ANECDOTE OF THE MUSSEL. 175 



other, in rapid succession, various threads were formed. 

 By next morning the animal, advancing by a series 

 of easy stages, had reached the surface of the water, 

 which was exactly five inches deep. I knew it 

 would not remain long in this position, and was 

 anxious to discover what plan would next be adopted. 

 Several courses were open to him. For instance, 

 like a marine Captain Cook, he might circumnavigate 

 his little Globe, or he might let go his cable and 

 drop plump to the bottom, or he could follow the 

 route I had often seen taken by his relations, viz., 

 to journey back to the place from whence he started. 

 It pleased him, however, to strike out into a new 

 path, to devise a method of his own. While located 

 near the top of the tank, he threw out exactly ninety- 

 eight threads, not certainly for security, but merely, 

 it would appear, for pleasure. 



Then slowly but surely, day by day, he lengthened 

 out the stem of his byssus tree, until it reached the 

 extreme length of nearly live inches. To what 

 further degree it would have been extended, had the 

 mollusc not reached the base of the tank, it is im- 

 possible to conjecture. 



No sooner did the shell touch terra firma, than the 

 cable which had taken so long to spin was imme- 

 diatety broken off. I have succeeded in keeping the 

 same animal by me for the last twelve months, but 

 have seen no attempt at a renewal of the operation, 

 in the progress of which I had taken so lively an in- 



