PECTINID^. SCALLOP. 99 



water through the compressed edges of the mantle. He 

 says, " When the Pecten is about to leap, it draws in as 

 much water as it can contain within the mantle, while 

 the lips are held firmly in contact. At this instant the 

 united edges of the lips are slightly drawn inward, and 

 this action gives sure warning of the coming leap. The 

 moment after this is observed, the animal, doubtless by 

 muscular contraction, exerts a strong force upon the 

 contained water, while it relaxes the forced contact of 

 the lips at any point of the circumference, according to 

 its pleasure. The result is, the forcible ejection of a jet 

 of water from that point, which, by the resilience of its 

 impact upon the surrounding fluid, throws the animal 

 in the opposite direction, with a force proportioned to 

 that of the jet d'eau." Again, Mr. Gosse adds, " That 

 the Pecten widely opens and forcibly closes its valves if 

 left uncovered by the water, is, doubtless, correct. I 

 have seen my specimen perform such an action, and per- 

 haps it might by such means jerk itself from place to 

 place, with considerable agility. But I do not think so 

 rude a mode of progression could enable it to select the 

 direction of its leaps, which under water appears to me 

 to be determined with so much precision."* 



Scallops are found pretty generally distributed in all 

 seas, and are much sought after for food. At Wey- 

 mouth, the average produce of the trawlers is five bushels 

 of scallops per week. They have been sold at 2d. per hun- 

 dred, 700 going to the bushel ;t but they appear to have 

 become scarcer lately, if one may judge by the price at 

 which they are now sold, viz. 4rf. a dozen, and 2d. per 

 dozen for the shells without the fish, for making into shell 



* ' Devonshire Coast,' by P. H. Gosse, pp. 50 and 52. 

 + ' A Year at the Shore,' by P. H. G-osse, p. 25. 



H 2 



