THE PIDDOCK 47 



always open at the top, just as if the animal were 

 yawning, or gaping. Through this opening the 

 siphon tubes project. These tubes are used in 

 breathing, just like those of the cuttle, and are 

 enclosed in a kind of leathery case, which the 

 animal can stretch out or draw back at will ; 

 so that when it is lying at the bottom of its 

 burrow it can keep the tips of the siphon tubes 

 just above the surface of the mud, and so draw 

 water down to its gills quite easily. 



On some parts of the coast gapers are used 

 as food. But if you want to buy some you must 

 not call them "gapers." You must call them 

 "old maids"; for by that name they are always 

 called by the fishermen. Some of the sea-birds 

 are very fond of them too, and dig them out 

 of their burrows with their long beaks. And in 

 the far North millions and millions of them are 

 devoured by walruses, and also by Arctic foxes, 

 which prowl about the shore in search of them 

 every day when the tide goes down. 



PLATE XVII 

 THE PIDDOCK (I) 



Now we come to one of the most wonderful 

 of all the creatures which live in the sea ; 

 namely, the Piddock. You can find its empty 



