58 SCALLOP SHELLS. 



in his poem called ^'The Pilgrimage," thus enumerates the 

 different articles considered necessary for a Palmer, as these 

 pilgrims were termed: — 



"Give me my scallop shell of quiet, 



My staff of faith to lean upon, 

 My scrip of joy, (immortal diet,) 



My bottle of salvation, 

 My go^vn of glory, hope's true gage, 

 And thus I'll make my pilgrimage." 



This Mollusk, it may be noticed, like many other bivalves, 

 has a flat, and a concave or hollow shell: in early times 

 when plates and drinking vessels were not so plentiful as 

 they are now, one of these served the former purpose, and 

 the other the latter; thus, in speaking of a feast, a Gaelic or 

 Scottish bard has said — 



"The joy of the shell went round." 



Sometimes the species termed Pecten opercularis, was used as 

 the pilgrim's badge; the specific name comes most likelj^ from 

 the Latin operculum, whose meaning has been explained. 



COMMON SCALLOP. 



This too, is a common British shell, as is also the little 



