T H K 



bable that the Trret! like the TV/Wo pi 



forms its habitation in a substance from which it receives 

 no part of its sustenance ; and that the sawdust conveyed 

 through the intestines is not digested, particularly as that 

 examined by Mr. Hatchett liad not undergone the slightest 

 char 



Mr. Hatchett found the ten grains of pulp from the 

 specimen above referred to to bean impalpable vegetable 

 sawdust. When burnt the smoke had precisely the odour 

 of wood ; it formed a charcoal easily consumed, and was 

 converted into white ashes, in ever)' respect like vegetable 

 charcoal. Solution of potash did not act upon it, as it 

 would have done if it had been an animal substance. 



Sir Kvenml Home suggests that the straight course of 

 the intestine in the / makes it probable that the 



sawdust retards the progress of the food, so as to render 

 convolution unnecessary. 



Teredo Savulis has been found at deptlis ranging from 

 the surface to ten fathoms. 



22-1 



T E U 



Trredo gigantea. Rumphius, in his ' Amboinsche R- 

 itcitkamcr. liguie-. Inn- copied, of a species of 



ulmlar shell found in shallow water among mangiove- 

 jees. He describes t lie ground whence they were brought, 

 and the mode in which the large end of the shell is cl 

 so as to leave little doubt that it was '/' nlfti, 



hough the separation of the two tubes through which the 

 uts of the animal pass out is different from the specimens 

 >rought home by Mr. Griffiths. This difference however, 

 LS the latter observes, may have been connected with the 

 .it nation in which the ani'mal was found, namely, shallow 

 water among the mangroves. 



Shell and tube of Teralo navalis. 



a tubw ilh valvei in their position nl the i-nil ; <<,t. two vl.-wj of the 



ralvei: <l. ilouM"; opririiluni ; r, rrpnwntMinn of the protrusion of the two 



tob of tlw animal . (flal. Train. ) O. 11. Sowerliy . 



It is said, probably with tnith. that Trrnlo ntiniti* was 

 introduced into Europe from warmer climates. However 

 that may be, it now unfortunately swarms in our seas. The 

 ravaces of this apparently insignificant animal are terrible 

 Ship-, piles, all submarine wood-works, are ruinous!) 

 affected by it : small us it is. it threatened the submersion 

 of Holland by its destruction of the dykes. The living 

 specimens which formed the subject of Sir Everard Home's 

 observations were furnished from oneofthe royal dockyard- 

 The rapidity of its growth and the destructive celerity will 

 v.-hich it v, or!,.- are hardly credible. A piece of deal. :ifte 

 a submersion of forty days. was riddled by them, and soul 

 had attained considerable size. Those from the dockum 

 at Plymouth, examined by Montagu, wen- in piles \\hicl 

 had been recently taken up to be replaced with new : 1he\ 

 had not, according to the information given to Montagu 

 been under water above four or five years, but they were 

 greatly perforated, though they were sound solid oak whci 

 they were drnen. The only "effectual wa\ of prcvcntim, 

 the attacks of this animal upon piles appears to be by 

 'ing all that part which is continually beneath th 

 surface with short broad-headed nails. The action of th 

 sea-water on the nails produces a strong coating of rust 

 said to be superior to a copper sheathing. 



Wood rwforaUd bjr TmdinM naralcd. 



Trredo tigantea(Rum|'li.). 



In 1905 Captain Maxwell of the Calcutta F.ast Indinman 

 gave to Sir K\crard (then MiO Home, a specimen of thi. 

 shell, five feet long, but imperfect at both extremi'ies. 

 The captain said it was brought from Sumatra. Several of 

 Mr. Home's friends considered it as a mineral substance, 

 a hollow stalactite, being misled by its radiate.; 

 Sir Joseph Hanks decided that it was a shell, and i j 

 analysed by Mr. Hatchett, who found that it was cbmi 

 of carbonate of lime and an animal gelatinous subs! 

 which was greater in quantity than m Chama gigtu, but 



.:!i in the common oyster. Mr. Home then applied 

 to Mr. Marsden, who introduced him to Mr. Griffiths, and 

 the paper of the last-mentioned gentleman immediately 

 precedes that of Mr. Home in Phil. Traits, for I 



Mr. Griffiths relates that a short time after a very violent 

 earthquake that occurred in Sumatra in the year 171*7. 

 which produced ' a most tremendous' inundation of tli 

 did great damage, and caused the lossof many lives, these 

 shells were procured in a small sheltered bay with a muddy 

 bottom, surrounded by coral reefs, on the island of ISattoo. 

 When the sea receded from the bay after the inundation, 

 they were seen protruding from a bank of slightly indurated 

 mud, and two or three specimens were brought to Mr. 

 Griffiths nt Padang, by the master of a boat trading be- 

 tween that part and the island, for cocoa-nut oil. sea-slug, 

 &c. Mr. Griffiths then sent one of his servants, a 1';., 

 CotiVee, who was \ery expert at diving, in a small praw. 



,i\ant staled that he had found the shells in the 

 before-mentioned bay and in an inlet of the sea. sticking 

 out of lather haid mud, mixed with small stones, sand, 

 &c. from eight to ten inches or more, and from one to 

 three fathoms under water. Both the master and crew 

 assured Mr. Griffiths that the animal throws out tentacula 



