112 
ANIMAL LIFE ON THE 
threads, far stronger and as flexible as those of the mussel. 
With the hinge portion of the valves upwards, and hanging 
slightly diagonal, we see the threads are attached to the 
shell in the little orifice on the side of the square, close to 
the hinge. Hitherto I have not observed this peculiarity in 
the scallop, and whatever may be said of the other branches 
of the family, this one, at least, is decidedly a byssus 
spinner. Eegarding the second problem, viz., how did he 
climb to the point ? I may mention that, after detaching him 
from his position and placing him on the bottom near the 
same spot, the only movement I could detect was a slight 
opening and closing of the valves ; the opening being 
accomplished very slowly, and the closing in the usual 
quick fashion, just as if for the purpose of surveying the 
coast, or, in turn, taking stock of the movements of the 
watcher. For hours the shy fellow would not move ; but 
next morning I found him again suspended to the old spot, 
and, on the morning of the second day, had broken himself 
adrift and lay again upon the floor of the tank. In spite 
of all my vigilance he baffled me out of the secret, but I 
suspect that, with the aid of his tentacles or arms, some of 
which are elbowed and furnished at that point with some- 
thing like a sucker, he is capable of dragging himself 
even up the surface of high submerged perpendicular rocks, 
and fixing himself with his byssus in any position he 
pleases, and again breaking himself adrift at will. 
Looking now to the condition of our 
HERMIT CRABS, 
we notice one large fellow, who has taken up his abode in 
a goodly sized buckie shell, scampering about in an uneasy, 
suspicious fashion. He is brewing mischief for his fellows ; 
but for the preservation of our more valuable specimens, we 
