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THE PHILOSOPHY 



the middle is encompafTed with an e'evatcd belt. It is likewife fur- 

 nifhed with fharp prickles, which the animal can eredt or deprefs at 

 pleafure. Through certain perforations in the fkin, it occafionaliy 

 emits a flimy fluid, which lubricates its body, and facilitates its paf- 

 fage into the foil. The inteftines of this worm are always filled 

 with a fine earth, which feems to conftitute its only nourifhment. 

 Earth-worms, like fnails, are hermaphrodite. The parts of genera- 

 tion are placed near the neck, and they mutually impregnate each 

 other. This operation is performed on the furface of the ground ; 

 and, while thus employed, they will allow themfelves to be crufhed 

 to pieces rather than part. The females depofit their eggs in the 

 earth, where they are hatched. Thefe worms, like the polypus, 

 •when cut through the middle, reproduce, and each portion becomes 

 a diftindt individual. According to the different periods of their 

 growth, their colour varies j but, in general, it is a dufky red. 



The/epia, or cuttle-fijli^ though comparatively a large animal, 

 fome of them being two feet long, is ranked by Linnaeus under the 

 elafs of nvorms. The ftrudlure of the cuttle fifh is remarkable. Its 

 body is cylindrical, and, in fome of the fpecies, is entirely covered 

 with a fleftiy flieath ; in others, the fheath reaches only to the mid- 

 dle of the body. The fepia has eight tentacula, or arms, befide two 

 feelers, as they are called, which are much longer than the arms. 

 Both the feelers and arms are furnifhed with ftrong cups, or fuckers, 

 fliaped like the cup of an acorn, by means of which the animal 

 feizes its prey, and firmly attaches itfelf to rocks, or to the bottoni 

 of the fea. It has two large and prominent eyes. What is flill 

 more fingular, it is furnifhed with a hard, ftrong, horny beak, pre- 

 cifely fimilar, both in texture and fubftance, to the bill of a parrot. 

 With this bill, the cuttle-fifh is enabled to break the fliells of lim- 

 pets, and other fhell-animals, upon which it chiefly feeds. In the 

 belly, there is an aperture through which the animal, when purfued 

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