CEPHALOPOD A, OR CUTTLE

FISH, the fifth and highest cla of the Mollusca, containing well-developed creatures, which in habit, appearance, and also in structure differ greatly from their brother molluscs. They are free-swimming creatures, bilaterally symmetrical, but in all, except the pearly nautilus the shell, characteristic of most molluscs, is invisible—buried within the body. The most striking feature of Cephalopod a, and that which has received most attention in legendary lore, is the presence of a ring of ‘arms’ which surround tl head and bear on their surface maz strong suckers, or, in the nautilus, te acles. Stories have been told of the si and strength of the arms of the cuttl fish, and, indeed, they scarcely exces the truth; for it has been calculated fro captured fragments that, in the neighbo hood of Newfoundland, specimens — Architeuthis may exceed 50 ft. in tot length, and may po e ‘arms’ 30 to £ ft. long. Indeed, an Irish specimen h been found with 30-ft. arms, and ey nearly a foot and a half acro . Cephalopod a are marine anima found in all seas; a few are found ne the coast, especially in spring-time at tl spawning season, but the majority pref deeper water, some inhabiting the bo {tom in almost 2,000 fathoms, whi | others sail the open sea. They creep wil humped back upon the sea-floor k means of their arms, or swim horizontal backwards through the water by use | their funnel, their long arms streaming | ‘rear.’ Cephalopod a are exceeding! fierce and voracious. They are altogeth carnivorous. and feed upon mollusc crabs, and fishes, which they occasional! follow in schools, sometimes complete! ruining local fisheries by reason of the numbers and destructivene . The sex are separate, and in spring the females « some species approach the shore ar attach their eggs in bunches of seaweed Others lay huge glorular floating ma t of eggs in the open sea. ‘ Cephalopod a are of some, though ne of great, value toman. On many of tk European coasts they are used,as foot the arms of cuttlefish when cooked beir alleged to resemble lobster in flavo From the ink-sac a writing-ink—'‘sep i: —was obtained, and it is said that th formed the base of China or India in and other paints. It is interesting t recollect that Cuvier drew his illustratio of various cuttles with the ‘ink’ obtaine from the animals themselves. The i ternal ‘bones’ of cuttles, again, al powdered, the powder or ‘pounce’ bein used for polishing articles of bone an ivory and as an ingredient of toot powder. And lastly, the shells of tk pearly nautilus are stripped of be outer layers and become _ irides ornaments of great beauty.