OF CUTTLE FISH. 91 



in a point; fins united, entire, forming the third part 

 of a circle, of which the center is the extremity of 

 the tail, they are superposed, terminated each side by 

 an angle, thick upon the posterior side, very thin and 

 pellucid on the anterior: head cylindric, truncated be- 

 hind, so as to enable it to close the sac ; neck on each 

 side furnished with three small, rounded, compressed 

 appendices, placed longitudinally ; eyes free in their 

 orbit, of which the aperture is small, with an ante- 

 rior lacrymal emargination ; uo membrane annexed 

 to the orbit for covering the eye. Ten arms, fur- 

 nished with suckers, which, on the extremity of the 

 long arms, are disposed in four series, with the larger 

 ones central ; the other eight arms have but two 

 series, which extend from the base to the extremity. 

 These eight arms are unequal, the first pair smallest ; 

 second pair longer than the first ; third longer than 

 the second, much compressed, and furnished with a 

 large membrane interiorly and towards the anterior 

 extremity ; the fourth and inferior pair, as long as 

 the second, the suckers oblique, elevated on the ex- 

 terior, and depressed on the interior side, armed with 

 a corneous, denticulated circle, the peduncles of the 

 suckers repose upon the base of the transverse ver- 

 miform muscle, with which the interior lateral mem- 

 brane is furnished ; the two long arms feeble, slightly 

 compressed, dilated at their extremity, which is mar- 

 gined on each side by an undulated membrane, and 

 towards the superior extremity opposite to the suck- 

 ers by another membrane ; beak concealed and co- 



