230 



BY THE DEEP SEA. 



it into an aquarium, I saw my mistake at once. The bundle 

 unrolled, and some loose wraps, shaking themselves out, re- 

 solved themselves into tentacles and marginal lobes. The 

 foot lengthened out, and I saw the creature had a distinct 

 neck, with a broad muzzle between the first pair of tentacles. 

 The second pair were folded, so as to present a strong sug- 

 gestion of the ears of a hare, and this is precisely the idea 

 suggested to fishermen in many countries, by whom the Aplysia 

 was first called Sea-hare, or Leptis 

 marinus. When it is viewed from the I 

 front, as in the smaller illustration, the | 

 illusion is strengthened. It has the habit 

 of pouring out a violet fluid from the j 

 edge of the mantle when handled, which \ 

 is probably intended, like the Sepia's I 

 ink, to produce a cloud, under cover of | 

 which the Sea-hare can safely retreat, j 

 In other days, this fluid was regarded 

 with horror as a poison, and an indel- 

 ible stain. From this last notion the 

 creature got its name, Aplysia, which 

 is from two Greek words, meaning 

 unwashable, filthy. Its second name, 

 depilans, is also reminiscent of those old notions, for it was 

 thought that mere contact with the dreaded creature would 

 cause the hair to fall off. The Sea-hare of the present 

 generation, however, is quite harmless, as I can testify, what- 

 ever may have been the real or assumed character of his 

 ancestors. 



SEA-HARE, FRONT VIEW. 



