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anything else； come down straight to the sea marge； for yonder lies； just
left by the retiring tide； a mass of life such as you will seldom see again。
It is somewhat ugly； perhaps； at first sight； for ankle…deep are spread； for
some ten yards long by five broad； huge dirty bivalve shells； as large as
the hand； each with its loathly grey and black siphons hanging out； a
confused mass of slimy death。 Let us walk on to some cleaner heap；
and leave these； the great Lutraria Elliptica； which have been lying
buried by thousands in the sandy mud； each with the point of its long
siphon above the surface； sucking in and driving out again the salt water
on which it feeds； till last night's ground…swell shifted the sea…bottom；
and drove them up hither to perish helpless； but not useless； on the
beach。
See； close by is another shell bed； quite as large； but comely enough
to please any eye。 What a variety of forms and colours are there； amid
the purple and olive wreaths of wrack； and bladder… weed； and tangle （ore…
weed； as they call it in the south）； and the delicate green ribbons of the
Zostera （the only English flowering plant which grows beneath the sea）。
What are they all？ What are the long white razors？ What are the
delicate green…grey scimitars？ What are the tapering brown spires？
What the tufts of delicate yellow plants like squirrels' tails； and lobsters'
horns； and tamarisks； and fir…trees； and all other finely cut animal and
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