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vegetable forms？ What are the groups of grey bladders； with
something like a little bud at the tip？ What are the hundreds of little
pink…striped pears？ What those tiny babies' heads； covered with grey
prickles instead of hair？ The great red star…fish； which Ulster children
call 〃the bad man's hands；〃 and the great whelks； which the youth of
Musselburgh know as roaring buckies； these we have seen before； but
what； oh what； are the red capsicums？ …
Yes； what are the red capsicums？ and why are they poking； snapping；
starting； crawling； tumbling wildly over each other； rattling about the
huge mahogany cockles； as big as a child's two fists； out of which they
are protruded？ Mark them well； for you will perhaps never see them
again。 They are a Mediterranean species； or rather three species； left
behind upon these extreme south…western coasts； probably at the
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vanishing of that warmer ancient epoch； which clothed the Lizard Point
with the Cornish heath； and the Killarney mountains with Spanish
saxifrages； and other relics of a flora whose home is now the Iberian
peninsula and the sunny cliffs of the Riviera。 Rare on every other
shore； even in the west； it abounds in Torbay at certain； or rather
uncertain； times； to so prodigious an amount； that the dredge； after five
minutes' scrape； will sometimes come up choked full of this great cockle
only。 You will see hundreds of them in every cove for miles this day； a
seeming waste of life； which would be awful； in our eyes； were not the
Divine Ruler； as His custom is； making this destruction the means of
fresh creation； by burying them in the sands； as soon as washed on shore；
to fertilize the strata of some future world。 It is but a shell…fish truly；
but the great Cuvier thought it remarkable enough to devote to its
anatomy elaborate descriptions and drawings； which have done more
perhaps than any others to illustrate the curious economy of the whole
class of bivalve； or double…shelled； mollusca。 （Plate II。 Fig。 3。）
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
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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。 （2）
But for colour and shape； to what shall we compare it？ To polished
cornelian； says Mr。 Gosse。 I say； to one of the great red capsicums
which hang drying in every Covent…garden seedsman's window。 Yet is
either simile better than the guess of a certain lady； who； entering a room
wherein a couple of Cardium tuberculatum were waltzing about a plate；
exclaimed； 〃Oh dear！ I always heard that my pretty red coral came out
of a fish； and here it is all alive！〃
〃C。 tuberculatum；〃 says Mr。 Gosse （who described it from specimens
which I sent him in 1854）； 〃is far the finest species。 The valves are
more globose and of a warmer colour； those that I have seen are even
more spinous。〃 Such may have been the case in those I sent： but it has
occurred to me now and then to dredge specimens of C。 aculeatum；
which had escaped that rolling on the sand fatal in old age to its delicate
spines； and which equalled in colour； size； and perfectness the noble one
figured in poor dear old Dr。 Turton's 〃British Bivalves。〃 Besides；
aculeatum is a far thinner and more delicate shell。 And a third species；
C。 echinatum； with curves more graceful and continuous； is to be found
now and then with the two former。 In it； each point； instead of
degenerating into a knot； as in tuberculatum； or developing from delicate
flat briar… prickles into long straight thorns； as in aculeatum； is close…set
to its fellow； and curved at the point transversely to the shell； the whole
being thus horrid with hundreds of strong tenterhooks； making his castle
impregnable to the raveners of the deep。 For we can hardly doubt that
these prickles are meant as weapons of defence； without which so
savoury a morsel as the mollusc within （cooked and eaten largely on
some parts of our south coast） would be a staple article of food for sea…
beasts of prey。 And it is noteworthy； first； that the defensive thorns
which are permanent on the two thinner species； aculeatum and
echinatum； disappear altogether on the thicker one； tuberculatum； as old
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age gives him a solid and heavy globose shell； and next； that he too；
while young and tender； and liable therefore to be bored through by
whelks and such murderous univalves； does actually possess the same
briar… prickles； which his thinner cousins keep throughout life。
Nevertheless； prickles； in all three species； are； as far as we can see；
useless in Torbay； where no wolf…fish （Anarrhichas lupus） or other
owner of shell…crushing jaws wanders； terrible to lobster and to cockle。
Originally intended； as we suppose； to face the strong… toothed monsters of
the Mediterranean； these foreigners have wandered northward to shores
where their armour is not now needed； and yet centuries of idleness and
security have not been able to persuade them to lay it by。 This … if my
explanation is the right one … is but one more case among hundreds in
which peculiarities； useful doubtless to their original possessors； remain；
though now useless； in their descendants。 Just so does the tame ram
inherit the now superfluous horns of his primeval wild ancestors； though
he fights now