[ 49 J 
which in fome is more than thirty times the length 
of the cell, into which it returns [^h I am apt to 
think, that this gut or dud us, as well as the body 
of the creature, is capable of being extended very 
confiderably, to ferve all the ufes of forming the Be- 
lemnite, without leaving the fiphunculus ; and that 
the gut ferves for the fame purpofes with the tendons 
of the oyfler ; the latter to open and fhut the fheli ; 
the former to allow the animal to go out and in at 
pleafure. And as the oifter feeds altogether in the 
fheli, by opening the verge, the Belemnite (whofe 
refidence is in the great deep, which is feldom dis- 
turbed) very likely goes out in queft of food, but 
travels only upon the guard or rampart, leaving a 
trail behind, as all land fnails doj which hardening 
into a teflaceous fubftance, increafes the dimenfions of 
the outer walls, both in length and thicknefs, from 
the cell or chamber, to the bottom or point of the 
whole Belemnite. The animal in its progrefs and 
return clafps the whole guard, as a fnail does a final! 
branch of a tree in the gardens ; and where the two 
fides meet, there the fulcus is formed, as is evident 
from the laminae in Fig. 9. 
The Belemnites,like all other teftaceous bodies, have 
the vermicular tribe attached to them, and are per- 
forated by the pholades. Other marine bodies alfo affix 
themfelves to the Beleinnites, oifters in particular: 
but this never happens whilft: the animal inhabits the 
fheli, becaufe the new additional laminae would fo 
cover the affixed body, and alfo the cells of the pho- 
lades and vermiculi, that they could have no com- 
munication with the water, and mud consequently 
periffi. 
Vol. LIV. 
[b] Fig. 8. 
H 
