SEPIA. 3 



sac to the eye nearly six inches ; from the extremity to the upper edge 

 of the mantle nine inches ; thickness of the body lying in a plate nearly 

 six inches ; diameter of the longest sucker nine inches ; weight twenty- 

 seven ounces. 



The singular form, the arrangement and proportion of the diflerent 

 parts of this animal, will be much better understood from inspecting the 

 Plate, than from any description. Among the most prominent features 

 are two projecting eyes or golden orbits, immediately above the margin 

 of the sac ; a wide mouth, spreading upwards, with eight tentacula sur- 

 rounding it ; and a row of hard suckers clothing each of these from the 

 root to the extremity. Towards the left side a tubular organ issues from 

 within the sac. 



On the side of the sac a narrow marginal fin is seen, in some speci- 

 mens, as if dividing the back and belly. 



The mouth of the animal is situate in the centre of the tentacula, 

 the suckers of which consist of about sixty or seventy in adults of 

 medium size. Probably their number and dimensions augment with 

 age. But the row is single, though some naturalists, misled by that con- 

 traction of the parts concomitant on weakness or death, have ascribed 

 two to the tentaculum. Then they are in a kind of alternate arrange- 

 ment. 



The predominant colour of this species is reddish-brown, brighter or 

 paler above ; whitish below ; the eyes black ; the suckers white. 



But nothing can be more variable or readier to delude the ti'ansient 

 observer than the colour. Sometimes the body is almost of a uniform 

 reddish hue, which quickly breaks into patches of different intensity, 

 and is suddenly intermingled with white ; next it becomes speckled, or 

 flashes again, then fading in cloudy evanescence. 



These variations apparently result either from spasmodic affections, 

 dependent on the health, or strength, or voUtion of the animal. After a 

 specimen became motionless, pale, and to all appearance dead, a beautiful 

 iridescence was displayed by the edges of the web, faint-brown spread 

 over the back, and part of the tentacula, on being transferred to recent 

 sea-water. All these faded again. Next, on transference to spirit of 



