36 



CHITON. 



Jacohus), 2it Compostella; to which spot journeys 

 were made by pilgrims, who, in token of having 

 paid their devotions at St. James's shrine, wore 

 a scallop-shell in their hats for the admiration of 

 their contemporaries, and bore it on their coats- 

 of-arms for the information of their posterity. 



The story which connects the scallop-shell 

 with St. James is very curious, but too long for 

 insertion. 



The last shell-bearing mollusc which I shall 

 mention is one which does not at first appear to 

 be a mollusc at all. This is the curious little 

 Chiton, a creature which, instead of a tubular 

 shell like the Teredo, a single whorled shell like 

 the whelk, or a double shell like the scallop, 

 bears an array of eight shelly plates on his back, 

 and thus gives to the observer an idea of a tiny 

 marine armadillo. 



The entire back of the Chiton is covered with 

 a strong leathery coat, much larger than the 

 living centre of the animal. Upon this leathery 

 mantle are placed eight shell-plates, which over- 

 lap each other just as do the tiles of a house: 

 They are not very large on our English coasts, 

 but some foreign species are found which exceed 

 four inches in length. 



If the shell-bearing molluscs are remarkable 



