Mollusks. 3995 



their dimensions and their forms, and appear and disappear momenta- 

 rily. The whole body, arms, fins, and all, the parts which before ap- 

 peared free, display the spots, which, when looked at attentively, are 

 seen to play about in the most singular manner, having the appearance 

 of a coloured fluid, injected with constantly varying force into cavi- 

 ties in the substance of the skin of ever-changing dimensions. Now 

 the spots become rings, like the markings of a panther's skin ; and as 

 the little creature moves slightly, either side beneath the fin is seen 

 to glow with metallic lustre, like that of gold leaf seen through horn. 

 Again, the rings unite and coalesce, and form a beautiful netted pat- 

 tern of brown, which colour increasing, leaves the interspaces a series 

 of white spots on the rich dark ground. These and other phases are 

 every instant interchanging, and passing suddenly and momentarily 

 into each other with the utmost irregularity. But here is a change ! 

 One is hovering in quiescence, his colour pale, almost white ; one of 

 his fellows shoots along just over him ; with the quickness of thought, 

 the alarmed creature turns from white to an uniform deep brown, the 

 rich full colour suffusing the skin in a second, like a blush on a young 

 maiden's face. The hue is very beautiful ; it is the fine, deep, sienna- 

 tint of tortoise-shell ; a substance which, indeed, the mingling clouds 

 of brown and pellucid horn closely resemble in the intermediate 

 phases of colour. 



Hitherto we have seen the Sepiola only in the pail of water into 

 which it was turned out of the net. After a little while it drops upon 

 the bottom, and, crouching up, remains motionless ; if you rouse it, it 

 will again swim for a few moments, but presently seeks some corner, 

 into which it thrusts its rear, and huddles up as before. This is all 

 that you will see of its habits under such circumstances, for in all pro- 

 bability the morning will reveal your little protege a lump of white 

 jelly, dead and stiff, with uncoiled arms, on the naked floor of his 

 prison. But introduce him while in health into an aquarium, where 

 living sea-plants are perpetually revivifying the water, and where the 

 bottom, varied with sand, gravel, and pieces of rock, imitates the na- 

 tural floor of the sea, and you will soon see other particulars in the 

 economy of our little friend, which will, I doubt not, charm you as 

 much as they have pleased me. 



The Sepiola is a burrower; and very cleverly and ingeniously does 

 it perform a task which we might at first suppose a somewhat awk- 

 ward one, — the insertion of its round corpulent body into the sand or 

 gravel. Watch it as it approaches the bottom, after a season of ho- 

 vering play, such as 1 have described. It drops down to within an 



