GREAT NAUTILUS, 
liant mother-o£-pearl : in whieh we perceive the 
richest celestial blue, blending with a delicate 
green ; and which, at the slightest movement,. 
or gleam of light, changes into the rosaceous 
blush of the apple-blossom, but again sinks 
i4ito a deep blue, on the smallest interposition 
of shade. These exquisite hues pervade all the 
vaulted chambers; thirty- five of which are vi- 
sible, on cutting the shell in half, as represented 
in our figure.. The first of these chamber is 
considerably the largest : and they diminish in 
regular gradations, till they become so minutely 
narrow as to elude the eye ; which can merely 
perceive, in their place, certain fine stripes or 
vestiges. Precisely in the centre of each par- 
tition dividing the chambers, there is a small 
round aperture ; which, in the last, becomes 
so contra61:ed, as scarcely to admit the intro- 
du6lion of a crow-quill. Annexed to each of 
these apertures, there hangs a small pipe, or 
tube, the mouth of which exa61:ly corresponds 
with that of the next : whence it has been in- 
ferred, that the animal which inhabits this 
superb palace adorned with such rich colours, 
enabled to pass from one splendid chamber 
to the other, till it compleatly occupies the 
pompous anti-chamber, or grand outer apart- 
ment. 
