Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a long dragon or serpent with its tail in its mouth, forming a circular shape. Although the symbol has meant different things to different societies and individual philosophers throughout history, in The Wanting Seed, it suggests cyclicality and eternity. Even more than that, it's connected back to the rest of the novel's sea symbolism too:
'Sea,' whispered Beatrice-Joanna, 'teach us all sense.' [. . .] There is stretched all before her, endowed with delirium, panther-skin, mantle pierced with thousand upon thousands of the sun's idols, hydra absolute, drunk with its own blue flesh, biting its scintillating tail in a tumult like silence. 'Sea, sea, sea.' (6.4.1)
Sheesh, Anthony Burgess. We get the point!
'Sea,' whispered Beatrice-Joanna, 'teach us all sense.' [. . .] There is stretched all before her, endowed with delirium, panther-skin, mantle pierced with thousand upon thousands of the sun's idols, hydra absolute, drunk with its own blue flesh, biting its scintillating tail in a tumult like silence. 'Sea, sea, sea.' (6.4.1)
Sheesh, Anthony Burgess. We get the point!