The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-01-30

! have been cast on our shores at various
| times. The Rev. A. E. Gabriel, of
! Portugal Cove, informs me that, during
| the winter of 1870, two cuttle-fsh were
cast ashore at Lamaline, the bodies of
which measured forty and forty-seven
feet respectively, so that there is moth
ing incredible in the fshermen's tale
These cuttles have eight arms, two OF
them being much smaller in circumfer-
ence than the others, but very much
longer. 1t is evidently portion of one
of these longer arms which we now pos
sess. By natUralists, 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 a specimen
of these aristOcrats of their race has
ever been previously secured. I may
mention that the fishermen describe this
monster as being of the same shape and
color as the common squid, and as NOV
ing backward in the same way through
the water.
It is difficult to conceive of a more
hOrrid fate than to be embodied in those
cold, clammy arms, which grasp with a
death-like tenacity, and glide with al
most lightning speed round and round
the victim, flashing themselves to his
flesh by the suckers, which seem to sink
in and drink tie very blood. To escape
from the cold, Shiny grasp of the devil
fish, as the English fisherman call that
monstrous form of life, is impossible.
Like living blisters the suckers eat into
the flesh, and every struggle of the vic
tim to get free only produces tighten
ing of the gigantic arms. The feeling
of horror produced by the very touch of
these corpse-ike fingers is sickening
end paralyzing while the glare of the
cruel, watery eyes, and the powerful
threatening beak, strike terror to the
heart. Fancy those two fieshy arms,
each thirty-fiye feet in length, darting
out like tongues from mOnstrouS jaws,
gliding in serpentine folds round the
body of some unfortunate victim, bind
ing it like tightening cord, and drag
ging it within reach of the powerful
mandibles. The imagination can scarce
Iy conceive anything more horrible. The
body of this mOnstrOus creation is a
huge stomach, surmOunted by head
with a powerful parrot-like beak, and
pair of prominent ferociOus eyes. No
wonder Victor Hugo named it $ the sea-
vampire, " describing it as 8" a glutinOus
mass endowed with a maglignant viii. "
The members already described can be
used either as arms or legs. It walks |
at the bottom of the sea with them, |
having its mouth and head downward /
and its body upward and it swims
partly by them, and also captures its /
prey. The fin-hke expansion of its tail /
enables it to swim forward with rapidity, /
while it is endowed with hydraulic APP /
paratus which enables it to move back /
ward with equal swiftness. This ap-
paratus consists of a tube or funnel near |
the head, connected with the breathing /
to which the water is admitted .
by mel MS of valves, and having com /
its oxygen to the blood, the .
water is expelled by this tube. By .
ejecting the water from it with force, it .
is, by the reaction of the surrounding .
medium, enabled to dart backward with .
amazing rapidity. Such is the wonder
full devii-fsh, surely the most wonderful
of all the monsters of the deep.
It is to be regretted that the body, or
at least the head, of this gigantic ceph-
alopod was not secured but We cannot
wonder that the fishermen did not at
tempt it's capture, and were only too
glad to escape with their lives. It is
not unlikely, however, that the rough
surgical operation it has undergone viii
affect its general health, and that its
body may yet be cast ashore. In the
interest of science let us hope that
death may soon step in to terminate its
suf1ierings, and that its corpse may yet
ldOrn our museum.