THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SWAN-MUSSEL 
7 
venience. The fact is, I had no choice in the matter. I, in 
company with many others, was suddenly rushed away from 
my native element in a tangled mass of weed, and the next 
moment I found myself come near smashing your gracious- 
looking self.” 
“ I forgive you if that is the case,” answered the swan 
mussel, who was somewhat mollified, if not surprised by his 
gallantry. “ When I came here I adopted the same method 
of locomotion, and I don’t like it. By the bye, that puts me in 
mind of our present position. When are we going to be 
removed to the pool ? ” 
“ If you please,” said a little squeaky voice, “ I don’t think 
we ever shall go back,” ending with a sigh deeper than would 
have been expected from such a little creature. 
“ And who are you ? ” enquired the swan mussel, in a 
majestic tone. 
“ If you please, I’m the Sphcevium covneum ; I’m the common 
representative of our family. Let me see, there’s the Sphcevium 
vevicola and the-” 
“That will do,” broke in the swan mussel. “I do not 
wish to know anything about you or your low family. How 
do you know that we shall not regain our pool ? Answer 
me.” 
“ We have known it to be a fact in our family for genera¬ 
tions, that at this time of the year, if taken out, we should not 
be replaced. It is a legend, but it nearly always comes true ; 
and I have heard say that Farmer Brown uses us to manure 
his ground with, and I-” 
“What!” shrieked the swan mussel, “oh, that I should 
ever live to see this day! It may be the commencement of 
the extinction of our race. It cannot be true! You impudent 
little thing, how dare you say such things to me, a swan 
mussel ? ” 
The little Sphcevium shrank back quaking with fear (if a 
Sphcevium can quake), and, unable to make a suitable reply, 
he did the next best thing, he kept his valves shut. 
“ I think he is right,” said the Unio, “ I have heard some¬ 
thing to the same effect myself: but don’t be discouraged, 
let us die as befitteth our race, and show these small fry the 
nobility of mind and the unity of sentiment which exists in 
and between an Anodonta and a UnioS 
H. Durrant. 
(To be continued .) 
Nature always has an answer for him who asks “ How ? 
but silence only for him who queries “ Why ? ” 
? 5 
