26 



estimation in various parts of Europe, that they con- 

 stitute an agreeable and wholesome food ; but I never 

 knewa,n instance of their being so used in this country, 

 although we have the common European species, 

 fS. ensisj in great abundance on every part of our 

 coast. The residences of these shells are sometimes 

 detected, like that of My a arenai'ia, by a small jet 

 of water. In France, the fishermen are accustomed to 

 take them by throwing a little salt into these cavities, 

 which irritating the extremity of the tubes or syphons 

 of the animals, causes them to ascend immediately to 

 the surface, in order, it is supposed, to free their sen- 

 sitive organs from the substance which annoys them. 

 The moment the shell appears at the surface, it is 

 pierced with an iron point called dardillon; but it 

 requires some address to take it, for if the instrument 

 should miss its hold, the animal will sink with surpri- 

 sing rapidity ; nor will the same means induce it to 

 reascend, as it prefers to suffer the irritation of the 

 salt to the certainty of being captured. 



The species of this genus, though few in number, 

 are distributed on almost every shore, where the 

 sloping sands can afford them a secure habitation. 

 Only two species occur on the whole Atlantic coast 

 of North America: one of these is peculiar to this 

 country. 



The habits of the Solens were known to Aristotle, 

 who supposed that the sense of hearing was possessed 

 l)y the animals, because, he observes, when a loud 

 noise is suddenly made above the water where they 

 reside, they instantly sink into the sand. 



