280 THE HALIOTIS. 



ESTHER. 



The skin is full of pores; these contain the coloring fluid, 

 which penetrates the calcareous subtance before it is hardened, 

 and forms its diversified tints. These pores are arranged over 

 the skin of mollusca with the same undeviating regularity 

 as the spots of the leopard or the stripes of the tiger, and as 

 the liquor exudes and stains the shell, the uniformity of the 

 pattern is, in consequence, in the order in which the pores are 

 placed in the mantle. 



HENRIETTA. 



Here are all the whelks (Buccimim). 



ESTHER. 



The horn of the tritons is represented as one of these shells. 

 Here is the beautiful Haliotis, or Venus' ear, the animal of 

 which is eaten in some places. Look at this row of holes, 

 or perforations, at its margin; each period of the shell's in- 

 crease is marked by a new hole; and when a fresh one is 

 opened, one towards the spire is closed, and in it the animal 

 places its siphon. Seven to eight apertures appear to be the 

 number which the animal keeps open at a time. 



FREDERICK. 



This is the violet snail (Helix Janihina), which aunt men- 

 tioned when talking about the shells which produce purple.* 



ESTHER. 



Yes; this little fragile shell is found in almost every sea, 

 both tropical and temperate. It dwells in the stormy ocean, 

 sometimes a thousand miles from land, and offering no resis- 

 tance to its fury, rides upon the waves in perfect safety. It 

 is always found floating on the water, and probably never 

 visits the bottom, or willingly approaches the shore. Sup- 

 ported by means of a small cluster of bubbles, composed of 

 transparent vesicles, which it inflates with air at pleasure, 

 this " common oceanic snail" floats upon the ocean, and not 

 only disperses itself universal!}^ but is also the means of 



* Chap. XL 



