ON THE ARGONAUT. 63 



died the facts we relate in this memoir, at Algiers. We de- 

 clare that we have never seen the poulp voluntarily quit its 

 shell ; and that it was only when deprived by weakness of 

 the power of adhering to it by means of the organs which 

 nature had given it for this purpose, that it was separated from 

 it by a fortuitous circumstance, and one that was quite inde- 

 pendent of its will. And if, in this case, the poulp resumed 

 an appearance of activity, it was only to expend all its re- 

 maining strength in one effort, and expire almost immediately. 

 We shall say nothing further on this subject; for reasoning, 

 in this case, can do no more, and subsequent experience only 

 can show the weight of these arguments. On this ground we 

 earnestly entreat those who may have opportunities of study- 

 ing the poulp of the argonaut in its shell, to multiply their 

 experiments on this fact as much as possible, and carefully 

 to record all they witness, 



If we have found ourselves under the necessity of combat- 

 ing many arguments in favour of parasitism, we have also had 

 occasion to attack some of those put forward by the partisans 

 of non-parasitism. W^e have already extinguished several of 

 these, in opposing to them the use and position of the large 

 arms ; as, for example, we showed that these arms were not 

 directed towards the interior of the shell, on each side of the 

 keel, to form the tubercles. * 



We have also done away with the arguments founded on a 

 pretended observation, that the animal, when drawn out of 

 the shell, exhibits upon its mantle the entire form of that 

 shell, and the impression of the furrows and tubercles with 

 which it is ornamented. But there is a more important fact 

 which ought to detain us a moment, since it has been for 

 some time advanced with great success, and yet it must now 

 fall to the ground. This will doubtless be the case with ma- 

 ny other arguments — fruits of an active imagination — ^to which 

 too much attention has hitherto been paid, but which perhaps 

 only await a simple observation, conscientiously made upon 

 the animal when full of life and at liberty, to be completely 

 nullified. The nature of this tact we will now explain. The 

 partisans of non-parasitism thought that the best method of 

 solving the problem, was, to assure themselves whether the 

 rudiments of the shell of the membraniferous-armed poulp 

 were to be found in the ova of the animal. I'his investiga- 

 tion might be decisive. Many naturalists, relying solely upon 

 it, soon exclaimed, " the question is decided, for the shell is 

 there ! " It was a truly eminent anatomist, whose reputation 

 extends throughout Europe, who first uttered the cry of vic- 

 tory, which was immediately enregistered in a host of publi- 



