112 BY THE SEA. 



of them are vegetable feeders, while others are 

 flesh eaters, and sharp-toothed ones ! Verrill says 

 that the Limatia licros, "and other species of its 

 tribe, drill round holes through the sides of vari- 

 ous bivalve shells, by means of flinty teeth on its 

 lingual ribbon which acts like a rasp, and having 

 made an opening, it inserts its proboscis and 

 sucks out the contents." It is said that fishes 

 also often dig up and devour many kinds of clams 

 and wrinkles — a mode of operation that would be 

 most interesting to witness. How necessary it is 

 that the soft bodies of these worms and mollusks 

 should be protected by thick armors of lime ; for 

 besides the attacks of their numerous enemies, 

 they must be often beaten, or knocked about by 

 the fury of the waves. 



Now that I look on one of these univalves I am 

 suddenly impressed with this wondrous miracle of 

 shell-making. What magic had the little creature, 

 that lives within, to construct such a beautiful, 

 nicely-turned shield } From the food it swal- 

 lowed, say the books. In the food was carbonate 

 of lime, and the lime in small particles was 

 pressed through the mantle or tender skin, form- 

 ing on the outside a thin covering at first, but 

 gradually becoming thicker and harder until a sub- 

 stantial house was made. 



Notwithstanding these explanations, no one, I 

 believe, has yet been sent to tell us exactly how 



