1. THE CUTTLE.2. THE EGGS OF CUTTLE.
Another very odd thing about the cuttle is the way in which it lays its eggs. These look just like purple grapes, and each has a small stalk, by means of which they are fastened together in bunches. Indeed, the fishermen always call them “sea-grapes.” You may often find them lying about upon the beach in early spring, and if you open one of them carefully, you will find a little baby cuttle inside it.
PLATE VIII
THE WHELK (1 and 2)
Everybody knows the shells of whelks by sight, and you can hardly take a walk along the sea-shore without seeing hundreds of them lying about on the beach. And great numbers of whelks are caught for human food, and also to serve as bait for fishes.
One very curious thing about whelks is the way in which they lay their eggs. Very often indeed, as you walk along the sandy sea-shore, you will notice round clusters of yellowish white eggs, which often go rolling along before the wind. Each of these clusters is about as big as a cricket-ball, and the eggs of which it is made up are about as large as peas. Now these are the eggs of whelks, and I think that every one who sees them must wonder how these creatures can possibly manage to lay such very big balls of eggs. For each egg-ball is at least two or three times as big as the biggest whelk.
But, after all, the explanation is quite a simple one. When the eggs are first laid they are very small indeed. Each is no bigger than a tiny pin’s head. Instead of having shells, however, these eggs have tough but very elastic skins; and these skins are made in such a way that while they allow water to soak in from the outside, they will not allow it to pass out again. So as soon as the eggs are dropped into the sea they begin to swell; and the result is that before very long each egg is as big as a good-sized pea.