0CT0P1DJ3 : OCTOPUS. 5 



Sepia sp. Linnaus, Gmelin, 1797. 



Octopus Cuvier, Reg. Anim. ii. 1817; Lamarck, 1799; Blainville, 



Malac. 1825 ; D'Orb. Moll. Viv. et Fos. i. 163. t. 1. 

 Polypus Leach, Zool. Misc. 1817. 



The species are generally uniformly coloured or mottled. O. 

 horridus n. 12. and O. lunulatus n. 16. are marked with distinct 

 spots. O. membranaceus n. 22. and O. ocellatus n. 26. have a laro-e 

 eyed spot between the bases of the lateral arms. 



M. D'Orbigny divides the species thus : — 



a. Upper Arms the longest. — O. Cuvieri, O. indicus, O. breviceps 



b. Lateral Arms the longest. — O. vulgaris, O. tuberculatus, O. 

 brevitentaculatus, O. superciliosus, O. tetracirrhus, O. membra- 

 naceus. 



c. Lower Arms the longest. — O. rugosus, O. aculeatus, O. lunu- 

 latus, O. Fontainianus, O. tchuelchus, O. horridus, O. aranea. 



d. Doubtful Species. — O. venustus, O. didynamus, O. Peronii, 

 O. granosus, O. sinensis, O. tetradynamus, O. Boscii, O. pilosus, O. 

 heteropodus, O. areolatus, O. frayedus, O. caerulescens, O. Tang 

 Siao. 



e. Apocryphal Species. — 0. colossus. 



Synopsis of the Sections of the Genus. 



§ The Cups of the Arms subequal, regular. 



p The lower Cups far apart, in one series, 

 f Body smooth, bearded. 

 ft Body smooth, not bearded. 

 fff Back slightly granular. 

 ffff Back granular, rough. 



** The lower Cups rather crowded. 



f Body smooth, not bearded. 

 ff Body bearded. 

 fft Body minutely granular. 

 ffff Body granular, rough. 



2 § The Cups of the dorsal Pair of Arms largest. 



3 § The seventh to the twentieth Cups of the lateral (second 



and third) Pairs of Arms much larger than the rest. 



4 § Cups ending in a Point, not clawed. 



5 § Species requiring further Examination. 



6 § Apocryphal species. 



B 3 



