog whelks (Tritia reticulata). Grebe and Durgan beaches.

21 flat periwinkles (Littorina obtustata) in a beautiful range of colours. Mostly from Durgan Beach.

1 spotted cowrie (Trivia monacha). Durgan Beach.

2 grooved top shells (Jujubinus striatus). Durgan Beach.

4 grey top shells (Gibbula cineraria). Grebe and Durgan beaches.

3 flat top shells (Gibbula umbilicaulis). Grebe and Durgan beaches.

1 thick top shell (Phorcus lineatus). Durgan Beach.

11 turban top shells (Gibbula magus). Trebah Beach.

2 weathered scallop fragments. Trebah Beach.

17 pieces of sea glass, collected from all three beaches. 

5 pieces of ceramic, although the small one may be melamine; it glows under uv light. One is stoneware, and the other three are white porcelain/china/clay? Also from all three beaches.

[morphons]

Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion. 05 November 2019.

1 slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata).

1 banded wedge shell (Donax vittatus) pair, attached.

1 rayed trough shell (Mactra stultorum) pair, attached.

2 thick top shells (Phorcus lineatus).

3 flat top shells (Gibbula umbilicaulis).

7 grey top shells (Gibbula cineraria).

1 netted dog whelk (Tritia reticulata) shell.

5 flat periwinkle (Littorina obtustata) shells.

5 common periwinkle (Littorina littorea) shells.

1 weathered bivalve fragment.

1 weathered ceramic fragment, white with 2 or 3 ridges across one side.

2 more of the usual pale blue ceramic fragments.

93 pieces of glass, and somehow not a single brown. Plenty of large pieces though, notably the huge seafoam green one at the top.