MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 117 



the "Kraken," concerning which the fishermen of 

 the Scandinavian shores have many legends, will 

 most probably be found to belong to the family of 

 Cuttles. 



During the early ages of the world's history, when 

 vast tracts were covered by a surging ocean, the 

 Cephalopods played an important part in the drama 

 of animal existence, peopling the warm seas in pro- 

 digious numbers. Then might be seen gigantic 

 Ammonites, with large and lustrous eyes, and long 

 extended arms, shuffling awkwardly along the sur- 

 face of the primeval rocks, or engaged in deadly 

 struggles with strange-formed antediluvian fishes ; 

 then solitary Octopi, of colossal size, equally carni- 

 vorous and fierce, might be seen prowling among 

 the sunken reefs, with eager heads directed down- 

 wards, seeking whom they might devour. At that 

 epoch Belemnites, with long slender bodies and small 

 lateral fins, were darting vertically up and down the 

 watery abyss ; while thousands of pearly Nautili, 

 taking the place of the predaceous Gasteropods that 

 now keep in check the excessive increase of the 

 smaller marine animals, might have been detected 

 crushing with their calcareous mandibles the plaited 

 bodies of the old-world Trilobites. 



I. CLASS. -CEPHALOPODS (Cephalopoda). 



Body ovate; mantle open in front; gills one or 

 two pairs ; head large, separate from the body ; 

 mouth with horny or shelly jaws, surrounded by 



