The larva acts as if it liked to be free from the shell prison. It darts about in the sea, and each day its shape changes. It has one eye, a mouth, two feelers like horns, and six legs. It can swim, and can walk over sea-weed.
Some parts of this gay little larva will one day turn into tubes to make cement to hold it fast to a stone. Then it will be a stay-at-home barnacle all the rest of its life long.
When the larva becomes a pupa, it drifts about until at last it is time for it to stop travelling and keep still. Then it fixes itself by its head to the place that will always be its home. All it has to do after that, is to fish and eat. As it makes new shell, it will enlarge the old shell. And it will have little eggs, packed in the shape of a wee leaf between the skin and outer shell.
By and by Mr. Barnacle has a hard shell of many plates, his eye has gone down near his stomach. Do you think he can see what he eats? His legs are not used for walking, but to fish with; his mouth is near his feet. The rest of his head has gone off with his feelers, to attend to making cement and shell. What a queer creature he is!
LESSON XXXIV.
A FISHING PARTY.
Did you ever go fishing? Did you fish with a rod and line? Or, did you sit on a pier and let your line drop into the water from your hand? Or, did you go out with the boats and see the men throw a net into the water?
There are many ways of fishing, and now I shall tell you of some queer little fishers and their ways. Why did you want to catch fish? Oh, just for fun!
My little fishers fish for food, and they eat their fish without any cooking. Their fish are so small that you cannot see them without the help of a glass that magnifies.
