306 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



although it feels not unlike a kind of cartilage. 

 The arms or feet, eight* in number, are arranged 

 around the top of the head, and are covered with 

 a multitude of small circular disks raised above 

 the surface of the adjoining skin. From the 

 midst of these arms extend two long tentacula, 

 which are thickened at the ends and furnished, 

 like the shorter arms, with similar disks or suckers. 

 The mouth of the animal consists of a powerful 

 beak like that of a parrot. The eyes are large 

 and prominent, and when the creature is alive 

 and in vigour are not only bright and staring, 

 but have a look of intelligence and even of fero- 

 city. The singular appearance of this creature 

 is accompanied by habits no less remarkable. 

 The members or limbs, already referred to, are 

 used by it both as arms and legs. It walks at 

 the bottom of the water with them, having its 

 mouth and head downwards, and its body up- 

 wards ; it also swims partly by these means, and 

 employs them moreover in the capture of its 

 prey, to which it attaches itself by means of the 

 suckers before mentioned, which are furnished 

 with muscles for creating a vacuum, as is the case 

 of the disk of the limpet already referred to. As 

 to its jaws or mandibles they are a very formidable 

 weapon, and can easily break open many species 

 of crustaceans and shell-fish. One would think 

 that the soft body of the cuttle-fish would avail 

 it little against the attack of a lobster with its 

 formidable claws. There can be no doubt, how- 

 ever, that even a lobster is no match for a large 



