Thee H 25.-F O'R 
ig an open-mouthed tube or ducte, by which 
the eggs are voided. IJ here exhibit three of 
thefe eggs f, one half lefs than the natural 
fize. Upon the ovaty and ink bladder are 
‘placed two very beautiful glandulous bodies, 
reprefented at gg; but I cannot now fay any 
thing certain concerning them, as moft of my 
former obfervations are only recordéd by draw- 
ings, with a bare explanation. 
two bodies, or rather in the midway between 
their appendages, appears a remarkable little 
‘bladder or bag, which containeda red juice bh. 
Laftly, I exhibit at one fide all the parts al- 
ready mentioned, and the gills 27, together 
‘with their veffels and divifions, in their natural 
‘fituation. 
I fhould here finith this effay, if for order 
fake I did not think it proper to add fomething 
concerning the Cuttle-fith’s bone, being the 
only one to be found in the body of this won- 
derful animal. The flefh clofely furrounds 
this part on every fide, in the manner obferv- 
able in man and other animals. ‘To obtain a 
fatisfactory fight of it, no more is requifite than 
to make an incifion in the fifh’s back, and fe- 
‘parate the bone itfelf from its membranes, and 
other integuments ; all which may be very eafi- 
dy performed. 
This bone, when newly cut out of the ani- 
mal, is of a middle nature between a dry and 
a moift fubftance ; it floats upon the water, if 
immediately thrown into it. And this, no 
doubt, is the reafon of its having been called 
{puma maris, or fea-froth. Hence alfo it hap- 
pens, that fo many of thefe bones are feen 
during the fummer months floating near our 
coafts, upon which they are at laft thrown, in 
proportion to the number of Cuttle-fithes that 
have died fince the preceding feafon. The 
fifhermen gather thefe remains, and fell them 
to the different tradefmen, who have occafion 
for them. It would take me up a large volume 
to defcribe all the wonders obfervable in this 
bone, in regard to its figure, colour, texture, 
and other qualities ; I fhall, therefore, only juft 
account in a few words for its floating on the 
furface of the water. 
This bone which lies in the animal’s back, 
on breaking it, after having firft cut with a file 
thro’ the hard cruft that covers it, fome inches 
from its fore end, appears to confift of feveral 
teftaceous plates a, Tab. LI. Fig. vi. Of thefe 
the upper ones are the longeft, and moft crook- 
ed; and they lie clofer to each other than the 
lower ones, which being applied to the hard 
cruft of the bone that had been filed off, yield 
fomewhat in length to the former. The rea- 
fon why the lower plates fhould lie loofer, or 
ata greater diftance afunder, than the upper 
ones, feems to be this; that the former have 
received more nourifhment during the fith’s 
time of growth, than the latter, and therefore 
increafed in bulk a great deal fafter. Befides, 
the hard cruft of the bone, by lying nearer the 
upper plates than the lower ones, is fufficient 
to make the former full amends for fuch a 
. deficiency. 
Above thefe ~ 
of INSECTS. i4d 
Between thefe plates there are 4 great many 
filaments reaching from one plate to the other; 
like fo many props or columns, fo as to hin- 
der the plates from clofing together. And the 
great lightnefs of the Cuttle-fifh’s bone; in con- 
fequence of which it cannot but float like a 
froth upon the water, depends entirely upon 
this conftruétion. 
To make this very confpicuous, nothing 
more is neceflary, than to feparate two of thefe 
plates which lie at the greateft diftance afun- 
‘der, from the adjacent ones ; and this may be 
very eafily effected, by breaking with the point 
of a {mall pin, the filaments which unite thefe 
plates together, at the fame time that they keep 
them at a proper diftance afunder ; for their 
filaments are fo fine and delicate, that they 
yield to the leaft impreffion. haha 
On viewing with a microfcope the plates 
prepared in the foregoing manner, the difpo- 
fition of the columns or props ¢; between the 
upper and lower plates de immediately ap- 
pears, as likewife their figure, and how they 
confift of 4 gié¢at many very {mall fibres which 
are compofed, as. it were of minute globules. 
‘We may even obferve fome traniverfe fibres, 
ftretching from one columin to another, and fo 
ftrengthening them, and connecting them to- 
gether. Befides, many of thefe props have a 
deeper foundation than the reft; and there is 
likewife a great variety in their figures. 
To comprehend thoroughly the conftruction 
of thefe parts, and their admirable. contri- 
vance, it is proper to take a piece of the bone 
prepared in the manner juft now explained, 
and having faftened it in a fafe place, with a 
little ftarch pafte, leave it there till it dries. 
After this, care muft be taken to feparate the 
upper plate from the props fupporting it, with- 
out doing them any injury, which however 
difficult, I have often accomplifhed with per- 
fect fuccefs. By this means it will at length 
appear, that thefe columns are fo many hollow 
flender tubes, Tab. LI. Fig. viii. g, naturally 
full of air, which is a fufficient reafon, why 
the Cuttle-fith’s bone, whén thrown into the 
- water, fhould always {wim on its furface. 
In this ftate,. fome of the columns appear like 
perfect tubes, others of a lefs regular form, and 
many are beautifully bent, like paper folded in a 
variety of forms. This inflexion is very like that 
which we obferve within the noftrils of hunting 
hounds, in the bone upon which the fcent acts ; 
as alfo, in horfes, This conftaudtion of the props 
cannot be perceived with the microfcope, till one 
of the adjacent plates is removed, otherwife they 
-all appear cylindrical, becaufe they are tran{parent. 
For it is the property of that kind of glaffes to 
give almoft all hollow tranfparent bodies a round 
appearance. 
The fubftance forming the cruft of thefe plates 
and their props, is ina manner of the nature of 
an alcaline falt ; it ferments violently with acids. 
But on feparating from it the membrane, that 
covers the back part, it appears entirely com- 
pofed of the fame matter with the plates them- 
felves, and the interjacent columns, which makes 
Pp | i 
