the Inhabitant of the Argonaut, 395 



Argonaut is the true constructor of its shell, and that it does 

 not construct it in the egg, but after its birth ; but, also, that 

 the small mollusc, at its quitting the ovum, does not entirely 

 resemble what it will be in the adult state : it is then a kind of 

 small worm (vermicello), provided with two longitudinal rows 

 of vent-holes (ventouses), with a filiform appendage at one ex- 

 tremity, and a slight enlargement towards the other, where 

 its organs of digestion appear to be situate ;" so that, according 

 to M. Maravigno, we might suppose that this was at first but 

 an extremely small brachial appendage, from which would 

 ultimately be developed the parts necessary to its completion. 



M. Maravigno terminates his extracts from Mrs. Power's 

 Memoir by expressing a wish that this lady may continue her 

 researches upon this subject ; that is to say, upon the pro- 

 gressive developement of the animal of the Argonaut; thinking 

 that, perhaps, as Spallanzani and Trembley have shown, the 

 latter with respect to the green hydra, and the former con- 

 cerning the terrestrial Limaces that have been deprived of 

 their heads, the developement of the organs belonging to the 

 mollusc of the Argonaut maybe by an animal germ or budding, 

 something like that of a plant ; the organisation of these 

 animals, according to him, bearing much analogy to each other. 



Thus, as the result of these new observations, such as M. 

 Maravigno reports them in his extracts from Mrs. Power's 

 Memoir, which extracts we have translated almost verbatim, 

 and even without passing over his remarks with regard to the 

 first stage of developement in the young Ocythoe, which is at 

 least very remarkable, we find, as a fact invalidated*, — 



* As there appears to us considerable obscurity in this part of the paper, 

 we have thought it better to insert the passage as it originally stands. — Ed. 



f Ainsi comme resultat des nouvelles observations, telles que les rap- 

 porte M. Maravigno dans l'extrait du memoire de madame Power, extrait 

 que nous avons presque traduit mot a mot, et meme sans oublier les re- 

 flexions de M. Maravigno, au sujet du premier degre de developpement du 

 jeune poulpe, qui serait au moins bien singulier ; on trouve, comme fait 

 infirme : 



" 1°. La coquille du poulpe de Targonaute n'existe pas dans l'ceuf et 

 meme apres quelques jours de la naissance, fait confirme par M. Mara- 

 vigno, et qui detruit l'argument le plus fort apporte contre l'opinion du 

 parasitisme du poulpe dans la coquille, et qu'on avait tire plus specialement 

 de 1' observation de Poli ; 



" Et comme faits nouveaux contre cette meme opinion : 



" 2°. Les morceaux de la coquille prealablement enleves sont reproduits, 

 fait affirme' aussi par M. Maravigno, mais sans details sur la place ou le 

 morceau a ete enleve, sur le temps de la reproduction, et sur la structure 

 comparee de la partie reproduite ; 



" 3°. La coquille se forme, se produit hors de l'ceuf et par consequent 

 apres la naissance; egalement sans details a l'appui d'une assertion en 

 contradiction avec tout ce que Ton sait jusqu'ici sur le developpement des 

 animaux mollusques conchyliferes, et qui par cela meme avait plus besoin 

 d'etre appuye'e de details circonstancies." 



gg 2 



