30 WEED-EATING 



of the Periwinkle (L. littorea), marching soherly along 

 beneath his massive mansion, stopping to munch the 

 tender shoot of some Alga, or leisurely circumambu- 

 lating the pretty tide-pool which he has chosen for 

 his present residence. You may tell that all his 

 movements are marked by gravity and deliberation, 

 for if he does not let the grass grow under his feet, (I 

 beg his pardon, he has but one foot; though, as that 

 is somewhat of the amplest, he is not deficient in 

 understanding) he lets it grow over his head. It is 

 quite common to see one of these Mollusks adorned 

 with a goodly Ulva or other sea-weed that has taken 

 root on the summit of his shell, so that he habitually 

 sits under the shadow of his own roof-tree. 



" But why does he talk to us about such common 

 trash as periwinkles ?" Be not captious, gentle 

 reader ! The Periwinkle is an humble member of 

 society certainly, but there are one or two points 

 about him that render him not wholly unworthy of 

 your notice. If you have seen him only fast shut 

 up within his stony shell, with his tight-fitting oper- 

 cle or "cap" shut close down, defying all intrusion 

 into his privacy, there is nothing very attractive in 

 his person ; but when you look at him crawling, espe- 

 cially through the side of a glass vessel up which 

 he is quietly mounting, you may possibly find some- 

 thing to admire in his zebra-like stripes and netted 

 markings. I have more than once heard the surprised 

 exclamation, " Why, he is quite a handsome crea- 

 ture !" But " handsome is that handsome does ;'' the 

 Periwink is useful, especially to those who mean to 

 keep an Aquarium. The sea-water constantly holds 



