The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

THE CUTTLE FISH.

, A very interesting addition has been made to the zoo-
'egical department of the Dublin Exhibition—a specimen
zoo-
logical a living cuttle fish, or octopus, which attracted a
tt,sowd of visitors. It is placed in a glass vivarium,
Zed with sea water, near the salmon fry. To the an-
k`larian the animal is interesting, as in some old draw-
ii,
eief the Labours of Hercules in the Combat of the
%);44, the monster is represented as an enormous cuttle
am from which the hero is lopping off arm after arm,
itlt to the lover of the marvellous the animal is equally
etesting, as tales reach us occasionally of cuttle fish
411 eh size as to be able to drag down men from the
11:4k,s of large vessels in the Indian Ocean, and arms
4ve been found of 20 and 24 feet long. If there be
BnY truth in the stories that occasionally reach us of
157 serpents, it is most probable the cuttle fish has
the animal seen, for even in this small specimen
Rolle. are large and as brilliant as those of an eagle,
tit_
arms best seen when the animal is in motion,
xim'e an idea of great power, and when of a large size
It': be terrible to behold, both from shape and power.
.1;(3,414 appear as if the creature bad little power, for
841..,-4'l3' is soft or cartilaginous, but it is armed with
te4g tentacula, or arms, with which it has the power
t4,etnyeloping any animal with which it may come in con
ka—; and from its grasp no animal can extricate itself,
k.,"-ch arm is furnish ed with innumerable suckers,
ad With little circles of bony teeth. Once wrapped
er;" with these, all struggles are useless ; and thus
klin the largest lobster and crab fall an easy prey to an
eonnal Without any shell or armour, and apparently,
le,lllPared with them, feeble and helpless. But not the
wonderful part is the head of the animal, placed
or 'e middle of the circle from which the tentacula
el arias spring, and from which animals of this
aka are named cephalopoda. The head or mouth is
elci with a beak, coi.sisting of two bills—an upper
'4wer, in shape, colour, and texture exactly resen-
-41,F a parrot's beak, and with this, while the lobster is
helpless, the beak now works its way through the
ell 4. The power which the cuttle fish possesses of
ug colour is very extraordinary. In a second of
+o't will change from a grey to white, then to a
0 tied tint like a leopard's skin, and quickly from this
asinaPs a vivid vermillion or crimson—in this far sur-
si-74g the chameleon. It has two modes of progres-
cattlee One by walking with its head downwards like the
4g-walker—the other, very strange, by ejecting from
te.:l:ifiee close to its beak water with great force, by the
-e'inn of which the animal is propelled like a rocket in
an contrary direction. And to add to all this, it is the
otilt4al which furnishes Indian ink, so much prized by
rzsartists. As a type of a class of animals among the
ow t Wonderful of the creation, and to be found on our
e amern shores, this creature is well worth a visit. We
near forgetting to add not the least and not the
.
is
of the wonders of this curious race, that this animal
e,Pr(rvided with no less than three hearts to carry on its
tl;clilation. If it came thousands of miles to us, and
malelllY a single specimen were obtained in a space of
a
it, it would be sought after as a marvel, and would
e t'he fortune of a zoological garden. The cuttle fish
every respect of formation, habits, and shape, more
kirif3rful and more beautiful than a hippopotamus or an
goteittFr, and not the less to be a.dmii ed that we
.have
va4,`" 111 our own sea. The specimen in the Exhibition
labtained in Dalkey Sound.

the 4.4.—The demand for silver continues.
tiillinrchases have been made for in IndliliZstbuott
in
.0 the last day or two there has been a considerable
110,1111rY for the continent, and bar silver and dollars
ra
pie been sold at 611 d. and 60d.—an advance of Ad.
rI3"ELIA RAILS ON THE BUCKS LlNE.—Preparations
17'ke been commenced for laying a second lineofßuraekiles
41113 Ricester to the Claydon junctio.nll,
be
en thedouble lines
fre,„‘",T. When finished, there will
0n... Oxford to Bletchley. The works are to be pushed
by as fast as possible in order that they
may
the time the loop line from the Bucksts.thbeeOxrfeOarddy,
4.
znlxo %ester, and Wolverhampton Railways is completed.
berat present employed on
tbe
100 of persons are
Nve."l,li PUBLIC WORKS IN PROGRESS AT PARIS.—The
toi's now going on in Paris, as we have already
poi:lnr readers, i
are of extraordinary magnitude, n-
-44
g, if all Carried out, an enormous expenditure--
"13
tie, en iture far beyond what prudence and jus-
bwoold authorise. This, however, we will leave
the" French people to settle. The works to connect
A,. or thern gallery from the Tuileries with the Louvre
pr r
th -1388.0 g with uncommon activity. A portion
aieee g
Rue Rivoli is already built as high as the cor-
In the Place du Carousel very little progress_
cebti'een made with the other proposed buildings, ex-
the ,ng for the foundations. Some carvers are finishing
Nll,C,rnarnentlin the pediments of the northern a.. ery.e.
thiaeo have remained without them since the erectionnuef
de Part bY Napoleon I. The continuation of the
bra from the Louvre towards the Hotel de Ville
0r4,11,_ as far as new constructions and the length of
tori:_ypgreat resemblance to the present state of
Vic-
-2)4, iZikiet leading from Pimlico to Westminster.—
As .
t'„
„, DANISH LAY-BILL, EXHIBITED AT SEVILLE, 1762.
'o the Sovereign of Heaven—to the Mother of the
.4,,' -.oterT
nal orld—to the Polar Star of Spain—to the
;:hereforter of all Spain—to the Faithful Protectress of
llost,-,,Panish Nation—to the honour and glory of the
prong a'nlY Virgin Mary—for her benefit, and for the
Will to
tion of her worship—the company of comedians
nelled a day give a representation of the Comic Piece
the fa 'Tame / The celebrated Italian will also dance
batedzi,;(allgo, and the theatre will be respectably Mural-
--Notes and Queries.
vs.ea::',ll -VACANT SCOTCH JUDGESHIP.—
i its said that the 04e* on the Scotch Bench, caused t
by the death of
eau of F4ndersons
.will now be filled by Mr. Inglis, the
aculty