ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY 409 



reefs called palolo, found about Samoa and Fiji, and a 

 second species in the tropical Atlantic. Twice during the 

 year in October and November the posterior half of the 

 body, bearing the reproductive elements, separates from 

 the head end of the animal, and swims to the surface for 

 spawning purposes. This phenomenon occurs at definite 

 times at dawn of the day on which the moon is in its last 

 quarter, and on the day previous. At this season the water 

 fairly boils with countless thousands of these headless 

 worms, that are collected by the natives and esteemed a 

 great delicacy. 



Among the mollusks many species are excellent as food 

 for man. Foremost among these is the oyster. With it 

 are many species of clam, scallop, cockle, snail, abalone, 

 squid, cuttlefish, and octopus. 



321. Clothing from animals. The hair of certain mam- 

 mals may be used as a fabric for cloth. The most valuable 

 in this connection is the wool of sheep. Wild sheep have 

 little or no wool, the great yield of this article being a 

 product of artificial selection. A coarser wool is produced 

 by some goats, as also by some animals related to the Peru- 

 vian llama. The hair of the camel is used to make a coarse 

 cloth. 



Another textile fabric of great importance is silk, which 

 is the fine-spun covering of the larvae and chrysalids of a 

 white moth. The furs and skins of many animals formed 

 the chief clothing of primitive man, and are still largely 

 used in cold regions among fashionable as well as primitive 

 people. Among the finest of furs are those of the weasei 

 tribe, the otter, mink, ermine, marten, and their relatives. 

 Most valuable of all these is the fur of the sea-otter of the 

 north Pacific, a single skin being sometimes valued at up- 

 ward of $1,000. The female and young of the fur seal 

 ( Otoes) yield a very soft and beautiful fur after the long 

 hairs have been plucked out. Many foxes yield delicate 

 and beautiful furs. In general, those animals living in the 



