THE PECTENS, OR SCALLOP-SHELLS. 



Aside from their physiology and the 

 position in the order of Nature occupied 

 by the scallops, they have a place in 

 history and song; for, "in the days 

 when Ossian sang, the flat valves were 

 the plates, the hollow ones the drinking 

 cups, of Fingal and his heroes." The 

 common Mediterranean scallop {Pccten 

 Jacobccus), or St. James' shell, was, dur- 

 ing the Middle Ages, worn by pilgrims 

 to the Holy Land, and became the badge 

 of several orders of knighthood. "When 

 the monks of the ninth century convert- 

 ed the fisherman of Genneserat into a 

 Spanish warrior, they assigned him the 

 scallop shell for his 'cognizance.' "* 



Sir Walter Scott, in his poem, "Mar- 

 mion," refers to this badge, or emblem, 

 as follows : 



" Here is a holy Palmer come, 

 From Salem first and last from Rome : 



* Moule's " Heraldry of Fish." 



One that hath kissed the blessed tomb, 

 And visited each holy shrine. 

 In Araby and Palestine 1 



Ii^ Sinai's wilderness he saw 

 The Mount where Israel heard the law, 

 'Mid thunder-dint and flashing leven, 

 And shadows, mists, and darkness, given. 

 He shows St. James's cockle-shell — 

 Of fair Montserrat, too, can tell. 



Stanza xxiii. 



The summoned Palmer came in place, 

 His sable cowl o'erhung his face ; 

 In his black mantle was he clad. 

 With Peter's keys, in cloth of red. 



On his broad shoulders wrought ; 

 The scallop-shell his cap did deck." 



Stanza xxvii. 



And in "The Pilgrimage," written by 

 Sir Walter Raleigh, he says : 



"Give me my scallop-shell of quiet, 

 My staflf of faith to walk upon ; 

 My scrip of joy, immortal diet ; 

 My bottle of salvation." 



