OF CEPHALOPODA. 209 



inner face of each of the eisfht shorter arms is covered from base 



O 



to tapering tip with a double row of suckers, by which the animal 

 adheres with great tenacity to its prey, and in fact to the hand 

 that makes it captive. The longer pair of arms (t l ) have a uni- 

 form thickness from the base to near the tip, where they expand 

 moderately into a sort of spindle-shaped disc, covered by numer- 

 ous suckers like those on the shorter arms. 



With these arms, and a pair of large, staring eyes, (e,) the 

 Squid may be truly said to have a formidable aspect. And such 

 it proves itself to be to one who may incautiously take hold of 

 it; quick as a cat it throws its head around to the hand which 

 seizes it, fastens its slimy arms to the skin, and buries its sharp, 

 hooked jaws (m) in the flesh. Fortunately, our native species is 

 but just large enough to draw blood from the hand. Rarely 

 does the body exceed ten inches in length. The foreign species, 

 some of which have arms as thick as a man's thigh, and jaws 

 as large as those of a snapping-turtle, are much more formi- 

 dable. 



Most of the internal organization is included under the cover 

 of the mantle, the organs of the head alone being excepted. 



The mouth is a highly distensible aperture which lies at the 

 bottom of a sort of cup which is formed by the circle of arms 

 and a membrane which extends between the bases of the latter. 

 Immediately within the mouth is a pair of horny jaws, (w,) 

 placed one above and the other below, in such a way that the 

 upper slides over the lower one so as to cut like a pair of shears. 

 From this point the throat, forming a narrow tube, (th,) passes 

 obliquely through the neck to the lower side of the body, where 

 it extends (t/i l ) along the middle line, with a moderate increase 

 in thickness, to a point just behind the first half of the body, 

 and immediately under the heart (/*). At this place it expands 

 sideways, to the left, into the first stomach, (.$,) or crop; a highly 

 muscular, oval organ, which tapers away posteriorly and ends 

 about half-way to the end of the tail. After giving off this 

 blind sac, it becomes the intestine, which proceeds but a short 

 distance, and then opens into the true stomach. This is a large 



14 



