, 1877-10-11

SnnHhJ-Ten Teffhie AFtna 1hIrf% FArt
Long, and Eyes Giar1nK In EtEht.1nch
Sockets. |
Correspondence Htp FINK 'ror'd.
ST. 1onN's+ n. f. 8ert. D.-The1e Is great
excitement here at present ovcr the exhibition
of a splendid specimen Of tho gigantic cuttlc-
(Isti, commonly called dcrI1-fisf1. Only ono COM
p1cte specimen of tl,fa extraordinary animal WA
ever previously sccurcd-ln 1873, when your
was able to obtain perfect spect.
men taken In Logic Lay, AID to forward It to
Prof. vcrrill, OF Yale College, who made an
study Of it and Gcscrbeu II in vari.
GUS scientific periodicals. II Is nnw+to be seen
in tho Peabody Museum, New 1faven. The one
Which I have now to describe is . much
larger and t,ner specimen, being forty feet
from tho extremity Of the long arms TO tho
point Of the tail. On tho Ed inst. d heavy
equlnoctial gale swept these shores, and this
wantlcrcr Of the deep was driven ashore tn an
exhausted condition 1t Catsllna, on tho north
cru shorc Of Trinity. Bay. When stranded u
was still alive. but died soon after the ehb Of
Two fishermen took possession Of the "trcaturc
tYoyc," and tho whole settlement gathered to
gaze in a4toniehMent at the nonstcr. Formerly
this '.bE sq"!d, ae the fishermen call 1t. ould
men, OF cut up a. food for dogs; but now, thanks
10 tic diffusion OF intelligence, there were .otnc'
in Catalina who kncw the Importance Of pre-
serving such a farlty, and who advised the
tro men loaded tiler little craft with tLc body
Of tho gigantic cuttle, and arrlvcd with It here
on tho ath In perfectly fresh condition. Al
soou as tho news spread. an eager desire To view
were advised 10 exhibit Il before iho public,
The Government granted the nac of the drill
shed for the purpose, aud on the floor supported
BY boatds, the creature was laid out ID all It's
gigantic proportions. Tbs lucky fishermen
squld lns the best catch they had eycr made.
The sccue was very curious. There lay tho cut
Tie with It's trn arms stretched out two Of them
thirty feet In length: having rows OF powerful
c1trcmttics. The other arms, eight Ii number,
vero entirely covered with suckers on the under
side. and wero eleven feet In length The
bodY is ten feet In length, mud near
inmates In a'caudal fin two feet nine inches
across. When takcn from the WAtcr tho color
Of tic squIh WAS dusky rcd, but TINT has dis
appeared. and the body mud arms are now per-
T abes e Of s pqosct 9faE fa
d memhranou. baE In the centrc Of tho mass
which constitutes the head, anu from which &hs
ten arms ra0tate. Certainly the idea Of being
clutehcd N those terrible arms. from which
there could he no escape when 0ncn they had
closed, mud then tora and rent BY tho f0rnntda-
bio bcak, Is enough to send stullcrtng
thrill through tho stoutest heart Looking II
this creature. one call understand that the Wild
the Indian Seas. though GrcntlY exaggerated,
ial very substantial foundation tn facf. Pos
tcrlor to the head were pair OF huge staring
eyes, tie sockets being eight Inches In diane-
alive on tie beach, Is said by the fishermen to
have been peculiarly ferocous. The Governor,
Sir JOHN Glover, vIsted It, and declared TINT IN
all his lengthenel experience Ia Africa he hal
lahable, and IN short time decomposition sets
iu. and 1t caIpnlY be preserved fu the strongest
alcohul. Our s1own,cn could only continue
the exhibition two days aud half. managed
Transmission 10 rrofs. Baird and Vcrrii, who
were fortunately In Haltfn1, being In hopes
iee-of which used half ton In packing It.
would preserve It TIL 1t reached Halifax, finally
to bo placed either lit tho Peabody Or Smith,
owner yinIatel hIs contract and sold It to later
and higher bidder.
/ AaTs carefully taken tho measurement Of
the monster, and the following arc tllo dnlcr-
sions: The two long tentaeles .ss each thirty
feet: the hotlg ten feet In length, making tho
total lcngth from the termination OF The nut
stretched long Artns to extremity Of the tall
forty feet. The long tentAtica aro thin and
tough as leather heiug only five inrfes It, cir
thcY broaden out and arc eight Inches lncircum-
ference. Tho body Al tho thckcst part Is near
ly seven feet til circumference There arc eight
short arms, which Al ihe point OF Junction With
the central maAs are seventeen inches n rircuuI-
ference, but at their c1kIctntics taper down to
Gnc, tonguc.llke points, having rows 0f suckers
along ono side. tried 10 count these suckers
on ono sra,, which IL eloven feet ia length, and
nude out 20 large and small; ~ that the eight
arms tnust contain 600 suckcss; thu long arms
perhaps go moro. Tho head or central mass
from which tic arms rnlate, IL four and halt
feet In circumference. Unfortunately the delI-
hA.hE
In putting u on board; but the socket OF QUO
measured eight inches In diameter.
The appearance OF the animal when In tia
water il described BY the fishermen ~ extraor-
was swimming backward. and It wa4 rendered
poWcrlcss. In Its desperate Efforts to escape
tho ten arms darted about III all directions, lash
Ing tho water into foasn, the tttrty-foot trn-
them out and endeavorcd To get "purrhase ~
with their powerful suckers, 90 a. to drag itself
Into deep water. It WAS only when It became
exhausted and tha tide fcccded that Tbs asher-
men ventutcd to approach It, IT. mode ct mov.
ing through the watcr ls remarkable. behind
the head OIL ono slde tube or funnel IA viatblc,
wtcl. Is CONNECTED with the bronchial oF breath.
Ing organs The water Is etilnittcd to the organs
by valves, which allow it TO enter on tho
| muscular tlllatton OF tho BODY; xt. when thu
wAter SO admitted hos communicated It's oxygen
to the blood It Ia expalletl by this tube, Just a. In
the case OF tisflrs IL IL driven out ut tho Gsls.
hut then thls tf!eea water, 2ftoF purifying the
blood III the creature, 10 not merely got rid OF,
but IL utilized 90 ~ to be eubserVtent to the
1 movements Of tho animal. By ejectipg the wa
ter through tho funnci with force It Is, by thu
reaction Of the surrounding medium. euahled 10
dart backward With aulaziug rapidly. This u
it, uaRal mode OF lceoluosluu. and nothing can
| surpass tue ease and elegance Of such move
.ncnts- The holy is juat visiblc above tho sur
| tacc OF the water; the funnel is VI work below,
| Hike g hydraulic engine, e(cctinE the water,
while the triangular hn which !ors tl,t tail acts
the part Of front ruddrr and dtFeeta tue waY.
It also moses forward by means OF tue fu~likd
expansion of It's tail, aud Sideways BY lpeaus oi
tho siletins or the expansion of tho ulshtle. II
eau also use it, srns and legs ard crawl al0ng
tbs bottom Of the sea with It's head downwanis,
The backward motion, however. IL that which
h most graceful and natural in the giant sQuti.
When moving through tlu water its afus
Alu folded together. Wheu grup!ng its
prey It shoots out one Of thu long,
| iielis tentAeles, which aro endowed with 4
high degree Of museu!artty, aud II quickly ~ :
cat could clap her paw on mouse the cxtresDt.
ty of the arm covered with suckers seizes tho
| obtert by tho 6uckers, the pIs1ons of which are
quickly Fctracted and tbs sharp, denstuu'atet
edges are pErsaed with enormous force on The
| surface Of tho victim. Then tho other xrtAt