144 TEREDINID.E. 



the wrath of the Almighty by constant prayer and 

 praise. Many succeeded Sellius in investigating the 

 natural history of the Teredo ; but Adanson, Home, 

 Montagu, Deshayes, Quatrefages, Laurent, Clark, Fis- 

 cher, and Harting are perhaps all whose observations 

 are worthy of being noticed. If I have omitted the 

 name of any other writer, I offer by anticipation the 

 most ample apology for my neglect. 



3. Habits and organization. — The opportunities which 

 I have had of examining this villanous animal (as Massuet 

 calls it) , and of observing its habits, were not so many as I 

 wished ; but I will relate faithfully what I have witnessed. 

 On my return in 18G0 from the Continent, through 

 Holland, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Verloren at 

 Utrecht, and of carefully inspecting at his house living 

 specimens of T. navalis, enclosed in pieces of the dyke- 

 piles, which he had kept in long glass jars for about ten 

 months. They appeared to have become habituated to 

 the loudest noise ; and even when the jar was moved, or 

 the light suddenly obstructed, they did not withdraw. their 

 terminal tubes or siphons. The longer (or alimentary 

 and incurrent) tube was in frequent motion, and bent in 

 various directions, as if in search of food, while a current 

 of water, full of animalcula, continually passed into it. 

 The shorter (or faecal and excurrent) tube performed its 

 functions at intervals, expelling the woody pulp by a spas- 

 modic action, and occasionally withdrawing, in order the 

 better to effect its purpose when any stoppage occurred. 

 Each tube was transparent, and fringed with cilia at its 

 orifice. The Teredines seemed to prefer the sunny side of 

 the jar ; they are said to be very sensitive to cold. But 

 the most interesting peculiarity which I observed, and to 

 which my attention was directed by Dr. Verloren, was 

 that each of the tubes was protected or enveloped exter- 



