ARGONAUTA ARGO AND THE HECTOCOTYLI. 65 



ramifications often pulsate rapidly, while the neighbouring ones 

 are either still or move at a different pace. These relations are 

 especially recognizable in those ramifications which come off 

 from a transverse branch of the longitudinal trunks, between 

 every pair of suckers, and spread in the membranous fringe 

 connecting these. 



Here, as in many other places in the Cephalopods, one may 

 readily convince oneself of the existence of capillary vessels. 



Concerning the development of the male Argonaut I can state 

 nothing, since I unfortunately obtained no more ova advanced 

 in development, after I had discovered the Hectocotylus to be 

 an arm ; and inasmuch as I had not previously paid sufficient 

 attention to the form of the arms, in the expectation of finding 

 the totally different vermiform embryos described by Madame 

 Power. Indubitably, however, the male embryos are not to be 

 found in especial bunches of ova, but have been frequently 

 seen among the female ones by Kolliker and myself, although 

 from the similarity of their form no further notice has been 

 taken of them. One is the more justified in this supposition, 

 since the sac with the Hectocotylus appears to be relatively 

 smaller the younger the animal, and from its shape might be 

 easily confounded with the yelk-sac. 



In some preserved ova of the Argonaut far advanced in deve- 

 lopment, I believe that I can recognize the arm of the Hectoco- 

 tylus, 



The statements of Madame Power and of Maravigno quoted 

 by Kolliker (/. c. p. 84) contain truth and fiction ; but they may 

 be thus interpreted. What are denominated Hectocotyli three 

 days old are without doubt Hectocotyli ; the description of them 

 which is given, no less than the statement that only two or three 

 are developed in the maternal shell, accords very well with this 

 view. For if we procure Argonauts with advanced ova, in a 

 short time we see the hatched young swim about in innume- 

 rable multitudes. The statement that the seven other arms 

 spring out as buds from the vermiform animal {while it is assu- 

 ming the form of the common Argonaut, leads one almost to 

 believe that Madame Power saw entire male Argonauts with 

 Hectocotylus-arms everted from their sacs in the shell of the 

 female Argonaut. 



SCIEN. MEN. Nat. Hist. VOL. I. PART I. 5 



