"Probably because you are better acquainted with plants," observed his father, Mr. Elliot, who had just entered the room: "however, the great naturalist, to whom you are indebted for your knowledge of plants, did not consider shells as objects beneath his attention."
"You mean Linnæus," said Lucy; "then he, I suppose, separated shells into the three different divisions—Multivalves, Bivalves, and Univalves."
"You are right, Lucy," replied her father.
"Pray show me some bivalve shells," said Charles; "I want to know their forms. A bivalve is a shell with two openings, as I should imagine: yes, I see that I am right, for you have given me an oyster and a cockle."
"Here are also Venus, Tellìna, Donax, Arca, and Pinna," observed Mr. Elliot, "all very easy to distinguish."
"'The anchor'd pinna and his cancer friend,'"
repeated Charles. "So the Pinna is a bivalve; but what has Venus to do with the matter?"
"That is very easy to understand," said Lucy: "the genus called by her name is remarkable for beauty."
"Now, Charles," said Mr. Elliot, "do you clearly comprehend the verse that you have just repeated?"
THE PINNA
AND THE
CANCER.