River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-12-16

ulated cages. Iney number about
/ fifty The remainder OF the arm has
about forty small suckers distributed
along its under surface at short dis
I tances, and also about the same mum.
/ Der of little rounded pustules having
no visible opening. The whole mum.
Der Of suckers on the under surface of
the arm is about 180 This surface is
fat, 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. T.. Ga
briel, OF Portugal Cove, informs me
that during the winter of 1870, two cnt-
tle-hsh were cast ashore mt Lamaline,
the bodies of which measured forty and
forty seven feet respectively, so there is
nothing incredible in the fishermen =
tale. These cutie have eight arms,
two of them being much smaller IN
circumference than the others, but
very much longer. II is evidently
portion of one of these longer arms
which we now possess. BY natural
lists, should think, 1T 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. | 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 ia difficult to conceive of more
hOrrid fate than to be embodied in those
cold, clammy arms, which grasp with
a death-hke tenaclty, and glide with
almost lightning speed round and
round the victim, flashing themselves
to llis flesh by suckers, which seem to
sink in and drink the very blood. To
escape from the cold, Shiny grasp of
the deyil-ish, as the English fishermen
call that monstrous form of life, is inn
! 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
by the very touch of these corpse-like
| fingers IS sickening and paralyMng
while the glare of the cruel, watery
eyes, and the powerful threatening
beak, strike terror to the heart Fancy
those two fleshy arms, each thirty-five
feet IN length, darting ont like tongues
from monstrous jaws, gliding in SER
pentlne folds round the body of some
unfortunate victim, binding it like
Tightening cord, and dragging it with
IN reach OF the powerful mandibles.
/ The Imagination caa scarcely conceive
anything more horrible. The body of
this monstrous creation is huge
stomach, surmouuted by head, with
a powerful parrot-like beak and pair
of ierocioas eyes. No wonder Victor
Hugo named it 1.-the sea vampire, :"
describing 10 rs ga Clutinous
mass endowed with malignant
will. The members already de-
scribed can be used either as
arms or legs. II walks at the bottom
OF the sea with them, having It's mouth
and head downward and its body up
ward and 1t swlms partly by them,
and also captures its prey. The fin.
like expansion of it's tail enables il to
swim forward with rapidity, while it is
endowed with a hydraulic apparatus
which enables IT to move backward
with equal swiltness. This apparatus
consists of a tube or funnel near the
head, connected with the b. athIng or
gans, to which the water is admitted
10y means OF valves, and having cammu-
ncated ITS oxygen to the blood, the
water is expelled by this tube. BY
} eiecting the water from it with force,
1t Is, by the reaction of the surround.
ing medium, enabled to dart backward
with amazing rapidity. Such is the
wonderful devll-tish, surely the most
wonderful Of all the monsters of the
deep.
II Is to be regretted that the body,
or at least the head, Of this gigantic
cephalopod was not secured. but we
cannot wonder that the fishermen did
not attempt its capture, and were only
too glad to escape with their lives. II
is not unlikely, however, that the rough
surgical operation it has undergone
will affect it's general health, and that
ITS body may yet be cast ashore. In
the interest Of science let ms hope that
death may soon step Ia to terminate
It's sutfenngs, and that its corpse may
yet adOm our museum.
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November Neurology.