In dense black masses they cling to the rocks; and, though
heavy waves bang them like so many hammers, they stick tight. Little
Mussels and big ones, they form a mass so thick that baby crabs and
other creatures use them as a hiding-place. On the piers and groynes,
and the woodwork of the harbour, you can see other clusters of Mussels;
they are placed where the high tide covers them.
Have you noticed how the Mussel anchors himself? He uses a bunch of
threads, like so many cables or tiny ropes. It is interesting to know
how these threads are made.
The Mussel is, as a rule, a stay-at-home, but he can move from place to
place if he likes. He has a long, slender foot which can be pushed out
of the shells. Now the threads are fixed by the foot, just where the
Mussel wishes to anchor himself. They are made from a liquid which forms
in the body of the creature. This liquid hardens in the water so that it
can be pulled out into long, fine threads.
Our ordinary Mussels do not make very long threads, but those of some
kinds are so long that they can be woven into silky purses or stockings.
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