Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-17

by a second of smaller ones, similar to
the first group, and having also dentic-
ulated edges. They number about
fifty. The remainder of the arm has
about forty small suckers distributed
along it's under surface at short dis
tances, and also about the same num-
Der of little rounded pustules having
no visible opening. The whole num-
Der of suckers on the under surface of
the arm is about $50. This surface is
fiat, and two inches in breadth. The
upper surface is rounded, and toward
the extremity has a small membrane
GUS crest. The original length of this
arm must have been thirty five feet.
The men declare that they left ten feet
of it attached to the body of the fish,
six feet were destroyed ashore through
carelessness, and nineteen feet remain
and are now in the museum.
THE BODY OF THE MONSTER.
The size of the body, as estimated
| by the fishermen, was sixty feet IN
length and fifteen feet in girth, with a
tail not less than ten feet across. This
statement may be reckoned by some
an exaggeration but to work such
arms an enormous central mass would
be requisite. Besides, cuttles almost
as large have been cast on our shores
at various times. The Rev. A. E. Ga
briel, of Portugal Cove, informs me
that during the winter of 1870, two cnt-
tle-fsh were cast ashore at Lamaline,
the bodies of which measured forty and
forty seven feet respectively, SO there is
nothing Incredible in the fishermen s
tale. These cutie have eight arms,
two of them being much smaller in
circumference than the others, but
very much longer. 1t is evidently a
portion of one of these longer arms
which we now possess. By natural
lists, I should think, it will be regarded
as of great importance, as establishing
the'existence of these gigantic cuttles.
[ am not aware that any specimen or
portion of specimen of their
race have ever been previously secur-
ed. I may mention that the fishermen
describe this monster as being of the
same shape and color as the common
squid, and as moving backward in the
water the same way.
HOW THE DEVIL FISH GOES TO WORK.
1t is difficult to conceive of more
horrid fate than to be enfoldedin those
cold, clammy arms, which grasp with
a death-lik tenaclty, and glide with
almost lightning speed round and
round the victim, flashing themselves
TO his flesh by suckers, which seem to
sink in and drink the very blood. To
escape from the cold, Shiny grasp of
the devil-fsh, as the English fishermen
call that monstrous form of life, is i'm
possible. Like living blisters the
suckers eat into the flesh, and every
struggle of the victim to get free only
produces Tightening Of the gigantic
arms. The feeling of horror produced
I by the very touch of these corpse-like
fingers is sickening and paralyzlng
while the glare of the cruel, watery
eyes, and. the powerful threatening
beak, strike terror to the heart. Fancy
those two feshy arms, each thirty five
feet in length, darting out like tongues
from monstrous jaws, gliding in ser.
pentine folds round the body of some
unfortunate victim, binding it like 6
Tightening cord, and dragging it with
IN reach of the powerful mandibles
The imagination can scarcely conceive
anything more horrible. The body Of
this monstrous creation is huge
stomach, surmounted by head, with
powerful parrot-like beak and a pail
of ferocious eyes. No wonder Victor
Hugo named it "the sea vampire,
describing it as ga glutinous
mass endowed with malignant
will" The members already de
scribed can be used either az
arms or legs. It walks at the bottom
of the sea with them, having it's mouth
and head downward and it's body up
ward and it swims partly by them
and also captures it's prey. The fin
like expansion of it's tail enables it tx
, swim forward with rapidity, while it il
,, endowed with a hydraulic apparatu
, which enables it to move backward
,, with equal swiftness. This apparatu
consists of tube or funnel near tn
head, connected with the breathing or
gans, to which the water is admitted
: by means of valves, and having cammu
= nicated it's oxygen to the blood, tn
water is expelled by this tube. B.
D ejecting the water from it with force
it is, by the reaction of the surround
ing medium, enabled to dart backwar,
> with amazing rapidity. Such is tn
! wonderful devil fish, surely the mos
a wonderful Of all the monsters of tn
: deep.
e It is to be regretted that the body
\ Or at least the head, Of this giganti
' cephalopod was not secured, but W
. q cannot wonder that the fishermen Iii
: not attempt its capture, and were onl
/ too glad to escape with their lives. I
is not unlikely, however, that the roug-
/ surgical operation it has undergon
will affect it's general health, and tina
: it's body may yet be cast ashore. [
: the interest of science let us hope tina
$ death may soon step in to terminal
' it's sufferings, and that its corpse ma
9 yet adOrn our museum.
I November Neurology.