MARINE WORMS. 69 



these moveable pieces are intended to remain in the body of the 

 enemy, while the handle which supported them becomes a long 

 spike, as sharp as it was before. Here we have straight or curved 

 poniards, cutting-bills, arrows with the barbs turned backwards, 

 but carefully provided with a sheath to protect the fine indentations 

 from being blunted by friction or broken by any unforeseen acci- 

 dent. Finally, if the enemy should disregard his first wounds, 

 there darts from every foot a shorter but stronger spear, which is 

 brought into play by a special set of muscles, so soon as the com- 

 batants are sufficiently near to grapple in close fight/' 



It is not without reason that Nature has endowed these amazons 

 with more finely polished and sharper pointed weapons than any 

 wielded by the Paladins of old : destined to live by rapine, and 

 exposed to the attacks of a thousand enemies, they need them 

 both as means of attack and defence. Almost all feed upon living 

 prey. Some wait in ambush for the passing by of small Crus- 

 taceans, Planariae, or other minute animals, and seize their victims 

 with their proboscis or entwine them in the folds of their numerous 

 arms. Others again, more active than the rest, pursue their game 

 over the sand or through thick tufts of Corallines and other marine 

 plants. Some attach themselves to shells, and having perforated 

 them, devour their inhabitants. The Hcrmclla thus commits great 

 havoc among the oyster-beds, destroying numerous colonies of 

 this much-cherished mollusk. These Annelids are, in their turn, 

 pursued by a multitude of carnivorous animals. Fishes wage a 

 rude war against them, and if one, more imprudent than the rest, 

 should abandon its retreat, or be exposed to view by the waves, 

 it rarely escapes the murderous jaws of some whiting, sole, plaice, 

 or eel. It is asserted that the latter kind of fish are well ac- 

 quainted with the mode of drawing them out of the sand, as do 

 the whelks. But crabs, lobsters, and a host of other Crustaceans, 

 constitute their most formidable enemies, and are protected by 

 their armour from the formidable weapons of the Annelida. 



FIG. 63. SAND-WORM. 



The Sand- Worm (Arenicola}* is exceedingly abundant on sandy shores, 

 and is much sought for and used by fishermen as a bait. Its usual name on 



* Arena, the sand ; colo, I inhabit. 



