96 POLYPUS OF THE ANCIENTS. 



The ink which thus plays such an important part in the 

 economy of the Cephalopods, furnishes the well-known " sepia ' 

 of the artist, while it is also believed to constitute the principal 

 ingredient in the Chinese or Indian ink. It is an interesting 

 fact, too, that in the Belemnite (a fossil Cephalopod allied to the 

 Cuttle-fish, whose remains have been entombed in the solid rock 

 for countless ages), the ink-bag has frequently been found in an 

 almost perfect state of preservation, with the ink itself retaining 

 much of its original character. Dr. Buckland once gave some of 

 this fossilized ink, if we may so term it, to the late Sir Francis 

 Chantrey, requesting him to try its power as a pigment. A 

 drawing was made with a portion of the ink, and shown to a 

 celebrated artist, who immediately pronounced the sepia to be of 

 excellent quality, and begged to know by what colourman it was 

 prepared. 



But enough about the funnel, and what pertains thereto ; let 

 us look now at the arms of our Cuttle-fish. 



Observe, then, that two out of the ten arms are much longer 

 than the others, and that, instead of tapering to a point, they 

 are of the same thickness throughout, excepting at the extremity, < 

 where there is a broad flattened expansion, studded on the inner 

 side with similar circular discs to those observed on the other 

 arms. And now examine one of those discs. Look at it at- 

 tentively, for . Stay, though ; there is another Cephalopod 



to be met with on the shore here, in which we may see these 

 discs to greater advantage than in the Cuttle-fish ; and, as it is 

 now dead low-water, we shall probably find one of them lurking 

 somewhere in the tide-pools, or else prowling among the rocks. 



Leave the Cuttle-fish to the Crabs, and let us commence the 

 search. Never mind a few drops of salt water, but turn up the 

 clustering sea-weeds, and look into every hole and cranny, for 

 the gentleman ensconces himself in them sometimes. Here, 

 clamber this way, and but look ! there is one of the fellows 

 under that ledge of rock. Sec how he drags himself over the 

 sand, his great arms twining about as he moves along. What 

 eyes ! what a frightful beast ! Jump down, and let me introduce 

 him to you. Octopus vulgaris, ladies and gentlemen : the com- 

 mon Poulpe or Preke, the famous Polypus of the ancients. Now, 

 sir, move this way, and show yourself. We have here, you 

 perceive, a Cephalopod of a different pattern from the Cuttle- 



