46 CONCHOLOGIST’S COMPANION. 
Who shall assign a limit to the wonders of creation! 
A living lamp diffuses its benignant ray in the 
solitary apartment of the Oyster; shines in the midst 
of a humid atmosphere; nay, even in the midst of 
water itself, and cheers the solitude and silence of 
perpetual night. Perhaps, like the enchanted lamp 
of Armida, it lures the wanderer to destruction ; or, 
in other words, as insects of every description are 
powerfully attracted by light, it may compensate 
the Oyster for the deficiency of his moving powers. 
‘* Oh, my God,” said the admirable Fenelon, ‘‘ he 
who does not see thee in thy works has seen nothing. 
He who does not confess thy hand in the beautiful 
productions of this well-ordered world, is a stranger 
to the best affections of the heart. He exists as 
though he existed not, and his life is no more than a 
dream.” 
Thirty-five species compose the genus Solen, Razor- 
sheath, or Knife-handle. Solen is a most happy 
name for this genus. It is a Greek word, and sig- 
nifies a channel, or tube; also that hollow case in 
which a broken leg or arm is fixed, to keep it in its 
place during the period of cure. In this interesting 
genus, we shall observe a very different mode of 
configuration, with regard to the structure of the 
animal. In the first division, the breadth of many of 
the shells is nearly seven times their length, resem- 
