288 SUPPLEMENT 
proportion as it is nourished by the vitellus it acquires more’ 
and more resemblance to the mother, and, while it resembles. 
her completely, it continues for some time to swim in the 
interior of the fluid which fills the egg, and which has taken 
place of the vitellus. Accordingly, when accidentally at this 
period the envelope of the egg is broken, the little animal issues 
forth, and swims with as much facility and elegance as the 
mother. Its eyes perceive obstacles in the same manner; in 
a word, it is in full possession of all its faculties. In the or- 
dinary state it is probable that the parietes of the envelope, 
distended by the fluid, which is doubtless introduced there 
by transudation from the exterior to the interior, conclude by 
bursting, which gives issue to the young sepia. We are igno- 
rant how much time is necessary for its complete develop- 
ment from the period when the egg is laid, but it is probable 
that it cannot be very long, since the eggs of the sepia are 
often found on the coast at the end of July, the little ones in 
which, extracted artificially, are altogether complete. 
This little sepia is then scarcely five or six lines in length, 
though destined to arrive at neatly a foot long, with a propor- 
tional breadth. We are altogether ignorant of the time which 
is necessary for this growth; nevertheless, if we give credit to 
what Aristotle again affirms, that the sepiz, like the loligines, 
live but a short time, and rarely attain to their second year, 
we must admit that their growth must be extremely rapid, 
which appears by no means probable. 
The sepiz exert no great influence on the external world, if 
it be not upon the animal kingdom, in consequence of the 
species of fish and crustacea on which they feed, and because 
they themselves are food for a great number of marine ani- 
mals, for fish, cetacea, &c. 
Even man employs them sometimes as food, as well as the 
calamary (loligo), at least on the coasts of the Mediterranean 
