These short feet would not enable their possessors to
cling to the rocks and keep themselves from being torn off by the
waves when these run high in times of storm; neither would they
serve to lay hold of objects at all remote and bring them in; but,
to supply these defects, the animal is furnished with two long
proboscises, by which it can moor itself and ride at anchor like a
ship in rough weather. These same processes serve also to catch prey
at a distance and to bring it to the mouth. They are so used by both
the Sepias and the Calamaries. In the Poulps the feet are themselves
able to perform these offices, and there are consequently no
proboscises. Proboscises and twining tentacles, with acetabula set
upon them, act in the same way and have the same structure as those
plaited instruments which were used by physicians of old to reduce
dislocations of the fingers. Like these they are made by the
interlacing of their fibres, and they act by pulling upon pieces of
flesh and yielding substances. For the plaited fibres encircle an
object in a slackened condition, and when they are put on the
stretch they grasp and cling tightly to whatever it may be that is
in contact with their inner surface. Since, then, the Cephalopoda have
no other instruments with which to convey anything to themselves
from without, than either twining tentacles, as in some species, or
proboscises as in others, they are provided with these to serve as
hands for offence and defence and other necessary uses.
Pages:
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209