THE MOST ANCIENT MASON. 225 



me by a liabit that I slioiilcl not have suspected in the 

 genns. It is a worm closely allied to the SabelJoi and 

 Serpulce, but having the head adorned with a gTeat 

 number of long thread-like tentacles, in place of the 

 beautiful fans and other apparatus that distinguish 

 those genera. In general the Terebella inhabits a 

 tube, not formed of solid shell like that of the Serjyula^ 

 nor of mud like that of the SabelJa, but one most 

 ingeniously fabricated by its own tentacles, built up 

 of minute particles of sand or small fragments of shells, 

 which it lays with elegance and neatness in a cement 

 of its o'svn consti'uction. From the creation of the 

 world this little worm has been practising the ancient 

 and honom'able craft of masonry, forming his vaulted 

 tunnels of unhewn stones, (for what are atoms of sand 

 but stones?) and bedding them with Koman cement, 

 that " sets" under water. And hence I would respect- 

 fully suggest to the worthy brotherhood of Free and 

 Accepted Masons, whether they do not injustice to 

 themselves in tracing their origin no farther than 

 Father Adam, since assuredly the Terebelldi were not 

 only brethren but masters of the craft, before he began 

 existence, — by a half-day at least. 



If any of my readers should wish to see specimens 

 of this ancient mason's art, nothing is easier than to 

 gratify the desire. Go and turn over the loose stones 

 that lie on the sandy shore along the line of low water, 

 and you will find in sufiicient abundance sandy tubes 

 of the size of a goose-quill, and several inches in 

 length, so brittle as hardly to endm-e removal, im- 

 bedded in the earth. These are the habitations of 

 T. cJirysodon^ most commonly empty and deserted ; 



Q 



