bo THE COCKLE. 



circle is formed of the initiated and their scholars, all 

 sitting on the earth under the shade of forest-trees 

 around the chest. One length of wampum is brought 

 forth at a time, and held up to view, while one of the 

 initiated not only explains the circumstances of its recep- 

 tion, but recites the very speech delivered with it. It 

 is then handed round the whole assembly, each marking 

 the length, breadth, colours, and devices it bears, and 

 connecting with them in his own mind, the sentences 

 of which it is the memorial. When all are satisfied, 

 this is laid by, and another and another produced, till 

 the whole are gone through. 



In some moUusks the mantle is prolonged into two 

 membranous tubes, varying in length in difi'erent species, 

 and termed syphons, through one of which the water 

 is conveyed to the branchiae, the refuse matter being 

 rejected through the other. This arrangement exists, 

 in a certain degree, in the cockle, (cardium.) Its 

 mantle, which is open anteriorly for the egress of the 

 foot, is prolonged into two tubes, at one extremity, 

 but these tubes are short ; in an allied genus, however, 

 (mactra,) they are of much greater length, and indeed 

 are capable of being protruded to a considerable dis- 

 tance. These are burrowing moUusks, scooping, by 

 means of their foot, a retreat in the sand or mud ; 



