- 
be adduced the very remarkabie and curious genus 
Argonauta or Paper-Nautilus, which 1s inhabited by an 
animal of an appearance fo widely removed from thofe 
- of moft of the Univalves, as almoft to make doubtful 
the reality of its being the genuine and proper inhabi- 
tant of the fhell in which it refides. Linnzus accord- 
ingly has well obferved, that unlefs the evidence of fo 
many eye-witnefles had enforced belief, it might have 
been reafonably imagined that an animal fo unlike the 
reft of the tribe, was only a ufurper of the fhell; in 
the fame manner as the Cancer Diogenes and a few 
others, which take poffeffion of fuch vacant fhells as 
happen to fuit their convenience. The inhabitant of 
the Argonauta, if feen detached from its fhell, might 
pafs for a real Sepia, and bears fo great a refemblance 
to the Sepia octopodia or eight-armed Cuttle-fifh, that 
the principal difference confifts in its being furnifhed at 
the extremities of two of it arms with a pair of mem- 
branes of an oval form, which, during its occafional 
navigations on the furface of a calm fea, it raifes up- 
right and expands to the gale; while by the affiftance 
of the fix remaining arms it rows itfelf along. It feems 
impoffible that fo curious a fpe&acle could have efcaped 
the particular obfervation of mankind. Accordingly 
we find it defcribed by various authors: by none how- 
ever more elegantly than by Pliny, whofe fhort and 
beautiful defcription, has generally been quoted by mo- 
dern writers. 
** But amongft the principal miracles of nature is the - 
animal called Nautilos or Pompilos. It afcends to the 
furface of the fea in a fupine pofture, and gradually 
raifing itfelf up, forces out by means of its tube all the 
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