SEPIA. 9 



The nascent Sepia extended about three hnes. It was universally of a 

 watery blue colour, finely speckled red ; the eye large, round, black, and set 

 in a golden orbit. It swam vivaciously in a retrograde direction through 

 the water of a capacious vessel. The dimensions had sensibly augmented 

 in the eourse of a few hours ; yet the configuration of the external 

 organs remained imperfect ; the tentacula stout and tiiangular, curving 

 towards each other ; and the inside of the larger, when subjected to the 

 microscope, appearing studded with suckers. Two delicate fins were on 

 the convexity of the sac. But it is extremely difficult to apply such an 

 object to the microscope, both on account of its size and vivacity. What- 

 ever be the dimensions of these creatures, they constantly rise towards 

 the surface of the water, and pursue their course around the sides of 

 the vessel. — Fig. 7, Nascent Sepia ; Fig. 8, the same, more enlarged. 



The first animal was hatched in thirty days. It had burst the inte- 

 gument by the protrusion of the sac, followed by the head and tentacula. 

 Other three, alike beautiful and vivacious as their precursors, escaped 

 next morning, June 13. The eyes of these young animals, large, round, 

 and black, are double the size of the ink bag. They are just at the root 

 of the tentacula ; and when the Sepia seeks the side of the vessel towards 

 the light, they are of a beautiful green. The number liberated amounted 

 to fourteen in another da}^, including one which died in the birth. 



The figure and position of the organs were distinctly exposed by the 

 microscope on the IGth. The two fins, resembling thin transparent leaves, 

 with the most delicate veins, proved triangular, and affixed by the apex 

 to the animal rather below the base outwards. Viewed from below, the 

 eye was very large, both tlie pupil and iris, with a circular depression in 

 the centre of the pupil. At this period only six of the tentacula were 

 visible, with the rudiments of other two perhaps at the roots of t he shortest. 

 The tube may be discerned between the roots of the latter. 



Some internal organization was likewise exposed by the transparence 

 of the integuments. Two ovoidal masses, double the size of the eyes, 

 appear behind them. This is lower, and toAvards the sac, supposing the 

 tentacula upwards ; and within the sac itself, towards the bottom, are 

 the gills or branchiiB, if this name be appropriate to express internal 



B 



