62 LESSON XI. 



belonging to these shells. I will relate to you 

 all the facts that I have been able to collect, 

 and you must give your undivided attention to 

 what I say, in order that you may afterwards 

 write down the account from recollection. 



The animal inhabiting the shells belonging to 

 the genus Conus, breathes by means of gills ; it 

 has two tentacula bearing eyes, the mouth is a 

 long proboscis, and the foot is furnished with an 

 operculum, by which it closes the entrance to 

 its shell. The section of a Cone displays a 

 fact very interesting, from its illustrating the sin- 

 gular habit of the mollusks ; it is, that the 

 internal whorls are of a much thinner substance 

 than the external coating. It is supposed that 

 when the animal by an addition to its shell, 

 causes what was its outer whorl to be surrounded 

 and concealed by a new one, that it absorbs a 

 portion of the old whorl, and thus it diminishes 

 the weight of its shell, gives more room within 

 for its body, and preserves the solidity and 

 strength of its bulwarks. In this we see a beau- 

 tiful instance of the superintending providence 

 of God, who by the instinct he implants, directs 

 the habits of the animal kingdom. The shells 

 of this genus are remarkable for the regularity 

 of their form, the brillancy of their colours, and 

 the beautiful variety and distinctness of their 

 markings. They are usually covered with a 

 thick epidermis,* which preserves the fine polish 



Epidermis, art outer skin, from the Greek CTTI, ( e pi) upon, 

 (derma) a skin. 



