234 



BY THE DEEP SEA. 



ingly light for their size, one of average proportions (7! by 2^- 

 inches) weighing less than one ounce. This is the average of 

 the large shells one finds upon the beach, but a full-sized one 

 would be about ten inches in length. It is technically known 

 as the sepiostaire, but " Cuttle -shell " (not "bone") is good 

 enough for common use. It should be observed that this 

 shell serves as a complete shield for the back of the Sepia, it 

 being merely covered by the mantle, to which, however, it is 

 not attached. Besides its value as a shield to the Sepia, it is 

 also useful as a float, for the Sepia is an active swimming 

 creature, not a crawler on the sea-bottom like the Octopus. 



The Sepia's ink-bag must not be 

 forgotten; you are not likely to forget 

 it if you capture a Cuttle. On one 

 occasion when I had been out in the 

 sean-boat capturing mackerel, I saw 

 several Sepias swimming about among 

 the imprisoned fish, and a couple of 

 these contrived to be dipped up in the 

 tucking mound, and cast into the boat 

 with the fish. One of these I claimed 

 as part of my share, but when we landed 

 the creature was in such a mess with his 

 own spilt ink that I essayed to wash him 

 in a pool. I soon tired of that, for the 

 more I washed, the more freely the ink 

 was poured out. The Sepia sometimes 

 visits the fish-nets and scans in shoals, 



and does great damage to the catch ; but fish are equally fond 

 of Sepia, and if you can get hold of a couple of these, or of 

 Squid, on starting for a fishing excursion, to cut up for bait, 

 you will scarcely want anything better. The Sepia's eggs, in 

 clusters not unlike bunches of grapes, are frequently cast 

 up on the shore by storms, and there is no great difficulty 

 in hatching out such of the eggs as have not been injured by 



