T50 The BOOK of NATURE; ot, 
it not improbable, that this ftony and faline bone, 
found in the back of the Cuitle-fi(h, is originally 
compofed of hardened membranes, and this con- 
jeCture is confirmed by confidering attentively 
that part of the Cuttle-fith’s bone, which lies 
within its tail, and the membranes invefting it ; 
for thefe laft when examined with the microfcope 
appear of the fame conftruction with the plates 
and columns themfelves, But it is no eafy matter 
to feparate thefe membranes; they are fo firmly 
connected in that part with the hard cruft cover- 
ing the bone. When cautioufly picked of, they 
‘leave a view of the manner in which this animal’s 
bone grows at this place into a fharp tale Tab. LI. 
Fig. x1. 6, which in full grown Cuttle-fithes is 
much longer and more pointed, than in young 
ones, asin thefe laft the membranes are not yet 
hardened. It may therefore be fairly concluded 
THE END 
from all the foregoing particulars, confidered to. 
gether, that this {tony bone of the Cuttle-fith, is 
formed in the fame manner with the bones of 
men and quadrupedes. Nay, we can very plainly 
fee that the blood veffels not only run over the 
furface of this bone, but penetrate into its fub= 
ftance. | 
To clofe this treatife, I muft offer my moit 
humble praifes to the great Creator, for having 
made known tous fo many fpecimens of His ine 
exhauftible wifdom, power, and goodnef, all 
the glory of which we ought to give to his Di- 
vine Majefty, praying Him at the fame time to 
make us truly obedient to his will: fo that wemay 
henceforward do nothing but what is agreeable 
to Him, for in this exa& conformity to His plea- 
fure our prefent and future happinefs entirely con-. 
fifts, 
Al treatife on the Phyfalus*. 
‘T HIS creature, which Rondolet defcribes 
from his own obfervations, and from Aélian, 
is found in the German fea, and fometimes is 
thrown afhore on its coafts in the fummer 
months. I can produce one of them, which 
ftuffed. with tow, by a hole made in_ its 
back, and afterwards fowed up, has -its fkin 
changed toa kind of real leather. I many times 
this {ummer fpoke to the fifhermen to get me one 
of thefe animals frefh, as they gave me to un- 
derftand they often caught them alive in their 
nets, but as yet I have not had the good fortune 
to obtain any of them; I can therefore do no 
‘more at prefent than defcribe it, and illuftrate my 
defcription with figures from fome flight notes 
and drawings I formerly took of this creature ; 
thefe obfervations, however, may throw great 
lightupon what Rondolet has wrote concerning it, 
efpecially what he has affirmed after A¥lian of its 
furprifing infleion. The Phyfalus when turned 
on its back, Tab. X. Fig. vir. appears fome- 
what broad inthe middle, on the forepart toward 
the head it is a little narrower, and at the tail it 
ends ina point. The abdomen is full of wrinkles, 
and is covered witha very delicate kind of biflus 
or cottony matter. This creature has on each 
fide of its body twenty eight protuberances, called 
by Rondolet dorfal warts, from which there 
fpring very ftiff briftles aaa@. The learned Oli- 
eerus Jacobeus, when here in Holland, made me 
‘a prefent of a creature of this kind, and called 
thefe briftles its legs ; but 1 cannot fee any reafon 
he could have for giving them that name, as the 
€reature cannot ufe them as fuch, tho’ perhaps 
it may employ them as oars in fwimming-. The 
‘Phyfalus has other protuberances befides thofe 
already mentioned; and except their being fmallez 
and fharper they are of the fame conftruGtion. 
In fome of thefe warts, which I cut from the 
creatures fides, Fig. 1x. 4, I could count fixteen 
briftles difpofed inwardly into three rows, and 
united together in each row, by a particular 
ligament Fig, x. c, and all the fixteen by another 
common one. ‘The firft row confifted only of 
two moderately {tiff but very large briftles d. The 
fecond confifted of fix e, and the third of eight 75 
differing in length, firucture, and firmnefs; all 
thefe briftles were of a fhining black, but there 
are other fpecies of this creature, whofe briftles 
are of a bright gold colour. Such arethefe men- 
tioned by Jacobeusin the 4é4a Danica Medica; and 
I have myfelf feen fome of this kind. There are 
alfo Phyfali with green briftles, if we may believe 
Rondolet, who calls thefe briftles green hairs. 
Some of thefe briftles, which give the creature a 
refemblance to the Porcupine or 1 edge-hog, ap- 
pear thro’ the mifcrofcgpe flattith and {harp 
Fig. x1.g, whilft others appear cylindrick, and 
fomewhat thicker about their fore parts, Fig. x11. 
b, where they at laft terminate in a blunt point. 
Under the parts laft mentioned, there grows on 
each fide of the body a prodigious number of de« 
licate gold coloured downy hairs, I have only 
reprefented thofe on one fide Tab. X. Fig. virz. 
722, where the briftles are omitted, to afford a” 
better view of them ; thefe delicate hairs {pring 
likewife from the centers of certain warts, over 
whofe furface they afterwards {pread themfelves, 
Fig.x111 & The laft warts lie clofe under the 
others fupporting the briftles, with which the 
hairy down growing in the form of flocks of 
wool is naturally intermixed, efpecially on the 
* This fingular creatute which former natutalifts have tiniverfally called Phyfalus, and have been perplexed in what clafs to arrange 
it, Linnzeus refers to his clafs of Worms, Vermes, he arranges it under the fecond order ; the creatures of which he entitles Zoophyta, 
and to this genus he gives thename of Salacia; by this denomination the creature is known at prefent among naturalifts, and there is 
no other known fpecies of the fame genus: 
+ Thefe are not legs, norintended for its office: they approach more to the nature ofarms-with hands or fingers ; and are properly 
‘Tentacula of the creature ¢ their ule is in finding and fecuring the creatures prey. ‘ 
a 
upper 
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