298 



THE CEPHALOPODA, 



^<^ 260, 261. 



still at the bottom of the female genital organs ; for, later, the action of the 

 sperm would be obstructed by their solid envelopes. It must, therefore, be 

 supposed that the sperm is carried from the cavity of the mantle into the 

 ovarian capsule, either by means of the anti-peristaltic movements of the 

 oviduct, or by the aid of the aquiferous system.'"'' 



§ 260. 



With the individuals hitherto known as the Hectocotyli, the genital organs 

 occupy a space disproportionably large to the size of the body. The round, 

 Rmooth enlargement on their posterior extremity is a genital capsule, with 

 thin walls, and ccntaiuing the sperm and the copulatory organs. ''' The 

 sperm forms a long, monijiform, clustered string, composed of thick oval 

 bundles of spermatic particles, regularly bound together hj fasciculi of 

 hair-like spermatic particles.'-' In this clustered string are included, also, 

 the Ductus ejaculatorms and the very long and retractile penis. With 

 Tremoctopus violaceus, this penis sometimes projects between the fifth of 

 the posterior pair of suckers, as a small cylindrical, folded prolongation.® 



§261. 



The Development of the Cephalopoda is almost without analogy, and, 

 from the remotest times, has excited the curiosity of Naturalists ; but it is 

 only very recently that it has been correctly understood and followed from 

 its first stages.*" 



After the disappearance of the germinative vesicle, the vitellus divides ; 

 but this segmentation is only partial. Usually, at the acute extremity of the 

 vitellus, where the germinative vesicle is found, there appears a small 

 elevation from the vitelline mass, divided into halves by a furrow. Each 



5 According to KuUilccr (Entwickel. &o. p. 11). 

 the eggs are fecundated while yet contained in the 

 ovarian capsule. 



1 See Hectocoty/us octopodis, in Ann. d. Sc. 

 Nat. loc. cit. flg. 1-3, b. 



'■i I have so observed it with the males of Tremoc- 

 topn.i vio/aceiis ; and Dujardin, also (Hist. Nat. 

 d. Helminth, p. 4S2), has observed a smooth cord 

 composed of capillary spermatic iiarticles with 

 tlectnr.nti/lKS octopodis, Cuv. 



I am uncertain as to the origin of this cord, but, 

 in the specimens preserved in alcohol, which I have 

 examined, it appeared probable that it was prima- 

 rily contained in the deferent or in the testicular 

 canal. 



3 The Ductus ejaculatorius of Tremoctopus 

 violaceus, which is gradually continuous into the 

 penis, begins by a well-marked, elavate thickening, 

 projecting into the genital capsule, and apparently 

 perforated at its upper extremity, at which point, 

 perhaps, the sperm enters. Near the end of the 

 penis, this canal has, over a considerable e-xtent, 

 small horny tubercles, and it is probable that this 

 portion can be everted, thus allowing the possi- 

 bility of an intimate union with the female organs. 

 I am unable to say whether this is so with the other 

 Hectocotyli. The penis of Hectocotylus ar^o- 

 nautae, according to a figure of De/le Chiaje (loc. 

 cit. Tav. XVI. fig. 1, a), and Costa (loc. cit. PI. 

 XIII. fig. 2', c), projects from the posterior ex- 

 tremity of the body ; but it may be, that with the 

 specimens examined by tlies.' naturalists, this organ 



had become free from an accidental rent of the 

 genital capsule. 



1 Aristotle (Hist. Animal. lib. V. cap. 16, 4), 

 and in the last century, Cavolini (Abhandl. (iber 

 die Erzeugung der Fische u. d. Krebse, 1792, p. 54) 

 had already declareil that, with Sepia, the vitelline 

 sac is situated on the head of the embryo, and, as 

 it were, hanging from the mouth ; but it is only 

 latterly that this statement has been thoroughly 

 verified ; see Froriep, Das Thierreich, Abth. V. 

 1806, p. 28, fig. 8-10 ; Carus, Erlauterungstaf. lift. 

 III. 1831, p. 10, Taf. II. fig. 16-30 -, Cuvier, Sur 

 les oeufs de Seiche, in the Nouv. Ann. du llus. 1. 

 1832. p. 163, PI. VIII. fig. 6-14, also in abstract 

 in Ann. d. Sc. Nat. XXVI. 1832, p. 69, or Frorie/)\i 

 Notiz. XXXIV. p. 199 ; Coldstream, On the fa'tus 

 of Sepia ofiicinalis, in the Lond. and lidinb. ])hil,)s. 

 Magaz. Oct. 1833, or Froriep's Notiz. XXXIX. p. 

 6 ; Dusris, Note sur le developpement de I'cmbryon 

 chez les iNIollusques cephalopodes, in Ann. d. Sc. 

 Nat. VIII. 1837, p. 107, PI. V., or Froriep's neue 

 Notiz. VII. p. 209, fig. 3-9.; D''Orhis;ny, m Fcncs- 

 sac, loc. cit. Loligo, PI. X. fig. 3-6 ; J'<ih Beneden, 

 Recherches sur I'embryogenie des Si|)i'>li'S, in the 

 Nouv. Mem. de I'Acad. de Bruxelles, XIV. 1841, 

 PI. I.; Delle Chiaje, Descriz. I. p. 38, Tav. VI. 

 fig. 6, 7 (Sepia), Tav. XIV. fig. 14-24 (Ari'onaii- 

 ta), and Tav. XXIX. fig. 2-5 (Sepiola). But the 

 first phases of their development remained unob- 

 served, until Kolliker, in 1844, filled this deficiency 

 by his masterly work — Entwickelungsgeschich- 

 te der Cephalopoden. 



