204 CONCHOLOGIST’S COMPANION. 
family of Univalve. How wonderful is the adaptation 
of this feeble creature to its little sphere of being! 
Undefended with a shell, and, consequently, exposed 
to innumerable dangers, the Sabella requires a pecu- 
liar compensation, and we find it, accordingly, en~ 
wrapped in a glutinous membrane, a garment well 
fitted to the creature’s shape, yet leaving it to move 
at will. Thus clothed, the garment soon becomes 
a dwelling, by the adhesion of particles of sand, or 
broken shells, and even vegetable substances. 
One of the most interesting species of this unas- 
suming genus, is the Sabella alveolata, or Honey- 
comb shell, which consists of numerous parallel tubes, 
communicating by an aperture, and presenting the 
appearance of a honey-comb, whence its name. It 
is found on the English coast, as well as in various 
parts of Europe, and often clothes the rocks for a 
considerable extent. The 7’. corticalis, or Bark- 
shell, is covered with fragments of bark; the S. In- 
dica, or Indian, with particles of quartz; and the 
SS. dimidiata, with various shells. 
The S. vegetabilis, and S. arundinacea, or Vegeta- 
ble, and Reed-sand shells, are covered with fragments 
of twigs, with the bark of stems, and broken pieces 
of the beautiful Tellina Cornea. 
The geography of animals and plants, has often 
