"SHELL-FISH." 193 



reminded me of the favourite stone under the hedge, whereto 

 the Thrush brings her snails to be hammered until the shell 

 yields up its luscious contents. Artemis has met with a fate 

 similar to that of the hedgerow snails, for her fortress has been 

 broken by gulls, puffins, or even by ravens when winter has 

 taught them not to be too particular about their food. 



There is a group of Venus-shells whose exterior is ornamented 

 with concentric and rayed rounded ridges, in some cases 

 strong, though regular and even, whilst in others they are but 

 slightly perceptible ; but their place is, to some extent, taken 

 by colour. They bear the generic name of Tapes (Latin, 

 tapestry) which is exceedingly appropriate, for the patterns of 

 some species is very suggestive of 

 tapestry and carpet. Especially is 

 this so with the Cross-cut Carpet- 

 shell (Tapes decussatd), whose ex- 

 terior looks like the back of a piece of | 

 tapestry carpet, both in texture and 

 colour. The latter is of a nonde- 

 script drab, with occasional tinges CROSS-CUT CARPET-SHELL. 

 of red and stain-like smears of bluish-grey. The ridges radiate 

 from the beak, and they are nicely rounded, but their lines 

 are by no means straight. They are cut across by fine con- 

 centric incised lines, which, with the grooves beside each 

 rayed ridge, produce the cross-cut, or decussate appearance 

 which suggested the name. The interior is dull white, like 

 the surface of an enamelled card, the muscular and pallial 

 impressions polished, and consequently very obvious. 



The Virgin's Carpet-shell (T. virgined] is smaller, the 

 exterior very smooth, the ornamentation taking the form of 

 shallow concentric lines. The colouration is a mottling of 

 salmon-pink, with little specks of white showing through, and 

 irregularly-shaped spots of dark-brown sprinkled sparingly 

 over all. Viewed not too closely, it will be seen that the 

 whole surface is divided between about six broad rays of 



