240 SEPIAD^. 



rugose, in the greater part, centrally, the sulci describing 

 semicircles, from the mucro upwards, and becoming broken 

 into rugosities laterally. Along the centre there is a broad 

 depressed, rounded longitudinal ridge, separated from the 

 sides by shallow, slightly-marked, and broad furrows, or 

 rather depressions. Near the posterior extremity is seen 

 the hard mucro. It is most prominent in young specimens. 

 The under surface is convex before, depressed and hollowed 

 out at the sides behind ; the former portions smooth, the 

 latter transversely striated. The margin widely projects be- 

 low and curves upwards and inwards, and inferiorly expands, 

 wing-like, around the nucleus of the shell. The substance of 

 the "cuttle-bone" is composed of numerous testaceous lami- 

 na?, separated from each other by a perpendicularly fibrous 

 calcified tissue, exhibiting a shining white and satiny lustre, 

 and having a pumiceous aspect and feel. Thus, extreme 

 lightness, in proportion to its bulk, is given to this body. 



The bone (often used for pounce), equals in length the 

 body, without the fins. A fine cuttle-fish, now before us, 

 taken by Mr. Mackie oft 1 Folkstone, measures nine inches 

 and a-half in length of body, to which one inch is added 

 as the breadth of the fins. The breadth of the body is six 

 inches. The head is three inches long and four inches 

 broad at the eyes. The arms are five inches in length, and 

 the tentacles a foot and a-half long. 



This animal seems to be generally distributed around 

 the shores of Britain. It is scarce to the north of our 

 islands, more common to the south, and exceedingly abun- 

 dant in the Mediterranean. Its eggs are dark oval, with 

 prominent summits, and have a membranous ring at their 

 bases, by which they are attached to sea-weed, or fixed to 

 each other so as to form masses of considerable numbers. 



