54 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



shorten alternately, and the creature moves clum- 

 sily forward, his gait being ludicrously like that 

 of an elephant. 



We notice that his mouth is a little, puckered 

 hole at the end of a short snout, that his eyes are 

 very small and set on short stalks, and that he 

 has two short, whip-like tentacles, or feelers, just 

 above the eyes. 



The poor fellow travels rapidly for a mollusk, 

 perhaps two or three feet a minute, and we are 

 very willing to allow him to reach the water and 

 once more feel at home; for we know that all his 

 motions will seem more graceful and natural 

 when he is submerged, than when he is trying to 

 work in just thin air, such as we have to breathe. 



In fact, he will not live very long in the air, 

 nor even in a jar of salt water; and as for fresh 

 water, why, if you feel that you must take his life, 

 the most merciful way to do it is to drop him 

 into a pail of water from a brook or spring, just 

 warm enough to wade in, and he will be past 

 feeling in a very short time. 



Then you can easily separate the shell from 

 the body by thrusting the end of a broad knife 

 between the head and the shell, and loosening 

 the great muscle which is attached to the inside 

 of the shell. And then you can see the beautiful 



