S6T 



sttme ? Divide the animal transversely, it still adherer 

 as strongly as before. Does it cleave to the stone as 

 two pieces of polished marble cleave to each other? 

 But pieces of marble easily slip each other; and you 

 cannot cause the shell-fish so to do, This, then, is the 

 secret cause of that adhesion which astonishes you.- 

 The muscle 13 furnished with a viscous humour, which 

 agglutinates it to the surface of. the stone, and which is* 

 sensibly felt by touching it with the ringer. 



But the goat's eye has not been condemned to re- 

 main. its whole life affixed to the same place: it is 

 necessary for it to go in search of its food. There is 

 one now creeping on the rock : its great muscle serves 

 him instead of legs, and performs the same functions 

 as that you have been made acquainted with in the 

 snail. The goat's eye, then, can disengage himself when 

 lie pleases : it is able to break those strings which are 

 with difficulty disjointed by a weight of eight-and- 

 twenty pounds. Moisten your finger, and stroke the 

 muscle with it ; the natural glutinous substance with 

 which it is endued, can no longer retain its hold. This 

 glue is dissoluble by water. The whole surface of the 

 muscle abounds with little seeds, filled with a dissolvent 

 liquor. When the animal is disposed to shift his 

 quarters, he need only press his numerous glands, the 

 dissolvent issues from them, and the cords are broken, 



The goat's eye has but one certain provision of gluy 

 matter. If it he loosened from its place several 

 times together, its stock will be exhausted, and it will 

 not fix any more. 



This method of mooring is common to divers sea- 

 animals. It is particularly so to nettles. Its whole 

 skin is one entire mass of glue, which dissolves **ery 

 speedily in aqua vitae. It is with this abundant giue 

 that these extraordinary animals fasten themselves to 

 the rocks. 



5far*/foA- also fix themselves by the same method^ 



