314 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 
and wonderful variety of elegant or capricious forms as to the 
sea-snails ; so that they are equally esteemed in the cabinets of 
wealthy amateurs. Among the most costly are reckoned the 
Spondyli, which are found in the tropical seas, where they grow 
attached to rocks. They are distinguished by the brilliancy of 
their colours, but particularly by the long thorny excrescences 
with which their shells are covered. A Parisian professcr once 
pawned all his silver spoons and forks to make up the sum of 
six thousand frances which was asked for a Royal Spondylus ; 
but on returning home was so warmly received by his lady 
that, overwhelmed by the hurricane, he flung himself on a chair, 
when the terrific cracking of the box containing his treasure 
reminded him too late that he had concealed it in his skirt- 
pocket. Fortunately but two of the thorns had been broken 
off, and the damage was susceptible of being repaired; his 
despair, however, was so great that his wife had not the heart 
to continue her reproaches, and in her turn began to soothe the 
unfortunate collector. 
The gigantic Tridacna, which is now to be found in the shop 
of every dealer in shells, was formerly an object of such rarity 
and value that the Republic of 
Venice once made a present of 
one of them to Francis I., who 
gave it to the Church of St- 
Sulpice in Paris, where it is 
still made use of as a basin for 
holy water. The tridacna at- 
tains a diameter of five feet, 
und a weight of five hundred pounds, the flesh alone weighing 
thirty. The muscular power is said to be so great as to be able 
to cut through a thick rope on closing the shell. It is found in 
the dead rocks on the coral reefs, where there are no growing 
lithophytes except small tufts. Generally only an inch or two 
in breadth of the ponderous shell is exposed to view, for the 
tridacna, like the pholas, has the power of sinking itself in the 
rock, by removing the lime about it. Without some means like 
this of security, its habitation would inevitably be destroyed 
by the roaring breakers. A tuft of byssus, however strong, 
would be a very imperfect security against the force of the sea 
for shells weighing from one to five hundred pounds. It 
Tridacna gigas, 
