TEREBELLA LITTOKALIS. 197 



were eaten, and nothing being left but the pebble, it 

 was speedily and triumphantly ejected from the tube, 

 and the sand soon after employed for building pur- 

 poses. The Terebella having completed its laborious 

 and well-executed task, seemed to be quite exhausted, 

 and lay to all appearance lifeless for the succeeding 

 four and twenty hours. 



When walking along the sandy beach, myriads of 

 peculiar objects may be seen swayed to and fro by 

 the roll of the waves. Frequently, when the tide 

 has receded, these tubes remain sticking out of the 

 sand to the height of two or three inches, each ter- 

 minating in a tuft, like the end of a piece of cord 

 that had been teazed out. 



Within such a fragile habitation dwells the Tere- 

 bella littoralis, the most common species of the 

 marine tubiculous Annelids. I have very often 

 tried, by aid of my fingers only, or a strong spade, to 

 capture one of these creatures, but have never been 

 successful, even in a solitary instance. Yet several 

 authors tell their readers the task is perfectly easy. 

 Mr. Lewes, for instance, made me feel ashamed of 

 my previous manipulative efforts when I read his vivid 

 description of a Terebella hunt, and caused me lately 

 to journey a distance of six miles to try my hand 

 again, with no better result than hitherto. 



I have lately seen a specimen of T. littoralis 

 which a friend of mine was so fortunate as to cap- 

 ture. The tube of the animal, instead of being in 



