The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-08 00:00:00

A NEW OCTOPUS AT BRIGHTON.

The strenuous efforts made for some weeke past to
refill the gap occasioned by the loss of the last octopus
have at length been attendid with ine-cess, and aspect-
men, finer even than its lamented predecesier, is now
added to the attractions of the Frighton Aquarium.
On Friday morningdn last week • telegram was received
by the Curator from Mr. Matthias Dunn, of Mesmgissey,
Cornwall, informing him that a fine octopus would be
despatched from St. Austell that same evening, and,
travelling by the night mail, might be expected to
arrivaat Paddington between three and four the fol-
lowing morning. At that early hour the cub curator,
Mr. Lawler, was in attendance at the station with a
large receptacle of fresh sea water, into which the
Interesting stranger was immediately transferred, and
waa soon on its way to its ultimate destination. It
arrived at Brighton safely and in the best possible con-
dition, 80o¢ after eight, revivified by it. early bath.
and that name afternoon waa the centre of attraction
to a large throng-of distinguished visitors.
The tank in which this octopus is depoeited is No.
26, on the right-hand side of the eastern corridor,
which had for some time previous been set apart in
anticipation of his welcome arrival. Being of smaller
dimensions and without crevices or abutments of rock
within or behind which the animal can conceal itself,
it is much better for displaying the creature's weird
form and interesting habita to the public view than
that whi 'h contained the last specimen.
In addition to this recent acquisition, other fine
octopode are shostly expected from the Channel
Islands, and there are reasonable expectations of
adding, within a few weeks' time, as many more
as can be desired to the Brighton teaks. The
facilities for procuring these animals increase as the
spring advances, when they begin to desert the deeper
waters to which they retire during the winter months
for the more accessible rock-bound coaats which they
frequent during the remainder of the year.
This accession by no means completes the sum of
good luck falling to the Brighton Aquarium thia past
week. Mr. Henry Lee, F.L.S., attached to the
Natural History Department, has recently been the
firs: to witness the depositing of the eggs, encloeed in
th.ir singular cases, by the greater and lesser spotted
dogfish, and has graphically recorded in a late number
of Land and Water the interesting and sagacious man-
ner in which the parent fish attaches each case by
its long tendrils to the branches of a gorgonia
or any thee suitable submarine body. These
eggs, first deposited in some of the largest
'tanks, have since been transferred to smaller
and more readily accessible ones, and many of
the examples have been already observed to contain
the embryo in an advanced state of development. In
some of these latter the young tieh, about an inch in
length, and resembling a slender worm attached to its
capacious yelk-sac, may be seen, throwing iiselftinto
innumerable convolutions, through its horny envelope
•-.d the glass front of its prison wall; and at an early
date the Brighton Aquarium will be in a position to
replenish its own tanks and supply kindred establish-
manta with dogfish horn and bred in its own waters.