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from each other as they come out, and their extremity 

 sticks to the stone: these are as so many small cables 

 which hold our muscle at anchor. There are frequently 

 a hundred and fifty of these little cables employed in 

 mooring a muscle : each cable is scarcely two inches 

 long. 



The muscle herself has spun all these cords. The 

 tongue not only serves them, as it does other shell-fish, 

 for arms to fasten themselves with, and for legs to creep 

 with, but is also the spinning instrument which produces 

 those numerous threads, by means of which the muscle 

 resists the impulse of the waves. From the root of the 

 tongue to iis extremity there is a groove, which divides 

 it, according to its length, into two equal parts. This 

 groove is a real channel, furnished with a great number 

 of small muscles, that open and shut it: in this channel 

 is contained a viscous liquor, which is the matter of the 

 threads emitted by the muscle. At its first appearance 

 this channel is exactly cylindrical, and is, properly 

 speaking, the place where h;e threads are moulded. 

 The various motions the tongue of the muscle, we are 

 observing, gave itself a minute ago, all tended to fix it 

 to the stone : those threads which are the whitest and 

 most transparent, are such as are newly spun. She has 

 not yet finished anchoring herself, wherefore you per- 

 ceive her tongue is again extending about two inches, 

 and the tip of it drawing towards the stone : the viscous 

 liquor runs in the channel, and arrives at the extremity 

 of it. This liquor is now consolidated, and becomes a 

 cylindrical : bread. The muscle sticks the end of his 

 thread to the stone; hut is desirous of applying it by a 

 wider surface, in order to render it more adherent : for 

 that purpose, she adds to it with the tip of her tongue, 

 that little paste which you observed. Her business now 

 is to extend another cable to some distance from- the 

 last : the tongue, therefore, must quit this latter in 

 order to work elsewhere. How will she be able to 

 effect this? The channel opens itself to its utmost 

 length, and discharges the thread. The tougiie being- 

 disengaged from his thread, quickly draws itself toge- 



