4/8 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



rocks. The old cuttle-fish is only found in rugged and rocky places, 

 bristling with naked, pointed rocks, which have been worn by the 

 waves, but generally in places only a few feet below the level of low 

 water. " How often," says d'Orbigny, " have we not observed the 

 cuttle-fish in his favourite retirement ! There, with one of his arms 

 clasped to the walls of its dwelling, it extends the other towards the 

 animals which pass at its gate, embraces them, and by its power 

 renders useless all their eftbrts to disengage themselves." 



If we observe a cuttle-fish when it is what may be called walking, 

 either on land or at the bottom of the sea, it will be seen to walk on 

 one side, its head downwards, its mouth touching the ground, the 

 arms extending and grappling some supporting object, and drawing 

 the body forward ; at the same time the arms at the opposite side are 

 contracted and folded up, so as to assist by a contrary movement. 

 On shore the movement of these animals is very slow. On the other 

 hand, they swim very rapidly, assisted by all their arms, and aided by 

 the water ejected from the funnel, their movement being most 

 frequently backwards, the body first, the six superior arms placed 

 horizontally, the two others brought together above : the first help to 

 sustain them in their horizontal position, the last to guide them, in- 

 clining to the right or left as the animal changes its direction. 



The cuttle-fishes feed on crustaceans, fishes, and also on shelled 

 molluscs — every kind of animal, in fact, which comes within their 

 reach ; so that it is readily taken by means of the flesh of fish or 

 crustaceans in which a strong hook is concealed. They live for five 

 or six years, and lay eggs, which are large, and generally found in 

 clusters ; fishermen know them under the name oi sea-grapes. 



Like some of the lower animals, they possess the property of re- 

 integration, being able to reproduce any arm that may be destroyed. 

 There is another singular peculiarity which the cuttle-fish may be 

 said to share with man. Under the influence of strong emotion the 

 human face becomes pale, or blushes, and in some individuals it is 

 said to become blue. This has always been supposed to be an 

 attribute of humanity ; but the cuttle-fish shares it with our race. 

 Yielding to the impressions of the moment, the cuttle-fish suddenly 

 changes colour, and, passing through various tints, it only resumes 

 its familiar one when the cause of the change has disappeared. They 

 are, in fact, gifted with great sensibility, which reacts immediately 

 upon their tissues, these being extremely elastic and delicate. Sudden 

 changes of colour are produced- — changes which far exceed the same 

 phenomena in man. Under the influence of passion or emotion, 

 man is bom to blush, but under no sort of excitement does he cover 



