LECTURES ON MOLLUSCA. 13 



three feet. It must be remembered that these are not mere feelers, like 

 the antennae of insects, but strong muscular threads beaded with 

 suckers, and armed with four rows of pedunculated claws on the ex- 

 panded ends. How easily these will encircle any unhappy creature 

 floating at a distance, and carry it to the mouth, to be torn up by the 

 horny bills, is at once evident. How so small a body can work the 

 muscles at such a tremendous leverage, without any support but a 

 loose horny pen, is indeed a marvel. 



The Veiled-calamaries, (Histioteuthis,) have six of their arms webbed 

 together, leaving the other arms and tentacles loose. It resembles 

 half an expanded umbrella. One of the species " rivals in color the 

 brilliancy of the butterflies of tropical suns. The large membrane 

 which unites its arms is of a rich purple, and the suckers are sapphire, 

 the under surface being studded with blue and yellow spots on a 

 reddish ground,, sprinkled with purple spots." 



Family ONYCHOTEUTHID^E. (Sea- Arrows.) 



These creatures have the mantle supported by three internal car- 

 tilages. The eyes are exposed, and furnished with a slit above. The 

 breathing-pipe has a valve, as in Cranchia. They are very numer- 

 ous, and have been divided into the following genera : Enoploteutliis 

 (Armed-calamary), AncistrocJieiruSj Abralia, Verania, Acantlioteutliis , 

 (Spiny-calamary) ; Onychoteuthis (Hooked-calamary) ; Ancistroteuihis, 

 Onychia; Ommastreplies (Sea- Arrows, or Flying-squids); and Tliysano- 

 teuthis (Fringed-calamary). 



Among the active cephalopods, perhaps the most vigorous swim- 

 mers are the Armed calamaries. They are the dread of the shell 

 divers of the Pacific Islands ; for the arms have, beside the suckers, 

 double rows of horny hooks concealed by retractile webs. A cat's 

 paw is quite sufficiently disagreeable, with her five claws ; but for a 

 bather to feel his naked body embraced with eight snake-like arms, 

 with cat's-paw weapons on the whole length, and leech-like suckers 

 in addition, to say nothing of the long tentacles still more powerfully 

 armed,* and directed by two great staring eyes, much more service- 

 able than a man's in the water, the possessor of which can instantly 

 hide himself by a discharge of ink, is not pleasant even from a crea- 

 ture the size of a cat : but when it is remembered that some of them 

 are six feet across, and that they do not kill quickly like the shark, 

 but tear their prey piecemeal, we feel thankful to live in safer lati- 

 tudes. In the Hooked calamaries , besides the hook-armed cups, there 

 is a group of ordinary suckers, at the beginning of the expanded part 

 of the tentacles. When these touch each other, they resemble the 

 hinge of a pair of pliers, and the unfortunate beast hooked in between 

 the flaps is drawn by the united strength of both arms to be torn to 

 death at the top of the cuttle's head. It is a merciful provision that 

 his great eyes, so necessary for him in locomotion and attack, are 

 spared the sight of the tortures he inflicts upon his prey. The hooks 



*The tentacle suckers of the calamary suggested the obstetric forceps of Prof. Simpson. 

 3M 



