STRUCTURE OF CUTTLE-FISH. 307 



cuttle-fish, naked and exposed although the latter 

 appears to be. By means of its suckers it can 

 easily tie together the pincers of the lobster so 

 that they cannot open, and while its prey is thus 

 rendered helpless, it can tear off with its power- 

 ful beak, as with a forceps, the crust in which its 

 victim's body is encased. 



On examining that part of the animal from 

 which the head protrudes, a tube or funnel is dis- 

 covered, which is connected with its branchiae or 

 breathing organs. To these organs the water is 

 admitted, as it is admitted to the gills of fishes, 

 but by a different apparatus. It gains access by 

 valves which allow it to enter on the muscular 

 dilatation of its body ; and when the water so ad- 

 mitted has communicated its oxygen to the blood, 

 it is expelled by the tube referred to; as in the 

 case of fishes, it is driven out at the gills. But the 

 cuttle-fish is said to employ this funnel or tube for 

 another purpose ; for, by ejecting the water from 

 it with force, it is, by the reaction of the sur- 

 rounding medium, enabled to dart backward with 

 amazing velocity out of the reach of danger. While 

 therefore it swims forward with rapidity by means 

 of the fin-like expansion of its tail, it possesses 

 in the hydraulic apparatus now mentioned an 

 additional organ of locomotion in a contrary 

 direction. It thus appears that the apparatus 

 adapted primarily for breathing is applicable 

 to an additional purpose under the impulse of 

 instinct. 



Another most remarkable peculiarity distin- 



X 2 



