THE KRAKEN. 



335 



Of the ten-footed section of the cephalopods, there are 

 four " families ; " two only of which exist in Britain the 

 Teuthida, and the Sepiidce. The Teuthidce are the Cala- 

 maries, popularly known as " Squids," and are represented 

 by the long-bodied Loligo vulgaris, that has internally, 

 along its back, a gristly, translucent stiffener, shaped like a 

 quill-pen ; from which and its ink it derives its names of 

 " calamary " (from " calamus? a " pen "), " pen-and-ink 

 fish," and " sea-clerk." The Sepiida are generally known 

 as the Cuttles proper. As a type of them we may take the 

 common " cuttle-fish," Sepia officinalis, the owner of the 

 hard, calcareous shell often thrown up on the shore, and 

 known as " cuttle-bone," or " sea-biscuit" 



It must be here remarked, that as these head-footed mol- 

 lusks are not " fish," any more than lobsters, crabs, oysters, 

 mussels, &c., which fishmongers call " shell-fish," are " fish,' 

 the word " fish " is misleading, and should be abandoned ; 

 and secondly, that the names " cuttle " and " squid," as dis- 

 tinctive appellations, are unsatisfactory. The word " cuttle " 

 is derived from " cuddle," to hug, or embrace in allusion 

 to the manner in which the animal seizes its prey, and en- 

 folds it in its arms ; and " squid " is derived from " squirt," 

 in reference to its habit of squirting water or ink. But as 

 all the known members of the class, except the pearly 

 nautilus, Nautilus pompilius, have these habits in common, 

 the distinguishing terms are hardly apposite. As, however, 

 they are conventionally accepted and understood, I prefer 

 to use them. As with other mollusks, so with the cepha- 

 lopods, some have shells, and some are naked, or have only 

 rudimentary shells. The Argonaut, or paper nautilus, has 

 been regarded as the analogue of the snail, which, like it, 

 secretes an external shell for the protection of its soft body ; 

 and the octopus as that of the garden slug, which, having 



