106 Beautiful Shells. 



of the rock are not always sure, " The peasantry 

 of the western isles of Scotland/' we are told by 

 Miss Pratt, " look to the Periwinkles and Limpets, 

 which abound on the rocks, for their daily meal, 

 often for long seasons subsisting almost entirely 

 upon this humble food. In the Isle of Skye, the 

 inhabitants are often, at one time of the year, with- 

 out any other source of provision." Then comes the 

 Sea-gull, and the Duck, and the Pied Oyster- 

 catcher, to feed on the poor little mollusk, the bill 

 of the latter bird being admirably adapted for 

 loosening its hold on the rock. 



Patella in Latin signifies a salad-dish, a knee- 

 pan, and several other domestic utensils, of a broad 

 shallow make ; and hence we find the plural form 

 of the word applied to the Limpet family, whose 

 shells are of such a shape. Members of this family 

 are found on all rocky coasts, except those of the 

 Arctic seas ; on tropical rocks they grow to a large 

 size, and form a valuable article of food. A very 

 curious piece of mechanism is the tongue of the 

 Common Limpet ; it is from two to three inches 

 long, and has a spoon-like extremity, so that it 

 looks, when extended from the mouth, like a small 

 snake. If examined through a microscope, it is 

 seen to be armed throughout its whole extent with 



