PHOLAS MUSSEL COCKLE. 73 



quence, I kept a sharp look-out to discover who these 

 might be. In a short time I was furnished with 

 ample evidence that the offenders were my shy, do- 

 cile friends, the Blennies! foremost of which in the 

 nefarious attack was the little rascal whose misde- 

 meanours had, as stated in last chapter, occasioned 

 such disturbance. But, indeed, they all displayed a 

 remarkable voracity, and evidently looked upon a 

 Pholas as a delicacy hitherto unsurpassed in their 

 pretty full experience of a variety of diet. To that 

 I must ascribe the great contention that prevailed 

 among them. They strove for a mouthful with a 

 greed that reminded me of the vultures in the Regent's 

 Park at feeding-time. It being now of no use, as 

 regarded the recovery of the victims, to suspend their 

 proceedings, I permitted the Blennies to eat and fight 

 as they pleased. In the general excitement, I more 

 than once noticed a Blenny dive its head into the 

 Pholas' shell, shake it to and fro with wonderful 

 quickness, and ultimately roll head over heels. An- 

 other would more playfully seize upon a Pholas, and 

 shake it as a dog does a rat. One of these offenders 

 met with an unexpected retribution. It was my 

 pretty Blenny, "Little Jock." I saw him busy at 

 night, when giving my last look at the Aquarium, 

 scraping the shell of one of the largest Pholades in 

 my possession the remains of an unfortunate victim 

 in the late disturbances. Next morning I remarked 

 the absence of his familiar face, and searched for him 

 in every corner. In this I was unsuccessful, until I 



