the government
has another institution--a laboratory where studies are made in sea
life. It includes a remarkable museum, which is visited by students from
far and near. There are power boats equipped for dredging at
considerable depth in order to bring to light the secret things of the
sea. Many of the curios are contributed by the fishermen, who are
continually dragging forth in their nets objects strange to them. When a
thing of real rarity is brought to the laboratory, a snug sum is paid to
the finder. The Captain himself had always a ready eye for anything that
might prove of value, and his finds from time to time netted him a tidy
profit. To-day he had with him a variety of sea porcupine new to him,
which he had found in his net a few days before. So now, on leaving the
wireless station, Ichabod visited the laboratory, where the sea
porcupine was duly delivered and brought in return a satisfactory sum of
money. Here, too, he retold once again all his experiences in connection
with the wreck of _The Isabel_. By the time this was done, the afternoon
was well spent. The old man was rowed back to the mainland, where he
entered the red skiff and set sail homeward.

As he passed up the bay, the tide was low, so that in many places the
shoals and rocks were exposed. Captain Ichabod, reclining lazily in the
stern sheets of the skiff, tiller in hand, listened to the noisy clatter
of the gulls, which in vast swarms were feeding on their favorite
scallops.

Ages ago, the gulls discovered that the fluted shell must be broken ere
the luscious morsel within could be obtained. It was wholly impossible
for them to crush the stonelike casing with their bills. So the birds
devised another means. This was to carry the shell high aloft, then drop
it on the shoals. If it fell on a hard surface, it would be broken open,
and the scallop within would be promptly devoured by the gull following.
When the shell fell in a soft place, and remained unbroken the bird
would merely continue its efforts until finally crowned with success.
Ichabod, idly watching such repeated trials, was induced to meditation
on the lesson thus taught.

"It shore is a pity that arter Roxana Lee"--the name came easily
now--"arter a-stabbin' o' me in the back--yes, it's a pity that I didn't
do sort o' like that Scotch feller that watched the spider try an' try
an' try ag'in till at last he spun his web whar he aimed to. Why, when
he saw what that-thar crab-lookin