198 DR JOHNSTON ON THE CEPHALOPODA OF BERWICKSHIRE. 



than the body, winged ; suckers uniserial. Grant in Edin. New 

 Phil. Journal, January 1827, p. 311. Oct. octopodia, Flem. Brit. 

 Anim. 254. Sepia octopodia, Penn. Brit. Zool. iv. 116. tab. 30. 



Hah. Berwick Bay, frequent. 



Body ovate, rounded at the base, contracted below the eyes, smooth or rather 

 minutely granulated on the back, which is slightly convex, clouded, closely 

 sprinkled over with small reddish-brown dots ; sides rounded, lighter 

 coloured, dotted : belly flattened, bluish-white, also sprinkled with dots, 

 which, however, are larger, more distant, and arranged in almost regular 

 lines. The arms are fully one-half longer than the body, finely tapered, 

 connected together at their origin by a membrane which runs up the exterior 

 edge, giving it a winged aiDpearance ; the suckers are in a single row, large, 

 saucer-shaped, with a central hole crenulated on the rim, and the rim plaited 

 in a radiating manner ; towards the base of the arm they are larger and not 

 in contact, but they soon become approximate, and gradually lessening in size 

 they become very minute at the tips ; there are about 100 on each arm. 

 Eyes rather small, of a beautiful orange colour, resembling those of the toad, 

 often concealed by the skin being drawn over them ; the eyelids white, sil- 

 very, profusely dotted like the skin. Length of the body, in the largest 

 specimen M-e have seen, 6^ inches ; breadth 4 inches ; length of the arms 12i 

 inches. 



Pennant confounded this species with the Octopus vulgaris, nor was it properly 

 distinguished and characterized until Dr Grant gave an excellent history of 

 it in the Journal quoted above. The specific name octopodia, even had it the 

 claim of priority, cannot be retained, since it is synonymous with the generic 

 one. 

 When at rest this octopod lies prone on his belly, the arms spread out in front 

 with their extremities disposed in spirals on the sides. It has in this position 

 considerable likeness to a toad, and often raising the back and head, its 

 aspect is really repulsive and threatening. The changes of colour fiom red- 

 dish-brown to a dull greyish-white, and frequently clouded or spotted with 

 different shades, are made with remarkable \elocity, and without any obvious 

 cause. The respiration is regular, and in one specimen of medium size, re- 

 spiration was performed eleven times in a minute, at each time a strong 

 current of water being propelled through the funnel, while water flowed in at 

 all sides of the sac in every inspiration. Sometimes the creature would sud- 

 denly expel from its funnel a stream of water with unusual force, and lance 

 it forth three or four feet. It moves quickly, and always retrograde, playing 

 its arms in a regulated graceful manner which no one can contemplate with- 

 out wonder in so grotesque a body and apparently so unapt for locomotion. 

 When it swims, the arms are all drawn together and lanced straight out from 

 the head in a column, the body being thus, by successive strokes, driven 

 backwards. Though our specimen was subjected to much irritation it did 

 not eject any of its inky fluid. 



2. LoLiGO. Lamarck. 



1 . L. vulgaris, the fins, together with the tail, forming a rhomboidal 

 expansion ; margin of the sac three-lobed ; dorsal -^Inie narrowed 

 anteriorly, the edges thin. Lam. Anim. s. Vert. \\\. 662. Flem. 

 Brit. Anim. 2.52. Sepia Loligo, Linn. Penn. Brit. Zool, iv. 115. 

 tab. 29. 



Hah. Berwick Bay, not uncommon. 



Body subcylindrical, gradually tapered to the tail (which is drawn in by the fins 

 being continued round it), profusely sprinkled with small reddish-brown dots, 

 which are not perceptible about the mouth, on the inner surface of the ten- 



