422 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



Another example of a submarine builder may be found in 

 the well-known Terebella of our coasts, sometimes known by 

 the name of Shell-binder. Sandy shoals are the best spots for 

 the Terebella, and in many places there is scarcely a spare yard 

 of sand without its inhabitants. Like the serpula, the Terebella 

 constructs tubes, but, unlike that animal, it makes the tubes of a 

 soft and flexible texture, although the materials which it employs 

 are far harder than those which are used by the serpula. The 

 Terebella has the art of making its submarine tubes of sand, 

 which it agglutinates together with such wonderful power, that, 

 if Michael Scott's impish familiar had only been acquainted with 

 natural history, he might soon have learned the art of making- 

 ropes of sea-sand, and have turned the tables on his master. 



Should any of my readers be desirous of finding the habitation 

 of a Terebella, he may easily do so by repairing to the nearest 

 sandy shore, and looking under every large stone or piece of 

 rock. There he will probably find some loose tufts of sandy 

 threads, which are fixed to the mouth of a flexible tube, made 

 of the same materials. This tube is the habitation of the Tere- 

 bella, and by means of a crowbar and a chisel the animal may 

 generally be procured, together with its home. There are, how- 

 ever, plenty of deserted tubes, and I have often been sadly disap- 

 pointed by finding that, after a long and laborious digging, noth- 

 ing but the empty tube was to be found. 



Supposing, however, that a specimen is obtained in an unin- 

 jured state, the observer can easily watch its method of house- 

 building by ejecting it from its tubular home, placing it in a ves- 

 sel filled with sea- water, and supplying it with a handful of sand. 

 As clearness of the water is an essential part of success, shell-sand 

 is the best material that can be supplied, and it will be safer to 

 wash the sand thoroughly before placing it in the vessel. A 

 large rough stone should also be placed in the vessel, as the ani- 

 mal always likes to lurk behind some sheltering object while it is 

 engaged in the task of house-building. 



Like many other creatures, the Terebella is a night-worker, and 

 during the hours of daylight will retire behind the stone, and 

 crouch in the darkest corner, as if to repose itself after the violent 

 struggles and gyrations which it enacts when it is first taken out 

 of the tube. Until noon is passed, the only sign of life will be 

 the slight movement of the many tentacles which surround the 

 upper lip ; but, as the sun declines, the tentacles begin to move 



