MOLLTJSCA : CEPHALOPODA. 279 



is also a ' tongue,' which is fleshy and sentient in front, but is 

 armed with recurved teeth behind. The gullet opens into a 

 large crop, which in turn conducts to a gizzard, and the intes- 

 tin i terminates at the base of the funnel. On each side of the 

 crop is a well developed liver. 



The heart is contained in a large cavity, divided into several 

 chambers, and termed the 'pericardium.' (Owen.) The re- 

 spiratory organs are in the form of four pyramidal branchiae, 

 two on each side. 



The chief masses of the nervous system are the cerebral and 

 infra-cesophageal ganglia, which are partially protected by a 

 cartilaginous plate, which is to be regarded as a rudimentary 

 cranium, and which sends out processes for the attachment of 

 muscles. The organs of sense are two large eyes, attached 

 by short stalks to the sides of the head, and two hollow 

 plicated subocular processes, believed to be olfactory in their 

 function. 



The reproductive organs of the female consist of an ovary, 

 oviduct, and accessory nidamental gland. 



There is no ink-bag, and the funnel does not form a complete 

 tube, but consists of two muscular lobes, which are simply in 

 apposition. It is the organ by which swimming is effected, 

 the animal being propelled through the water by means of the 

 reaction produced by the successive jets emitted from the 

 funnel. The function of the chambers of the shell appears 

 to be that of reducing the specific gravity of the animal to 

 near that of the surrounding water ; since they are most pro- 

 bably filled with some gas, secreted by the animal. The func- 

 tion of the siphuncle is unknown, except in so far as it doubt- 

 less serves to maintain the vitality of the shell. 



SHELL OF THE TETRABRANCHIATA. The shells of all the Tetra- 

 branchiata agree in the following points : 



1. The shell is external. 



2. The shell is divided into a series of chambers by plates 

 or ' septa,' the edges of which, where they appear on the shell, 

 are termed the ' sutures.' 



3. The outermost chamber of the shell is the largest, and 

 is the one inhabited by the animal. 



4. The various chambers of the shell are united by a tube, 

 termed the ' siphuncle.' 



Agreeing in all these fundamental points of structure, two 

 very distinct types of shell may be distinguished as charac- 

 teristic of the two families Nautilidce and Ammonitidce, into 

 which the order Tetrabranchiata is divided. 



In the family Nautilidce (fig. 86), the ' septa' of the shell 

 are simple, curved, or slightly lobed ; the * sutures ' are more 



