CEPHALOPODS. 337 



differs as much from the Sepia as the latter from the octopus. It naturally buries 

 itself up to its eyes in the sand ; but as sand is apt to harbour impurities, which in 

 a bowl or tank become corrupt, and generate poisonous sulphuretted hydrogen. 

 the bottom of these receptacles is usually covered with shingle. It is most 

 interesting to notice how, in obeying its burrowing propensity, the Sepiola adapts 

 itself to its circumstances and entirely deviates from its customary mode of 

 procedure. To make a sand-pit for its hiding-place, it will direct upon it strong 

 jets of water from its funnel, and thus blow out a cavity in which to seat itself, 

 and allow the disturbed particles to settle over and around it ; but, as the pebbles 

 are too heavy to be thus displaced by its blasting apparatus, it removes them, one 

 at a time, by means of its arms, w r hich are large and strong in proportion to its 

 little short body." This same species, 8. rondeletii, is common throughout the 

 Mediterranean, and is sold in the fish markets of Italy. 



Families ONYCIIOTEUTHID^ and CHIROTEUTHID^l. 



The squids belonging to the genus Onychoteuthis are very similar to Loligo, 

 but are distinguished by having the club of the tentacular arms furnished with 

 strong horny hooks. They are mostly of small size, only a few inches in length ; 

 but a very large species (0. robusta) was observed off the coast of North- West 

 America, and measured 8 feet in length from the base of the arms to the posterior 

 end of the body. It has since been placed in the allied genus Ancistroteuthis. One 

 of the most remarkable of the decapods is the genus Chiroteuthis, easily recognis- 

 able by the enormous length of the tentacular arms, which are many times the 

 length of the body, so that the animal is enabled to capture its prey at some 

 distance. C. veranyi occurs in the Mediterranean, C. bonplandi in the Atlantic, 

 and C. lacertosa off the east coast of the United States. 



TRUE CUTTLE-FISHES, Family 



In the cuttle-fishes of the genus Sepia the body is oval with a fin on each 

 side extending the whole length. The eight sessile arms are furnished with 

 suckers having foot- stalks, and the long tentacular arms are entirely retractile 

 within the head. The dorsal plate, shell, or cuttle-bone, is generally almost as wide 

 as the body, and placed beneath the skin of the back, with the terminal spine 

 posteriorly. This is supposed to protect the hinder parts of the animals, in the 

 frequent collisions they are exposed to in swimming backwards. About sixty 

 species of Sepia have already been described, none of very large size, the largest 

 bone being only about a foot and a half in length. A fine specimen of 8. apama 

 in the British Museum is 17 inches long. They occur in all parts of the world, and 

 three species are recorded from the coasts of Britain. They live near shore, and 

 feed upon fish and crustaceans, which they seize with their rapidly unrolled 

 tentacles. Speaking of the common cuttle-fish (8. ojficinalis), Mr. Lee observes 

 that though flabby and clammy in death, it is a lovely object when alive. Unlike 

 the octopus, but equally rapacious, it loves the daylight and freedom of the open sea. 

 Like the calamaries, the sepia is extensively employed as an article of diet in many 



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