CUTTLE. 



81 



I was much amused with the perfect self- 

 possession of the first that was hatched in my 

 presence. Ifc had not been free from the egg-shell 

 for one minute before it began a leisurely tour 

 of the vessel in which it first saw the light, ex- 

 amining it on all sides, as if to find out what 



CUTTLE. 



kind of a place the world was, after all. It then 



rose and sank many times in succession over 



different spots, and after balancing itself for a 



moment or two over one especial patch of sand, 



blew out a round hole in the sand, into which it 



lowered itself, and there lay quite at its ease. It 



executed this movement with as much address, 



as if it had practised the art for twenty years. 



a 



