330 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Claws, trunk or proboscis, mouth, &c. 



of use in catching prey, and the animals are con- 

 tinually extending and contracting these arched 

 hairy claws, which serve as a net. The twelve 

 smallest are placed, six on each side, in front of 

 these : they are more pliable and more thickly 

 set with hairs than the others, and seem to per- 

 form the office of hands. The trunk, or pro- 

 boscis, rises from the middle of the base of the 

 larger claws, and is longer than any of them. 

 This the animal moves with great agility in any 

 direction ; it is tubular, transparent, and com- 

 posed of rings lessening gradually to the ex- 

 tremity, where it is surrounded with a circle 

 of small bristles, which are likewise movable. 

 Along the inside of this transparent proboscis 

 appears the spiral dark-colored tongue, which is 

 extended and contracted at pleasure. The mouth, 

 formed not unlike a contracted purse, is placed 

 in front between the smaller claws, within the 

 folds of which are six or eight horny lamina?, or 

 erect teeth ; under this lie the stomach, intes- 

 tines, and tendons, by which the animal adheres 

 to the shell. 



The goose bernacles consist each of five shells. 

 They adhere in clusters to the bottoms of vessels 



J 



and old timber, by means of tubes that in ap- 

 pearance are like some of the corallines. See 

 vol. iii. p. 230 2.'KJ. 



