^8 Natural-Historical Collections. 



lours of these globules. And he gives the following instances from species in- 

 habiting the Mediterranean Sea, two of which are now first described. 



1. Loligo vulgaris has three orders of chromophorous organs, yellow, rose* 

 red, and brown- Those of the first order are less numerous and smaller than 

 the others ; those of the second are more numerous and of greater size ; the 

 third, or those of brown colour, are the largest of all, in greater numbers 

 than the first, but less numerous than the second. On the superior part of 

 the head and body small globules of all the orders of colours exist. On the con. 

 fines of the lateral parts, and on the inferior surface, yellow and red are alone seen. 



2. Loligo sagittata has four orders of chromophorous globules, saffron, rose- 

 red, deep blue, and light blue. The superior part of the head, of the sac, 

 and the arms, are ornamented with deep blue and light blue in different propor- 

 tions ; the lateral and inferior parts of the body and of the wings are of a saffron 

 and rose colour ; and the arms present all the four colours. 



3. Sepiola Rondeletii is the only example, amongst all the cephalopoda ob. 

 served by our author, in which there exists a single order of chromophorous organs 

 over the whole of the body. They are all brown approaching to black. 



4. Sepia officinalis has two orders of coloured globules, ochre-colour and deep 

 chestnut, which are in equal proportions. Those of deep chestnut-colour are so 

 accumulated on the skin which covers the shell that the ochre-coloured globules 

 cannot be perceived, and they give almost a black colouB to the surface ; but 

 these two orders become separately visible on the fringe, the head, and the arms, 

 where they are least numerous. 



5. Octopus moschatus, like all the species of this genus examined by M. San 

 Giovanni, has only two orders of globules, saffron and deep chestnut-colour. The 

 latter predominate on the superior surface, whilst the former prevail on the infe. 

 rior surface. 



6. Octopus leucoderma, San Giov., has two orders of chromophorous organs, 

 light chesnut and ochre-colour, the former larger than the latter. The sclerotic 

 is also covered with these coloured globules. 



7. Octopus macropodus, San Giov., 1ms three orders of coloured organs, saf. 

 fron, deep chestnut, and deep blue approaching to black. The iris of this new 

 species is distinguished not only by blue or ultramarine colour, but also by deep 

 chestnut-coloured globules, which are found in no other part of the body, and 

 which produce an admirable contrast with the elegant colour of the membrane on 

 which they move. 



8. Octopus vulgarish furnished with four orders of globules, saffron, red (lees of 

 wine,) blackish, and bluish. The superior part of the body is covered with pale- 

 red, blackish, and saffron -coloured globules. On the head the blackish globules 

 are in great numbers, and the saffron globules abound only in the circumference 

 of the eye. The iris presents red and bluish globules. 



9. Argonauta Argo unites all the orders of globules which are found in the 

 other cephalopoda ; which gives a great variety of colours to the surface, varying 

 with every change of light. 



Chronological Table of the most important known encroachments made by the 

 Sea, since the Eighth Century ; by M. Adrien Balbi. 



A. D. 800. About this period, the sea carried off" a great part of the soil of 

 the island of Heligoland, situated between the mouths of the Weser and the Elbe. 



800 — 900. During the course of this century, many tempests made a consi- 

 derable change in the coast of Brittany ; vallies and villages were swallowed up- 



800 — 950. Violent storms agitated the lakes of Venice, and destroyed the islea 

 of Ammiano and Constanziaco, mentioned in the ancient chronicles. 



1044—1309. Terrible irruptions of the Baltic Sea on the coasts of Pomera- 

 nia, made great ravages, and gave rise to the popular tales of the submersion of 

 the pretended town of Vineta, whose existence is chimerical, notwithstanding the 

 imposing authority of Kant and other learned men. 



