"What is it ?" "It's a cuttle-fish," cried the old sailor.

"Drop it, my boy, at once! or--" He spoke too late; for at the same moment, the cuttle-fish deluged Bob with the inky fluid which nature has provided it with as a means of hiding its whereabouts in the water from its enemies, and from which the Romans obtained their celebrated "Tyrian dye." Nell, also, came in for a share of this over her dress, which did not by any means improve its appearance.
"Never mind, though;" said the Captain to them both, by way of consolation.

"What's done can't be helped!" "Ah!" remarked their father slily, "if you had been looking after the net, instead of instructing me in cookery, this wouldn't have happened." "You're quite right, Strong," replied the other, with an air of great contrition; albeit his eyes twinkled with fun and his manner was not quite that of a repentant sinner.

"I've neglected my duties shamefully." With these words he set to work anew, disinterring a large skate weighing over twelve pounds from amidst the mud and refuse brought up by the trawl.
The gills of this fish, in the centre of its globular body, had the most extraordinary likeness to a human face; and as the queer-looking creature puffed out these gills, it appeared, as Mr Strong pointed out, just like a fat old gentleman taking a glass of some rare and highly- recommended wine and "washing his mouth out" so as to taste it properly.
"Oh, papa, how funny!" exclaimed Nell.

"It is just like that, too! But look, Captain, there's a `soldier crab,' isn't it ?" "Yes, my dear, and we'll keep him for your aquarium; as well as some new sea-anemones and another zoophyte I see here, too.