CHAPTER III. 



HOW TO CATCH KAZOR-FISH— THE COUK-SCEEW CORALLINE — DANGER OF ^ 

 rnwni VIEWS IN ZOOLOGY — EXAMINATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF 

 MOLLUSCS — DOUBTS RESPECTING CURRENT DOCTRINES OF NEUVE-PIIYSIO- 

 LOGY— ABSENCE OF NERVE FIBRES — BROWN-SEQUARD'S REFUTATION OF 

 SIR CHARLES BELL ON THE FUNCTION OF THE SPINAL CHORD— ORIGIN OP 

 SENSIBILITY — SENSIBILITY IN THE ABSENCE OP NERVES — ON THE RELATION 

 BETWEEN ORGAN AND FUNCTION— CONCLUSION. 



The juvenile naturalist is often instructed in the facile art 



of catching birds by first dropping a pinch of salt upon their 



tails. Excellent as this plan seems, it has never proved 



perfectly successful, owing to a trifling initial difficulty. If, 



in your halcyon days, you have ever made the attempt, what 



will your thoughts be on hearing that an intense philosopher, 



like the present writer, did actually imitate that attemjjt in 



capturing the Eazor-fish {Solen) ; positively carrying a paper 



of salt, in the firm confidence of dropping some grains on the 



tail of that retiring mollusc ? Nay, what will you think on 



hearing that this was not only attempted in all seriousness, 



but in all seriousness succeeded ? 



The shells of the Solen lie scattered on the sands of all 



our bays, and are familiar to every sea-side visitor. They 



are not unlike razor-handles, and as every marine animal is 



called a fish, the Solen is hence named Razor-fish, although, 



in truth, a bivalve mollusc. Few persons, except naturahsts, 



2h 



