KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



233 



ployed. This mould is curiously constructed ; 

 there is a deep grove which passes along the 

 foot from the root of the tendon toits other 

 extremity ; and the sides of this groove are 

 formed so as to fold and close over it, thereby 

 converting it into a canal. The glutinous 

 secretion, which is poured into this cana!, 

 dries into a solid thread ; and when it has 

 acquired sufficient tenacity, the foot is pro- 

 truded, and the thread it contains is applied 

 to the object to which it is to be fixed ; its 

 extremity being carefully attached to the 

 solid surface of that object. The canal of 

 the foot is then opened along its whole length, 

 and the thread, which adheres by its other 

 extremity to the large tendon at the base of 

 the foot, is disengaged from the canal. Lastly, 

 the foot is retracted, and the same operation 

 is repeated. 



Thread after thread is thus formed, and 

 applied in different directions around the 

 shell. Sometimes the attempt fails, in conse- 

 quence of some imperfection in the thread ; 

 but the animal, as if aware of the importance 

 of ascertaining the strength of each thread, 

 on which its safety depends, tries every one 

 of them as soon as it has been fixed, by- 

 swinging itself round, so as to put it fully on 

 the stretch — an action which probably also 

 assists in elongating the thread. When once 

 the threads have been fixed, the animal does 

 not appear to have the power of cutting or 

 breaking them off. The liquid matter out 

 of which they are formed, is so exceedingly 

 glutinous as to attach itself firmly to the 

 smoothest bodies. It is but slowly produced ; 

 for it appears that no Pinna is capable of 

 forming more than four, or at most five 

 threads in the course of a day and night. 

 The threads that are formed in haste, when 

 the animal is disturbed in its operations, are 

 more slender than those that are constructed 

 at its leisure. 



Reaumur, to whom we are indebted for 

 these interesting observations, states also, 

 that the marine mussels possess the art of 

 forming these threads from the earliest 

 periods of their existence ; for he saw them 

 practising it, when the shells in which they 

 were enclosed were not larger than a millet 

 seed. In Sicily, and other parts of the 

 Mediterranean, these threads have been 

 manufactured into gloves, and other articles, 

 which resemble silk. 



AUTO-BIOGRAPHY OF A DOG— NO. XII. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



(Continued from Page 168.) 



SINCERITY. 



If there be one thing more delightful than 

 another in this world of ours, it is to enjoy the 

 friendship of a man or woman whose Sincerity 

 is beyond suspicion. Its extreme rarity invests it 

 with a priceless value when found. Let us all re- 

 flect, and see how many we can individually reckon 

 up of those that love us sincerely (!). 



Once again, my dear Mr. Editor, 1 come before 

 you with my personal adventures ; and I am glad 

 to hear from you that they are so heartily relished 

 by the public. Leaving the "Exclusives," as you 

 happily call them, " alone in their glory," let 

 me now tell you of our trip to Chillon. 



Chillon is so well known, and so celebrated, that 

 almost all tourists visiting this part of my country 

 have stopped a short time to examine its ancient 

 castle. It would have been unpardonable in a 

 dog, born and bred within a few hours of its site, 

 not to have been there and able to say something 

 about it. More than once have I visited this 

 horrible prison of the wretched Bonnivard. I 

 have macle the trip, by water and by land. The 

 former is decidedly the most agreeable, and by far 

 the most pleasant ; and if you patronise the 

 steamer, you can land either at Vevay or Ville- 

 neuve. This is also the more usual way of making 

 the trip. So I will describe the route by land. 

 You know I have always had an eye to ento- 

 mology. 



I started from Lausanne with my old master 

 and his family. The road goes through Pully, 

 Paudex, Lutry, and Cully, to St. Saphorin. Thus 

 far it is anything but interesting, excepting to 

 the '' gros Proprietaire de Vignobles." A wine- 

 growing country, generally speaking, wears rather 

 a dull and too uniform an appearance. It is, how- 

 ever, delicious just during the blossoming season ; 

 and rich indeed when the luscious clusters are 

 ripe for the vendange. A narrow road, not always 

 snfficiently wide for two carriages to pass, with a 

 low stone wall on each side (which here and there 

 forms into little recesses in which a carriage can 

 escape when in fear of being run into by the 

 Diligence, and wait till the monster has passed 

 by), runs the whole distance from Lausanne to 

 St. Saphorin ; and along the walls thousands of 

 lizards may be seen playing about. Did I not 

 bite their tails off?— that's all ! 



I must not forget to mention that the wine of 

 St. Saphorin is delicious, when a few years old ; 

 at least, I heard Bombyx say so. Of course at 

 Cully I cast my eyes up to the Tour de Gourzes, 

 and I dare say, Mr. Editor, you can guess my 

 thoughts. [Eight well ! Pino.] From St. Saphorin 

 to Vevay the road gets more varied. We escape 

 the sameness of the Yignoble ; whilst fields, 

 orchards, and neat country houses, with pretty 

 gardens, cross our view. 



Now the lofty summits of the Dent de Jaman, 

 and the Diablerets, appear in all their grandeur ; 

 and you may perhaps catch sight of a heavy 

 thunderstorm sneaking around between the Chaux 

 de Naye and the Ormonts ; and well it will be if 

 you reach Vernex before it bursts, or you may 

 chance to get such a broadside as you little con- 

 templated. At Vernex is a capital little hotel, 

 perfectly unique. Mine host and hostess are very 

 obliging, and everything is beautifully clean. As 

 for the table, test tout ce qii on pent desirer. 

 The sign of the Cigne suspended across the road 

 invites you to walk in. A little beyond, you 

 reach Montreux, where there arc some capital 

 Pensions, but I recommend the Cigne, at Vernex. 



