Theslige# D@ Ri 6 MNAGGREC Tis. 4 
upon them fo loofely, that it may in a manner be 
moved backwards and forwards like the mem- 
brana niGtitansor winking membrane in birds, The 
operculum mm of the pupil, makes its appear- 
ance very elegantly thro’ the cornea, which is 
tranfparent: but this operculum does not ap- 
pear any where to fo much advantage as in the 
Ray-fifh, as Stento has moft exactly defcribed 
it. J have likewife difcovered this operculum 
of a black colour in the eyes of horfes; at one 
fide of the eye, the pupil projects alittle, nor is 
it exactly round in this place.. On drawing this 
operculum over the pupil, the eye lofes its fight. 
Some time ago, I obferved that the crocodile has 
a cat’s eye, having an aperture to its pupil, which 
- in the day-time refembles a long flit... - 
The Cuttle-fith’s neck is very fhort, and like 
the head is elegantly covered with black {pots 
upon a purple ground, |The upper extremity of 
the back  rifes by a remarkable procefs over the 
neck; fo that the creature can hide its head un- 
der it, in the fame manner that the naked Snail 
hides its head under its verge or border. 
All the parts of the Cuttle-fith, yet mentioned, 
are foft, except the beak, and the cartilaginous 
rings of the acetabula. But the back is hard, 
firm, and incapable of motion, as the bone of 
the creature lies here, running quite thro’ the 
back to the tail, without any vertebra or like 
divifions. The mufcles of the-creature are in- 
ferted into this bone. .That part of the body 
which lies at the two fides of the bone, is foft 
and mufcular 9 0 00, which makes it probable, 
that this extremity, which terminates the back 
and belly of the Cuttle-fth, may be of great ufe 
to it in fwimming. The back-bone alfo is well 
contrived to anfwer the fame purpofe, for it floats 
on the furface of water, even when it is juft taken 
out of the fea, and before it has had time to lofe 
by drying any of thofe pieces, which may be 
fuppofed to make a confiderable part of its 
weight. , 
The colouring of the back afforded a very en- 
tertaining fight, for its furface was raifed with a 
great many white ftreaks and furrows like fo 
many veins interfperfed with very {mall black 
{pots ; but between thefe ftreaks the fkin was of 
a deeper colour, and marked with larger black 
fpots. Where the ftreaks ended, there appeared 
a great number of white fpots, which were either 
round or oval, even the extremities of the ftreaks 
were either round, or fhaped like a pear. The foft 
margin of the body was of a fomewhat deeper 
purple, fprinkled with fmaller black fpots, and 
fome others that were round and white ; but it 
then grew whiter towards its extremity, where 
it ended in a deep purple edge. On the hinder 
part, where in other animals are feated.the arms 
and tail, the margin was fomewhat divided or 
dented in, p; fo that from this nick, the body of 
the Cuttle-fith appeared naturally divided into a 
right and left fide. 
On handling the beak a little, it fell from the 
head, which gave me a very convenient oppor- 
tunity of examining its fubftance, colour, and 
conftruction., The fubftance of this part is be- 
Noa 
by the name of conglomerate. 
E48 
tween bone and horn, and thicker and more 
compact on its upper part, with which the ani- 
mal bites, but on the lower, to which the mufcles 
of the beak are fixed, more tendinous and mem- 
branaceous. In figure it refembles the Hawk’s or 
Parrot’s beak, and has many things in common 
with it. The upper part, which, as I faid before; 
in the thickeft, is of a deep brown colour, which 
grows redder and redder in proportion as the 
beak grows more and more membranaceous, 
But asthe beak confifts of two maxiile or jaws, an 
upper and a lower, which meet together, and 
move one upon and towards the other, fo like- 
wife they differ in‘conftruction, The lower part 
fpreads as it were into two wings Fig. 111. aa, 
between which the upper part finks, and fo meets 
thislower. The lower maxilla, or jaw, is on its 
hinder part folded back within itfelf 64, not un- 
like a paper tube bent back, by which means its 
fharp extremity becomes twice as thick and 
{trong as it would otherwife be. On the lower 
part it bends itfelf back, fo as to forma hollow 
farrowc, ‘This beak appears altogether fibrous, 
and feems to be compofed of membranaceous 
tendons, hardened by degrees into a horny 
bone. [he upper jaw of the beak d, is of 
the fame fubftance with the lower, from 
which it only differs in its curvature and form ; 
befides, its internal finus is much more deep and 
broad ¢¢, to’ afford the tongue, which lies in 
this finus, the greater liberty to move itfelf. The 
mufcles alfo find better infertions in the hollow 
finufes of this horny bone, in whofe membranace- 
ous expanfions they are fixed, 
The tongue, which is thought to be a fungous 
fubftance, confifts of feven little cartilaginous 
bones, which lie very clofe to each other, and 
are befides united by means of a particular mem- 
brane. The upper extremity or point of the 
tongue is fomewhat crooked Fig. rv. a, but the 
lower part is united with fome mufcular and 
fungous flefh, in which it lies, as in a hollow 
tube. ‘This flefhy portion of the tongue is full 
of wrinkles and elegant folds 4, which feem to 
contain a great many fmall falival ducts. I have 
found by difieCtion ‘that a very confiderable falival 
duct ¢ opens and difcharges into this flefhy part. 
This falival duct defcends by a long tube, d, 
through the animal’s neck into its breaft, where 
it divides into two branches, that terminate in 
two very confiderable glands, ee. Thefe glands 
feem, on nice infpection, to be of the kind 
called conglobate, or by anatomifts, though ex- 
ternally, they appear of the other kind, known 
On opening 
them, I found a kind of hollow in them, made 
to receive the faliva, fecreted by their fungous 
fubflance ; but Icould not difcern the ramifica~ 
tions of thefe two parts, which, no doubt, fpread 
themfelves through the parenchyma or flefhy 
fabftance of their glandules; but the coloured 
liquors I injected, fhewed no fuch thing. Thefe 
giands lie within the breaft, on each fide of 
the gullet or throat, in fuch a manner, that this 
Jaft channel runs above and between them: this 
beft appears on opening the body of the faith, af- 
ter 
