362 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



have seen the aiiiinal alive. He bores a hole many feet in 

 the sand, and there passes his days, like the Pholas in the 

 rock, never coming to the surfoce, and boring out of all 

 reach when disturbed. The difficulty of getting at him is 

 obvious, and may lead you to be sceptical of the salting plan. 

 Surely, you -will argue, the initial difficulty which discourages 

 the ornithological ardour of the boy must equally frustrate 

 the philosopher ; since, if the Solen wiU allow himself to be 

 approached near enough to have his tail salted, he may be 

 taken luitliout this saline preliminary. Thus reasons the 

 reader, not without astuteness ; yet, like many other rea- 

 soners, he wiU find that a priori deductions, however elegant, 

 frequently pass over the head of Fact. Instead, therefore, 

 of arguing what must be, let him come with me, and see 

 what is. He Avill find that the Solen must first be salted, 

 ere he suffer himself to be approached. 



It is a hot, quiet afternoon. The tide is out, and a wide 

 sweep of sand lies before us. We are armed with thin iron 

 rods, each barbed at the end like a harpoon ; we add thereto 

 a paper of salt, basket, and jar. Over the yielding sand we 

 pass, until we approach low-water mark, and then we begin 

 peering about to find the trace of the Solen. This trace 

 consists of nothing more than two small holes close together, 

 sometimes broken into one, and presenting very much the 

 appearance of the key-hole of a writing-desk. An experienced 

 eye detects the trace with an unerring sagacity marvellous 

 to the stranger, for the sand is perforated by holes of all 

 sizes. The amateur may, however, ascertain which are the 

 Solen-holes by attempting every one resembhng a keyhole, 



