70 DIBRANCHIATA.—-SEPIADA, 
one of the naked Cephalopods snugly harboured in 
a recess in the rock. They looked at each other, 
and the Cuttle, who had his eyes about him, and 
knew well how to use them, upon seeing the enemy 
advance, took good aim, and shot so true that he 
covered the snowy inexpressibles with the contents 
of his ink-bag, and rendered them unpresentable 
either in drawing-room or dining-room.” * 
Entangled among the sea-weeds washed up on 
the sea-beach in the latter part of summer, we 
occasionally see what at first sight we are ready to 
take for a bunch of purple grapes. ‘The fisherman 
indeed calls them sea-grapes, so close is the like- 
ness in colour, size, and aggregation. But if we 
take the cluster into our hand and examine it, we 
shall see that their texture is leathery, or somewhat 
like India-rubber, that the extremity of each berry 
runs out to a point, and that its base springs from 
a fleshy cord which clings and entwines irregularly 
around the marine plants. ‘These berries are the 
eges of the Cuttle-fish, and if we were to open the 
tough skin of one, we should find either the white 
yolk and clear glaire, or else the infant animal, 
perhaps fully formed and ready to take advantage 
of this premature opening of his prison, by darting 
out, with all his organs perfected and all his wits 
about him. 
The parrot-like beak presents a strong exception 
to the general softness of this animal ; it is so hard, 
stout, and stony, and moved by such powerful 
muscles, that the strong shells of bivalves and uni- 
valves are not able to resist its force: even the hard 
and stony limpet is dragged from its attachment, 
and crushed to pieces in these powerful mandibles. 
* Penny Cyclop. art. SEPIADZ. 
