BOOK IX. xLiv. 83-.XLV1. 85 



called soft fish, then those covered with thin rinds, 

 and lastly those enclosed in hard shells. The soft 

 are the cuttle-fish, the sepia, the polyp and the others 

 of that kind. They have the head between the feet 

 and the belly, and all of them have eight little feet. 

 In the sepia and cuttle-fish two of these feet are 

 extremely long and rough, and by means of these 

 they carry food to their mouths, and steady them- 

 selves as with anchors in a rough sea ; but all the rest 

 are feelers which they use for catching their prey. 



XLV. The cuttle-fish even flies, raising itself out The euttu 

 of the water, as also do the small scallops, hke an Titesepia. 

 arrow. The males of the genus sepia are variegated 

 and darker in colour, and they are more resolute : 

 when a female is struck with a trident they come to 

 her assistance, whereas a female flees when a male 

 is struck. But both sexes on perceiving they are 

 being caught hold of pour out a dark fluid which these 

 animals have instead of blood, so darkening the water 

 and conceahng themselves. 



XLVI. Tliere are many sorts of polyp. The land Thepoipp: 

 kinds are larger than the marine. They use all their a^^/l^bitT. 

 arms as feet and hands, but employ the tail, which is 

 forked and pointed, in sexual intercourse. The 

 polyps have a tube in their back through which they 

 pass the sea-water, and they shift this now to the 

 right side and now to the left. They swim with 

 their head on one side," this while they are aHve 

 being hard as though blown out. Otherwise they 

 remain adhering with a kind of suction, by means of 

 a sort of suckers spread over their arms : throwing 

 themselves backward they hold on so that they 

 cannot be torn away. They do not cHng to the 

 bottom of the sea, and have less holding-power when 



219 



