CHITON. 205 



external and overlap one another in an imbricated or tile-like 

 fashion ; the last or hindmost plate has a small overhanging 

 boss in the middle. 



These " punaises de mer," as Vallisnieri calls them — 

 Petiver has a prettier name, " Oscabrions " — move very 

 slowly, creeping or rather gliding, onwards, backwards, 

 or sideways, with an imperceptible and stealthy pace. 

 Mr. Guilding says of the West-Indian kinds (and his re- 

 marks will in most particulars apply to the British spe- 

 cies) , "They seem to feed entirely by night. Though they 

 remain stationary during the day, when disturbed they 

 will often creep away with a slow and equal pace, often 

 sliding sideways, and creeping under the rocks and stones 

 for concealment. If accidentally reversed, they soon re- 

 cover their position by violently contorting and undula- 

 ting the zone ; and for defence they sometimes (when de- 

 tached) roll themselves up like wood-lice. Some of the 

 larger kinds, especially of Ac anthopleur a, are eagerly de- 

 voured by the lower orders in the West Indies, who 

 have the folly to call them { beef ; ' the thick fleshy 

 foot is cut away from the living animal and swallowed 

 raw, while the viscera are rejected. We have here a 

 large pale Chiton, which is said to be poisonous." Ladies 

 who are not good sailors, and are fond of trying new 

 preventives against sea-sickness, may (if they can) swal- 

 low raw Chitons, and so imitate the Iceland fishermen, 

 who pretend that the " hav-bceggeluus " (sea-bugs) are 

 an effectual remedy against this malady, and also that 

 they quench thirst. One kind is easily procured at low 

 water on most of our beaches by turning over loose 

 stones. Such an occupation just before encountering a 

 voyage might beguile the tedious interval — or perchance 

 the deglutition of these strange boluses might by anti- 

 cipating the evil rob the passage of its horrors. 



