38$ Its spiders. The threads of the pinnae serve, lii^ 

 those of muscles, to moor them with, and defend them 

 from the agitation of the waves. They are prodigi- 

 ously numerous, and being united, form a kind of tuft 

 or skain, weighing about three ounces. The instru- 

 ment that prepares and moulds them, resembles, in the 

 essential properties of it, that of other shell-fish of this 

 kind ; except that it is much larger, and the groove that 

 divides it lengthwise is much narrower. At the root of 

 it there is a membranous bag, composed of several, 

 fleshy layers, that separate tire silk layers from whence 

 the tuft results. 



24. If all kinds of shell-fish and sea-animals 

 not been enabled to moor themselves with as much 

 skill as muscles and pinnae, nature has made them 

 amends for thaJ by affording them means that are no 

 less efficacious. Before we quit this shore, let us stor> 

 a little while and examine this small shell-fish which. 

 you see fastened to this rock : it is a goafs eye, or a 

 limpet. Its shell, which consists of one piece only, is 

 made like a conic chapiter, under which the whole body 

 is sheltered, as under a roof: the animal can raise or 

 lower this covering as it pleases. When it lowers ii the 

 body is entirely concealed, and it rests immediately on 

 the stone. A large muscle that occupies the whole 

 extent of the shell, and that is, as it were, the base 

 of it,- fastens the animal to this stone. Try to dis- 

 engage ir from it ; \ou are not able lo effect it. It is, 

 nevertheless, only fixed to the stone by a base of an 

 inch and a half in diameter. Let us hoist a cord round 

 the shell, and suspend a weight of twenty-eight or thirty 

 pounds to. this cord, the shell-fish will not quit its hold 

 till after same seconds ; and you are surprised that so- 

 small an animal should be endued with so great a~ 

 power of adhesion.- You are curious to know from 

 whence he derives this : you examine the stone, and it 

 appears to you to be finely polished, whereupon, your 

 astonishment is redoubled. Can it be that the muscle 

 is able to insinuate itself into the insensible par'.* of tha 



