228 



CEPHALOPODS. 



clear sea, borne by poor fishermen puddling as silently as possible over the rocky shal- 

 lows in search of cuttle-fish, which, when seen lying* beneath the water in wait for his 

 prey, they dexterously spear, ere the creature has time to dart with the rapidity of an 

 arrow from the weapon about to transfix his soft but firm body." 



The Argonaut (Argonauta). The animal of the Argonaut is in all re- 

 spects a Poulpe, the arms of which are furnished with two rows of suckers ; 

 but the hinder pair, those nearest the back of the animal, are expanded into 

 a broad membrane. The most remarkable feature in their economy, however, 



FIG. 242. THE PAPER NAUTILUS (Argonauta Argo). Fig. i, Swimming towards the point a; 

 2, walking on the bottom ; 3, contracted within its shell, which is partly embraced by the arms. 



is that they reside in a thin calcareous shell, symmetrically channelled and 

 spirally twisted at one extremity, but having the last whorl of the spire so 

 capacious that it resembles a beautiful boat. 



It was, indeed, to this Cephalopod that the ancients assigned the honour 

 of having first suggested to mankind the possibility of traversing the sea in 

 ships ; and nothing could be more elegant than the frail bark in which the 

 Argonaut was supposed to skim over the waves, hoisting sails to the breeze, 

 and steering its course by the assistance of oars provided for the purpose. It 

 is almost a thankless office to dispel so pretty a fiction : modern researches, 

 however, serve to show that its sailing capabilities have been much exagge- 

 rated. The Argonaut can certainly raise itself from the bottom and sport 

 about the surface of the water ; but this is simply effected by the ordinary 

 means used by Calamaries and Cephalopods in general, namely, by admitting 

 the sea-water into its body, and then ejecting it in forcible streams from its 

 funnel, so as to produce a retrograde motion, which is sometimes very rapid. 

 Its usual movements are, however, confined to crawling at the bottom with 

 its head downwards, and in this way it creeps, carrying its shell upon its 

 back, as represented in our figure. (Fig. 242, 2.) 



The Nautilus (Nautilus Pompilius). Perhaps the most remarkable of 



