TWO YOUNG NATURALISTS. 63 



surrounded by a broad border ; from this grey and 

 gelatinous body a short tube came out, and above this 

 a head of a shape defying definition, but recalling 

 somewhat the head of an elephant, with two square 

 eyes, whose iris gleamed like molten gold. 



The trunk (if we may so call the curious appendage 

 at the end of the animal) was abruptly divided, form- 

 ing eight short elastic arms, furnished with suckers. 

 Two other processes, longer and more slender than 

 the rest of the arms, each terminated in a swelling or 

 dilatation covered with suckers. 



The animal was no doubt greatly disturbed by the 

 evolutions and barking of Black, for it continually 

 changed its colour in an abrupt manner, at once remind- 

 ing Bene* of the two well-known lines of Deroulede 



" II devint tout bleu, de bleu devint rouge, 

 De rouge violet, et de violet, mort ! " * 



" This introduces you to the cuttle-fish or Sepia," 

 said Le"on. " It is, like its cousin the Octopus, a great 

 destroyer of crabs and small fish. These it seizes with 

 its suckers as they pass, or perhaps destroys them by 

 the stroke of its two clubs. Its beak you cannot see 

 at present, as it is concealed behind its arms, but it is 

 very hard and cutting (I speak from experience), and 

 in shape is not very different from the beak of a 

 parrot." 



* ' ' He turned quite blue, from blue became red. 

 From red, violet, and from violet, dead ! " 



