256 THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



by a common stalk or " Stolon," from which they 

 grow by buds. 



2. The Brachiopoda. These Molluscs are furnished with a 

 pair of shells, within which the animal lives ; one of 

 these shells (the ventral one) has a small hole in it, 

 close to the hinge, and through this a long tendinous 

 cord passes, which fixes the creature to some stone or 

 rock, hence the name Brachiopodous, which means 

 arm-footed. The young of this Mollusc are not fixed, 

 but float about. The Lingula has horny shells, and 

 the foot passes out between them ; these creatures were 

 some of the first created, if not the very first ; the 

 shells of Terebratula are found in vast quantities in 

 the oldest fossiliferous strata. 



3. The Lamellibranchiata include a great many of our most 

 ordinary Mollusca, commonly known as "shell fish." 

 They have a pair of shells, and are thence called 

 " bivalve." The Oyster (Ostrea edulis), Mussel (Myti- 

 lus edulis), Cockle (Cardium edule), Scallop (Pecten), 

 belong to this class. Oysters form a considerable 

 article of commerce, thirty or forty thousand bushels 

 are brought each season to London ; they are dredged up 

 from "beds," where they are found in great quantities. 

 They spawn in May and June, and are not then good. 

 There is an old and a well-known saying, that " Oysters 

 are not fit to eat, unless there is an R in the month," 

 all the names of the months containing an E but May, 



June, July, and August. The 

 spawn is collected and placed 

 in artificial beds, consisting 

 of shallow places or hollows 

 in the sea, where the tide 

 will not wash them away, and 

 whence they can be easily 



removed when sufficiently 



FIG. 34.-COCKLE (Car- grown, which is in five or six 



dium edule). years ; these creatures have 



no powers of locomotion, but remain where the tide 



