SECTION III. 63 



rlnis, by fome are called the Silk-Worms 

 of the Sea, They have beards, by which 

 they faften themfelves to the rocks, &c. 

 of fine, long, gloffy filk-like brown fibres, 

 which are eafily wove into a filken fluff. 

 There are now manufactories of it at Na- 

 ples, MefTma, and Palermo. 



Thofe bivalves, fays Mr, Adanfon, which 

 have fuch beards, (for only bivalves are 

 yet difcovered to have them) have them 

 fometlmes in feparate fibres, as the Pinnas 

 and Mufcles, or united, as it were, into 

 one nerve, as the Arks. Thefe threads, or 

 fibres, proceed from the beginning of the 

 pedeflal of the fifh, and are analogous to 

 the hair of other animals, or the nerves 

 and fibres of Quadrupeds. The Shells 

 which have thefe beards remain fixed in 

 the fame place 3 and when the fibres, or 

 threads, are cut, or broken off, they im- 

 mediately fpin, or form new ones, with 

 their pedeftals, which is the part that con- 

 duds the work, and by this means renx 

 6 themfeh^es 



