Читать книгу The Book of Shells - Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge . Committee of General Literature and Education - Страница 20

The Triton variegatum, or Variegated Sea-Trumpet, a large and beautiful shell, sometimes as much as two feet in length, is found chiefly in the torrid zones, near the Asiatic coast. The attendants on the sea-gods of pagan Rome are frequently represented with this shell applied to their mouth by way of a trumpet.

Already Triton, at his call, appears

Above the waves; a Tyrian robe he wears,

And in his hand a crooked trumpet bears.

The sovereign bids him peaceful sounds inspire,

And give the waves the signal to retire.

His writhen shell he takes, whose narrow vent

Grows by degrees into a large extent,

Then gives it breath; the blast, with doubling sound,

Runs the wide circuit of the world around.

The sun first heard it, in his early east,

And met the rattling echoes in the west;

The waters, listening to the trumpet’s roar,

Obey the summons, and forsake the shore.

Dryden.

Dolium perdix.Triton variegatum. Pyrula caniculata.