The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-07-13
Cuttle.FiShes.

ing, liz SlcW Tile VlCClm WIN the sacred
Observation-Disclosures Magazine.
Cuttle-Fishes.
To small volume recently published
by. Mr.. Henry Lee, naturalist of the
Brighton Aquarium, England, we are in
debted for great deal of curious infor-
nation in regard to that branch of the
mollusk family known as the Cephalopodo,
or head footed" Stories of the giant
calamaries that exist among the wonders
OF the deep have come down to us through
ancient Scandinavian tradition, and the
classic authors of Greece and Rome relate
wondrous narratives of monsters
tales which had apparently gathered and
accumulated marvels by transmission from
generation to generation by word or mouth
before they were crystalized into enduring
shape on parchment. Eric Pontoppidan,
Bishop OF Bergen, was the collector of
many remarkable legends relating to the
great beasts that live in g the great and
wide sea- Paullinus, naturalist of Eisen-
acI, describes monstrous animal which
occasionally rose from the sea between
Lapland and Finmark, and was of such
extraordinary dimensions that regiment
=
and Dcnys de MonfOrt depicts tremcn-
dous cutie fish which once threw its
enormous arms over three masted YES
sci, tearing down the yards, swapping off
the masts, and proceeding to drag the ship
down to the bottom, which catastrophe
was only averted by the prompt action of
the crew in cutting off the limbs of the
monster with cutlasses and hatchets
These stories of colossal cutie fishes,
according to Mr.. Lee, though undoubtedly
gross exaggerations, are, nevertheless,
founded on fact. They are based on the
rare occurrence of specimens-smaller,
certainly, but still enormous, of some
known species. Through study and OBJ
scrvation of the rate of increase in size
among young cutie fishes. naturalists
have arrived at the conclusion that not
only do they live many years, but they
continue to grow until the end of their
lives. That some of them, therefore,
should attain to considerable size is hardly
surprising. In confirmation of this opin-
ion there is on exhibition at the British
Museum, preserved in spirits, the single
arm of huge cephalopod, which, judged
by the proportions Of known examples,
must have been severed from the body of
a monster at least forty eight feet long.
Here, then, we have cuttle-fish which
must have once possessed sufficient power
to upset boat, or to drag an unsuspect-
ing sailor from ships side crushing
and tearing him in pieces with its snaky
arms and horrible beak. In 1874 calam-
airy was captured in Conception Bay meas
uring thirty feet in length, and in April of
1875 another specimen, not quite as large,
was discovered off Baffin Island, Come
mara. These facts, together with other
well-attested statements on the part of
sailors, seem to establish the existence of
cutie fishes of great size and strength,
and give show Of probability to the least
exaggerated of the ancient stories.
The common cutie fish, or pigmy re]a-
tive of the great sea-mOnsters, thong ii less
marvellous, is curious little creature, and
interesting to the student of natural his
tory Flabby and clammy enough in
death, it is nevertheless lovely object
when alive. Poised near the surface of
the water, like hawk in the air, it moves
gently about by graceful undulations of its
lateral fins, an exquisite play of color Oc-
casionally taking place over its beautifully
barred and notified back. When tranquil,
its eight pedal arms are usually brought
close together, and droop in front of its
head, like the trunk of an elephant short
ened. Only when some small fish comes
in its way is its facility of rapid motion
displayed. Then, quickly as kingfisher
darts upon minnow, it pounces upon its
prey. The name of the ttle-fish, said to
be derived from the Saxon cudele, signify
ing to withdraw or hide, from whence we
also get our pet word cuddle, signifies the
nature of its fatal embrace. The unfortu-
nate victim is crushed and smothered in
the soft hold, and the cuttle-tish retires to
a recess in the rocks, tearing its prey to
pieces with its horny beak, and rending it
into the minutest shreds with its Jagged
tongue. After hearty meal it will some
times rest for hours on the bottom, looking
very much like a sleepy tortoise. So
voracious are these little creatures that in
some regions fishermen regard them as
rivals. They devour the fishes, or mangle
them so that they are unstable. On the
other hand, the cuttle-tish does good
service among the cod-tisheries of New
foundland. The cod fish looks upon him
as peculiar delicacy, and according to
the calculation of Mr. w. E. Cormack, a
merchant of Newfoundland, more than a
hundred millions of cod are caught an
nually with cutie fish as bait. Thus the
cutie plays a not unimportant part in
one of the great industries of Northern
Europe.
Although the cuttle-f fish has the power
of its side fins, its usual mode of progress
ing stream of water from the funnel
like tube with which it is provided The
force with which the water is expelled is
onI fLn ry,ff1o rxy1,or Stort1nA
generally makes use of his squirting abil-
ity for the annoyance of the enemy. The
story is told of Tom Hood, who, on fish
ing excursion, captured one of these little
creatures Unaware of its peculiar char
acteristics, he fastened to lay hold of it.
Receiving small torrent of water full in
his face, he remarked that he "didn't ex-
actly know what he had got on his line,
but thought he had hooked young gar
den engine"
A remarkable organ with which the cut
tie is provided is sac, popularity called
the ink bag" in which is stored black
secretion, which it is able to employ at
will as protection against its enemies.
There is communication between this
bag and the funnel, or locomotor tube,
so that the black fluid can be elected in
the same rapid, rocket-like manner. There
is, also, little doubt that the creatures in
tentionally take aim, and that they do it
with the same accuracy and precision as
the archer-tish, which, by the election of
drop of water from its mouth, brings
down a fly from a branch or leaf three or
four feet above the water. The Rev. j..
G.. Wood mentions an incident of naval
officers white duck trousers being assault
ed by the liquid missile of cutie, the
aggrieved individual asserting that it took
deliberate aim for that purpose.
The following story, told by an old fish
erman in the presence of his mates, also
illustrates the malignity with which the
cutie will sometimes avenge his wrongs
"We was out fishin' one quiet night,
and had just got our trawl awash, and was
a-goin' to hand it in-board, when Bill,
here, all Of sudden lets 60 his hold,
roars out like stuck pig Oh h-h!
What the dickens is that?' and tumbles
BACKYARD into an empty fish basket. We
hadn't no time to tend to him till we'd
got our haul on deck, but guessed what
was up, and when we looked round we
- ,s,,s