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164
Glaucus; Or, The Wonders of the Shore
·
Charles Kingsley
47
[Picture:
Plate
2:
1.
Cardium
Rusticum,
(tuberculatum).
2.
Pagurus
Bernhardi,
in
a
Periwinkle
Shell]
That
red
capsicum
is
the
foot
of
the
animal
contained
in
the
cockleshell.
By
its
aid
it
crawls,
leaps,
and
burrows
in
the
sand,
where
it
lies
drinking
in
the
salt
water
through
one
of
its
siphons,
and
discharging
it
again
through
the
other.
Put
the
shell
into
a
rock
pool,
or
a
basin
of
water,
and
you
will
see
the
siphons
clearly.
The
valves
gape
apart
some
three-quarters
of
an
inch.
The
semi-pellucid
orange
“mantle”
fills
the
intermediate
space.
Through
that
mantle,
at
the
end
from
which
the
foot
curves,
the
siphons
protrude;
two
thick
short
tubes
joined
side
by
side,
their
lips
fringed
with
pearly
cirri,
or
fringes;
and
very
beautiful
they
are.
The
larger
is
always
open,
taking
in
the
water,
which
is
at
once
the
animal’s
food
and
air,
and
which,
flowing
over
the
delicate
inner
surface
of
the
mantle,
at
once
oxygenates
its
blood,
and
fills
its
stomach
with
minute
particles
of
decayed
organized
matter.
The
smaller
is
shut.
Wait
a
minute,
and
it
will
open
suddenly
and
discharge
a
jet
of
clear
water,
which
has
been
robbed,
I
suppose,
of
its
oxygen
and
its
organic
matter.
But,
I
suppose,
your
eyes
will
be
rather
attracted
by
that
same
scarlet
and
orange
foot,
which
is
being
drawn
in
and
thrust
out
to
a
length
of
nearly
four
inches,
striking
with
its
point
against
any
opposing
object,
and
sending
the
whole
shell
backwards
with
a
jerk.
The
point,
you
see,
is
sharp
and
tongue-like;
only
flattened,
not
horizontally,
like
a
tongue,
but
perpendicularly,
so
as
to
form,
as
it
was
intended,
a
perfect
sand-plough,
by
which
the
animal
can
move
at
will,
either
above
or
below
the
surface
of
the
sand.
{67}
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