SPAWNING OF THE OCTOPUS, 63 



both cases, assiduously guarded them for nearly three months— 

 almost twice the, apparently, normal period — they were addled, as 

 were also those which had been detached from under her care. 

 It appeared to me probable that the vitality of the embryo was 

 destroyed in an early stage by the lower temperature of the water 

 during the winter months, but I was not without hopes that their 

 progress towards maturity might prove to be merely retarded by 

 the same influence, — an effect which is well known to be produced 

 by cold on the ova of the salmonidae. In order to test this, some 

 of the eggs were placed in a tank in the warm boiler-house, but 

 without any beneficial results. Yet the brood referred to was 

 hatched in water of the same temperature as that in which the 

 former ones were addled, varying Httle from 54 deg. Fahrenheit. I 

 am unable to account for this ; so I reserve my opinion of the cause 

 of failure, and am content to watch, and wait, and patiently note 

 facts, and to abstain from propounding theories on unsafe bases. 



Everyone who loves and studies animals knows that each 

 differs from others of its species, in its habits and little ways, as 

 distinctly as children, and men, and women are diverse in cha- 

 racter and disposition. The horses you have owned, the dogs 

 you have loved, your cats, parrots, and even your pet cage-birds 

 and little white mice, have possessed widely varying characters 

 and idiosyncrasies. Fishes, the Crustacea, and even the octopods 

 are not excepted from this individuality. The hen octopus in 

 question, whilst on sentry duty guarding her undeveloped progeny, 

 assumed a position and attitude totally different from that adopted 

 by her predecessor in maternal joys. The syringing of her eggs 

 with a current of water from the syphon tube ,was repeated by 

 her; but she never cradled them, as did the other, in the ex- 

 panded membrane of a limb. Her usual posture was with the 

 under portion of her body presented to them, her eight arms 

 turned completely back, exposing their under surface armed with 

 their battery of suckers, the muzzles of the latter pointing in 

 every direction, and the tip of the hard, horny beak, just dis- 



