THE 
BALLOON CUTTLE-FISH. 
Generic Character. 
Body fleshy, sheathing the breast, which is fur¬ 
nished at its base with a tubular opening. 
Arms eight, and, in most species, two pedun¬ 
culated tentacula, beset with numerous 
suckers or acetabula. 
Head short: Eyes large: Mouth resembling a 
parrot’s beak. 
Specific Character. 
Black CUTTLE-FISH, with the bodv coated 
by a transparent reticulated membrane, and 
. two semicircular appendages at the tail. 
Le Calmar reticule. 
Denys-Montfort Mollusq. 2. p. gO. pi. 21 . 
The highly singular species of Cuttle-Fish repre¬ 
sented on the present plate is a native of the Indian 
and American seas, and seems to have been first 
distinctly described by Molina in his natural history 
of Chili. It is said to grow to an enormous size, 
and to the weight of five hundred pounds, or even 
more, though the specimens usually seen are of far 
inferior 
