Fanciful Ideas for a Museuin of Shells. 27 



leaps into another shell, and in that way defends himself. 

 Minute philosophers, such as those who have spent much 

 time and pains in teaching mankind how a bee's leg is jointed, 

 or what species of circulation is carried on in the viscera of 

 that little animal which inhabits a fly's head, &c. &c., I would 

 designate by microscopic shells [Jig, 5.b); while my fossil ones 

 (jftg. 5. ccc) should be laid apart for the adornment of the an- 

 tiquary and the geologist, to whom we are indebted for them. 

 Thus much for the learned : but for the would-be-so, who 

 wish to be mistaken for them, there is the Mya, (mi/o, to com- 

 press ; form of shell), or gaper {fg, 6. a) ; the Bulla {bulla, a 



a, Ufa. 



b, Biilla. 



c, O'strea obsol^ta. 

 dd, Voldta afiris Mld<r, 

 e, Halibtis. 

 /, S^rpulSB, 



bubble; swelled round form), or bubble (fg, 6. b); the Ostrea 

 {ostrea, an oyster) obsoleta {Jig. 6. cc); the (7strea obscura ; 

 and though last, not least, the ears of Midas, Voluta auris 

 MiddP (resemblance of shell to an elongated ear), {fg. 6.d d.) 

 For the depiction of the spendthrift we have the Haliotis 

 {hals, the sea, ota, ears; earlike form) tribe {Jig. 6. ^), whose 

 favourite employment appears to be to make holes in its own 

 house, and what other is his? The toadeater, the boon 

 companion, or, to use his more classical denomination, the 

 parasite, who so often lives upon the generosity or prodigality 

 of this latter character, could not, I think, be better delineated 

 than by the Serpulae {serpulla, a serpent ; form) {Jig. 6.f), 

 who fix themselves and their shells so firmly upon those of 

 larger and more powerful Testacea {testaceus, having a shell), 

 that no effort of these latter can shake them off"; so there they 

 live in peace, plenty, and security, of a duration coeval to their 

 benefactor. The robes of the testy should be made of the 



