182 



WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



relations of the oyster and the mussel ; they are, 

 however, cousins of the crab and the shrimp. 

 They also enjoy the popular name of acorn 

 shells, and although they do not appear to be 

 very interesting when they have no Avater cover- 

 ing them, the very reverse is the case directly 

 the tide How immerses their shells. I remember 

 my astonishment upon first discovering two or 

 three of the little creatures on the feed in a small 



rock pool. They 

 threw out Avhat 

 appeared to be 

 tiny casting nets 

 from the holes 

 in the crown of 

 their conical 

 houses. After 

 making a few 



ACORN BAHNACLES ON MUSSEL. 



waving sweeps 



backwards and forwards, these expanded nets sud- 

 denly contracted, like midget hands grasping some 

 invisible prize, and disappeared. They did not re- 

 main out of sight for long, however, but came 

 forth and were soon hard at work again. 



Acorn shells will affix themselves to almost any- 

 thing. I have seen limpets covered with them, and 

 the accompanying illustration of half a mussel shell 

 shows two or three empty houses belonging to the 

 species. 



In bringing the last chapter of this little work 



