251 



see them fix themselves to.. the rock. They are gluy 

 and rough to tiie touch ; for which reason they meet 

 with no difficulty in fastening to it. 



18. Would you believe that an animal which is en- 

 tirely of a fleshy nature, and is provided with no instru- 

 ment to open or pierce the shell;?, feeds upon shell-fish? 



Nettles that are but of a middling size swallow great 

 shell-fish ; and it is difficult to conceive how they are 

 capable of being lodged within the nettle. It is true, 

 the latter being entirely fleshy, is susceptible of a great 

 distension. , It is a sort of supple purse, that may be 

 stretched occasionally : the opening of the purse is pro- 

 perly the mouth of the nettle. Its inside not being 

 transparent, one cannot see what passes therein, or by 

 what means the nettle voids the shell-fish. The mo- 

 ment she has swallowed it, she closes herself. Look at 

 this young nettle that is shut up quite close : she has just 

 swallowed a pretty large snail, and is busy in digesting 

 it. She is now opening herself again, and discharging 

 the empty shell. On the side of her is another nettle, 

 which bespeaks your attention: she has swallowed a 

 great muscle, and is making ineffectual ' efforts jto void 

 the shell. She is not able to effect it : the shell pre- 

 sents itself in an unfavourable position at the aperture, 

 and you begin to be in pain for the unhappy nettle: she 

 has a resource that \ou did not imagine. Cast your 

 eyes towards the base; the shell is evacuated through 

 a lanje wound ; the nettle is delivered from it by that 

 means, and is no more affected by the great gash made 

 thereby, than we are by a scratch. 



1.9- All nettles do not procure a discharge by so vio- 

 lent method; they have another, which they 'commonly 

 use with success. Tlrey turn themselves inside out, like 

 & glove or stocking, so that the edges of the opening, 

 which resemble lips, fold themselves on the base : the 

 mouth is then of a prodigious width, and the bottom ot 

 the purse almost uncovered. 

 M. 5 



