76 



THE OCTOPUS. 



History at Prague,* calculated that one of these mop-like masses 

 contained 39,766 ova; and by counting those embedded in ten of 

 the long gelatinous, finger-like processes, and weighing them and 

 the remainder, I have verified his estimate, and computed that 



Fig. II. Spawn of the common Squid {Loligo vulg-an's). 



in the specimen which was the subject ot my investigation there 

 were 42,000 perfect young squids. It is evident that com- 

 paratively few of them live to arrive at maturity, or the sea would 

 teem with them ; and in every existing aquarium it has been found 

 impossible to rear the young cephalopods hatched there. I have 

 never seen these " sea-mops " attached to anything, and the pelagic 



* De quibusdam animalibus marinis. 1761. 



