80 GLAUCUS ; OE, 



things ; at least, they get longer and longer and 

 more jaw-breaking every year.) The little bivalve, 

 however, finding itself left by the tide, has wisely 

 shut np its siphons, and, by means of its foot and 

 its edges, buried itself in a comfortable bath of cool 

 wet sand, till the sea shall come back, and make 

 it safe to crawl and lounge about on the surface, 

 smoking the sea-water instead of tobacco. N'either 

 is that lump what we seek. Touch it, and out poke 

 a pair of astonished and inquiring horns and a 

 little sharp muzzle : it is a long-armed crab, who 

 saw us coming, and wisely shovelled himself into 

 the sand by means of his nether-end. Neither is 

 that ; though it might be the hole down which what 

 we seek has vanished : but that burrow contains 

 one of the long white razors which you saw cast on 

 shore at Paignton. The boys close by are boring for 

 them with iron rods armed with a screw, and taking 

 them in to sell in Torquay market, as excellent food. 

 But there is one, at last ! — a grey disc pouting up 

 through the sand. Touch it, and it is gone down, 

 quick as light. We must dig it out^ and carefully, 



