26 



POPULAR CONCHOLOGY. 



Family 1. — OCTOPODA. 



Polypus. Schneider. (Octopus Cuvier.) — Shell none. 

 Animal with two rows of suckers on the arms, which are 

 very long in proportion to the body, and connected at the 

 base by a cuticle; the suckers are placed alternately in 

 two rows; no fins; the oval mantle contains only two 

 small horny granules, one on each side of the back, which 

 are the rudiments of an inner shell. The eyes are pro- 

 portionally small, and the animal has the power of cover- 

 ing them with a skin : the ink bag is within the liver. 

 46 species. (Gray.) 



Polypus vulgaris. 



Cuttle fish (the common name for these Mollusea) are 

 found in all seas, and in Italy and India are used as 

 food. In size they differ from an inch to two feet in 

 length. They are very active and voracious, and not 

 easily caught; when alarmed they discolour the water 

 around them by means of their ink, and so elude their 

 enemies ; the eggs are transparent, and attached to sea- 

 weeds. Dr. Grant remarks that the Polypus vulgaris has 

 about 240 suckers on each arm, making about 1920 in 

 all. The arms of these creatures, which travellers affirm 

 are sometimes two feet in length, are covered with for- 



