196 ANECDOTE. 



tube, so as to be able to extend its habitation from 

 either end at will. I have very often watched the 

 operation with emotions of pleasure, not unmixed 

 with wonder. 



Wishing to test the powers and intelligence of my 

 specimen, I dropped within its tube, which was 

 curved in shape lengthways, some particles of sand, 

 and a pebble which nearly filled up the 'bore' of 

 the cylinder. The great annoyance occasioned by 

 this intrusion to the master of the house was pain- 

 fully evident. For a whole day the Terebella en- 

 deavoured to push out the objectionable matter by 

 means of its head and cephalic tentacula, but with- 

 out success; for although the mass frequently neared, 

 it never touched or toppled over the mouth of the 

 aperture, and consequently fell to its original position 

 at the bottom of the tube as soon as the animal re- 

 moved the pressure. 



Apparently despairing of its efforts, though still 

 oftener repeated, being eventually prosperous, the 

 poor Annelid literally ' turned tail/ and very coolly 

 proceeded to elongate the opposite end of its dwell- 

 ing. This operation did not last long ; for in the 

 course of a few hours, on peering again into the 

 vessel, I saw that the humble and insignificant worm 

 had mustered up courage to c face the enemy ' once 

 more, and had, in fact, apparently conceived a new 

 idea, the wisdom of which was soon made palpable ; 

 for slowly, but surely, most of the arenaceous particles 



