140 



FEEDING-HABITS OF THE GONCH. 



eaten by bottom-feeding fishes, so that only a few eggs out of the hun- 

 dreds in each " necklace " are ever born — or, ac- 

 complishing that, are able to survive the perils of 

 unprotected youth and reach adult age and strength. 

 Having once done so, however, this mollusk prob- 

 ably lives to a very great age. 



An examination of a specimen will show that in 



both species the muscular part is large and strong 



and the mouth powerful. The food of the conch 



being mainly the flesh of other mollusks, its method 



of killing them is one of brute strength, since it is 



unprovided with the silicious, file-like tongue of the 



small " drills." The conch is a greater savage than this. 



Seizing upon the unfortunate oyster, unable to run away, 



he envelops his shell in the concave undersnrface of his 



foot, and, by just such a muscular action as you would 



exert when grasping an object in the palm of your fist, 



crushes the shell into fragments and feasts at leisure on 



the flesh thus exposed. Where oysters or other prey are 



A "SEA-NECKLACE" — EGG-CASES OF FULGTJR, 



