184 PECTINIBRANCHIATA.—MURICIDA. 
from which the epidermis has been removed pre- 
viously. A section of the bore, taken during 
the operation, shows that it is convex, and con- 
tradicts the received notion of the operation being 
performed by the action of the ribbon, which 
being in the centre of the proboscis, would perforce 
wear the middle of the bore deepest, but this is 
not the case. The animal makes no movement of 
a rotatory kind or otherwise, during the operation. 
It takes about two days to get through the shell, 
when it eats about two-thirds of a moderate-sized 
mussel, which seems to satisfy hunger for about 
three weeks.” * 
The curious inquirer after the many natural 
objects which the receding tide reveals, may occa- 
sionally see in the spring months as he peeps into 
the crevices of the rocks, a number of little urn- 
like bodies crowded together, and standing erect 
from the rock. They are about the size of a grain 
of wheat, to which they bear no small resemblance, 
being of a yellow colour, but tinged as they 
approach maturity with reddish-purple. ‘These are 
the egg-capsules of the Dog-Winkle. Réaumur 
states, that the purple dye is obtained from these 
vesicles with less trouble than from the animal; 
an assertion which by no means agrees with my 
experience. ‘he membrane of which they are 
composed is very tough, but if we cut it open we 
find that each contains many infant mollusks, all 
inclosed, as the period of birth draws nigh, in-their 
tiny shells. 
Mr. Peach, who bred the animals from the cap- 
sules, observed that the latter change form as the 
included young ones ripen, the apex of the cup 
* Forbes and Hanley’s Br. Moll. iii. 385. 
