The Scallop (_Pecten_) is not a true oyster, though it may be cooked and treated like one, with satisfactory results. Its name is derived from the channeled edges and surfaces peculiar to it, which somewhat resemble the arrangements of the teeth of a comb. Centuries ago they were known as Pilgrims’ Shells; for in the middle ages the pilgrims were wont to ornament their habits or hats with these bivalves, of which there are not far from a couple of hundred known species. They are much more lively animals than the oyster, being able to shift about from place to place with some degree of agility; this they do by forcibly ejecting water between their shells, moving on by a kind of recoil. Another curious bivalve mollusc is the _Spondylus_, a genus found mostly in the warmer seas, some of the species of which are highly prized by conchologists. Their strong, brilliantly‐coloured shells bristle with spines and feet. One of the most remarkable species is that known to naturalists as _Spondylus regius_, at all times scarce, and at one time extremely rare. In connection with the last‐named mollusc, a story is told by M. Chenu, regarding an enthusiastic collector. “M. R——,” says Chenu, “was Professor of Botany to the Faculty of Paris, and was, as sometimes happens, more learned than rich; he wished, on the invitation of a stranger, to purchase one of these shells at a very high price, which might be from 3,000 to 6,000 francs (approximately £120 to £240); the bargain was made, and the price agreed upon; it was only necessary to pay. The money in the Professor’s hands made only a part of the sum the merchant was to receive for his shell, and he would not part with it without payment. M. R——, now consulting his desire to possess the shell more than his weak resources, made up secretly a parcel of his scanty plate, and went out to sell it. Without consulting his wife, he replaced his silver plate by articles of tin, and ran to the merchant to secure his coveted Spondylus, which he believed to be _S. regius_. [Illustration: SPONDYLUS.]