. Beautiful shells : their nature, structure, and uses familiarly explained; with directions for collecting, cleaning, and arranging them in the cabinet; descriptions of the most remarkable species, and of the creatures which inhabit them; and explanations of the meanings of their scientific names, and of the terms used in conchology. Shells; Mollusks. MUSSEL AND COCKLE. 53 attached; the canal is then opened through its whole length to free the thread, and closing again is ready for another casting; as if conscious how much depends upon the security of his lines, the animal tries every one aft
. Beautiful shells : their nature, structure, and uses familiarly explained; with directions for collecting, cleaning, and arranging them in the cabinet; descriptions of the most remarkable species, and of the creatures which inhabit them; and explanations of the meanings of their scientific names, and of the terms used in conchology. Shells; Mollusks. MUSSEL AND COCKLE. 53 attached; the canal is then opened through its whole length to free the thread, and closing again is ready for another casting; as if conscious how much depends upon the security of his lines, the animal tries every one after he has fixed it by swinging itself round so as to put the threads fully on the stretch; when once they are all firmly fixed, it seerns to have no power of disengaging itself from them; the liquid matter out of which they are formed, is so very glutinous, or glue-like, as to attach itself firmly to the smoothest bodies. The process of producing it is a slow one, as it does not ap- pear that the Pinna can form more than four or five in the course of twenty-four hours. AVhen the animal is disturbed in its operations, it sometimes forms these threads too hastily; they are then more slender than those produced at leisure, and, of a consequence, weaker. On some parts of the Med- iterranean coast, as in Sicily, gloves and other articles have been manufactured from the threads of this mollusk; they resemble very fine silk in appearance. The foot of the Cockle, of which we here give a figure, is commonly employed in scooping out the mud or sand, beneath which it conceals itself; this useful limb assumes the form of a shovel, hook, or any other instru- ment necessary for the purpose; it ap- pears to be a mass of muscular fibres, and to possess great power. As a boat- man in shallow water sends his vessel along by pushing against the bottom with his boat-hook, precisely so does 3Ir. Cardium travel; he doubles up his foot into a club, and by an energetic use of it as a propeller, makes
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdeca, booksubjectmollusks, booksubjectshells
