THE SEA-SNAILS. 693 



to commerce. A large ])i>rtion of them cany under tin 1 skin of the luck ;i lout;, ilai, calcareous 

 "bone" or plate, which serves as a stay or snpporl to the I'rame in lieu of a- skeleton. In some 

 species it is long and slender like a <|iiill-]>en. Tin's bone, reduced to powder, forms a useful 

 pounce, "used in rewriting over erasures to prevent blotting, and in medicine as an antacid." It 

 is also combined into a dentifrice. The principal use for it, nevertheless, is for feeding to caged 

 birds requiring' lime for their health. For this purpose several hundred-weight of "cuttle-bone" 

 are brought into the United States annually. It is furnished chielly from Chinese; waters, 

 but is also collected floating in the Mediterranean. None of our American species a fiord a useful 

 cuttle-bone, however; so that this import can scarcely be diminished. The name "Calamary" 

 is often applied to a Cuttle fish, and arises from the fact that each of them carries in an internal 

 gland a supply of blue-black, ink-like liquid, which upon the slightest alarm he discharges into 

 the water, making a dense cloud undercover of which he rapidly retreats. 1 This ink, removed and 

 dried into little cakes, with a greater or less adulteration, forms the sepia, of painters and the 

 India ink of draughtsmen. Now it is brought almost wholly from Oriental ports, via London, 

 but it might probably be saved on our coast as well. Provided with pen and ink on all occa- 

 sions, these mollusks seem truly to stand at the head of the class of animals they represent 

 not wholly because of their superior size and loftier brain and organization, but also on the score 

 of literary accomplishments. 



206. THE SEA-SNAILSGASTEROPODA. 



The Gasteropod mollusks, bearing a shell in a single piece and usually spirally whorled, are 

 not of much direct utility to man, as a rule, on this side of the world, north of the tropics; but there 

 are a few species which deserve mention. Their principal claim to notice in this connection lies 

 in the fact, that they figure upon the habitual bill of fare of various fishes. No doubt the list 

 appended might be greatly enlarged if we were better informed, particularly in respect to the 

 southern coast. Thus far the chief knowledge possessed in respect to the itiolluscan food of 

 American fishes is derived from Gould's " Report upon the Invertebrates of Massachusetts," and 

 Prof. A. E. VerrilFs report to the United States Fish Commission. From thus and other sources 

 is compiled the succeeding catalogue of species of Gasteropod mollusks that are fed upon by 

 li.shes; these, it must lie observed, are confined to the Atlantic coast, and, to a great extent, to the 

 waters of New England, through lack of information in respect to the similar food of the fishes of 

 the southern and the western coast. The list includes about fifty species, and reads: 



Bel a lurrivulu. Beta hui'inilaria, Bcla pyramidal!*, Beln (iecusxata, Admctt' Couthouyd, Ncptunca 

 <li\li/'ctii, Ilin-riini 111 iiiiilntuin, I ! it cc in it HI cilitituin, Trit'ut triritt<if, Ili/iiiinxxn <>/>xolc/, Trophon 

 rlitthritfiix, Troplmii rlntlirntits var. xniliirlf'nnnix, I'lirpiirn ln/iilhin, Astyris roxucru, Axtyrlx luntitn. 

 A'cii/m clttiixit. Liiiinfiii heron, Lvnutin grcenlandica, Linnitin intiii<(ci<ll<i, Aniiiurojixix ixlnndica-, 

 \'i'lntin :<i,itit. Vflntiiui lirrii/ittit, Ldmettarja jperspieua, I/itturhta several species, Triforix nltjro- 



itx, BUtium n!yrui, Turrifflln rroxn, Tr!i-luitr<>i>ix liorcnlix, (.'.rcjiiil nln foniirtttn, <'rr]>ii1nla pl/nxi, 



<ifi-i<li'iitnl!x, Sniltirin i/riiiiliiinlii-ii, Sculnria N(ir*nujH\ Mnrt/in-itn I'liiercn, 

 lirti. Miiri/nrifii n/r>it<it<i, M(-lt<rri>l<i.i- olixi'id'n, Puncturi'Ua iKxidiinii, Ton'u-vUn 

 s, Ti-iii'lii/ilrniniii nil/i'i-, Chiton various species, Anriniln i'i:><ti/<i var. 



iVinlill'ul lull's almiad nl' tin- li-nicity witli \vliicli I lie larger of tin "it- c-rca lines \\ ill attack man, and they 

 are <;icallv dn-ailcil Uy ilic -In ll-di\crs ol' tin- Soiuli Seas; I ml the truth is tin- ( 'nttlc-lish is timid, and will hide or run 

 away whenever lie can from anything so lai'^e and Mran^e as a man; that is, any Cullies smaller than Ihe giants of 

 Ncwil undhuul. A diver who tone-lied a laru'e Ootojms would iustineti\ i ly he sei/ed, of enursi-. sinee the . vealure would 

 know no ditl'ereut course of action; but voluntary attack is not credited by those who know most about the habits of the 

 .animal. 



