ECONOMIC VALUE OF CUTTLE-FISHES. 97 



beautiful nacreous opalescence and play of colours. In some 

 parts of Italy the women use these lenses as beads for necklaces. 

 I have seen them thus worn at Genoa on festival days. They 

 appear also to have been used as ornaments by the ancient 

 Peruvians. Dr. J. E. Gray, in his " Spicilegia Zoological' pub- 

 lished in 1828, says that the Rev. Mr. Hennah brought to this 

 country several of a large size which he found in the tombs and 

 old habitations of the natives ; and that Mr. Stutchbury had 

 informed him that the Sandwich Islanders sold these lustrous 

 eyes to the Russians as pearls. 



The " cuttle-bone " or dorsal plate of Scpia^ sometimes called 

 " sea-biscuit," from its shape and its being frequently found float- 

 ing on the surface of the water, is used, when pounded, as polish- 

 ing powder, by jewellers, and, under the name of " pounce," to 

 smooth writing-paper Vv'here an erasure has been made with a 

 penknife. Known as " white coral powder," it used to be re- 

 garded as the very best dentifrice,"" and was formerly prescribed 

 in medicine as an antacid and absorbent. 



The Roman ladies employed it, burned and pulverised, as a 

 cosmetic for the face ; and it was, no doubt, a good substitute for 

 the "pearl powder" now in fashion. Broken pieces of it are 

 also occasionally placed between the wires of the cages of song- 

 birds, for them to peck at, instead of chalk or other calcareous 

 substances. 



The "ink" which the cuttle-fish has the power of ejecting when 

 alarmed, for the purpose of obscuring the water and hiding its own 

 retreat, was formerly used in writing. Cicero mentions this use 

 of it, and from it is also made the true " sejpia " of artists. I 

 have more than once lately seen it stated that the ink of the 

 cuttle-fish is no longer employed for this purpose, and that 

 *' sepia " is now prepared from lamp-black. A great deal of 

 rubbish of this kind is probably sold ; but I have recently seen 



* One of the recipes for " areca-nut tooth-powder " is : — " Ground areca- 

 nuts, three parts ; cuttle bone, one part ; flavour with cloves or cassia." 



H 



