Thesemi—pellucidorange\"mantle\"fillstheintermediatespace。
Throughthatmantle，attheendfromwhichthefootcurves，thesiphonsprotrude;twothickshorttubesjoinedsidebyside，theirlipsfringedwithpearlycirri，orfringes;andverybeautifultheyare。Thelargerisalwaysopen，takinginthewater，whichisatoncetheanimal’sfoodandair，andwhich，flowingoverthedelicateinnersurfaceofthemantle，atonceoxygenatesitsblood，andfillsitsstomachwithminuteparticlesofdecayedorganizedmatter。Thesmallerisshut。Waitaminute，anditwillopensuddenlyanddischargeajetofclearwater，whichhasbeenrobbed，Isuppose，ofitsoxygenanditsorganicmatter。But，Isuppose，youreyeswillberatherattractedbythatsamescarletandorangefoot，whichisbeingdrawninandthrustouttoalengthofnearlyfourinches，strikingwithitspointagainstanyopposingobject，andsendingthewholeshellbackwardswithajerk。Thepoint，yousee，issharpandtongue—like;onlyflattened，nothorizontally，likeatongue，butperpendicularly，soastoform，asitwasintended，aperfectsand—plough，bywhichtheanimalcanmoveatwill，eitheraboveorbelowthesurfaceofthesand。（2）
Butforcolourandshape，towhatshallwecompareit？Topolishedcornelian，saysMr。Gosse。Isay，tooneofthegreatredcapsicumswhichhangdryingineveryCovent—gardenseedsman’swindow。Yetiseithersimilebetterthantheguessofacertainlady，who，enteringaroomwhereinacoupleofCardiumtuberculatumwerewaltzingaboutaplate，exclaimed，\"Ohdear！Ialwaysheardthatmyprettyredcoralcameoutofafish，andhereitisallalive！\"
\"C。tuberculatum，\"saysMr。Gosse（whodescribeditfromspecimenswhichIsenthimin1854），\"isfarthefinestspecies。Thevalvesaremoregloboseandofawarmercolour;thosethatIhaveseenareevenmorespinous。\"SuchmayhavebeenthecaseinthoseIsent：
butithasoccurredtomenowandthentodredgespecimensofC。