mo si(“ss« he (BO OfeEE 
goes no further than the globules f/f, and there 
it forms a loofe border to the feet, which when 
the creature {wims, floatsin the water. For this 
reafon, that loofe fkin can cover all the furface of 
the feet, and their acetabula at the creature’s plea- 
fure, as the edges and corners of a cloth, may 
fold over any thing that is laid upon it. Nor is it 
to the middle and bafis of the legs only that it 
performs this office, but even to their fharp ends, 
where the acetabula g¢ are fmaller than in any 
other part. But thefe borders are more confpi- 
cuous about the extremities of the arms than elfe- 
where; for which reafon I have reprefented thofe 
belonging to one of the arms 4d, as they appear 
when they cover the globules, except its being a 
little turned back. ) 
The fkin which fpreads itfelf over the intervals 
of the globules, and covers the infide of their 
{talks, and even the external fkin’s borders which I 
juft now mentioned, is in fome meafure as it were 
mufcular, and is of a much more delicate texture 
than the other skin. It muft likewife be obferved 
that the parts fupporting the acetabula tho’ called 
ftalks, ave not really fuch, but pretty confpicuous 
“mufcles adminiftring to the acetabula. 
I have obferved alfo, that thefe little mufcles 
are here and there diftributed over the infide of 
the borders of the external, fo as to be able to 
move thofe parts as well as the acetabula. For 
this reafon I confider what is called the skin in 
thefe places as a mufcular fubftance. 
I have reprefented fome of the mufcles belong- 
ing to the acetabula of their natural fize/in order to 
give the reader a more juft jdea of them. ‘Tab. L. 
Fig. 11. N°. 1. thews, how the mufcle is in- 
ferted underneath into the bafe of the globule, 
where it is fomewhat hollow; and how by ex- 
panding itfelf, and then contracting againa little, 
and afterwards expanding itfelf again, it in a 
manner entirely, forms the globule. For as far 
as I could inform myfelf by diffection, the aceta- 
bula are altogether mufcular, and the tendons of 
thofe mufcles are inferted into a ring of a fub- 
ftance between horn and bone, which lies be- 
tween the moving fibres of every acetabulum, 
It appears, on examining the upper fide of the 
acetabulum, and the ftructure of its hollow, 
N°. 2. that it is likewife mufcular in thefe 
places ; the little ring now mentioned fhews it- 
felf very plainly on this occafion. ‘The upper 
edge of this ring is generally black, but this black- 
nefs is only fuperficial, being no more than a 
portion of the external coat of the globule, and 
therefore it may be eafily removed. | | 
By taking out this ring, and placing it on its 
fide, N°. 3. we obtain a good view of its conftruc- 
tion, and the blacknefs of its upper edge ; we 
even difcover by placing it in this fituation, in 
what manner it is perforated in the middle, and 
its upper and lower edges waved in a ferpentine 
manner. This conftruction, fo well contrived 
for receiving and -holding the mufclar fibres, 
wonderfully contributes to keep the ring firm in 
its fituation. 
The better to thew the black edge of this 
ring, and the manner in which it is turned, I 
have reprefented it, N°, 4. in a convenient fituation 
Nak WU Re 2 oe: 
/ 
to fhew all its upper circumferences: and havea 
added a {mall fegment of it, N°. 5. to make the 
conftruction of this part as intelligible as I pofli- 
bly could ; for it would be extremely difficult to 
underftand the ufe of this ring, without knowing 
exactly in what manner it is formed, 
The advantage of this fingular conftru@ion 
confifts in this, that the mufcular fibres of the 
acetabulum can by contra@ting themfelves raife 
the ftalk or mufcle of the globule very high 
within the cavity of the ring, and thereby of 
courfe ftreighten the cavity of the acetabu- 
lum, whilft on the other hand the mutcle of - 
the flalk, by exerting itfelf at the fame time, again 
raifes itfelf and its fibrous parts out of the globule, 
fo as to make its cavity much wider and more - 
{pacious than it was before, 
Nor do I in the leaft doubt, but all the Caates 
fith’s power of faftening itfelf to bodies, or taking 
hold of, and conveying any thing to its mouth 
depends entirely on the fingular conitruction, and 
exertion of the part juft now deferibed. When- 
ever this ftrange animal applies to any body that 
prodigious number of globules, with which its 
arms and legs are farnifhed, and then immediately 
withdraws the mufcular ftalks of thefe globules 
from within the hollows of the acetabula, taking 
care at the fame time, not to let any water into 
thefe cavities, the water repelled in this manner 
mutt prefs fuch parts againft the body, againft 
which they lie, with an extraordinary force : 
And this end is the more certainly obtained, as 
the borders of the fkin which covers the arms and 
legs are likewife mufcular ; and by containing and © 
enclofing the globules at the time of their action, 
contribute greatly to hinder any water from in- 
finuating itfelf within the cavities of the aceta- 
bula. 
We mutt therefore be. more than blind, not 
to difcover by this fingle inftance, how wonder- 
ful God is in his works, feeing he has here effec- 
ted, by means of repelled water, fuch a fuGtion (to 
make ufe ofa common expreffion) as he has pro- 
duced by means of repelled air in the vital ele- 
ment we breathe. Hence alfo we may eafily un- 
derftand, what Rondoletius fays of the brachia or 
arms of this animal; and of the manner wherein 
It remains in the moft ftormy weather immove- 
ably fixed, and as it were at anchor at the bottom 
of the fea; for at fuch times no doubt it dilates 
its acetabulum to the utmoft breadth, and faftens 
itfelf in its poft, by their means with an extraordi- 
nary degree of power. 
The beak, Tab, L. Fig. 1 7, which lies in the 
center of the legs, is like that of a Parrot, and con- 
fifts asitwereof two maxilla or jaws, both move- 
able. Thefe maxille join each other in the fame 
inanner with the body and the lid of a box, when 
the former flides up within the latter. The Aeth 
which furrounds this beak, inftead of lips 4, is re- 
gularly orbiculated and fometimes appears plaited 
or folded back in wrinkles, like a purfe that has a 
‘border to it. 
Under the beak and legs appears the head, in 
which the eyes //are very confpicuous. The moft 
remarkable part of thefe is the cornea, which lies 
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