XII. 



HAVING visited the sea-side a few weeks since, along 

 with some 'aquarian naturalists/ among other ob- 

 jects we managed to capture a very fine Terebella 

 Figulus, commonly called the ' Potter/ The speci- 

 men measured about five inches in length, and wa's 

 nearly as thick as a common drawing pencil. I 

 could discover no signs whatever of any tube in the 

 rocky basin in which the Annelid was situated, a 

 circumstance that struck me as being rather curious. 

 On returning home, my much -valued prize was 

 placed in a tumbler of large dimensions, the base of 

 which I strewed with newly-pounded shells and 

 gravel. By the following morning all the fine or 

 powdered portion of the ' Silver Willies' had been col- 

 lected and used in the construction of a tube, sufficient 

 in length to cover half the contracted body of the 

 industrious little mason. After labouring for a fort- 

 night, the tube was gradually extended across the 

 bottom of the vase in a cylindrical form, but eventu- 

 ally it assumed a semi-circular shape, being built 



