12 SEPIA. 



appearance of the animal. It seems to be the vitellus, or the integu- 

 ments with the residue of the vitellus, which accompanies the young 

 animal in its birth, and immediately afterwards separates, naturally, 

 when it is discovered to be of a balloon shape, with the swell outwards. 

 If the young animal dies on being produced, it does not separate, re- 

 maining in dtn. Thus it appears when free, Plate II. fig. 12 ; and when 

 retained, figs. 13, 14. 



It is interesting to witness the diminution of the pearl in propor- 

 tion to the enlargement of the body, just as the yolk of the egg is ab- 

 sorbed by the young chicken or the young skate in their j^irogress. 



When these creatures perish in the birth, it may be from the contents 

 of the pearl not being sufficiently absorbed to allow the tentacula to close 

 over it. One remained partly protruded during thirteen hours, and 

 perished. The transparence of this young brood exposed i)ulsation .suf- 

 ficiently. A long oblique vessel seemed to discharge a colourless fluid 

 upwards, into the parts connected with the neck or head. Many corre- 

 sponding facts were demonstrated by the young from spawn, which I 

 had reason to conclude to be that of the Sepiola. This was found in the 

 immediate vicinity of fig. 1, presumed to be the parent. 



At first it was dingy white or of a faint j-ellowish tinge, and appa- 

 rently contained about twenty substances, ii-regularly globular. Motion 

 became perceptible in two days, and two prominent black specks. In 

 two or three days longer, the advancing foetus was speckled brown. A 

 nascent animal, extending about an eighth of an inch, escaped on the 

 first of August As the tentacula are unequally or successively developed, 

 I do not know how far the nascent Sepia of any species is to be identi- 

 fied with the adult. Here a similar intumescence of the ova had ensued ; 

 the motion of the young resembled that of those above described ; and 

 every stimulus tended to darken their colour. Seventeen embr30s at- 

 tained maturity : six remained abortive. The propagation of the Sepia 

 ensues in June, and throughout the course of July. The embrj^os ob- 

 viously require a considerable time to attain maturity. The nascent 

 Sepioe are very delicate ; none of tliose from the large grape living above 



