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e of numerous species of ducks which frequent the seacoasts and feed mainly on fishes and mollusks. The scoters, eiders, old squaw, and ruddy duck are examples. They may be distinguished by the lobate hind toe.

Any tectibranchiate mollusk of the genus Aplysia. See Aplysia.

Any one of several species of nudibranchiate mollusks of the genus Doris and allied genera, having a smooth, thick, convex yellow body.

A nudibranch mollusk.

The shell of any marine mollusk.

one place, especially when firmly attached to some object; as, the oyster is a sedentary mollusk; the barnacles are sedentary crustaceans. Sedentary spider (Zoöl.), one of a tribe of spiders which rest motionless until their prey is caught in their web.

One of the transverse partitions dividing the shell of a mollusk, or of a rhizopod, into several chambers. See Illust. under Nautilus.

The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like.

external covering consists of a shell, either testaceous, as in oysters, clams, and other mollusks, or crustaceous, as in lobsters and crabs.

Any long, slender, worm-shaped bivalve mollusk of Teredo and allied genera. The shipworms burrow in wood, and are destructive to wooden ships, piles of wharves, etc. See Teredo.

One of the tubes or folds of the mantle border of a bivalve or gastropod mollusk by which water is conducted into the gill cavity. See Illust. under Mya, and Lamellibranchiata.

A tribe of bivalve mollusks in which the posterior mantle border is prolonged into two tubes or siphons. Called also Siphoniata. See Siphon, 2 (a), and Quahaug.

Any one of numerous species of terrestrial pulmonate mollusks belonging to Limax and several related genera, in which the shell is either small and concealed in the mantle, or altogether wanting. They are closely allied to the land snails.

Obscene; not modest or pure; as, a smutty saying. The smutty joke, ridiculously lewd. Smollett. -- Smut"ti*ly, adv. -- Smut"ti*ness, n.

, Pond snail, etc. See under Ear, Edible, etc. -- Snail borer (Zoöl.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill. -- Snail clover (Bot.), a cloverlike plant (Medicago scuttellata, also, M. Helix); -- so named from its pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called also snail trefoil, snail medic, and beehive. -- Snai…

To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable. Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the severe. Rambler.

Any marine bivalve mollusk belonging to Solen or allied genera of the family Solenidæ; a razor shell.

An order of lowly organized Mollusca belonging to the Isopleura. A narrow groove takes the place of the foot of other gastropods.

To assuage; to mollify; to calm; to comfort; as, to soothe a crying child; to soothe one's sorrows. Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. Congreve. Though the sound of Fame May for a moment soothe, it can not slake The fever of vain longing. Byron.

A young oyster or other bivalve mollusk, both before and after it first becomes adherent, or such young, collectively.