NATURAL HISTORY ^NORWAY. 177 



turse fpe&aculum, in quo hoc peculiare deprehendimus fepius, 

 quod cum ftatus coeli pluvius, & madidse ventorum procellse in- 

 gruant, ex omni turn parte nigrefcat tefta tanquam pice obdu&a, 

 ferenitate autem cceli inftante, in rubedinem, & quidem minia- 

 tam, dilutam vergat. Quoties itaque hanc teftam colores mu- 

 tare videmus, toties aeris temperamenti mutationem vaticinari 

 audemus, ut fafti tarn certi non lint, in dubio coeli ftatu indi- 

 cando, quam dictum in hac tefta indicium." Nova Litterar. Mar. 

 Balthici Anno 1699, Menf. April, p. 118. This author's obfer- 

 vation does not agree with mine ; for on feveral which I have by 

 me the red is quite unchangeable. Juft after thefe were taken, 

 being hung out of a window in the fun, a fort of black un&uous 

 matter, almoft like pitch, flowed from them. I fuppofe Mr. 

 Schachtius had obferved this fluid diftill from them in the fame 

 manner, and probably a change of weather might enfue by acci- 

 dent j which made him draw too hafty a conclusion : for when the 

 creature is quite dry it prognofticates a change of weather no 

 longer. 



Ranger, the Shrimp, Squilla Marina, called by fbme Hopper, shrimps. 

 becauie of its quick and leaping motion, may be look'd upon as 

 a Sea Craw-fifh in miniature, and are very well known in Den- 

 mark : they are found on the Eaftern coaft, particularly in Chri- 

 ftiania-fiord ; and, like the Salmon, they generally keep about 

 thofe places where the rivers difembogue themfelves into the fea. 



SECT. VIII. 



After the cruftaceous tribe I come to the fpecies of the exfan- BWprutte; 

 guineous inhabitants of the ocean, which are loft, and have no fhell 

 or covering. I mall iirft treat of the Spoite, Blekfprutte, the 

 Sepia, or Ink-fifti, called alfo by fome the Sea-gnat. Some authors 

 call it by the name of Sepia, or Loligo. It is one of the moft 

 extraordinary creatures in the ocean for fhape, and is not ealily 

 defcribed without the afliftance of a drawing ; nor can any one 

 form a perfect idea of it, without feeing the animal itfelf; for it 

 alTumes various forms by the motions of its fkin and arms. The 

 length of that which I keep preferved in fpirits of wine is about 

 nine inches, or a little more, and it is near two fingers thick ; fb 

 that probably it was but a young one, for authors fay they are 

 generally much larger ; and I have lately procured a dry'd one, 

 which is two feet long ; the body is almoft round, and refembles 

 a fmall bag, and is blunt at both ends % : but the head is the 



Part II. Z z moft 



* I have ken fome that are almoft pointed at one end, and have no tail. In the 



General 



