514 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 



and wonderful variety of elegant or capricious forms as to the 

 sea-snails ; so that they are equally esteemed in the cabinets of 

 wealthy amateurs. Among the most costly are reckoned th* 

 Spondyli, which are found in the tropical seas, where they grow 

 attached to rocks. They are distinguished by the brilliancy of 

 their colours, but particularly by the long thorny excrescences 

 with which their shells are covered. A Parisian professor once 

 pawned all his silver spoons and foiks to make up the sum of 

 six thousand francs which was asked for a Royal Spondykis ; 

 but on returning home was so warmly received by his lady 

 that, overwhelmed by the hurricane, he flung himself on a chair, 

 when the terrific cracking of the box containing his treasure 

 reminded him too late that he had concealed it in his skirt- 

 pocket. Fortunately but two of the thorns had been broken 

 off, and the damage was susceptible of being repaired; his 

 despair, however, was so great that his wife had not the heart 

 to continue her reproaches, and in her turn began to soothe the 

 unfortunate collector. 



The gigantic Tridacna, which is now to be found in the shop 

 of every dealer in shells, was formerly an object of such rarity 



and value that the Eepublic of 

 Venice once made a present of 

 one of them to Francis I., who 

 gave it to the Church of SU 

 Sulpice in Paris, where it is 

 still made use of as a basin for 

 holy water. The tridacna at-* 

 tains a diameter of five feet r 

 and a weight of five hundred pounds, the flesh alone weighing 

 thirty. The muscular power is said to be so great as to be able 

 to cut through a thick rope on closing the shell. It is found in 

 the dead rocks on the coral reefs, where there are no growing 

 lithophytes except small tufts. Generally only an inch or two 

 in breadth of the ponderous shell is exposed to view, for the 

 tridacna, like the pholas, has the power of sinking itself in the 

 rock, by removing the lime about it. Without some means like 

 this of security, its habitation would inevitably be destroyed 

 by the roaring breakers. A tuft of byssus, however strong, 

 would be a very imperfect security against the force of the sea 

 for shells weighing from one to five hundred pounds. It 



Tridacna gigas. 



