The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-01-03
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his description Of it will recognize in the
following the reality of what has hereto
so-o h.or hoI;o,od 70 bo c.h,,,o,s orao-
80 -" '''''SN " - VN
'ure
am now the happy possessor of com
plete specimen Of the devil-6sh, Of which
no other is to be found in any museum in
Europe or America. The circumstances
under which it was captured were very
remarkable. A few days ago four fisher
men Of Logic Bay, which is few miles
from ST. Johns, were overhauling their
herring nets, when they found entangled
in their meshes some huge creature which
made desperate efforts to escape. It's strug-
giles were so violent that their boat was
nearly capsized, aud they were about to
abandon their net and endeavor to escape
when one Of the men, more courageous
than the others, seized a small tomahawk
and struck it several blows about the head,
which put an end to its existence, and
nearly severed the head from the body.
On hauling in their net and landing their
fish, they were astounded to find that it
was creature such as they had never be-
fore captured, of extraordinary formation,
and considerable dimensions. Athrst they
were inclined to throw it back into the
sea, or convert it into manure, but being
told by some one that | was interested in
these sea monsters they brought it to me,
and very gladly gave them sum Of
money for 1t, which surprised and pleased
them so much that they declared they
would soon bring me another. But said
one, . It's the divil's tish sure enough, for
it nearly kilt us entirely"
have had this fish photographed and
carefully examined and measured. 1t be-
longs evidently to the same gigantic species
OF cuttles as the one seen in Conception
Bay and which | formerly described but
it is a young one, probably not more than
two or three years old, and had it been
spared 1t would, no doubt have grown to
be forty or tfty feet in length. Its, how
ever, very promising imp indeed. Its
body Is eight feet IN length and five in cir
cumference. 1t has ten arms radiating
from the head. Of these, two are twenty
four feet in length, only two inches and a
half in circumference, and armed ut their
broadened extremities with rows OF beau
tlial and powerful sucking disks, about
eighty on each arm. They very tough
and strong, The remaining eight arms
are each SIX feet in length and at the
junction with the head are nine inches in
circumference, tapering to q fine point.
The under surface of each is covered with
rows OF large suckers--about lOO on each.
The beak, strong and very sharp, the shape
OF parrots, IS in the middle OF the central
mass from which the arms radiate, and is
about the size OF mans hist. The eyes
are on each side OF this central nucleus,
and are each four inches in diameter, very
dark and beautiful, and surrounded by a
white ring Attached to the body, which
is but hugh stomach, are two tunnels or
tubes, one for ejecting the inky fluid which
II manufactures IN unlimited quantities,
and the other for drawing in and ejecting
water. The water Is admitted by valves,
and the oxygen being extracted from il is
expelled BY this tube. When forcibly
elected, the reaction OF the surrounding
element enables the creature to shoot back
wards with great rapidity. The tail is the
forward moving power.
The discovery here of these gigantic
cuttles excites great interest in the scien-
tihc world. The account which appeared
in The World has been reprinted every
where. The Natural History Society of
Montreal have had discussion on the
subject, and very great interest was ex-
pressed. Agassiz has written here to
inquire after the arm that was amputated
in Conception Bay, and is anxious to de-
termine whether its owner belongs to new
species Of cuttles. He will be in raptures
when he hears we have complete speci-
men. | shall probably send him mine.
l have placed it in strong brine, and it
seems to keep very well.
The accounts of these gigantic cuttles
have hitherto been very vague and unre-
liable, and never before was one of them
captured. Professor Steenstrup, DR.. Morch
and Professor Altman have reported the
appearance of similar cuttles on the coasts
Of Denmark and Scotland. Steenstrup
has described two species under the names
of Archi Tewthis Monarchus and A. Dux,
and it is not impossible that my specimen
may belong to one of these. In the Feb
ruary number Of the american Naturalist
DR.. Packard described a specimen of one
of them taken by Gloucester fisherman
on the Grand Bank Of Newfoundland, but
it was an Insignificant imp compared with
mine. The Kraken of scandinavian my
thology is an exaggerated representation of
these colossal cuttles. Old Pontoppidan
gravely alleges the existence fthese cuttles
as the cause ofthe occasional disappearance
of small islands, which will hardly be
credited in these skeptical times. In the
aquaria of Hamburg and Brighton there
are two living specimens Of the devil fish,
but they are only two or three feet from
tip to tip of the extended arms. If the
two longest arms Of my specimen were
| lo~tooIaI fkn, .rorlI H.. C..... L. r.