Page:Natural History, Mollusca.djvu/128

116 Glaucus, I found the disc had been cleared of the tentacles and other soft parts, a small part of the fleshy portion only remaining upon the disc. Only one part of the horny disc exhibited any injury, and that appeared to be the place where the animal was first grasped by the Glaucus. "When any of these animals came in contact with another in the glass, they did not display any annoyance, nor coil themselves up, nor did they evince any savage propensities one towards the other; and they would often float about having their digitated processes in contact one with the other, without exhibiting any signs of annoyance. Even when placed or pushed one against the other, they did not manifest any irritation, but remained undisturbed as in their usual moments of quiet repose.

"On the back of the animal being seen in a strong light, a black line could be discerned on each margin, and passing down the centre of each fin; and sometimes varied by having two black lines on the upper part of one fin, although the opposite fin may display but one.

"The margin between the falling of the purple colour of the back into the silvery white of the abdomen, often exhibited beautiful tints of a golden green; but these variations were probably produced by the effect of different rays of light. These animals soon perished; I could not preserve them for any length of time in the glass of sea- water, although the water was changed as often as it was thought necessary. The digitated processes of the fins were observed to shrink up on the death of the animal, and the process of decomposition rapidly took place, the whole body becoming a shapeless mass,