480 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



It was quite obvious there was no retreating ; so, 

 with desperate determination, in we went Sir John 

 in front, and a fisherman on each side of me deeper 

 and deeper still until fairly up to our necks ; and, 

 holding the guns at arm's length above water, we at 

 last crossed the strait, and gained the sand-bank on 

 the other side, where, dripping with wet, and half- 

 frozen, I mentally resolved never to associate my- 

 self in future with men who, like my Arctic friend, 

 seemed to consider a bath at the temperature of 32 

 Fahrenheit quite warm and comfortable. 



In order to understand our subsequent proceedings, 

 it will be necessary briefly to narrate the habits of 

 the Razor-shells, the objects of our expedition. 



Unlike the Scallops, described in the last chapter, 

 these creatures burrow in the sand to the depth of a 

 foot and a half or two feet, and are in general only to 

 be found near the low- water mark of spring tides, or 

 upon sand-banks occasionally uncovered during the 

 lowest ebb, the place of their retreat being usually 

 indicated by perforations shaped like keyholes, corre- 

 sponding to the form of the extremities of the siphons 

 or tubes through which they respire. The position of 

 the shell is always nearly vertical, and the animals, 

 unless when disturbed, are usually found occupying a 

 position within a few inches of the surface. The 

 manner of catching them is as follows : The fisher- 

 man, armed with a slender iron rod, furnished with a 

 barbed head resembling a harpoon, treads carefully 

 backwards over the beach, left bare by the retreating 

 tide, and finds the holes in which the Solen lodges, 

 by watching the little jet of water thrown out by the 



