LIMPETS. 193 



out one night upon his sea-side prowlings, with a 

 bull's-eye lantern at his girdle, much to the mystifi- 

 cation, no doubt, of the Coastguard watching on the 

 cliffs above, observed the strange phenomenon of old 

 alderrnanic limpets crawling hither and thither with 

 tilted shells, about the tender mossy green that grew 

 in patches on the rocks. He was curious enough to 

 mark their movements ; and found that as morning 

 approached the limpets, in a comfortable state of re- 

 pletion, glided away from the mossy patch, and 

 betook themselves, with unerring precision each to 

 his own hollow in the stone, into which he settled 

 himself as snugly as if he had never moved at all. 

 Perhaps our friend of the slimy chamber may have 

 similar instincts. 



There is not much of beauty to recommend this 

 species to us ; the sheh 1 shows its successive additions 

 with uncouth distinctness ; and the later of these are 

 rough and coarse, and seem scarcely congruous with 

 the smooth and prettily-painted apex. But, as with 

 some higher organisms, beauty is the endowment of 

 youth ; age plays sad havoc with personal attractions, 

 in limpets no less than in ladies. 



Let us look for one of the rising generation of 

 limpets. We must search, not in the root-chamber, 

 for they do not take to house-keeping till they have 

 attained a certain age. Here, abroad on the free 

 pasture of the leathery leaf, we may hope to find 

 them. Yes, here are several, scattered over this 

 smooth olive strap. But how different from the 



