THE family of the Teuthidæ, popularly known as Calamaries, or Squids, are distinguished by their elongated bodies, their short and broad fins, and the shell or pen which is found in their interior. All the Squids are very active, and some species, called FLYING SQUIDS by sailors, and Ommastrephes by systematic naturalists, are able to dash out of the sea and dart to considerable distances. Mr. Beale mentions that he has seen tens of thousands of these animals dart simultaneously out of the water when pursued by dolphins or albacores, and propel themselves through the air for a distance of eighty or a hundred yards. While thus engaged, they have a habit of moving their long tentacles with a rapid spiral motion, which may possibly help them in their flight, as it undoubtedly does in their propulsion through the water. This peculiar action has been compared by the writer to that of an eight-pronged corkscrew. An interesting account of the Flying Squid may be seen in Bennett's "Whaling Voyage," where it is casually mentioned that these creatures frequently leaped on the deck of the vessel in their daring flight, and sometimes struck themselves violently against the bows, and fell back injured into the

sea.

This Squid has even been known to fling itself fairly over the ship, and to fall in the water on the other side.

One species of Squid is tolerably common on our coasts, and is often used for bait by the Cornish fishermen.

OUR present example of this family is the LITTLE SQUID, or SEPIOLA, of which genus six species are known, inhabiting most parts of the world, and living on our own shores.

ONE species, the ROCK SQUID, which sometimes attains a large size, may be considered as a formidable antagonist if irritated, as may be seen by the following account by Mr. Beale :

"While upon the Bonin Islands, searching for shells upon the rocks which had just been left by the receding sea-tide, I was much astonished at seeing at my feet a most

extraordinary-looking animal crawling towards the surf, which had only just left it. I had never seen one like it under such circumstances before; it therefore appeared the more remarkable. It was creeping on its eight legs, which, from their soft and flexible nature, bent considerably under the weight of its body, so that it was lifted by the efforts of its tentacles only a small distance from the rocks.

It appeared much alarmed at seeing me, and made every effort to escape, while I was not much in the humour to endeavour to capture so ugly a creature, whose appearance excited a feeling of disgust not unmingled with fear. I, however, endeavoured to prevent its career by pressing on one of its legs with my foot, but although I made use of considerable force for that purpose, its strength was so great that it several times quickly liberated that member, in spite of all the efforts I could employ in this way on wet slippery rocks.

I now laid hold of one of the tentacles with my hand, and held it firmly, so that the limb appeared as if it would be torn asunder by our united strength. I soon gave it a powerful jerk, wishing to disengage it from the rock to which it clung so forcibly by its suckers, which it effectually resisted. But the moment after, the apparently enraged animal lifted its head, with its large eyes projecting from the middle of its body, and, letting go its hold of the rocks, suddenly sprung upon my arm, which I had previously bared to my shoulder for the purpose of thrusting it into holes of the rocks to discover shells, and clung with all its suckers to it with great power, endeavouring to get its beak, which I could now see between the roots of its arms, in a position to bite.

Á sensation of horror pervaded my whole frame when I found this monstrous animal had affixed itself so firmly upon my arm. Its cold slimy grasp was extremely sickening, and I immediately called aloud to the captain, who was also searching for shells at some distance, to come and release me from my disgusting assailant. He quickly arrived, and taking me down to the boat, during which time I was employed in keeping the beak away from my hand, quickly released me by destroying my tormentor with the boat knife, when I disengaged it by portions at a time. This animal must have measured across its expanded arms about four feet, while its body was not larger than a large clenched hand. It was that species of Sepia which is called by the whalers Rock Squid." This formidable creature was probably one of the ARMED CALAMARIES (Enoploteuthis).

These molluscs possess the property of changing their colours at will, and rival even the chameleon in the rapidity with which the varied tints flit over their surface like cloud shadows over the fields. The structure by which this process is achieved is very interesting. Over the surface of the animal is spread a thin integument, containing a vast number of circular or oval vesicles filled with a coloured fluid. This fluid is of various tints, such as black, brown, yellow, indigo, azure, and red, and in many species three or four of these colours are found. The vesicles are gifted with a most mysterious power of contraction and expansion, though they have no apparent connexion with the nervous system. The least touch will set them in motion, and exposure to light has the same effect, even after the death of the animal, or if a portion of the skin be removed from the body. It is evident that the tint of the surface is caused by the particular vesicles which are expanded, and its depth by the degree of expansion.

The celebrated "ink" of these creatures, from which the valuable colour called "sepia" was formerly obtained, deserves a brief notice.

This substance is liquid, and is secreted in a sac popularly termed, from its office, the ink-bag." The sac is filled with a spongy kind of matter, in which the ink lies, and from which it can be forcibly expelled at the will of the animal. The ink-bag is not always in the same position, but some species have it in the liver, others near the siphon, and others among the viscera. There is a communication between the ink-bag and the siphon, so that when the ink is ejected, it is forcibly thrown out together with the water, so that the very effort for escape serves the double purpose of urging the creature away from danger and discolouring the water in which it swims. The animal can eject the ink with such force that it has been known to dedecorate a naval officer's white duck trousers with its liquid missile, the aggrieved individual always asserting that it took deliberate aim for that purpose.

Generally, the animal throws out its ink on the least alarm, a circumstance of some importance in geology. It was discovered by Dr. Buckland that in many specimens of fossil cephalopods, called scientifically Geoteuthis, i.e. Earth Squid, the ink-bag remained in the animal untouched by its long sojourn within the earth, and even retaining its quality of rapid mixture with water. A drawing was actually made by Sir F. Chantrey, with a portion of "sepia" taken from a fossil species, and the substance proved to be such excellent quality that an artist, to whom the sketch was shown, was desirous of learning the name of the colourman who prepared the tint.

THE Belemnites, those curious cucumber-like fossils, popularly called Thunderbolts, which are found in various strata, are now known to be the remains of ancient Calamaries, of which the entire animal, with its mantle, fins, ink-bag, siphon, eyes, and tentacles, has been discovered.

THE third, and largest figure in the engraving, represents the common SEPIA, whose wonderful chalky "bone" is so frequently thrown on our shores after the death of the animal in which it was developed.

This so-called bone was formerly in great repute for various purposes, but is now merely employed in the manufacture of pounce and dentifrice, for which latter purpose, however, prepared chalk is quite as effectual, being indeed the same substance, though in the form of powder. It is composed of a vast number of nearly horizontal layers, supported by innumerable little pillars or fibres of the same substance. If one of these shells be snapped across, the structure will be well shown even to the naked eye, while with the help of a common pocket-lens, even the minutest details can be examined. The upper coat will mostly scale off so as to show its smooth surface, while the successive ranges of glittering pillars look like a copy of the Giant's Causeway in miniature, as the irregular fracture breaks up their ranked columns into deep caverns and bold projecting rocks. diagonal cut with a knife will farther expose the hard horizontal strata with their myriad pillars; but the method by which the structure exhibits itself in its greatest beauty is to make a very thin transverse section, mount it in Canada balsam on a glass slide for the microscope, and employ polarized light in its examination.

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In consequence of its peculiar formation, the cuttle-bone is extremely light when dry, and admits so much air into the interstices that it swims easily in water. One of these shells is seen in the illustration, lying on the ground near the Sepia.

In the right-hand corner, and lying on the ground, is seen a group of dark oval bodies, looking something like a bunch of purple grapes, and from this resemblance termed Sea Grapes by the fishermen. These are the eggs of the Sepia, which may often be found on the seashore, flung there by the retiring tide, and left to perish unless rescued by some friendly hand. If these bunches of eggs be placed in a vessel of sea-water, and guarded from danger, they may be seen daily changing in appearance, until at last they burst asunder and let loose the inmates on the world. Nothing can exceed the nonchalant demeanour of the tiny creature not two minutes old. It deliberately makes the tour of its glassy prison, examines every detail with minute attention, and having quite satisfied its curiosity, poises itself for a moment just above the ground, blows out a circular hollow in the sand with a sharp expulsion of water from the siphon, and settles quietly into the bed thus. prepared for it.

The Sepia, as well as others of its family, is a terribly voracious creature, and is consequently hated by the fishermen, who sometimes see the Cuttles busily at work on the fishes that are hanging on their hooks, holding the bodies firmly in their arms, and tearing away the flesh with astonishing quickness, as if they knew the shortness of their tenure. Their vigilance is, however, not to be dulled by their appetite; for although they will hold on to the last moment, they are far too wary to allow themselves to be caught, and as soon as the fatal net approaches, they cast off their animated grapnels, and dart away swiftly from the threatened danger.

BEFORE proceeding to another large group of cephalopods, it is needful to mention the curious animals called, from the shape of their shell, Spiralida. These singular creatures form a distinct though very small family, containing only three species.

In them, the shell is very delicate, and is rolled into a spiral form, something like the proboscis of an elephant when curled up. These shells are very common on the shores of New Zealand, where they are scattered in thousands, and are sometimes thrown on the southern shores of England by the waves of the Gulf Stream. Yet the animal which formed the shell is extremely rare, and is very seldom found except in a very fragmentary and battered condition.

ANOTHER order of cephalopods is called by the name of Tetrabranchiata, or Fourgilled animals, because the organs of respiration are composed of four branchia. These creatures possess a very strong external shell, which is divided into a series of gradually increasing compartments connected together by a central tube called the siphuncle. As the animal grows, it continues to enlarge its home, so that its age can be inferred from the number of chambers comprising its shell.

In former times these creatures were very abundant, but in our day the only known living representative is the CHAMBERED or PEARLY NAUTILUS, a section of which is shown in the illustration in order to exhibit the beautiful spiral home in which the creature resides, and the structure of the chambers, together with their connexion by means of the siphuncle.

While the animal still lives, the short tubes that pass through the walls of the chambers are connected by membranous pipes, and even in a specimen that has been long dead. these connecting links hold their places, provided that the shell has not been subjected to severe shocks. In one of these shells now before me, which I have very cautiously opened, the whole series of membranous tubes can be seen in their places, black and shrivelled externally, but perfect tubes nevertheless.

At the left-hand of the illustration the animal may be seen as it appears when lying in its shell, the eye just peering from the edge, the points of the retracted tentacles visible,

THE CHAMBERED NAUTILUS.

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and the hood covering all. Although the shell of the Chambered Nautilus is common enough, the animal is very rarely seen, often, in all probability, escaping notice by its utter dissimilarity to the popular ideas of a shell. While living, it incloses the shell in its mantle, and on several occasions has been mistaken for a dead cat or a lump of blubber, until a sudden alarm induced the creature to throw aside the mask, and to address its best energies to escape. Moreover, it is one of the deep-water species, and does not seem to ascend to the surface unless driven by the force of a storm.

Before quitting the subject of this animal, I cannot resist the opportunity of inserting the exquisite little poem by Dr. Holmes, on a broken shell of the Chambered Nautilus :—

In many of the, cephalopods already mentioned, the only specimens ever captured belonged to the female sex, and seemed almost to pass, like the Amazons of old, an existence which may be termed a misandrous life. At last the male was discovered, but in a form so unlike that of the female, and apparently so utterly unworthy of her, that although its existence had long been known to naturalists, it was set down as a parasitic worm, and called by the title of Hectocotyle. That of the argonaut is hardly more than half an inch in length; has two rows of little suckers, arranged alternately, forty-five being placed on each side; there is a thread-like appendage in front, nearly as long as the whole animal, and the skin contains changeable spots of red and violet. It is a very curious and suggestive fact, that the newly hatched female argonaut is very similar in appearance to the fully developed male. Similar instances of discrepancy between the sexes are found in the lac insect, and many crustaceans, the male being nearly one thousand times less than his mate. This subject is, however, extremely mysterious.

There are many fossil species of this order, but as the limits of this work are far too circumscribed to admit even a tithe of the important existing species, no space can be