When Mr. Barnacle opened and shut this fine plume, it was his net, or his set of lines with which to fish little live creatures from the water. He tangles his prey (or food) up in his fine plumes.
Among the things he catches are tiny crabs, too small for the naked eye to see.
When the plume net is full, he draws it into his shell. Then he empties it into his mouth. After this he puts his plume out of his house once more, to fish for other things. In the meantime, he feeds on what he has taken. He has no pantry in which to store things, as Mr. Crab has.
Near this fishing party on the stone, drifted a log. On the under side of the log were some stem barnacles. They were fishing too. They fished in the same way, and for the same kind of things.
They opened their shells, pushed out a lovely plume, and this pretty thing caught food in its meshes.
Does their net never break and need to be mended as the fisherman’s net does? No doubt, if it does, a new piece will soon grow. What is his net? It is Mr. Barnacle’s feet. If any of them are lost or hurt others will come, just as Mrs. Crab gets new legs when some are gone. Notice these tiny legs. They look very like a cluster of long fingers or toes. He uses them to fish with. For what else should he use them? He never walks nor swims.
LESSON XXXV.
A LAST LOOK AT MR. BARNACLE.
It is well to know all you can about barnacles, for you will see them wherever you go by the seaside.
If you study them, you will not, like the fisherman, believe foolish things about them, and refuse to believe true things.