42 SEPIID^. 



Shell cellular, calcareous. 



In the Cuttle-fishes, the animal has elongated tentacular 

 arms, expanded at their ends; the body is oval, or rounded, 

 and depressed ; the lower eyelid is distinct ; the buccal 

 membrane is without cups ; the sessile arms have four 

 rows of cujis; the horny rings of the cups are convex, 

 without any external ridges ; the tentacular arms are en- 

 tirely retractile into the cell at their base ; the siphuncle 

 is furnished with an internal valve ; and the shell is filled 

 with irregular cells, without any siphon. 



Genus SEPIA, Plinius. 



Body oblong, with lateral fins as long as itself. 



Shell as wide and long as the body, very thick in front, con- 

 cave internally behind, terminating in a prominent mucro. 



Ex. S. officinalis, Linnaeus, pi. 5, fig. 2. Shell, S. ofii- 

 cinalis, fig. 2, a. 



The Cuttles sometimes attain to an enormous size; the 

 cuttle-bone was formerly used by apothecaries as an ant- 

 acid. Dr. Mason Good asserts that the Sepice aid and 

 regulate their motions by the power they have of intro- 

 ducing, at option, air into the numerous cells of the back- 

 bone, and thus, at will, varying their proportionable weight 

 to the water in which they live : they comprise numerous 

 species, and inhabit all seas. 



Species of Sepia. 



aculeata, Van Hasselt. Hierredda, Rang. 



Apama, Gray. latimana, Quoy and Gai7n. 



Bertheloti, D'Orh. and Ferus. Lefebrei, UOrh. 



elongata, UOrh. and Ferus. Lycidas, Gray. 



gibbosa, Ehrenb. officinalis, Linn. 



