Of the Mufcle zvbicb is found infrefJj zvater ; a particular defer iption of 

 its internal formation, and of the manner in which its young are 

 produced. 



HAVE obferved, tliat when our navigable canals here in Holland, 

 or our ditches are cleaned, a kind of large fidi are taken from the 

 bottom, named by us, " * Veen Moflelen," or Peat Mufcles. Of 

 thefe I procured fome, which were about three or four inches long 

 with very thin fliells. 



A countryman, whom I faw colle6ling thefe fliell fifli, told me 

 they were to be found under the banks, and in the fliallow parts of 

 the ditches, or canals, among the leaves and twigs, or other litter ; 

 and, indeed, I have feen them taken in thofe places ; but as I was 

 certain that thefe fhallow places were frozen to the bottom in the 

 winter, which the fliell fifli could not furvive, I was told that they 

 had a power of moving from place to place. 



To fatisfy myfelf, in this refpedl, I made two experiments on 

 thefe Mufcles, of which I put fix or eight into an earthen veflcJ, 

 with a flat bottoin, and poured on them ibme of the fame water in 

 which they were taken ; this veFel I placed in my ftudy, and I found 

 that in a few hours time, they had all changed their pofitions, and 

 had approached nearer together, than they were when firft placed in 

 the veflel. 



* This word, " Veen, " means the Turf or Peat, which is dug up in great quantities in 

 Holland, and is their principal article of fuel. Our author has a very ingenious diircrtation 

 on the origin of this fubftance, a tranflation of which will be found in its place. — Thefe frefli 

 water Mufcles are found in the rivers in England. 



