The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-01-01

example of that Gegeneracy which oc-
ours in certain mollusks. The young
Magilus begins life as d well behaved
mollusk, with a regular spiral shell,
but shortly it settles down on some
growing coral, and then race begins
between the two slow growing forms
If the mollusk kept quiet and grew
no furt her a short time would suffice
to completely enyelOp it in the stony
coral; but as soon as he is partly COW
cred the whorls Of the shell leave
their spiral course, and grow out as
an irregular tube. As the coral
grows, new additions are made to
the Shell, and the necl-and-neck race
is kept up until one or the other dies.
After the tube becomes too Ions for
the mollusk he leaves the spiral poT-
ton and comes QUITO live in the outer
straight tube, filing up the deserted
wnorls with a solid deposit Of lime.
In Sea Urchin's Spine.
"The sea urchin is protected by a
bony envelop, an1 this is covered with
numerous sharp spines which project
in all directions. Strange to relate,
a small mollusl frequently hollows
out the interior of one Of the spines
and uses it as home, thus provid
ing fer its own safety, as but few dem
liens of the sea would be hardy
enough to attack the armorel sea
urchin.
Along the shores Of the North
Atlantic Ocean is found worm
(PhascoIosoma coementarium), which
takes possession of a dead shell Of
some mollusk like the hermit crab,
but as the aperture is always too large
for its body, it builds out the rim Of
the aperture until only a small, round
opening is left, through which the
worm can stretch forth the anterior
extremity of its body, or withdraw
into the shell it has appropriated for
its dwelling. 1t lives permanently in
its borrowed home, dragging it about
body. The material with which the
worm so skilfully patches out the
shell so as to construct the mouth
thereof is a hard and durable COM
position of sand and mud, cemented
together by secretion of the ami
nal. When the weTm grows too
large for its habitation, instead OF
exchanging it for larger shell, as
do the hermit crabs, it gradually oX-
tends it's tube outward from the
mouth of the shell.
In Indian seas are frequently
dredged little solitary corals. These
corals are shaped something like
small, thick disks, and in the base of
th2m there is usually embedded and
concealed a dead mollusk shell which
serves as a home for an active little
worm. This arrangement is OF mu-
tual advantage as the worm, by
out one end of its muscular
body as lever, is able to whisk it
self and the coral about from place to
place.
The large jelly fishes, which are
found in almost all seas, and which
float at or near the surface in almost
countless numbers, shelter many
marine animals under their umbrella
and among their numerous tentacles.
A small CaranX fish, numerous crus-
taceans, several species OF mollushs,
and, strange to relate, even other
jelly fishes, find refuge under this
floating house. One of the most
curious of these deniZens is a little,
white shrimp, with enormous lustrous
green eyes, which lives and rears its
family in the sheltering arms OF its
host. AS the jelly fish kills more
food than it can devour, the shrimp
lives on the remnants.
in East Indian seas branching
zoophyte, creatures resembling the
dead mems fingers of our New Eng
land coast, are common. This animal
runs what might be termed lodging
house, as hidden among its numer-
Gus bright pink branches may be
found many species of crustaceans, in
every instance the ledger being col
ored similarly to its host, and so long
as it remains quiet is perfectly in
visible to its numerous enemies. The !
sea lily, which is striped in alternate |
bands of yellow and purple, also gives |
shelter to similarly striped crus-
-aceans and worms. New York |