NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 199 



reach the most vital part of the animal, and at a point from which 

 escape is hopeless. It will also be noticed that the holes are never 

 made on a thick part of the shell if a thinner part affords the same 

 advantage. On this group of Trophons may be seen how the 

 punctures are made in almost every case on the body whorl, and at 

 one particular point, and with scarcely an exception they are on the 

 ventral side, which evidently implies a vantage gained by getting 

 to this part beneath the shell. 



On looking at this valve, we find three holes pierced a little 

 apart, near the umbo, and which are covered over on the inner side 

 by a thin layer of calcareous matter. Each patch, it will be noticed, 

 is just a little larger than the hole it covers, and there can be no 

 doubt that these repairs were made by the occupant of the shell. 

 But what I wish to draw attention to is, that although repairs of 

 accidental injuries are common, as before mentioned, yet, with this 

 exception, I have never seen a trace of the least attempt having 

 been made to close up one of these bored holes ; they are always 

 open, and it is all the more unlikely that any attempt at resistance 

 could be made, when we consider the character of the shell 

 borers. They appear to pierce the shell with ease, and it is not 

 to be supposed that they have the least difficulty in making their 

 assault without giving either time or opportunity for resistance 

 when they have once pierced the shell. 



This singular case of an apparent efi'ort to shut out an invincible 

 enemy cannot be easily accounted for, except by supposing some 

 untoward accident happening to the aggressor or aggressors just 

 at the moment they had pierced the shell and touched the prey, 

 the damage having been repaired afterwards, in the same manner 

 as if caused by accident. 



I may further call your attention to a little sand procured from 

 the root of a sponge, kindly sent me by Mr John Kirsop ; as also 

 some given by Mr John Young, from the tubes of a beautiful 

 group of annelids, also presented to the Hunterian Museum by Mr 

 Kirsop. Both the annelids and sponge came from Australia ; the 

 former from the shores of Kangaroo Island, and the latter from 

 the banks of the river Cygnet, where they had been thrown up by 

 storms and tides, together with many other beautiful specimens of 

 various kinds which were exhibited by Mr Kirsop at our last 

 meeting. Here are also the contents of a little mud from the 

 Bay of Gibraltar, and those of a small parcel from off St Helena, 



