( 8(? ) 



And 1 obferved, that thele Mufcles, about the luiddle of their 

 ihells, thruft out, through the opening, a flelhy fubflance, or organ, 

 about t\vo-thh-d parts the length of the flicll ; this part was about 

 half an inch broad, and fliarp at the end ; and in order to move 

 tliemfelves from phice to place, they thruft tiiis organ luider their 

 Ihell, and applying it with a quick motion to the bottom of the place 

 where they lay, could by this means not only change their pollure, 

 but turn thcmfelves upfide down. 



At the end of the month of Auguft, upon opening fix of thefe 

 Mulcles, I found many eggs within them, which were fo perfect, 

 that I could diftinguifli the newly formed fiiells, fo that they were 

 not lb properly to be nan^ied eggs as unborn Feat-Mufcles. Two of 

 the parent Mufcles were fo f mall, that I judged they were not above 

 a year old, whereas the others v.ere, in my opinion, fix, eight, or 

 nine 3'ears old ; but the young Mulcles were of the fame fize in all 

 of them. 



In the beginning of September, I procured about fifty more of 

 thefe Mufcles, and upon opening twelve of tlicm, I found two where- 

 in the young ones feemed to be fo perfe6l, that they would proba- 

 bly loon be excluded from the parent. I always found that the eggs 

 were firft formed in the flelhy part of the Mufcle, but as they ad- 

 vanced in growth, they were moved to that part which, in oyfters, 

 is called the beard, and which, by the great number of the young 

 Mulcles contained therein, then fwells in bulk. 



As there are many perfons who are unacquainted with this fpecies 

 £)f Mufcle, and others who may wifli to invcltigate the particulars of 

 my obfervations, I have caufed the foUowinir drawinjrs to be made : 



Fig. 14. G H 1 K L, Ihcws one of thefe IVefli-water, or, as I call 

 them, Peat-Muicles, of the ordinary fize, which is opened fo as to 

 leave die whole of the fifli lying in one of the fliells ; at H I K, is re- 

 prefented the empty Ihell, and at M M, the two tendons, or finews, 

 by the help of which the filh fliuts and opens the Ihell ; and here it 



