THE UNIVALVES. 139 



" The hour of dinner arrived, and we may imagine the astonishment or Madame 



R , who could not comprehend the strange metamorphosis of her plate. She delivered 



herself of a thousand painful conjectures on the subject. M. R , on his part, 



returned home happy with his shell, which he had committed to the safe custody of a 

 box placed in his coat pocket. But as he approached the house he paused, and began 

 for the first time to think of the reception he might meet with. The reproaches which 

 awaited him, however, were compensated when he thought of the treasure he carried home. 



Finally, he reached home, and Madame R 's wrath was worthy of the occasion; 



the poor man was overwhelmed with the grief he had caused his wife; his courage alto- 

 gether forsook him. He forgot his shell, and in his trepidation, seated himself on a chair 

 without the necessary adjustment of his garment. He was only reminded of his treasure by 

 hearing the crushing sound of the breaking box which contained it. Fortunately the damage 

 done was not very great two spines only of the shell were broken; but the good man's 



grief made so great an impression on Madame R , that she no longer thought of her 



own loss, but directed all her efforts to console the simple-minded philosopher/' 



It may be added that these curious bivalve molluscs are very commonly associated with 

 branches of coral, to which they adhere firmly. 



CHAPTER XII. 

 THE OCEAN AND ITS LIVING WONDERS (continued). 



The Univalves -A Higher Scale of AnimalThe Gasteropoda Limpets Used for Basins in the Straits of Magellan- 

 Spiral and Turret Shells The Cowries The Mitre Shells The Purpuras Tyrian Purple The Whelk The Marine 

 Trumpet The Winged-feet Molluscs The Cephalopodous Molluscs The Nautilus Relic of a Noble Family The 

 Pearly Nautilus and its Uses The Cuttle-fish Michelet's Comments Hugo's Actual Experiences Gilliatt and his 

 Combat A. Grand Description -The Devil-Fish The Cuttle-Fish of Science A Brute with Three Hearts Actual 

 Examples contrasted with the Kraken A Monster nearly Captured Indian Ink and Sepia- The Argonauta The 

 Paper Nautilus. 



AND now, the bivalves having had their turn, let us direct our attention to a higher class of 

 animals, to which nature has been more generous. They, unlike the first-named molluscs, 

 have heads. " This head," says Figuier, " is still carried humbly ; it is not yet os sublime 

 (led it ; it is drawn along an inch or so from the ground, and in no respect resembles 

 the proud and magnificent organ which crowns and adorns the body of the greater and more 

 powerfully organised animals." The Acephalous, or " headless," must now make way for the 

 Cephalous, or headed mollusca. These again are divided by the scientists into three great 

 classes, the Gasteropoda, Pteropoda, and Cephalopoda. 



The title of the Gasteropoda is derived from two Greek words signifying belly and foot ; 

 the rfiison d'etre of that title being that these animals progress by means of flattened discs 

 placed under their bellies. The snail, slug, and cowrie, are leading types of this class. 



In the Pteropoda (from Greek words signifying icing and foot} locomotion is effected 

 bv membranous fins or wingrs. 



O 



Lastly, the Cephalopoda are so called because they have prominently, as a class, 



