106 MOTIONS OF ANIMALS. 



the termination of the leg into the shape of a ball, and makes 

 an effort to extend the whole leg ; but the ball prevents any 

 farther descent, and the muscular effort necessarily pushes the 

 shell upward till it reaches the surface or top of the hole. It 

 is amazing with what dexterity and quickness these seemingly 

 awkward motions are performed. 



It is remarkable that the spout-fish, though it lives in salt 

 water, abhors salt. When a little salt is thrown into the hole, 

 the animal instantly quits its habitation. But it is still more 

 remarkable, that if you seize the animal with your hand, and 

 afterwards allow it to retire into its cell, you may strew as 

 much salt upon it as you please, but the fish will never again 

 make its appearance. If you do not handle the animal, by 

 applying salt, you may make it come to the surface as often 

 as you incline ; and fishermen often make use of this strata- 

 gem. This behavior indicates more sentiment and recollec- 

 tion than one would naturally expect from a spout-fish. 



The scallop, another well-known bivalved shell-fish, has the 

 power of progressive motion upon land, and likewise of swim- 

 ming on the surface of the water. When this animal happens 

 to be deserted by the tide, it opens its shell to the full extent, 

 then shuts it with a sudden jerk, by which it often rises five 

 or six inches from the ground. In this manner it tumbles for- 

 ward till it regains the water. When the sea is calm, troops, 

 or little fleets of scallops, are often observed swimming on the 

 surface. They raise one valve of their shell above the sur- 

 face, which becomes a kind of sail, while the other remains 

 under the water, and answers the purpose of an anchor, by 

 steadying the animal, and preventing its being overset. When 

 an enemy approaches, they instantly shut their shells, plunge 

 to the bottom, and the whole fleet disappears. By what means 

 they are enabled to regain the surface, we are still ignorant. 



Like many other bivalved shell-fish, the oyster has the power 

 of squirting out water with a considerable force. By thus 

 suddenly and forcibly ejecting a quantity of water, the animal 

 repulses such enemies as endeavor to insinuate into its shell 

 while open. By the same operation, If not firmly attached 

 to rocks, to stones, or to one another, the oyster retreats back 

 wards, or starts to a side in a lateral direction. Any person 

 may amuse himself with the squirting and motions of oysters 

 by putting them in a plate situated in a horizontal position 

 and which contains as much sea water as is sufficient to covei 

 them. The oyster has been represented, by many authors, 

 as an animal destitute not only of motion, but of every spe- 



