66 THE SEPIOLE. 



made it quite a favourite pet among the denizens of 

 mj' Aquarium. I take it in considerable numbers in 

 this Bay, by means of the keer-drag already described, 

 which rakes the bottom. It is a little creature, rarely 

 exceeding an inch in length ; though the extensi- 

 bility of the arms somewhat varies its dimensions. 



When we turn -out two or three from the net into a 

 pail of sea-water, they are at first restless and active. 

 They shoot hither and thither, as if by a direct effort 

 of will, but in reality by the impulse of rapid and 

 forcible jets of water, directed towards various points, 

 from the mouth of the flexible funnel situated beneath 

 the body. After a few moments they suspend them- 

 selves in mid-water, hovering for many seconds in the 

 same spot, scarcely moving a hair's breadth either 

 way, but waving their large circular swimming-fins 

 rapidly and regularly up and down, just like the wings 

 of an insect. Indeed, the resemblance of the little 

 Cephalopod, in these circumstances, to a brown moth 

 hovering over a flower, is most close and striking, and 

 cannot fail to suggest an interesting comparison. 

 The body is held in a horizontal position, the large 

 protuberant eyes gazing on either side ; and the 

 arms, grouped together into a thick bundle, hang 

 freely downwards. If you esssy to count these 

 organs, you find only eight; and even if you are 

 aware that one of the characters of the genus is to 

 have ten, of which two are much longer than the rest, 

 you may search for these latter a long time in vain. 

 Of course I mean during the life and health of the 

 animal, when its impatience of being handled presents 

 obstacles to a very accurate investigation; you may 



