Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-10-20
4 MONSTER or THE DEEP.
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Terrible Avms Thtvsy Feet Lsas-Rs
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ASt. Johns IN. T.. correspondent q
the New York World gives an interest
ing account Of huge cuttle-tish (some
times called devil.Ash) which was re
Gently shipped from that place to New
York. The monster was driven ashor
during heavy gale. and was found il
an exhausted condition by two fisher
men who loaded their boat with the car
case and took II TO st. Johns, where i
was exhibited for while and attracte,
much attention. The correspondent
says:
have carefully taken the measure
ment Of the monster, and the following
are the dimensions: The two long tenta
cles are each thirty feet; the body ton
feet in length, making the total length
from the termination Of the outstretchet
long arms to extremity of the tail forty
feet. The long tentacles are thin and
tough as leather, being only five inches
in circumference, except ut the extremi
ties, where they broaden out and are
eight inches in circumference. The
body at its thickest part is nearly seven
feet in circumference. There are eight
short arms, which at tho point of juno
ton with the central mass are seventeen
inches in circumference, but at their ex,
tremities taper down to fine tongue.like
points, having rows Of suckers along one
side. tried to count these suckers on
one arm, which is eleven feet in length,
and made out $50, large and small; &c
that the eight arms must contain 1900
suckers; the long arms perhaps $50
more. The head or central mass, from
which the arms radiate, is four and a
half feet in circumference. Unfortu-
nately the delicate eyes had been de-
stroyed on tho voyage or in putting it
on board; but the socket of one meas.
ured eight inches in diameter.
The appearance Of the animal when in
the water is described by the fishermen
as extraordinary. The tail had got fast
on n rock as it was swimming backward,
and it was rendered powerless. In its
desperate efforts to escape the ten arms
darted about in all directions, lashing
the water into foam, the thirty-foot
tentacles in particular making lively
play as it shot them out and endeavored
to get purchase " with their power
full suckers, so rs to drag itself into deep
water. 1t was only when it became ex-
hausted and the tide recrtled that the
fishermen ventured to approach it. Its
mode of moving through the water is
remarkable. Behind the head on one
side tube or funnel is visible, which is
connected with the bronchial or breath
ing organs. The water is admitted to
these organs by valves, which allow it to
enter on the muscular dilatation of the
body; and when the water 80 admitted
has communicated its oxygen to the
blood it is expelled by this tube, just as
in the case of fishes it is driven out at
the gills. But then this effete water,
after purifying the blood of the creature,
is not merely got rid of, but is utilized
SO as to be subservient to the movements
of the animal. By ejecting the water
through the funnel with force it is, by
the reaction of the surrounding medium,
enabled to dart backward with amazing
rapidity. This is its usual mode of
locomotion, and nothing can surpass the
ease and elegance of such movements.
The body is just visible above the sur
face of the water; the funnel is at work
below, like hydraulic engine, ejecting
the water, while the triangular fin which
forms the tail acts the part of front
rudder and directs the way. 1t also
moves forward by means of the Unlike
of it's tail, and sideways by
means of the side-fns or the expansions
Of the mantle. 1t can also use it's arms
and legs and crawl along the bottom Of
the sea with it's head downwards. The
backward motion, however, is that which
is most graceful and natural in the giant
squid. When moving through the
water it's arms are folded together. When
grasping its prey it shoots out one of
the long, 1.-the tentacles, which are en-
dowed with high degree of musculari-
ty, and as quickly as a cat could clap
her paw on mouse the extremity of the
arm covered with suckers seizes the OBJ
ject by the suckers, the pistons of which
are quickly retracted and the sharp,
denticulated edges are pressed with
enormous force on the surface of the
victim. Then the other arms Irvine
round and grasp it, and from that
embrace there is no escape.
Altogether, the gigantic cuttle-fish is
the most wonderful of all the denizens
of the great deep.
to f.. vs.,y,