3S6 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



obferved, in the Ifle of France, that there is nei- 

 ther black-coloured periwinkle, nor mufcle, be*- 

 caufe there is in thofe feas no pebble, or rock, 

 precifely of that colour ; and I am perfeâ:ly cer- 

 tain, that mufcles are always of the colour of the 

 ground on which they live : thofe of the llîe of 

 France are brown. 



It muft not be concluded, on the other hand, 

 that fuch (hell-fifh are indebted, for their colours, 

 to the rocks on which they adhere by fuflion ; for 

 it would thence follow, that the rocks of Magellan's 

 ftrait, which produce mufcles and lempits fo rich in 

 colouring, fliould be themfelves inlaid with mother- 

 of-pearl, opal, and amethyft ; befides, every rock 

 maintains fliell-fifli of very different colours. You 

 find, at the bottom of the rocks on the coaft of 

 the diftrid of Caux, which are loaded with black 

 periwinkles, the azure-coloured lobfter, the crab 

 marbled with red and brown, legions of mufcles 

 of a deep blue, with lempits of an afh-gray. All 

 thefe filhes, when alive, form harmonies the mofl 

 agreeable, with a multitude of marine plants, 

 which fringe thofe black and white rocks, with 

 their tints of purple, gray, ruft- coloured, brown, 

 and green ; and with the variety of their forms 

 and aggregations, like oaken boughs, tufts of dif- 

 ferent fhapes, garlands, feftoons, and long cord- 

 age. 



