THE INDIAN UMBRELLA. 



339 



Several species of the Aplysia inhabit the waters of the Florida Reef. The ornamentation 

 is variable. The specimens were about the size of a large cowrey. 



The shell is never visible, being either very small and covered by the mantle, or wholly 

 wanting, and in some instances being translucent and flexible as horn. The common Sea 

 Hare {Aplysia depilans) is a well-known example of this curious genus, which has given its 

 name to the entire family. 



The Sea Hares possess the power of throwing out at will a rather large amount of 

 a peculiar colored fluid, mostly of a deep violet, which is secreted by part of the mantle. 

 This habit formerly caused the Sea Hare to be held in great dread, the popular opinion 

 attributing to the violet fluid the most virulent properties, such as staining the skin indeli- 



SEA HARE.— Aplytda depilans. 



bly with the purple dye, injuring its texture like strong caustic, and causing the hair 

 to fall off. In allusion to the last-mentioned idea, the animal has received its spe- 

 cific title of depilans. The illustration is remarkably true to nature, the figure being of 

 natural size. 



We will now briefly examine a few of the more remarkable species. 



An oddly-shaped creature, looking as if it were made of some rough membrane covered 

 with little projections, is the Dolabella, or Hatchet-shell, so called on account of the form 

 assumed by the shell, which is, however, so entirely hidden under the softer parts that it is 

 not visible until the lobes have been put aside. 



When separated from the animal, the shell appears small in proportion to the size of the 

 creature which formed it, and as it is attached only to the hinder part of the body, it is of 

 little use in protecting the soft parts from injury. In color the shell is pure, shining white, 

 and pearly ; its substance is very thick, and it is covered with a tough membrane, technically 

 called the epidermis. The color of the animal is dull olive-green. 



Our last example of this family is the Lobigee. While swimming, it uses the side lobes 

 as fins. This creature is also called Lobe-bearer, in consequence of the rounded and flattened 

 lobes that project from each side of the body, much like the four wings of a butterfly. The 

 tentacles are also flattened and rather oval, and the eyes are very small and set on the sides of 

 the head without any footstalks. The foot is small, and the hinder part of the body is length- 

 ened and pointed so as to resemble a tail. The shell is small, oval, transparent, flexible, and 

 set on the body so as to act as a shield to the plume-like gills. This species is found on the 

 coasts of Sicily. 



There is a curious animal belonging to the next family of mollusks, called, from the mode 

 in which the shell is carried, the Indian Umbrella. In this creature the body is large, 

 roundish, and covered with tubercles, and in shape something resembling a great limpet; 



