CAPTURE AMONG THE MOLLUSKS. 



113 



quick as a rat-trap, and the poor bird instantly became a prisoner to 

 die (or possibly get drowned as the tide rose) in his prison. 



" A story is told of a nigger in America who was caught in a some- 

 what similar manner. The nigger put his tongue between the shells 



a 



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 02 



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of a half-opened oyster to suck out the juice, and the oyster caugUt 

 him tightly by the tongue. Sambo, when released, was chaffed about 

 it. ' Why, the oyster could not have hurt you,' said his friend ; ' he 

 has no teeth.' 'No,' said Sambo, 'he 'ave no teeth, but by Gorry he 

 have dam hard gums ! ' " 



In the late report on " The Sea-Fisheries " Mr. Buckland published 

 a large mass of information in regard to mussels. In the course of this 

 he says : 



" Mussels have a great number of enemies, the chief of which are 



VOL. XVII. 8 



