682 Miscellaneous. 



these species these organs are grouped in a small number of bundles 

 (5 or 6), directed, some backwards, some forwards, and covering 

 parti}' the middle and partly the posterior intestine. In all the 

 Locustida? the number of the tubes of Malpighi exceeds 100. They 

 are grouped in six bundles, opening at the summit of six cylindro- 

 conical tubercles, sometimes disposed irregularly, sometimes at equal 

 distances one from the other, at the origin of the terminal intestine 

 (Locia^fd, Decticits, ISalomona, Pseudorhi/nchiis, PJntydeis, &c.). In 

 the Ephippigerinre there are only 3 or 4 of these conical tubercles, 

 with 110 to 120 urinary tubes. Lastly, through GryJJacris, which 

 has, as a rule, but one collecting-tubercle, fairly short, on the 

 summit of which 80 to 100 Malpighian tubes open, we pass to the 

 Gryllidae. The number of tubes in various Gryllidaj is very con- 

 siderable, and exceeds 100 ; 100 to 1 20 may be counted in GrylJus 

 and GryJlotal^ia. These organs are long, tortuous, and open at the 

 widened end (pan-shaped) of a single cylindrical collecting-canal 

 (ureter). This last, after a course of 9-12 millim., penetrates a 

 little below the origin of the terminal intestine, and there opens on 

 the summit of a conical or dolioform tubercle, with a blunted point 

 and armed with four valves boimding a star-shaped orifice [Gryllo- 

 taljxi). — Comptes liendus, torn, cxxiv. pp. 4G-48. 



The supposed great Octopus of Florida : certainly not a Cephalopod. 

 liy A. E. Verrtll. 



Additional facts have been ascertained and P]iecimen9 received 

 that render it quite certain that this remarkable structure is not 

 the body of a Cephalopod. It was described by me, in the January 

 number of this Journal [also ' Annals,' Feb. 1S97J, as the body of 

 an Octopus *, from the examination of a number of i)hotograi)h8 and 

 the statement made to me that, when it was first cast ashore, stumps 

 of arms were found adherent to one end, one of which was said to 

 have been 36 feet long f. Subsequently, \\he!i it was excavated 

 and moved, this statement proved to be erroneous. Apparently 

 nothing that can be called stumps of arms or any other ap])endages 

 were present. Eolds of the integument and mutilated and partly 

 detached portions may have been mistaken for such structures. No 

 bones or other hard jjarts were found in it. 



* Many other zoologists who examined the photographs held the same 

 opinion. Some of tliose who linvo seen tlie samples of integument sent 

 to me still believe that the specimen may b(» the body of some unknown 

 genua of Ce])halopods, allied to Octojuis. lUit the thick integument of a 

 Cephalopod is necessarily muscular and highly contractile, while in this 

 creature it is elastic and vesi>tant, and not at all contractile. Therefore I 

 cannot refer it to that group, affer having examined this structure. 



t 'llie following is the written statement made by Mr. Wilson to 

 Dr. Webb in regard to the " arms " that he found when it first went 

 ashore : — "One arm was lying west of body, 23 feet long ; one stump of 

 arm west of body, about 4 feet ; three arms lying south of body, and 

 from appearances attaclied to same (although I did not dig quite to body, 

 as it laid well down in the .Nind, and I was very tired), longest one 

 measvired over 32 feet ; the otlier arms were 3 to o feet shorter." Soon 

 after this examination the specimen went adrift in another severe storm 

 and was again cast ashore two miles further aouth, which will probably 

 account for the los.> of these supposed arms. 



