68 
ANIMAL LIFE ON THE 
beautiful tribe, this species is a dweller in the deep sand, 
into which it can penetrate with considerable power and 
rapidity. In order to do this, the foot is strengthened and 
the sharp point thrust perpendicularly down into the wet 
sand. The muscular force exerted is sufficient to penetrate 
the soft sand to the whole length, when the point is 
suddenly bent sideways, thus obtaining a strong holdfast. 
The whole organ is now strongly contracted in length, and 
the animal and shell are dragged forcibly to the mouth of the 
burrow, the edges of the valves downward, and piercing the 
sand a little way. The straightened point is then pushed an 
inch or two further down again, hooked, and another pull is 
made. The shell descends a little further into the yielding 
sand, and the same interchange of process goes on till the 
animal is sufficiently buried ; and when in full vigour and 
thoroughly alarmed, disappears into his sandy fortress so 
fast indeed that you must be very alert to overtake him, 
and prevent his descent if you have no appliances but your 
Let me again say that it may seem presumptuous in me 
to call in question such authority, but from my own 
observations of the creature I venture to say that neither 
writer witnessed the burrowing operation, or he would not 
have allowed the interesting sight to ^o unrecorded. Let 
s 
THE CGCKLK. 
hand.' 
