lANTHINA. 155 



coral reefs of the Meia-co-shima Islands^ making the shore 

 quite blue at the water line ; that^ also, he had captured 

 them in masses when adhering to one another by means of 

 the sucker-like fore-part of the foot^ in a manner analogous 

 to that of bees; but that, although alive and uninjured, 

 they never made the slightest effort to crawl, which mode 

 of progression seemed to be denied them. They can, how- 

 ever, put forth the end of a long proboscis when either 

 alarmed or injured, which proboscis is armed with numerous 

 curved hooks, and ejects a pretty violet-coloured fluid (which 

 appears to be evanescent as iodine), with the view most pro- 

 bably of bewildering their enemies. The sailing parties, 

 noticed by Mr. xidams, comprised about four distinct 

 species, which seemed in perfect harmony with one another; 

 they became more numerous towards the evening, and en- 

 tirely disappeared when the breeze sprang up and ruffled 

 the surface of the sea. 



The lanthina, thus wonderfully adapted to a watery 

 location, is endowed with the property of emitting a phos- 

 phorescent light, and stains the hand with a rich purple 

 colour, which is not easily removed. He is one of the very 

 few among fragile shell-covered moUusks that inhabit the 

 ocean ; but, although offering no resistance to the fury of 



