HOW HE BEHAVED. 1 99 



Psammobia rubro-radiata^ Nutt., for so I had learned 

 to call him. I think his long name should be pro- 

 nounced Sam-mo'-bi-a ru-bro-ra-di'-a-ta, and it means 

 that he lives in the sand and has red rays on his 

 shell. 



Well, when I came to him down in his bed of 

 sand, the two white tubes had vanished, and there 

 was nothing visible except an oval shell, the valves 

 of which were some three inches long. They showed 

 distinct lines of growth, and were covered round the 

 edges with a thin, brown epidermis. The color of 

 the shell was white, with rays of red shooting down 

 from the umbo, looking when I turned the shell 

 over like the red rays of the setting sun. Besides a 

 huge external ligament, there was nothing else to 

 observe in my friend's outward appearance. 



But I wanted to see more of him, so I took a large 

 jar, filled it half full of beach sand, added as much 

 sea-water as it would hold, and plunged my prize 

 into the same. He rested quietly for a few minutes, 

 and then began to open his shell and cautiously put 

 out his two siphons. Soon afterward, from between 

 the edges of his shells came his big, white, spade- 

 shaped foot. He drove it down into the sand, curv^ed 

 it a little to one side, gave a vigorous pull, and, lo ! 

 his shell followed, though just why I could not clearly 

 understand. Though the jar was large, he reached 

 the bottom before his shell was wholly covered with 

 sand, and had to content himself wnth a half-above- 

 ground tenement. 



Next morning his siphons were stretched out some 

 six inches in length, and explained the appearance 

 which led to his capture. I never thought before 

 that there was any particular beauty to the siphons of 



