144 The BOOK of NATURE; or, 
parénchymia, or pulpy fubftance. In the mid- 
dle this mutis is very thick and {pungy, and at 
its lower extremity conftantly ends on each fide 
in an obtufe appendage 64; which extends to 
the belly. The upper end of this organ lies 
in part on the throat, which lies itfelf alfo on 
the falival glands, Fig. V. 6.4, and thus runs - 
under the mutis to the ftomach. Under the 
throat appears the great artery, which rifing 
upwards from the abdomen (where this ani- 
mal’s heart lies) fends,to the mutis two confi- 
derable branches, Fig. II.¢c, that iffue from 
thence, as if they defcended from the thorax. 
The greateft part of this body lies upon the bone 
of the fifth, on each fide of the bone, and of 
the great artery, and it is only divided from 
the bone by a kind of fibrous membrane. 
After this, the courfe of the blood-veffels 
running thro’ the mutis, is difcovered by open- 
ing and turning over, Fig. Ill. d, the mem- 
brane that enclofes it. But the fubftance of 
this part is fo very foft, that by expanding it- 
felf like a liquid, it intirely hinders the view. 
This makes it neceflary to feparate with a {pa- 
tula this _pulp from the veffels that go thro’ it, 
and afterwards thoroughly wafh the vefiels 
themfelves with water. Thus, at length, a 
fatisfactory fight may be obtained of the diftri- 
bution, of the blood-vefiels, Fig. IV. e. By this 
procefs we likewife difcover that the fubftance 
of this part is in a manner entirely compofed 
of an infinite number of little grains, being 
loofely connected with the blood-veflels /; 
but then a good microfcope is requifite to 
diftinguith thefe fmall corpufcles.. The colour 
of the mutis is between red and yellow, fome- 
what inclining to a brown. I cannot deter- 
mine what the ufe of it may be; it lies en- 
tirely by itfelf, within a peculiar membrane, 
and confifts of two diftinét bodies, without 
having the leaft refemblance to the liver, as 
heretofore idly pretended. Neverthelefs, I can- 
not take upon me to deny its performing the 
fame office with the liver, as the wonders of 
nature are inexhauftible, and God the mafter 
of nature has, in different animals, formed in 
a various manner organs fubfervient to the 
fame purpofes ; this will evidently appear by 
the furprifing ftructure of the genital parts of 
this animal, which are contrived with an art 
and elegance that furpafies all defcription. 
The throat, as I faid before, runs under the 
mutis, and has its origin in the fame place 
nearly where the fauces terminate. By the 
fauces, I mean that wrinkled and mutfcular 
part of the fkin, which reaches from the beak 
and mouth, Fig. V. a, to the beginning of the 
eullet, or that tube which runs from the 
mouth to the ftomach. This gullet pafies 
under the brain, and then defcending into 
that part of the body, which I call the 
thorax, it there lies foftly upon the falival 
glands 44, and is connected with the two al- 
ready taken notice of ; from whence it runs in 
a ftraight line to the abdomen, where it opens 
into the ftomach c. The ftomach refembles 
in a manner a fpherical bag; but it is fome- 
what indented in the middle. There rat 
thro’ it a great many blood-veffels d, which 
are feen the better by injecting the arteries 
with fome coloured liquid. This organ con- 
fifts of three coats; the external coat is mem- 
branaceous ; the middle coat mufcular ; and, as 
to the internal coat, it readily feparates from the 
middle coat with the food it immediately en- 
clofes, and fo may be eafily taken out of the 
ftomach with all its contents. 
The Cuttle-fith, Icould obferve, feeds upon. 
Shrimps; for there remained in its. ftomachy 
the eyes, legs, and tails of Shrimps, with fome 
of the rings of their bodies. Icould difcern al- 
among thefe, remains of the back-bones and 
ribs of fome very {mall fithes. 
The ftraight gut, Fig. V. e, iffues immediate- 
ly from the ftomach, and is the only inteftine 
1 could difcover in this animal; fo that the 
veins muft take the aliment immediately from | 
the ftomach, and then convey it to the heart, 
whofe bufinefs it is to diftribute it over the 
whole body. 
Under the ftraight gut lies an appendage of 
the ftomach, into which it opens by a parti- 
cular orifice, after twifting like a fnail in a 
very remarkable manner /. I carinot fay for 
certain what this part may be; tho’ to judge 
anatomically of it, I fhould take it for the pan- 
creas, which, except its not being twifted, ap- 
pears of the fame conftruction in a great va- 
riety of fithes, as may be feen in a treatife of 
mine on that part of the creation, adorned with 
figures, printed by Commelyn of Amfterdam, 
and dedicated to the College of Phyficians of 
that city. This organ is very fmooth and 
flippery on its infide, and contains a matter 
like the pancreatick juice of other fifhes. 
The white bag which contains the Cuttle- 
fith’s ink g, lies principally in the left fide of the 
body, and communicates by a flender channel 
with the upper extremity of the ftraight gut 4; 
fo that both the feces and the ink are difcharg- 
ed thro’ the ftraight gut by one and the fame 
orifice. This bag is in part membranaceous, 
and in part mufcular; and is furnifhed with 
blood-veffels, which, run over its furface 2. 
Within I difcovered a little glandulous body, 
or mafs, which perhaps ferves to generate os 
prepare the ink ; for I had not opportunity to 
examine it thoroughly, on account of the ink’s 
flowing fo confpicuoufly, that it was impoffible 
to wath it off faft enough to obtain a fatisfac- 
tory view of this organ. 8 
It is therefore neceflary not to wound this 
part on diffecting the Cuttle-fith, as by pour- 
ing out its contents it would infallibly render 
all the other parts invifible. The ink contained 
in one bag is fufficient to communicate a black- 
nefs to feveral pails ef water, fo intenfe is its 
colour. I fhall not pretend to fay abfolutely 
what the ufe of this ink may be; or whether 
or no it may ferve to ob{cure the: furround~ — 
ing waters, and thereby fecure this animal 
from other fifhes which would devour it ; for, 
as yet, Ihave had no experience in this matter. 
But it is certain that the Cuttle-fithes I found 
dead 
