SPAWNING OF THE OCTOPUS, 6i 



ting attention to them is solely for the purpose of protecting 

 them from injury, keeping them free from animal and vegetable 

 parasites, and preventing their being devoured by fishes, or 

 members of her own tribe — possibly by their own father. If I 

 had felt myself free to act according to my inclination, I should, 

 at once, have removed a larger number of the eggs ; but in 

 matters concerning which nothing is positively known, and every- 

 thing has to be learned, caution is requisite. There was good 

 reason for hesitation, when care in the conduct of the observation 

 might remove the doubts of centuries. The first thing to be 

 ascertained was — Had the ova been properly fecundated — did 

 they contain, each, a living embryo ? The microscope answered 

 " Yes." Under a low power a young octopus was seen moving 

 freely in the fluid contained in each transparent granule, the 

 bright orange-brown colour in the pigment cells of its skin 

 flashing, dying out, and re-appearing in another place, like sparks 

 in tinder. And I was astonished to see that the little creature 

 within the unbroken membrane was already endowed with the 

 power of assimilating its colour to that of its surroundings. When 

 light was reflected upon its surface, and through its translucent 

 body, from a piece of white paper laid on the mirror of the instru- 

 ment, it became pallid and colourless : on a bronze penny beino- 

 substituted for the paper, it assumed a darker hue ; and (which 

 was still more remarkable) on its being disturbed by a slight 

 compression or agitation of the ^gg, its surface became suffused 

 with the red flush of anger and irritation which characterises the 

 adult under provocation. 



It having been seen that many of the eggs left in their original 

 position had been bruised by the mother octopus, and that there 

 were black marks on the stone beneath them, betokening the 

 presence of decomposition, I was anxious to remove the 

 remainder from her; but, for the reason above mentioned, 

 amongst others, I considered it would be prudent to assure 

 myself that the eggs transferred to the smaller tank retained their 



