be adduced the very remarkable and curious genus 

 Argonauta or Paper-Nautilus, which is inhabited by an 

 animal of an appearance fo widely removed from thofe 

 of raoft of the Univalves, as almoft to make doubtful 

 the reality of its being the genuine and proper inhabi- 

 tant of the fhell in which it refides. JLinnseus accord- 

 ingly has well obferved, that unlefs the evidence of fo 

 many eye-witneffes had enforced belief, it might have 

 been reafonably imagined that an animal fo unlike the 

 reft of the tribe, was only a ufurper of the fhell; in 

 the fame manner as the Cancer Diogenes and a few 

 others, which take poffefiion of fuch vacant fhells as 

 happen to fuit their convenience. The inhabitant of 

 the Argonauta, if feen detached from its (hell, might 

 pafs for a real Sepia, and bears fo great a refemblance 

 to the Sepia o&opodia or eight-armed Cuttle-filh, that 

 the principal difference confifts in its being furnifhed at 

 the extremities of two of it arms with a pair of mem- 

 branes of an oval form? which,, during its occafional 

 navigations on the furface of a calm fea, it raifes up- 

 right and expands to the gale ; while by the affiftance 

 of the fix remaining arms it rows itfelf along. It feems 

 impoffible that fo curious a fpeftacle could have efcaped 

 the particular obfeivation of mankind. Accordingly 

 we find it defcribed by various authors : by none how- 

 ever more elegantly than by Pliny, whofe fhort and 

 beautiful defcription, has generally been quoted by mo- 

 dern writers. 



u But amongft the principal miracles of nature is the 

 animal called Nautilos or Pompilos. It afcends to the 

 furface of the fea in a fupine pofture, and gradually 

 railing itfelf up, forces out by means of its tube all the 



water 



