Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.

On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

On Friday, 26 June 2020 11:30:03 UTC+1, Jack Harry Teesdale wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

What sort of worm?

And why have I not seen them, at least not in such profusion, before? That is, there might have been a few, which I had not noticed, but now they are absolutely everywhere and unmissable.

On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:17:26 -0700, polygonum_on_google wrote:

Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear
to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand.
Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found
so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously,
without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty
safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.

Hair spray?

Need some kind of spray on fixative, I would say.

Cheers


Dave R



--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:17:26 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google wrote:

Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear
to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand.
Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Cerainly look constructed rather than just a cast. That plain edge on
the left of the close up, the patterning over the bulk. Are they
hollow? Could they be the "shells" of something akin to a cadis fly
larva?

Tried taking a deep spade full of sand with one on into a bucket and
seeing if some critter or shellfish can be found?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Friday, 26 June 2020 23:24:30 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:17:26 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google wrote:

Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear
to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand.
Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Cerainly look constructed rather than just a cast. That plain edge on
the left of the close up, the patterning over the bulk. Are they
hollow? Could they be the "shells" of something akin to a cadis fly
larva?

Tried taking a deep spade full of sand with one on into a bucket and
seeing if some critter or shellfish can be found?

They are approximately one millimetre thick and consist only of what you can see.

If you pick one up, it is a bit like a thin shell in that it is just one layer - but unbelievably fragile. If you didn't support it, the whole thing would fall apart. In order to get one onto the black sheet, I broke several.

On Friday, 26 June 2020 23:24:30 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:17:26 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google wrote:

Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear
to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand.
Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Cerainly look constructed rather than just a cast. That plain edge on
the left of the close up, the patterning over the bulk. Are they
hollow? Could they be the "shells" of something akin to a cadis fly
larva?

Tried taking a deep spade full of sand with one on into a bucket and
seeing if some critter or shellfish can be found?

Just realised I had actually taken a picture from the hollow side:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gcmc9que0e..._2212.jpg?dl=0

On 26/06/2020 12:14, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 26 June 2020 11:30:03 UTC+1, Jack Harry Teesdale wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

What sort of worm?

And why have I not seen them, at least not in such profusion, before? That is, there might have been a few, which I had not noticed, but now they are absolutely everywhere and unmissable.


*Not* lugworm or razor shells.

On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 23:34:45 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google wrote:

Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly
some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Cerainly look constructed rather than just a cast. That plain edge
on
the left of the close up, the patterning over the bulk. Are they
hollow? Could they be the "shells" of something akin to a cadis
fly
larva?

They are approximately one millimetre thick and consist only of what you
can see.

Hum, looking at the overview image, top right there is one that looks
to be less damaged and appears to be more of a hollow cone with a
hole at the top. Bucket and spade...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


They might be fish swim bladders. These are a delicacy in themselves in
some places and can also be used to make isinglass. Perhaps somehow a
consignment was lost overboard. They're very fine and I could well
imagine sand would stick to them.

--
Cheers
Clive

On Saturday, 27 June 2020 16:42:13 UTC+1, Clive Arthur wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


They might be fish swim bladders. These are a delicacy in themselves in
some places and can also be used to make isinglass. Perhaps somehow a
consignment was lost overboard. They're very fine and I could well
imagine sand would stick to them.

Don't think I'd ever have thought of them!

On Saturday, 27 June 2020 14:14:12 UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 26/06/2020 12:14, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 26 June 2020 11:30:03 UTC+1, Jack Harry Teesdale wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

What sort of worm?

And why have I not seen them, at least not in such profusion, before? That is, there might have been a few, which I had not noticed, but now they are absolutely everywhere and unmissable.


*Not* lugworm or razor shells.

There are lots of razor clams and their shells - but they are always there.

polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Saturday, 27 June 2020 14:14:12 UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 26/06/2020 12:14, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 26 June 2020 11:30:03 UTC+1, Jack Harry Teesdale wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They
appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing
but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast.
Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously,
without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty
safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

What sort of worm?

And why have I not seen them, at least not in such profusion, before?
That is, there might have been a few, which I had not noticed, but now
they are absolutely everywhere and unmissable.


*Not* lugworm or razor shells.

There are lots of razor clams and their shells - but they are always there.


Well yes but I bet they all produce similar tubular casts.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On 27/06/2020 19:45, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Saturday, 27 June 2020 14:14:12 UTC+1, newshound wrote:
On 26/06/2020 12:14, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 26 June 2020 11:30:03 UTC+1, Jack Harry Teesdale wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


Worm casts?

What sort of worm?

And why have I not seen them, at least not in such profusion, before? That is, there might have been a few, which I had not noticed, but now they are absolutely everywhere and unmissable.


*Not* lugworm or razor shells.

There are lots of razor clams and their shells - but they are always there.


Do they develop in the still tides and washed inland or, are they in
situ and revealed by the tides? Some look deeply embedded.

On 27/06/2020 7:34, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 26 June 2020 23:24:30 UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:17:26 -0700 (PDT), polygonum_on_google wrote:

Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear
to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand.
Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some
sort of protein binding it all together.

Cerainly look constructed rather than just a cast. That plain edge on
the left of the close up, the patterning over the bulk. Are they
hollow? Could they be the "shells" of something akin to a cadis fly
larva?

Tried taking a deep spade full of sand with one on into a bucket and
seeing if some critter or shellfish can be found?

They are approximately one millimetre thick and consist only of what you can see.

If you pick one up, it is a bit like a thin shell in that it is just one layer - but unbelievably fragile. If you didn't support it, the whole thing would fall apart. In order to get one onto the black sheet, I broke several.


It would nice if it was within your interest to find a method to cast
these shapes. There must be something that will bind the particles?

I think they will sell.

On 27/06/2020 19:44, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Saturday, 27 June 2020 16:42:13 UTC+1, Clive Arthur wrote:
On 26/06/2020 11:17, polygonum_on_google wrote:
Have recently seen many small curved objects on the beach. They appear to be just sand - pick one up and it breaks up into nothing but sand. Therefore, I rather assume they are some sort of cast. Possibly some sort of protein binding it all together.

Each one is something like 75 mm long.

Across the beach there must be untold thousands:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyu0ebxod0...small.jpg?dl=0

And, close-up, moved onto a black background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/stlif4xstw...small.jpg?dl=0

I have tried image searches - Google, TinEye, Bing. Nothing I've found so far matches!

Any good ideas about how to preserve one - as a specimen? Obviously, without changing its look. Has to be a simple technique using pretty safe materials as it would have to be done on a public beach.


They might be fish swim bladders. These are a delicacy in themselves in
some places and can also be used to make isinglass. Perhaps somehow a
consignment was lost overboard. They're very fine and I could well
imagine sand would stick to them.

Don't think I'd ever have thought of them!


Damn right. And why would you? But I am intrigued by the lateral thought.