, 1873-12-21

Station. har.I I1Hr Wand. Raias[
THE DEViL-FtSH.
Something Moro About IatNl--A Littlc
DGV1f CnpturGal.

Devil Captured.
Correspondence u The Toronto Globo.
a piece OF raro good fortune Inn fallon in my
way, III connection with thiH extraordinary fish.
OF MI interview which two OF our fishermen lad
with nonstrouB specimen OF tho rnce in Con-
ception Bay, and OF tho anputation Of two Of
its arms. Yesterday q fisherman from Logic
Bay called OF me aud informed mo that tic Ind
captured 9 toyil-!ish in O net On examination
l found tint. lta statcment was correct. and
thht though tho Dimensions Of this spocimon
aro small, compared with tile monstor Of Cot-.
ceptton Bay, 1t IL by no moans "to bo sneezcd
IT." aud ~ much larger than Victor ltugoa
celebrated dovil-tHl. 1 am HOW tho poBbcBBor
Of u complete specimen OF this remarkable cut
tle-fish; md, Judging from tho articles which
have recently appeared on tho subject, IN tue
on thts side Of tho Atlantic, It took four stout
tsl,ernen to kill 1t; and they woro at longth
compelled to cut OF its I1ead In order to accom-
plish their object. Had it not been entanglcd
In horrng not, ~ that It's huge arnls wero not
tho mon would havo had no Chance Of capturing
1t. haye Just boon examining md measuring
my prize, aud certainly 1t IL o,lu Of the must OK
traordinary and horrible creatures over drawn
body IL nllont nino feet, aud abont tivo feet in
girth ut tho thickcst part The beals is H1uall-
not much bigger tlan u mans tst-anl
shaped eyactly liho that OF parrot.
NOlnu LAe atAu ol5ut AFHB cxkeuu. tNO
of thon, being long tontacles, twonty-two
foot iu length, ribbou-liko strips, not mole than
two inches i'll circumference and arnol ut the
extremities with rows Of suckers having teothed
edges. Tho remaining Elk arc powerful arms,
each nix feet III 1ongth, aud ut tho junction with
tho body alrnoBt as thick as Il mans tligh They
taper to fine point, md are entirely covered
with large suckers, having donticulatod edges,
diminishing III Hlzo towards tho oxtremltloB,
where they nro not Iargor than q split pea.
OlaHped In those Blk clanlmy arina, With some
800 suckers acting at one monont, and their
Sharp edges sinking into tho flesh, and scemlng
to drink the blood how poworeBB and haplosH d
victim would at onco become! Tho suckers stand
out prominently from tho surface Of tue arm, 10
which each is attached bya stout ligature. How
the creature eau work those long tentaccs, which
arc but strip Of cartilage, darting thom with al
noat lightning speed, is lnconccivahle. 1t seems
to mo that they must be used az cables to ati-
chor itself to the rocks, or to the bottom OF the
sou, where the water is shallow. aud thus give 1t
''purchaao" in grasping its prey. Possibly, too,
| they may bo used as organs Of 1Ocun.otion il
| moving forward aloDg the bottom Of the sea, or
for the purpose OF graaping moro distant objects,
and drawing them within tho reach OF tho Hhort-
| er and stontor arms. The long arnH OF this
| ten faot Of being az long as the arm brought in
| by the fishermen Of Portugal Cove, which must
have belonged to worry much iargor cuttle. Al
| together my specimen Is wonderful eight-a
| huge cartilaenous tubo surmountod with q
| boak aud eyeu, but no faco, around which tho
imnlonsc arms radiate like tho epohes OF wheel.
! Tho glutiuous mass hna lived corpse-like ap-
| pear4nce. II Darnunl had it In his showroom,
! what 4 rlah there would bc to 500 it at pres
| ent it occupies an ignoblo pc.itiou on the hoor
| of all 0ut-housc, but l am taking measures tc
hNyo it preserved.