476 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



a handful of them together. Externally, this habita- 

 tion is rough, and therefore better fitted to elude, or 

 to ward off enemies; but though rough externally, 

 within all is smooth and lubricous, for the fine yarn is 

 woven into a lining of tapestry, and the interstices are 

 filled up with fine slime, so that it is smooth as plaster- 

 work, not unlike the patent ( Intonaco ' of my excel- 

 lent, ingenious friend, Mrs. Marshall. Not being in- 

 tended, however, like her valuable composition, to keep 

 out damp, or to bid defiance to fire, while the inter- 

 twining cordage keeps the coral walls together, the 

 fine tapestry, mixed with smooth and moist plaster, 

 hides all asperities, so that there is nothing to injure 

 the delicate appendages of the enclosed animal." 



When the Lima is taken out of its nest, and put 

 into a jar of sea-water, it is one of the most graceful 

 marine animals imaginable. The shell is beautiful ; 

 and the orange fringe-work outside of the shell is 

 highly ornamental. Instead of being sluggish, it 

 swims with great vigour, its mode of swimming being 

 the same as that of the Scallop. It opens its valves, 

 and, suddenly shutting them, expels the water, so 

 that it is impelled onwards and upwards ; and, when 

 the impulse thus given is spent, it repeats the opera- 

 tion, and thus moves on by a succession of jumps. 

 When moving through the water in this way, the 

 reddish fringe-work is like the tail of a fiery comet. 

 The filaments of the fringe are probably useful in 

 catching prey. They are very easily broken off, and 

 it is remarkable that they seem to live for many 

 hours after they are detached from the body, swim- 

 ming about like so many worms. 



