23a STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



shell-sand is the best material that can be supplied, and it will 

 be safer to wash the sand thoroughly before placing it in the 

 vessel. A large rough stone should also be placed in the vessel, 

 as the animal always likes to lurk behind some sheltering object 

 while it is engaged in the task of house-building. 



Like many other creatures, the Terebella is a night-worker, 

 and during the hours of daylight will retire behind the stone, 

 and crouch in the darkest corner, as if to repose itself after the 

 violent struggles and gyrations which it enacts when it is first 

 taken out of the tube. Until noon is passed, the only sign of 

 life will be the slight movement of the many tentacles which 

 surround the upper lip ; but, as the sun declines, the tentacles 

 begin to move more rapidly, and as if they had some purpose to 

 fulfil. In the evening, the worm is in full work ; and as Professor 

 Rymer Jones has given a clear and graphic description of its 

 proceedings, I cannot do better than transfer his account to these 

 pages. After remarking on the general habits of the creature, 

 and describing the tentacles, he proceeds as follows : — 



* They,' i. e. the tentacles, ' are now spread out from the 

 orifice of the tube like so many slender cords — each seizes on 

 one or more grains of sand, and drags its burden to the summit 

 of the tube, there to be employed according to the service 

 required. Should any of the tentacula slip, the same organs are 

 again employed to search eagerly for the lost portion of sand, 

 which is again seized and dragged towards its destination. 



' Such operations are protracted during several hours, though 

 so gradually as to be apparently of little effect ; nevertheless, on 

 resuming inspection next morning, a surprising elongation of the 

 tube will be discovered; or, perhaps, instead of a simple accession 

 to its walls, the orifice will be surrounded by forking threads of 

 sandy particles agglutinated together. 



' The architect has now retired to repose ; but as evening 

 comes, its activity is renewed, and again at sunrise a further 

 prolongation has augmented the extent of its dwelling. 



' At first sight, the numerous tentacula seem only so many 

 long cylindrical, fleshy threads, of infinite flexibiUty. 



' On examining them, however, more attentively, we see that 



