84 THE UNIVERSE. 



the animals which had gnawed it during its stay below the 

 waters. 



But the labour of the mollusc, and the double move- 

 ment of the famous temple, will perhajjs long remain en- 

 veloj^ed in mystery, albeit Schleiden relates, that an old 

 monk from a convent in the neighbourhood stated, that in 

 his youth he had gathered grapes near the monument, in 

 a spot where now the boats of the fishermen are rocked 

 on the waves. ■'- 



The sea OAvns yet other workmen, but they dread the 

 hard stone and only attack wood. As to them, all the 

 woiid knows them and sees their doings. They are the 

 sea-worms, only too zealous at their work, Avhicli make 

 such deadly havoc with our dikes and ships. 



These enemies of our naval works are the Teredoes 

 (Teredo naralis), vermiform molluscs which live constantly 

 in the interior of Avood submerged in the waves, and are 

 perpetually gnawing it, and hollowing out numerous tor- 

 tuous galleries. We know exactly what their tools are, 

 being nothing more than the cutting edge of the little shell 

 which is projected in front of the long and soft body of the 

 animal. 



1 Some geologists, unable to believe that this famous temple had been thus 

 sunk in the sea and had afterwards risen again from the waves, have supposed 

 that it was only a monument sacred to Jupiter Serapis, and that it served as a 

 reservoir in wliich molluscs, being considered sacred, were reared. 



It is difficult to admit this opinion; animals so humble could not really be the 

 object of any worship. 



I have twice visited this celebrated temple, and the more I have examined it 

 the more difficult has the problem appeared to solve. Three of its gnawed 

 columns of beautiful cepola marble are still standing, the others are levelled 

 with the ground; but the base is so perfectly horizontal that it is hard to under- 

 stand how it can have been engulfed and magically raised up again, while still 

 preserving its level, and without the whole of the columns being overturned. 

 On the other hand, it seems as if it could scarcely have served for a marine fiah 

 pond, or a sacred bath, as I at first thought. 



