teuthidjE. 127 



and position of the oral region, and the disposition of 

 the internal organs are the same in both." 



A. DEC A' CERA, De Blainville. Decapcda, Fer. 



and D'Orb. 



Mantle expanded on each side : tentacles 2, elongated, en- 

 larged and club-shaped at the extremity : arms 8 ; each 

 sucker supported by a short stalk, and encircled by a horny 

 ring : gills partly attached. 



Shell consisting of a cartilaginous or cellular plate. 



Family I. TEU'THID^E, Owen. 



Mantle furnished on each side with a fin or wing-like lobe. 

 Shell cartilaginous or laminar, and pen-like. 



f Body elongated and cylindrical : fins triangular, coalescing 

 at the base of the mantle, so as to form a rhomb : sucker- 

 cups having their edges spinous. 



Commonly known as " Squids." They often swim in 

 shoals. The larger kinds, as well as the Sepia, are in 

 great request by the fishermen on our southern coasts 

 for bait. They are caught by trawling, and also close to 

 the land with a seine net, or from a boat with a rod and 

 long line. In the last case, when the squid or cuttlefish 

 is hooked, it is drawn in slowly, and, then, being gaffed 

 in the tail, it is held at a short distance from the boat to 

 allow it to discharge its ink. It is said that they fre- 

 quent the shore in pursuit of the fry of pilchards and 

 other fishes, and that the young squids take shelter in 

 the mantle-pouch of their parent. 



