THE SCHOOL OF THE SHORE 43 



has been made by a carnivorous Gasteropod 

 called Natica, which has a boring gland on 

 the underside of its proboscis. This gland is 

 pressed against the bivalve shell and the 

 sulphuric acid which it secretes dissolves a 

 hole right through. When the perforation is 

 made, the borer often uses its rasping ribbon 

 to enlarge it. 



THE STORY OF THE ANGLER 



One of the queerest of queer fishes is the 

 Angler or Fishing Frog (Lophius piscatorius) 

 a fish that fishes. It is rather a lazy crea- 

 ture, of long pedigree, and of big appetite. In 

 shallow water off-shore it often shuffles along 

 with its strong fore-fins and settles down on 

 an open space among the seaweed. Curious 

 tags of skin about the head and body are very 

 like waving fronds of seaweed, and that is all 

 to the good. The first three fin-rays of the 

 dorsal fin are long separate rods, and the first, 

 which is particularly mobile, bears a lappet 

 of skin dangling at the free end the bait at 

 the end of the angler's line. Circumstantial 

 evidence points to the conclusion that the 

 angler really fishes with its fishing-rod. In 



