174 AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE. 



stincts of my specimens, I used to cut all the threads 

 of their cable except one. The animal being sus- 

 pended, of course its whole weight was then thrown 

 upon a single fibre. Such a state of insecurity was 

 by no means agreeable, and I generally found in the 

 course of a few hours that fresh threads were rapidly 

 thrown out, and an entirely new byssus formed; the 

 old one, which was broken off at the root, being left 

 behind as useless. 



Another singular peculiarity of the Mussel which 

 came under my observation has not been, so far as I 

 am aware, noticed by previous naturalists. I allude 

 to the power which the animal possesses of length- 

 ening out the root or stem of the beard, apparently to 

 an unlimited extent. This power appears to be 

 seldom exercised, for although I have had hundreds 

 of specimens of the Mytili, in only one instance have 

 I witnessed the phenomenon in question. 



A large specimen of this bivalve, procured acci- 

 dentally from a fishwife in the street, was dropped 

 into the aquarium, and placed close against the sur- 

 face of the glass. The animal seemed highly de- 

 lighted with its change of situation, for in a few 

 moments the valves were opened, and a long draught 

 of water taken in to bathe its branchiae, and furnish 

 a hearty meal. Having satisfied its appetite, the 

 next process, of course, was to find out what kind of 

 a home he had been introduced into. The foot, a 

 noble specimen, was soon protruded, and one after the 



