THE STAR-FISH THE POLYPUS. 



833 



stance of the animal itself. The indigestible 

 parts are returned by ttie same aperture by 

 which they were swallowed, and then the 

 star-fish begins to fish for more. These also 

 may be cut in pieces, and every, part will 

 survive the operation; each becoming a per- 

 fect animal, endued with its natural rapacity. 



Of this tribe, the number is various, and 

 the- description of each would be tedious arid 

 uninstructing; the manners and nature of all 

 are nearly as described : but I will just make 

 mention of oue creature, which, though not 

 properly belonging to this class, yet is so 

 nearly related, that the passing it in silence 

 would be an unpardonable omission. 



Of all other animals, the Cuttle-fish, though 

 in some respects superior to tlxis tribe, pos- 

 sesses qualities the most extraordinary. It 

 is about two feet long,, covered with a very 

 thin skin, and its flesh composed of a gelati- 

 nous substance, which, however, within-side, 

 is strengthened by a strong bone, of which 

 such great use is made by the goldsmith. It 

 is possessed of eight arms, which it extends, 

 and which are probably of service to it in 



fishing for its prey ; while in life, k is capable 

 of lengthening or contracting these at plea- 

 sure ; but, when dead, they contract, and 

 lose their rigidity. They feed upon small 

 fish, which they seize with their arms; and 

 they are bred from eggs, which are laid upon 

 the weeds along the sea-shore. 



The cuttle-fish is found along many of the 

 eoasts of Europe, but are not easily eawght, 

 from a contrivance with which they are fur- 

 nished by nature ; this is a black substance, of 

 the colour of ink, which is contained in a 

 bladder generally on the left side of the belly, 

 and which is ejected in the manner of an ex- 

 crement from the anus. Whenever, there- 

 fore, this fish is pursued, and when it finds a 

 difficulty of escaping, it spurts forth a great 

 quantity of this black liquor, by which (lie 

 waters are totally darkened-, and then it 

 escapes by lying close at the bottom. In 

 this manner the creature finds its safety ; and 

 men find ample cause for admiration, from 

 the great variety of stratagems with which 

 creatures are endued for their peculiar pre- 

 servation. 



CHAPTER CXCIX. 



OF THE POLYPUS.. 



THOSE animals which we have described 

 in the last chapter are variously denominated. 

 They have been called the Star-fish, Sea- 

 nettles, and Sea-polypi. This last name has 

 been peculiarly ascribed' to them by the an- 

 cients, because of the number of feelers or 

 feet of which they are all possessed, and with, 

 which they have a slow progressive motion ; 

 but the moderns have given the name of Poly- 

 pus to a reptile that lives in fresh water, by 

 no means so large or observable. These 

 are found at the bottom of wet ditches, or at- 

 tached to the under surface of the broad- 

 leafed plants that grow and swim on. the wa. 

 ters. The same difference holds between 

 these and the sea-water polypus, as between, 

 $11 the productions of the sea, and of the land- 

 and the ocean,. The marine vegetables and 



animals grow to a monstrous size. The eel, 

 the pike, or the bream, of fresh waters, is but 

 small ; but in the sea they grow to an enor- 

 mous magnitude. The herbs of the field are 

 at most but a few feet high; those of the sea- 

 often shoot forth a stnlk of a hundred. It is 

 so between (lie Polypi of both,, elements. 

 Those of the sea are found from, two feet in 

 length to three or four, and Pliny has even 

 described one, the arms oC which were no 

 less than thirty feet long. Those in fresh 

 waters, however, are comparatively, minute ; 

 at their utmost sjze seldom above three parts 

 of. an inch long, and when gathered up into 

 their usual form, not above a third- even of 

 those dimensions* 



It was upon thfse minute animals, that the- 

 power of dissection was first tried va mulli- 



