242 FUNCTIONS AND INSTINCTS. 



purpose, it is therefore further gifted with the 

 power of distending it to a size, nearly equal- 

 ling that of its shell but 'how is this effected? 

 It has a tube, opening just within the mouth, 

 which conveys to the foot the water by which 

 the animal is enabled to distend it thus the size 

 of the boring auger becomes so nearly equal to 

 that of the shells, that the solid point or bit first 

 entering the sand, in time, by rotatory motions 

 often repeated, works a burrow that receives 

 the shell, and the animal is buried with only 

 the extremity of its siphon emerging. How ad- 

 mirable is this contrivance of Divine Wisdom 

 to enable it to bury its shell, which it could 

 scarcely otherwise accomplish. 



We easily comprehend the use of terrestrial 

 burrowing animals, by this habit they not only 

 construct a habitation for themselves, but by the 

 mould they throw out they help to fertilize and 

 renew the soil ; but with regard to the aquatic 

 burrowers on the barren sands, which the tides 

 submerge, we only see one end answered, the 

 welfare of the individual who forms them : but 

 they likewise doubtless answer some more 

 general purpose connected with a plan of Provi- 

 dence which daily advances towards its comple- 

 tion, though we do not clearly comprehend what 

 that end is. I was once conversing with a 

 fisherman of a village on the N. E. coast of 

 Norfolk on the subject of his trade, when 



