The Clythrae 



Well, they are evacuated at the bottom of 

 the pot. By a gentle movement of the rump, 

 the product is spread upon the walls, strength- 

 ening the coat and giving it a velvet lining. 



It is better than a lining; it is a precious 

 store of putty. When the grub wants to 

 repair its shell or to enlarge it to fit its fig- 

 ure, which increases daily, it proceeds to 

 clean out its cess-pool. It turns round and, 

 with the tips of its mandibles, collects singly, 

 from the back, the brown pellets which it 

 has only to work up with a little earth to 

 make a ceramic paste of the highest quality. 



Observe also that the grub's pottery is 

 shaped like the legs of our peg-top trousers 

 and is wider inside than at the opening. 

 This excessive girth has its obvious use. It 

 enables the animal to bend and turn when 

 the contents of the cess-pit are needed for a 

 fresh course of masonry. 



A garment should be neither too short nor 

 too tight. It is not enough to add a piece 

 which lengthens it as the body grows longer ; 

 we must also see that it has sufficient fulness 

 not to hamper the wearer and to give him 

 liberty of movement. 



The Snail and all the molluscs with turbin- 

 ate shells increase the diameter of their cork- 

 screw staircase by degrees, so that the last 



455 



