Thanks Paul and Tom
I always wondered exactly where the shell was in relation to the female animal.
(Tom, that line drawing is so cute too!)

"Monfils, Paul" wrote:

> Hi Nora,
> I don't know at what point the egg case (or "shell") is released by the
> female - whether it is after the eggs are laid, or after they hatch.  I
> suspect the latter.  In any case, there is a period during which the female
> stays within the shell and looks very much like an ordinary Nautilus.  There
> are a couple of photos of this on the website I mentioned earlier.
> Regards,
> Paul M.