PHOLAS MUSSEL COCKLE. 71 



elapsed before he emerged from Ms hiding-place and 

 presented himself at meal hours. 



It might be supposed that, after so unfortunate an 

 attempt at introducing the " Happy Family" style 

 into my tank, I should never have repeated the expe- 

 riment. But I began soon afterwards to imagine, 

 and ultimately to believe, that the late disaster was 

 not so much due to the depravity of Crab-nature in 

 general, as to some extraordinary moral perversion 

 exhibited by an individual. I accordingly resolved 

 to introduce some fresh specimens of the Pholas ; and 

 after having done so, I had the satisfaction of ob- 

 serving that they and their suspicious neighbours 

 lived upon good terms. This pleasant state of mat- 

 ters continued for several days. But, alas ! the 

 sanguine expectations I had begun to indulge in 

 were speedily destroyed; for, on accidentally looking 

 one day into the Aquarium, I saw a Crab quietly 

 scooping out my prettiest Pholas. My displeasure 

 was instantly exhibited by a thrust of the nippers, 

 so forcible as to prove fatal to a Crab many times 

 larger, had not the little rascal succeeded in skilfully 

 evading the blow, and hastily withdrew for shelter to 

 a dense thicket of grass. Being determined to punish 

 him, I poked and poked about in all directions to 

 discover his hiding-place, but I was ultimately obliged 

 to abandon my search. Only one effectual means 

 was then left me, to which I was obliged, much to 

 my annoyance, to have recourse. As soon as I had 

 collected a sufficient number of dishes and really the 



