CEPHALOPODA. 219 



ribs, and by the embrace of the sails outside. In 

 order to remove all doubt as to the real ownership 

 of the shell, Madame Power broke the shells of 

 twenty-six in different degrees, and had the satis- 

 faction of seeing that some of them by covering 

 the shell with the sails, and wrinkling them upon 

 the part, closed the fracture. The first day, the 

 new substance was as thin and delicate as cobweb ; 

 it thickened and hardened gradually, until in about 

 thirteen days it had become perfectly shelly as the 

 unwounded part, but more opaque. It is remark- 

 able that if the wounded Poulpe can find a frag- 

 ment of broken shell lying about, it takes hold of 

 it and applies it with the sail to the breach, so that 

 it shall help to fill up the aperture, and it becomes 

 cemented in as part of the renewed matter. If the 

 shell, however, be destroyed, the animal cannot con- 

 struct a new one, but dies. 



The Argonaut is found in the vicinity of ^Messina, 

 and even in the port, all the year, but is most abund- 

 ant in autumn, and in the muddy parts of the port, 

 where the boats lie thickest. When on the surface, 

 if they observe any person, they fold the sail-arms 

 over the shell, dispose the rowing arms within it, 

 and sink.* If they happen to be beneath when 

 alarmed, they eject their ink, to gain time to hide 

 themselves in the mud. Those in the cages, after 

 the ink-bag was emptied, would, if still pursued, 

 spirt water from the funnel, then shrink within the 

 shell, covered with the sails. When calm and quiet, 



* See fig. 3, p. 217. 



L'2 



