12 
them. The shell is thin and yellow, of a tough, fibrous text- 
ure, not nearly so fragile as it looks. They attach themselves 
in early life to a shell or rock, by the solid “ plug” extending 
through a round hole in the lower or flat valve. The other 
valve is quite convex, and is the one usually found on the 
beach. You must find living ones to get both valves together. 
When Anomia grows on a scallop shell its own shell becomes 
fluted in harmony with the scallop. Headless, footless and 
blind; but still like everything living, they reflect in them- 
selyes the beauty or rudeness of their surroundings. 
The Scallops or Pectens differ from the other bivalves hay- 
ing a single muscle, in being 
much more symmetrical or reg- 
ular in the growth of the shell. 
The two valves are almost 
equally convex. 
Our common species, Pee- 
ten irradians Linné, is a cir- 
cular shell, fluted, having about 
eighteen rounded ribs on each 
valve. It is usually dark, 
with light concentric zones, 
but the young are quite 
Eig ay 5 eee rea ans. prettily marked with zigzag 
stripes. They prefer a sandy bottom and shallow water, and 
may be found scattered far and wide all along our shores. 
Pectens are capital eating ; and thousands of bushels are sent 
to the markets of the New England cities and of New York; 
but in the restaurants of Philadelphia, one usually asks for 
oo 
