74 PHOLAS. 



long excited the attention of philosophers, though they 

 have hitherto been unable to divine the cause. The 

 opinion of Reaumur, that they work their way into 

 limestone and other hard bodies, by the continual rota- 

 tion of their valves acting like a rasp, is not satisfactory, 

 since there are some species, and particularly the P. 

 Orientalis, which are nearly smooth at the anterior end, 

 and consequently unfit for such a purpose. That they 

 do not bury themselves while the substance which they 

 choose for their habitation is in a soft state, may be in- 

 ferred from their penetrating wood, and from the lodge- 

 ment which they have made in the pillars of the temple 

 of Serapis at Puteoli. Dr. Bohadsch, who noticed 

 these pillars, concludes that the Pholades must have 

 bored their holes within them after they were erected ; 

 for he observes that the workmen would certainly have 

 rejected any stones from their building, that had been 

 perforated in so many places by these creatures. The 

 Pholades must therefore have worked their way into 

 them while they were buried by the influx of the sea, 

 which immediately succeeded the destruction of the 

 city by an earthquake. 



It must be remarked that the animal is enabled to 

 enlarge its habitation on the inside, since the cavity is 

 always smaller at its entrance than the pholas itself. 

 This fact proves also that, when once settled, there is no 

 receding, and that the dark chamber which it has cho- 

 sen, must serve the animal for a sepulchre, unless it be 

 previously dragged from its hole to be used as an article 

 of food, or as a bait for other fish. 



On the coasts of Normandy they are eaten in abun- 

 dance, well seasoned and cooked with bread crumbs 

 and fine herbs. They also pickle them in vinegar, and 



