94 rafinesque's 



[From "The Good Book and Amenities of Nature, or Annals of Historical 



and Natural Sciences." Philadelpliia, 1840.] 

 [63] 



12. On the 3 Genera of Gephalopodes, 

 OcYTHOE, ToDARUS and Anisoctus. 



My G. Ocythoe altho' adopted by Leach and others, is yet a pro- 

 blematical animal for many, and I find even in late Journals discus- 

 sions on its being or not the animal of the Argonauta shell — it would 

 be wiser to ask me (the original discoverer) for my opinion or ex- 

 perience — I once wrote to Leach obout it, but it was during his 

 sickness, and I believe he omitted to publish my remarks, which 

 were at variance with his. It is time therefore to settle this question, 

 or rather throw new doubts on it perhaps ; my recollections of my 

 Ocythoe are quite vivid as a very remarkable animal. 



I omitted in my short account of the Genus (in my precis of 1814) 

 to state the size of this animal, and thence have originated many 

 wrong surmises. I did not state that it was the animal of the 

 Argonauta since I never dreamt of such a thing, knowing the 

 Todarus as the animal often found in it, (in Sicily,) while the 

 Ocythoe never could dwell in it, being larger than a man^s head, 

 and weighing 15 pounds. 



Such was my Ocythoe tuberculata type of the genus and certainly 

 not the same as that of Leach : this animal was brought to me alive 

 in 1811 as a rare kind of Octopus, it was ferocious, endeavoring to 

 bite and wound the holder, although out of water for one hour : it 



[64] 

 changed color, like a Chameleon from white to red in its angry and 

 dying moments. It was killed as usual with the Octopus by turning 

 its head, a process well known to the Fishermen of the Mediterra- 

 nean : else they will live long out of the water and are dangerous 

 till dead. I did eat this Ocythoe which afforded a meal for many, 

 and it was as good as usual with the Octopus. The Fishermen 

 never told me that it dwelt in the Argonauta, while all deemed their 

 Todaru the animal of it, calling the shell and animal by the same 

 name, while the Ocythoe was called Pulpu. 



I do therefore aver that my Ocythoe is not the animal of the 

 Argonauta, and could never be, by its size and thick spherical body, 

 unfit even to enter it. 



Not so with the Todaru, which was merely indicated in my .precis 

 as the Loligo todarus ; but I have since deemed it a Genus, called 



