Shanklin continued.—Siphonia, or Sea-Tulip.—Zoophytes.—Sponges. —Corals.—Shells—Anomia—Scallop-shell—Cockle-shell—Whelk—Solen, or Razor-shell—Mactra, or Kneading Trough—Mya.

The first thing Agnes thought of the following morning was her mamma’s promise to take her again to the beach to pick up the shells and sea-weed which she had been compelled to leave behind her the preceding day. Mrs. Merton thought it prudent to stay till the tide was in and had begun to turn, in order that they might explore the cliffs as far as they felt inclined without danger; and it may be easily guessed that Agnes grew rather impatient at the length of time she had to wait. Fortunately, however, there was a beautiful little garden attached to the inn, in which, with the aid of two or three dogs, a kitten, and, what was better than all, a little girl of about her own age, who was also travelling with her parents through the island, Agnes contrived to amuse herself till her mamma was ready. Before proceeding to the beach it was necessary to purchase a basket, and for this purpose they entered the bazaar which they had seen the day before. Agnes had some difficulty in finding a basket to suit her, as the pretty ones were all far too small to hold the quantity of sea-weed and other things she intended to bring from the beach; and it was with the greatest difficulty that her mamma could persuade her to be satisfied with a basket of moderate size, though even that Mrs. Merton feared when full would be much too heavy for the little girl to carry. Just as they were leaving the bazaar the woman showed them a curious specimen of the Siphonia, or Sea-Tulip, which she said had been picked up on the beach. The siphonia was intermixed with various fossil remains, and the whole presented so singular an appearance that Agnes, who had never seen any thing of the kind before, could talk of nothing else while they were descending to the beach.

“What a curious thing the sea-tulip is,” said she. “Is it a plant, and are there any like it growing now?”

“It is not a plant,” said Mrs. Merton, “but a zoophyte, and I believe it has only been found in a fossil state.”

“Zoophyte!” said Agnes; “that is half a plant, and half an animal, is it not, mamma?”

“The word zoophyte,” returned Mrs. Merton, “signifies literally an animal plant; and it was formerly applied only to those singular creatures which grew in the ground like plants, and were yet furnished with tentacula or arms which they could extend or contract so as to provide themselves with food. But it is now used in a more enlarged sense, and it includes various kinds of polypes, animalcules and other animals of the lowest class. Some of these creatures seem to consist merely of semitransparent jelly, and when disturbed they contract themselves into almost shapeless lumps.”

“Have I ever seen any of these animalcules?” asked Agnes.

“You probably have without being aware of it,” returned her mother: “for in summer when the sun is warm they may generally be seen in ponds and slowly running waters, looking like little lumps of transparent jelly, and hanging to plants or any other object that may be in the water.”

“I think I have seen them, then,” said Agnes; “but I had no idea that they were living creatures.”

“And yet,” returned her mother, “if you were to take one of these jelly-like lumps, not larger than a small pea, and examine it in a powerful microscope, you would find that it possessed six or more arms, which it has the power of stretching out in an extraordinary manner, so as to seize any insect that may come in their way, and which they convey to an opening in the centre of the polypus, which serves as its mouth, and which leads directly to the stomach.”

“Ah, mamma!” said Agnes, “then these creatures are polypes. I have been frequently going to ask you what kind of creatures they were, ever since papa was reading to us that curious account of the manner in which they form islands in the Australian Seas. But surely,” continued she, after thinking for a moment, “these soft jelly-like looking animals cannot possibly form any thing so hard as coral!”

“It is, indeed,” replied Mrs. Merton, “extremely difficult for us to conceive that animals so simple and jelly-like can form solid stone; but the way in which it is effected is, that the creature has the power of depositing, in a solid form, the earthy matter which is continually floating in the waters of the ocean, and which it swallows with its daily food.”

While Agnes and her mamma were thus speaking they continued descending the cliffs till they came to the part where the road turns, and leaves a little level space before it again descends. Just at this place they found an old woman sitting at a kind of stall covered with shells and various kinds of fossils; and Agnes, whose curiosity was always easily excited, stopped to look at them.

“I wish we could find any polypes here,” said she to her mamma.

“It is impossible,” said Mrs. Merton, “to find any here in a living state; but you may see some of their labours in these curious specimens of sponge.”

“Sponge, mamma?” cried Agnes. “Surely you do not mean to say that the polypes form sponge as well as coral!”

“Indeed I do,” said Mrs. Merton, “for though sponge was once supposed to be a marine plant, it has long since been discovered to be an animal. About the year 1752 a gentleman, named Ellis, was at Brighton forming a collection of marine plants for the instruction of some part of the Royal Family in botany, and amongst other things he collected some curious specimens of sponges, which he examined through a powerful microscope with a view to obtain a knowledge of some peculiarities which he considered necessary to be ascertained before they could be properly classified. By this examination he discovered that the sponges possessed a system of vessels through which the sea-water circulated, and which opened by means of innumerable pores. Subsequent examinations proved that what we call sponge may be compared to the shell of the snail or the oyster, and that it acts as a covering to the jelly-like animal or animals which reside in it, being as necessary to them as shells are to the molluscous animals. Mr. Ellis, after making these discoveries, examined different kinds of coral, and found that they were also furnished with pores containing animals, the tentacula or feelers of which were continually expanding and contracting as if seeking and seizing prey.”

“How very curious!” cried Agnes; “and what do these creatures live upon?”

“Probably,” returned her mamma, “on some animalcules contained in the water, the forms of which are too minute to be visible to human eyes even though aided by powerful microscopes.”

“I can easily imagine they must be very small,” said Agnes, “as the creatures which feed upon them are so little themselves. But I think I have seen the pores in the coral.”

“I have no doubt you have,” said Mrs. Merton; “the pores in some of the kinds of sponge are also quite large enough to be visible to the naked eye.”

“But where is sponge found, mamma?” asked Agnes.

“It is generally collected from rocks in the sea,” replied Mrs. Merton, “about twenty or thirty feet deep, by divers, who in time become very expert in obtaining it. It grows so rapidly, that it is said rocks have been found covered with it that were completely cleared only two years before.”

“What kinds of coral are these mamma?” said Agnes, picking up two or three pieces which lay upon the stall.

“I do not know the names of all of them,” said Mrs. Merton; “but I believe that kind which looks as though it were formed of small beads is called the chain coral, or Catenipora; and that other kind which appears covered with star-like flowers is called Aulopora.”

Agnes’s attention was now caught by some shells, and she begged her mamma to purchase for her a beautiful little Scallop-shell which was streaked with reddish bands, delicately shaded off into white; and also one of those shells which are called Anomia. They then proceeded on their walk, and as they descended the remaining cliffs Agnes asked her mamma what the use was of the hole in the upper valve of the anomia.

“It is that,” said Mrs. Merton, “which has given rise to the popular English name of the Antique Lamp, by which the shell is generally known, as it resembles the opening through which the flame of the ancient lamps used to ascend; but its real use is to admit the passing through it of a strong muscle, at the end of which is a calcareous mass, by means of which the animal contained in the shell attaches itself to the rocks. Where the creature has fixed itself, it cannot be pulled off without killing it; but when it wishes, it possesses the power of drawing its muscle into the shell so as to close the hole in the upper valve with the calcareous mass, which exactly fits it.”

Agnes did not reply to this, and after a short silence her mamma asked her if she did not wish to know any particulars respecting the other shell they had purchased.

“Oh no!” said Agnes, carelessly, “as it is only a common scallop, I suppose I know all that you can tell me about that.”

“Indeed!” said Mrs. Merton, “and pray may I ask how much you do know about it?”

Agnes was about to speak, but after considering a moment, she hesitated, stammered, and at last said, “it is such a common shell.”

“But what particulars do you know about it?” persisted Mrs. Merton.

“Everybody knows a scallop-shell,” said Agnes.

“Everybody may easily know it as well as you do apparently,” said Mrs. Merton; “for the fact is that you appear to know nothing of it but its name; and yet there are some particulars respecting the animal of the pecten or scallop which are extremely interesting. For instance, you are probably not aware that it possesses the power of leaping; and that a basket full of scallops just caught, which was set down on the beach, was found speedily emptied of its contents by the pectens springing out of it and returning to the water. The animal of the scallop has also the power of making such frequent and sudden contractions of its muscles as to force itself rapidly forward through the water; and, indeed, a recent writer on the subject tells us, that it requires considerable agility to catch it as it flutters among the corals where it dwells. The name of pecten, which signifies a comb, was given to the scallop-shell from a supposed resemblance in the fluting of the shell to the teeth of a comb. The scallop-shell was formerly the badge of pilgrims who had been to the Holy Land, and was worn on their caps and cloaks.”

They had now reached the beach, and Agnes was in such high spirits, that, though she was encumbered with her large basket, she could not refrain from running backwards and forwards several times, just as we often see little dogs do, who never seem thoroughly to enjoy a walk unless they are permitted to make it twice or three times as long as it ought to be.

Agnes ran round a projecting cliff so that her mother lost sight of her. She soon, however, came running back with two or three Cockle-shells in her hand. “Look mamma!” cried she, “what I have found!”

“Nothing very remarkable, certainly,” said Mrs. Merton, smiling; “for I believe the cockle-shell is common on the sea-beach in every part of the world. Yet something interesting may be told even of this common shell. In the first place it is what is called a bivalve, that is, the shell is in two parts, or valves, like those of the oyster and the scallop, the two parts being united by a hinge, formed by two projecting teeth in the centre, and two side teeth.”

“But what do you call teeth, mamma!”

“Look, here are two projecting parts with a hollow part between. The projecting parts are called the teeth, and you see they are so placed that the teeth of one valve fit into the hollow part of the other. The creature, which is something like an oyster, and is eaten, can open and shut these valves at pleasure, and it can push out a long elbow-like part of its body and spring forward to a considerable distance when it wishes to leave the sand and return to the sea. Look, too, how delicately this valve that you have found, is ribbed, and observe the form of the shell. You see it bears some resemblance to a heart, and hence the scientific name of the genus is Cardium, which signifies a heart.”

Agnes now picked up another shell, and her mother smiled when she discovered that it was a Whelk, or Buckie. “My dear Agnes,” said she, “you certainly cannot boast of finding any very rare shells in your travels; for the whelk is nearly as common as the cockle. However, there is a material difference between them, for the whelk, or buccinum, is a univalve, that is, its shell is only in one part, like that of the snail. Look at this shell, and you will perceive a curious little notch at the lower end; and when there is this mark we know that the animal inhabiting the shell is carnivorous, that is, it lives on other creatures of its own kind. The common garden snail, which, you know, lives on vegetables, has no notch.”

Agnes now saw several shells lying scattered about, but she scarcely condescended to look at them, till at last, one appeared so curious that she could not help calling her mamma’s attention to it. It was a long narrow shell, something resembling the handle of a pocket knife. What she picked up, however, was only the half of what was evidently a bivalve-shell, and to Agnes’s great annoyance, it was by no means perfect. Mrs. Merton, however, told her that it was what was called a Solen, or Razor-shell, or, sometimes, a Sheath-shell, from its resemblance to the handle, or sheath of a razor. She also showed her the hinge that united the two valves together, and which, though very slight, was curiously formed.

While Mrs. Merton was speaking, Agnes saw another shell nearly similar to the first, but smaller and prettier, and the little girl ran with great delight to pick it up. Just before she reached it, however, she saw it raise itself on one end, and then instantly disappear in the sand.

It is scarcely possible to express the astonishment and almost terror which seized Agnes at this sight; and she ran back to her mamma almost too frightened to ask the cause of what she had seen. Her mamma, however, explained to her that it was the nature of the animals belonging to these shells to bury themselves in the sand when they were alarmed; and she added, that the disappearance of the shell was a certain proof that it was inhabited.

“Oh mamma!” cried Agnes, “how I should like to see the animal. Can’t we get it up out of the sand without hurting it?”

“I am afraid not,” said Mrs. Merton; “for these animals have been known sometimes to descend to the depth of two feet, and I believe they generally go at least a foot beneath the surface, which is a greater depth than I could possibly dig to, with the point of my parasol, and I have no other instrument at hand.”

“But then,” cried Agnes, “how will the poor solen return itself, for I suppose it will not always remain buried in the sand?”

“If you will look attentively,” said Mrs. Merton, “you will see that the solen has left a little hole, by which he can return to the surface whenever he thinks proper, which no doubt will be as soon as we have disappeared;” and, in fact, when Agnes looked at the little narrow tube which the solen had left in the sand, she fancied she could see some slight appearance of its shining pinkish shell in the hole. Her mamma, however, would not suffer her to attempt to get the shell out, lest she should destroy the tube, and thus convert the poor solen’s retreat into its tomb. She, therefore, stood for some time looking at the hole in silence; and at last asked her mamma if there was not any way of bringing the creature out without injuring it.

“It is said,” returned Mrs. Merton, “that when a fisherman wishes to catch one of these creatures alive, he can bring it to the surface by throwing a little salt down the tube; but, strange to say, this plan is only successful once, and the fisherman must be on the watch to seize the shell the moment it makes its appearance, as if the animal becomes alarmed and descends a second time, the salt has no longer any effect upon it, and no efforts on the part of the fisherman can induce it to rise again.”

“How very curious!” said Agnes; “but I do hope we shall find another of these creatures in time to seize it. Are they common on this coast, mamma?”

“Not very, I believe,” said Mrs. Merton; “and I think the kind of which you have the half valve is not a British shell at all, but has been washed here from some other country.”

They now walked on, and Agnes picked up the half of another bivalve shell, which her mother told her was called Mactra, or the Kneading Trough, from some fancied resemblance in the shape of the shell to that utensil. As this shell was not very beautiful, Agnes soon threw it away, but not before her mamma had made her observe that one of the teeth was shaped like the letter V.

“There are many shells,” continued Mrs. Merton, “which are of nearly the same outward shape as this, and which can only be distinguished from each other by some peculiarities in the teeth or hinge.”

Agnes now picked up another half of a bivalve shell, which she at first thought was another mactra, as the two shells bore considerable resemblance to each other; but when Mrs. Merton told her to look at the hinge she found that instead of being in the shape of a V there was a curious projection resembling a small spoon, which her mother told her fitted into a corresponding hollow in the other valve.

“This shell,” continued Mrs. Merton, “is one of the kind called Gapers, because the two valves, instead of closing, are always open or gaping at one end: they are so far apart, indeed, as to admit of a large tube, containing two smaller ones, to pass through the opening. This tube the animal can draw into the shell at pleasure; but generally when the creature buries itself in the sand it allows its tube just to reach the surface in order that it may take its food by means of the small tubes within the large one. In some cases the animal buries itself so deeply in the sand that it is obliged to elongate its tube to an extraordinary length, in order to make it reach the surface; but in other cases the tube is very short. The scientific name of this shell is Mya; and the animal belonging to it is eaten in some parts of the world as an article of food.”

Agnes now began to gather sea-weed and pebbles, and she had soon collected a large quantity of both to put in her basket, which she had placed on the beach while she filled it; this she did most effectively, for several times when it appeared full she contrived by dint of shaking and pressing to make it hold a little more. At last, however, she seemed satisfied that her basket was full, and she attempted to lift it up and carry it after her mamma, who had now turned, and was walking slowly back towards the village. Mrs. Merton was absorbed in thought, and as her back was turned towards Agnes, she was quite unconscious of the trouble of the little girl, who was trying in vain with all the strength she could muster to raise the basket. But all her efforts were in vain, the basket was far too heavy for her; and after a powerful but useless struggle, fearing that her mamma would leave her behind, as she had already lost sight of her behind one of the projecting cliffs, poor Agnes uttered a cry so full of trouble and almost despair that her mamma came running back, terrified lest some dreadful accident had happened to her darling. When she found what was really the matter, she could scarcely help laughing at poor Agnes’s dilemma, and she put an end to it by emptying the contents of the basket on the beach, and helping Agnes to refill it with only a few of the stones and shells, and the lightest and prettiest of the sea-weed, with which they returned to the inn.