The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-09-04

How THE OCTOrUs SEXES ITS PREY.-Mr.
Henry Lee Of. L. S. writes in Land and
| Water: "DcSiring TO have better view
than | had previously been able to obtain of
what follows the seizure Of crab by an oc-
topuS, recently fastened one to a string, by
which an attendant was to lower it in the
water close to the glass, while l stood watch
ing in front. The crab had hardly descended
| to the depth of two feet before an octopus
for which it was not intended, and which
| had not observed $50 exactly had be as
sumed the hue of the surface TO which he
clung) shot like q rocket from one side of the
tank, opened his membranous umbrella,
shut up the suspended crab within it,
and Garted back again TO the ledge of rock
on which he had been lying in ambush.
There he held OH, with the crab firmly
pressed between his body and the stone
work. As this was not what / wished d.
rected CoSham, my assistant, to gently try to
pull the bait away from him. Not bit Of
it! AS soon as he felt the strain he took a
firm grasp of the rock with all the suckers
of seven Of his arms, and, stretching the
eighth alOft, coiled it around the tautened
line, the suckers actually closing on the line
also, as a caterpiIlar's foot grasps thin tWis
or a cobbler's leathern pad folds rouno MS
thread when he is making a wax-end' NO
ticing several Jerks on the string, thought
at first they were given by the man over
head, and told him not to use TOO mtich
force, but he called out, It's not me, Sir !;
it's the octopus. I can't move him and
he's pulling so hard that, If don't let go
he'll break the line.' Hold on, then, and let
him break it, I replied. Tug, tug !!
dragged the tough, strong arm Of the
ortoms. and at third tug the line
broke. and the crab was all his
own. The Irvine was that used for mend
ing the seine net, and was therefore not par
t;cniarly weak. Although this experiment
furnished fresh illustration of the holding
mower of an octopus, it had not taught me
exactly that which l wanted to know. |
wished to be underneath that umbrella with
the crab, or (Which was decidedly prefera-
ble> to be able to see what happened beneath
it without getting wet. My plan, therefore,
was to procure the seizure Of the crab
against the front glass, instead OF against the
rockwork. Our next endeavor was success
ful. A second crab was so fastened that the
string could be withdrawn if desired, and
was lowered near to the great male oc.
topus, who generally dwells in nook in
the west front corner of The tank. He was
sleepy, and not very hungry, and required a
good deal OF tempting to arouse him to ac-
tiyity; but the sight of his fuvorite food
overcane bis laziness, and after some demon.
strative painting, putting, and erection Of his
tubercles, he lunged out an arm to seize the
precious morsel. 1t was withdrawn from
his reach, and SO ut last he turned ou. OF
bed, rushed at it, and got it under him
against the p'ate-glass, just as desired. In
second the crab was completely pinioned.
Not movement, not a struggle, was visible
or possible. Each leg, each claw, was
grasped all over by suckers:-enfolded in
them-stretched out to its full extent by
them. The back Of the carapace was COW
cred all over with the tenacious vacuum
discs, brought together by the adaptable
contraction of the limb, and ranged in
close order, shoulder to shoulder, touch
ing each other, while between others which
dragged the abdominal plates towards the
mouth the black tip OF the hard, horny beak
was seen for single instant protrading from
the circular 0riice in the centre of the radia-
ton of che arms, and the next had crunched
through the shell, and was buried deep in the
flesh Of the victim. The action of an octo-
pus when seizing It's prey for its necessary
food is very like that of q cat bouncing on Il
mouse ant. holding it down beneath its paws.
The movement is as sudden, the scuflie as
brief, and the escape OF the prisoner even