THE SCALLOP'S EYES. 23 



pendicularly, a little way within the margin. This is 

 the mantle, and it is generally painted with rich colours, 

 in irregular patterns, often of spots and marbled clouds 

 of black on a rich green ground, or pearly-green clouds 

 on flesh-colour sometimes pale-yellow clouds on vel- 

 vet-black ; but these hues have no perceptible relation 

 with those of the shell Looking closely, you see that 

 the mantle is not single, but composed of two curtains, 

 whose edges meet in the middle. And now these are 

 slightly separating, and giving us a peep into the in- 

 terior ; but the most notable thing we see is the array 

 of long white taper tentacles which proceed from each 

 edge, and wave to and fro in the clear water; while 

 another row of similar organs, but larger, is affixed to 

 each curtain along the line where it starts from the 

 shell. And along this same line, scattered between the 

 bases of the larger tentacles, there is a row (and a cor- 

 responding one on the other curtain) of beads, which 

 seem to be turned out of the richest and most lustrous 

 gems. Even the unassisted eye is arrested by the flash- 

 ing brilliance, but with a powerful lens they look like 

 rubies set in sockets of sapphire, from which the light 

 blazes forth with incomparable brilliance. These are 

 the Pecten's eyes, each of which possesses all the parts 

 requisite for perfect vision. 



The valves vary much in colour. Some are pure 



