38 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



hooked point, and when stretched to its utmost is nearly 

 4 inches in length. It is by means of this organ, that 

 the cockle can bury itself in the sands, and also take 

 those wonderful leaps of which we read in Mr. Gosse's 

 interesting work, ' The Aquarium,' and again in his ' A 

 Year at the Shore,' where he mentions that a specimen 

 was seen to throw itself over the gunwale of a boat 

 when laid on the bottom boards. Mr. Gosse states, in 

 this latter work, that the mode of leaping is performed 

 as follows : — " The long taper foot is thrust to its utmost 

 and feels about for some resisting surface, a stone for 

 instance, which it no sooner feels than the hooked point 

 is pressed stiffly against it, the whole foot, by muscular 

 contraction, is made suddenly rigid, aud the entire crea- 

 ture, — -mantle, siphons, foot, shell, and all, — is jerked 

 away in an uncouth manner." 



There is another cockle found also at Paignton, 

 which is even moi'e scarce than Cardium rusticum, viz. 

 Cardium aculeatum ; it is larger and not so solid, with 

 long spines on each rib, and is of a pale brownish-pink 

 or flesh colour. It is very good to eat. I have had 

 splendid specimens sent to me, alive, from Paignton, 

 in a jar, with seaweed; some measuring more than 3 

 inches in length and 2i in breadth, and I have taken 

 them myself at Langston Point, near Dawlish. The 

 foot of the animal is long, and of a reddish-pink, but not 

 nearly so vivid or brilliant in colour as that of Cardium 

 rusticum. It is also an inhabitant of the Mediterra- 

 nean. 



Paignton method of Cooking the Red-nosed Cockle. — 

 Cleanse them for a few hours in cold spring water, and 

 then fry them in a batter made of bread-crumbs.* 

 * 'ForbeB and Hanley, Brit. Moll. vol. ii. p. 15. 



