PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED. 261 



after what is readily got. Portions of mussel are 

 always acceptable, and are speedily swallowed by the 

 capacious mouth. If the valves of a small shell be 

 sundered, the animal fastens on one of them, drags 

 it away, and consumes the contents at leisure. The 

 dimensions of the alimentary canal permit these 

 strange beings to swallow a great quantity of food, 

 whereby the creature appears very different in a state 

 of repletion from the aspect which it presents during 

 abstinence. 



Stones or clean shells should always be stored in 

 the vessels containing animals of this description, 

 which they never fail to encircle with their folds, 

 winding themselves round them as the knot wherein 

 the body is involved gradually unfolds ; and thus the 

 rupture of the specimen is prevented, which other- 

 wise frequently happens, either on account of the 

 unmanageable length of the monster, or produced by 

 immoderate repletion. 



