ON THE 



CHIEF GROUPS OF THE CEPHALOPODA. 



(A Paper read before the Geologists' Association, Nov. 1st, 1867.) 



The title of this paper may, perhaps, appear to some persons 

 who are not well acquainted with technical expressions, as a form 

 of words ambiguous and far from clear, conveying, indeed, no 

 certain evidence whether the subject to be illustrated pertain to 

 the Animal or Vegetable kingdoms, or, on the other hand, be signifi- 

 cant of Minerals and Kocks. I purpose, therefore, in the first place, 

 to interpret the term Cephalopoda ; next, to note the connection of 

 the group referred to with the world around us, and finally to treat 

 the matter by the aid of scientific teaching. 



The name ' Cephalopoda,' it will be observed, has not an ordinary- 

 English sound, in truth it is a Greek compound word, not classical, 

 nor to be found in ancient authors, but belonging to modern times and 

 modern writers. The term is composed of KetyaXrj and irov<;, that is, 

 of " head and foot/' implying a something which is " head-footed," 

 which has the head not far distant from the foot, the two being closely 

 connected and brought together. The mention of a head and foot 

 necessarily implies that that something which we have in view 

 must have a body, and that therefore that something belongs to the 

 Animal Kingdom, to beings which are possessed of vital powers, have 

 a will, and entrap their prey ; inasmuch, however, as this something 

 is head-footed, has the organs of locomotion and prehension arranged 

 around the head, we gather that a Cephalopod must be organised 

 upon a plan unlike the creatures we generally see flying in the air, 

 » moving on the land, or swimming in the water. 



