1.A boy with a basket is walking down the street.He is shouting out，“Winks，winks，periwinks！”Let us buy a few of them，and put them into salt water，if they are alive.
2.The winkle is often called the “sea-snail，”because it lives in the sea，and looks like a snail.It has a hard twisted shell，but it has no bones inside；its body is only a mass of soft flesh.
3.When we take it in our hands，we see that it has a hard，horny scale，which shuts the opening in its shell like a little door.
4.Now put the winkle in the water.Soon you see it push out a broad soft part called the “foot，”by which it holds on to the rocks.But we might also call it the “head，”for in it you see little horns or feelers and two tiny eyes.
5.The winkle has gills inside its body to breathe with，and a little stomach and a little heart.But its blood is not red like our blood.
6.The tongue of the winkle is very long and narrow，and is covered with very small teeth.The winkle uses its tongue like a saw to cut off bits of the sea-weed on which it feeds.
7.The winkle lays its little eggs upon the sea-weed that grows on the sea-shore.
8.Winkles must be boiled before we eat them.After they are cooked，we can pull each winkle out of its shell with a pin.
SUMMARY
The periwinkle or winkle lives in the sea，and looks like a snail.It has a hard twisted shell，but no bones.It holds on to rocks by a broad soft part called a foot，in which are its horns，or feelers，and two very small eyes.It breathes with gills inside its body.Its long and narrow tongue is covered with small teeth，with which it cuts off bits of sea-weed on which it feeds.It lays its eggs on seaweed.Winkles，when boiled，are good for food.
【中文阅读】
1．街上有个孩子挎着篮子走过来，一边走一边吆喝：“滨螺！滨螺！卖滨螺啦！”咱们买几个滨螺吧，要是还活着，就把它们放到盐水里面。①2．滨螺也叫“海蜗牛”，因为它生活在海里，看上去又很像蜗牛。滨螺长着一个螺旋形的硬壳，里面没有骨头，身体是一团软软的肉。
3．把滨螺拿在手上，会看见它有一片坚硬的角质鳞，像小门一样，封住了螺壳的开口。②4．再把滨螺放回水里，过一会儿，你就会看见它伸出了一片宽宽的软东西，这东西叫“足”，滨螺就是用它抓住石头的。不过，我们也可以叫它“头”，在里面，可以看见滨螺的小触角和两只特别小的眼睛。
5．滨螺体内，有用来呼吸的鳃，还有胃和心脏。不过，滨螺的血并不跟人类一样是红色的。③6．滨螺的舌头很窄很长，上面布满了细小的牙齿。滨螺吃海藻的时候，就用这些像锯一样的牙齿，把海藻一点一点切下来。
7．滨螺在海岸边生长的海藻上，产下小小的卵。
8．滨螺要煮过才能吃。煮过以后，可以用大头针，把滨螺的肉从壳里剔出来。④译注①滨螺在台湾也叫“玉黍螺”，属于“软体动物门”“腹足纲”“中腹足目”“滨螺科”，中国的滨螺在全国沿海都有分布，可以吃，但是经济意义并不太大。这篇课文，大部分内容也能用来讲一般的海螺。但是滨螺以藻类为食，有些海螺是吃肉的。
②这个器官叫“螺盖”（operculum），不适合称作“鳞”。用处除了保护滨螺的身体，还能防止某些干燥环境中（比如退潮时）水分的散失。在海边，海边涨潮和退潮时水位的中间地带，叫做“潮间带”，这里既有水中掠食者，也有陆上掠食者，还有高温和干燥的威胁，对水生生物是一个很严酷的环境。滨螺的抗旱能力特别强，所以是潮间带最常见的海螺之一。
③看到这儿，读者们可能都要问：“那是什么颜色啊？”滨螺的血液其实是蓝色的，但是一只滨螺的血液太少，看上去就好像没有颜色了。
④滨螺的天敌有螃蟹、海星、鸟类，以及这篇文章的作者和读者--为数众多、食欲旺盛的人。
GREEN PEAS
