clearly。　　The　valves　gape　apart　some　three…quarters　of　an　inch。
  The　semi…pellucid　orange　〃mantle〃　fills　the　intermediate　space。
  Through　that　mantle；　at　the　end　from　which　the　foot　curves；　the
  siphons　protrude；　two　thick　short　tubes　joined　side　by　side；　their
  lips　fringed　with　pearly　cirri；　or　fringes；　and　very　beautiful　they
  are。　　The　larger　is　always　open；　taking　in　the　water；　which　is　at
  once　the　animal's　food　and　air；　and　which；　flowing　over　the
  delicate　inner　surface　of　the　mantle；　at　once　oxygenates　its　blood；
  and　fills　its　stomach　with　minute　particles　of　decayed　organized
  matter。　　The　smaller　is　shut。　　Wait　a　minute；　and　it　will　open
  suddenly　and　discharge　a　jet　of　clear　water；　which　has　been　robbed；
  I　suppose；　of　its　oxygen　and　its　organic　matter。　　But；　I　suppose；
  your　eyes　will　be　rather　attracted　by　that　same　scarlet　and　orange
  foot；　which　is　being　drawn　in　and　thrust　out　to　a　length　of　nearly
  four　inches；　striking　with　its　point　against　any　opposing　object；
  and　sending　the　whole　shell　backwards　with　a　jerk。　　The　point；　you
  see；　is　sharp　and　tongue…like；　only　flattened；　not　horizontally；
  like　a　tongue；　but　perpendicularly；　so　as　to　form；　as　it　was
  intended；　a　perfect　sand…plough；　by　which　the　animal　can　move　at
  will；　either　above　or　below　the　surface　of　the　sand。　（2）
  But　for　colour　and　shape；　to　what　shall　we　compare　it？　　To　polished
  cornelian；　says　Mr。　Gosse。　　I　say；　to　one　of　the　great　red
  capsicums　which　hang　drying　in　every　Covent…garden　seedsman's
  window。　　Yet　is　either　simile　better　than　the　guess　of　a　certain
  lady；　who；　entering　a　room　wherein　a　couple　of　Cardium　tuberculatum
  were　waltzing　about　a　plate；　exclaimed；　〃Oh　dear！　　I　always　heard
  that　my　pretty　red　coral　came　out　of　a　fish；　and　here　it　is　all
  alive！〃
  〃C。　tuberculatum；〃　says　Mr。　Gosse　（who　described　it　from　specimens
  which　I　sent　him　in　1854）；　〃is　far　the　finest　species。　　The　valves
  are　more　globose　and　of　a　warmer　colour；　those　that　I　have　seen　are
  even　more　spinous。〃　　Such　may　have　been　the　case　in　those　I　sent：
  but　it　has　occurred　to　me　now　and　then　to　dredge　specimens　of　C。
  aculeatum；　which　had　escaped　that　rolling　on　the　sand　fatal　in　old
  age　to　its　delicate　spines；　and　which　equalled　in　colour；　size；　and
  perfectness　the　noble　one　figured　in　poor　dear　old　Dr。　Turton's
  〃British　Bivalves。〃　　Besides；　aculeatum　is　a　far　thinner　and　more
  delicate　shell。　　And　a　third　species；　C。　echinatum；　with　curves
  more　graceful　and　continuous；　is　to　be　found　now　and　then　with　the
  two　former。　　In　it；　each　point；　instead　of　degenerating　into　a
  knot；　as　in　tuberculatum；　or　developing　from　delicate　flat　briar…
  prickles　into　long　straight　thorns；　as　in　aculeatum；　is　close…set
  to　its　fellow；　and　curved　at　the　point　transversely　to　the　shell；
  the　whole　being　thus　horrid　with　hundreds　of　strong　tenterhooks；
  making　his　castle　impregnable　to　the　raveners　of　the　deep。　　For　we
  can　hardly　doubt　that　these　prickles　are　meant　as　weapons　of
  defence；　without　which　so　savoury　a　morsel　as　the　mollusc　within
  （cooked　and　eaten　largely　on　some　parts　of　our　south　coast）　would
  be　a　staple　article　of　food　for　sea…beasts　of　prey。　　And　it　is
  noteworthy；　first；　that　the　defensive　thorns　which　are　permanent　on
  the　two　thinner　species；　aculeatum　and　echinatum；　disappear
  altogether　on　the　thicker　one；　tuberculatum；　as　old　age　gives　him　a
  solid　and　heavy　globose　shell；　and　next；　that　he　too；　while　young
  and　tender；　and　liable　therefore　to　be　bored　through　by　whelks　and
  such　murderous　univalves；　does　actually　possess　the　same　briar…
  prickles；　which　his　thinner　cousins　keep　throughout　life。
  Nevertheless；　prickles；　in　all　three　species；　are；　as　far　as　we　can
  see；　useless　in　Torbay；　where　no　wolf…fish　（Anarrhichas　lupus）　or
  other　owner　of　shell…crushing　jaws　wanders；　terrible　to　lobster　and
  to　cockle。　　Originally　intended；　as　we　suppose；　to　face　the　strong…
  toothed　monsters　of　the　Mediterranean；　these　foreigners　have
  wandered　northward　to　shores　where　their　armour　is　not　now　needed；
  and　yet　centuries　of　idleness　and　security　have　not　been　able　to
  persuade　them　to　lay　it　by。　　This　…　if　my　explanation　is　the　right
  one　…　is　but　one　more　case　among　hundreds　in　which　peculiarities；
  useful　doubtless　to　their　original　possessors；　remain；　though　now
  useless；　in　their　descendants。　　Just　so　does　the　tame　ram　inherit
  the　now　superfluous　horns　of　his　primeval　wild　ancestors；　though　he
  fights　now　…　if　he　fights　at　all　…　not　with　his　horns；　but　with　his
  forehead。
  Enough　of　Cardium　tuberculatum。　　Now　for　the　other　animals　of　the
  heap；　and　first；　for　those　long　white　razors。　　They；　as　well　as　the
  grey　scimitars；　are　Solens；　Razor…fish　（Solen　siliqua　and　S。
  ensis）；　burrowers　in　the　sand　by　that　foot　which　protrudes　from　one
  end；　nimble　in　escaping　from　the　Torquay　boys；　whom　you　will　see
  boring　for　them　with　a　long　iron　screw；　on　the　sands　at　low　tide。
  They　are　very　good　to　eat；　these　razor…fish；　at　least；　for　those
  who　so　think　them；　and　abound　in　millions　upon　all　our　sandy
  shores。　（3）
  Now　for　the　tapering　brown　spires。　　They　are　Turritellae；　snail…
  like　animals　（though　the　form　of　the　shell　is　different）；　who　crawl
  and　browse　by　thousands　on　the　beds　of　Zostera；　or　grass　wrack；
  which　you　see　thrown　about　on　the　beach；　and　which　grows　naturally
  in　two　or　three　fathoms　water。　　Stay：　　here　is　one　which　is　〃more
  than　itself。〃　　On　its　back　is　mounted　a　cluster　of　barnacles
  （Balanus　Porcatus）；　of　the　same　family　as　those　which　stud　the
  tide…rocks　in　millions；　scratching　the　legs　of　hapless　bathers。　　Of
  them；　I　will　speak　presently；　for　I　may　have　a　still　more　curious
  member　of　the　family　to　show　you。　　But　meanwhile；　look　at　the　mouth
  of　the　shell；　a　long　grey　worm　protrudes　from　it；　which　is　not　the
  rightful　inhabitant。　　He　is　dead　long　since；　and　his　place　has　been
  occupied　by　one　Sipunculus　Bernhardi；　a　wight　of　low　degree；　who
  connects　〃radiate〃　with　annulate　forms　…　in　plain　English；　sea…
  cucumbers　（of　which　we　shall　see　some　soon）　with　sea…worms。　　But
  however　low　in　the　scale　of　comparative　anatomy；　he　has　wit　enough
  to　take　care　of　himself；　mean　ugly　little　worm　as　he　seems。　　For
  finding　the　mouth　of　the　Turritella　too　big　for　him；　he　has
  plastered　it　up　with　sand　and　mud　（Heaven　alone　knows　how）；　just　as
  a　wry…neck　plasters　up　a　hole　in　an　apple…tree　when　she　intends　to
  build　therein；　and　has　left　only　a　round　hole；　out　of　which　he　can
  poke　his　proboscis。　　A　curious　thing　is　this　proboscis；　when　seen
  through　the　magnifier。　　You　perceive　a　ring　of　tentacles　round　the
  mouth；　for　picking　up　I　know　not　what；　and　you　will　perceive；　too；
  if　you　watch　it；　that　when　he　draws　it　in；　he　turns　mouth；
  tentacles　and　all；　inwards；　and　so　down　into　his　stomach；　just　as
  if　you　were　to　turn　the　finger　of　a　glove　inward　from　the　tip　till
  it　passed　into　the　hand；　and　so　performs；　every　time　he　eats；　the
  clown's　as　yet　ideal　feat；　of　jumping　down　his　own　throat。　（4）
  So　much　have　we　seen　on　one　little　shell。　　But　there　is　more　to　see
  close　to　it。　　Those　yellow　plants　which　I　likened　to　squirrels'
  tails　and　lobsters'　horns；　and　what　not；　are　zoophytes　of　different
  kinds。　　Here　is　Sertularia　argentea　（true　squirrel's　tail）；　here；
  S。　filicula；　as　delicate　as　tangled　threads　of　glass；　here；
  abietina；　here；　rosacea。　　The　lobsters'　horns　are　Antennaria
  antennina；　and　mingled　with　them　are　Plumulariae；　always　to　be
  distinguished　from　Sertulariae　by　polypes　growing　on　one　side　of
  the　branch；　and　not　on　both。　　Here　is　falcata；　with　its　roots
  twisted　round　a　sea…weed。　　Here　is　cristata；　on　the　same　weed；　and
  here　is　a　piece　of　the　beautiful　myriophyllum；　which　has　been
  battered　in　its　long　journey　out　of　the　deep　water　about　the　ore
  rock。　　For　all　these　you　must　consult　Johnson's　〃Zoophytes；〃　and
  for　a　dozen　smaller　species；　which　you　would　probably　find　tangled
  among　them；　or　parasitic　on　the　sea…weed。　　Here　are　Flustrae；　or
  sea…mats。　　This；　which　smells　very　like　Verbena；　is　Flustra
  coriacea　（Pl。　I。　Fig。　2）。　　That　scurf　on　the　frond　of　ore…weed　is
  F。　lineata　（Pl。　Fig。　1）。　　The　glass　bells　twined　about　this
  Sertularia　are　Campanularia　syringa　（Pl。　I。　Fig。　9）；　and　here　is　a
  tiny　plant　of　Cellularia　ciliata　（Pl。　I。　Fig。　8）。　　Look　at　it
  through　the　field…glass；　for　it　is　truly　wonderful。　　Each　polype
  cell　is　edged　with　whip…like　spines；　and　on　the　back　of　some　of
  them　is　…　what　is　it；　but　a　live　vulture's　head；　snapping　and
  snapping　…　what　for？
  Nay；　reader；　I　am　here　to　show　you　what　can　be　seen：　　but　as　for
  telling　you　what　can　be　known；　much　more　what　cannot；　I　decline；
  and　refer　you　to　Johnson's　〃Zoophytes；〃　wherein　you　will　find　that
  several　species　of　polypes　carry　these　same　birds'　heads：　　but
  whether　they　be　parts　of　the　polype；　and　of　what　use　they　are；　no
  man　living　knoweth。
  Next；　wh