182 



WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



relations of the oyster and the mussel : they are, 

 however, cousins of the * crab and the shrimp. 

 They also enjoy the popular name of acorn 

 shells, and although they do not appear to be 

 very interesting when they have no water cover- 

 ing them, the very reverse is the case directly 

 the tide flow immerses their shells. I remember 

 my astonishment upon first discovering two or 

 three of the little creatures on the feed in a small 



rock pool. They 

 threw out what 

 appeared to be 

 tiny casting nets 

 from the holes 

 in the crown of 

 their conical 

 houses. After 



making a feW 



waving sweeps 



backwards and forwards, these expanded nets sud- 

 denly contracted, like midget hands grasping some 

 invisible prize, and disappeared. They did not re- 

 main out of sight for long, however, but came 

 forth and were soon hard at work again. 



Acorn shells will affix themselves to almost any- 

 thing. I have seen limpets covered with them, and 

 the accompanying illustration of half a mussel shell 

 shows two or three empty houses belonging to the 

 species. 



In bringing the last chapter of this little work 



ACOKN BAKXACL1S ON MUSSEL. 



