CEPHALOPODS. 205 



naturalist, more enthusiastic tlian all others, traverses 

 sea and land, and cheerfully endures hunger, thirst, and 

 fatigue, that his collection of shells may lack neither 

 Argonaut nor Nautilus, Cone, Cowrie nor Wentletrap, 

 Helix nor Limnjeid, Pecten, Mother-of-pearl nor Unio, 

 nor any other which will enable him to understand more 

 clearly this department of the animal kingdom, and 

 the works of God as revealed in these wonderful objects. 



ARGONAUTS, CUTTLEFISHES AND SQUIDS, OR 

 CEPHALOPODS. 



These animals all live in the ocean, have a mouth 

 armed with a stout beak, resembling that of a Par- 

 rot, a large eye on each side of the head, and sur- 

 rounding the mouth are long, muscular arms, or ten- 

 tacles, covered with cup-like suckers, by means of which 

 they cling with the greatest firmness to whatever they 

 lay hold of, — it being easier to tear away an arm than 

 to release it from its hold. They have within the 

 body a sac containing an ink-like fluid, with which they 

 cloud the water, and thus conceal themselves whenever 

 they wish to escape from an enemy. The word Cephal- 

 opod means head-footed, and is given to these Mollusks 

 because their locomotive organs are attached to the 

 head, as just described. Cephalopods vary from a few 

 inches to many feet in length, according to the kind. 

 They have a most wonderful power of changing their 

 colors, their hues varying constantly. They swim by 

 means of their arms, or\\ith them crawl on the bottom 

 with the head downward. They are very voracious, 

 devouring fishes and other animals, whose flesh they 

 readily tear in pieces with their stout hooked beaks. 



