The sun., 1879-02-23
TWO MONSTERS, or THE SEA,
The Most Gigantic Devil Fishes Ever yet Cap
tnred II American Waters.

Ffo. ne usuwo 0@e
SrsJOHws, "! r., Jan. 1871 have just re-
ceived Intelligence of this capture Of two more
OF thoss, giganlic 6 cophnlopods or devil lsh, Tor
which Newfoundland Of lnte years lfas become
celebrated; and, thyee are Of such enormous
s2r qs to throw into tho SHADE. all the nreviqns
have bcon taken. In 1873 dgs0ribed in your
coH,mns tn9 l,st perfect sn1hIhGp od me Glan,
fortune TO sncurc. II was rVpured ina hlirring
net ~ Logi" Bav. three miles from st. Johns.
The body was spyeh feet in length md fivo
and half iect in circumference. Tho long
arms or trntaclrs were "a ieet tho eight shorter.
6 feet Since 1878 several other specimens have
been cast ashore. but all were destroyed by the
fishermen. who. OF course. did not know that
th.y wcrb Of any importance. In Seifemhcr.
1877. ilpo specimen WINS taken M Catalina.
to- 81. JOINS. where il was cxh{Stld for seysrai
days and then purchased for tho New York
tors II wns alterwnrd exhibited in tho lend
ing cities of the United Stntes and realized
larSr, sum. Of money Tor its pronrietors. No
doubt. az Il is the only perfect specimen In OK
istenc'. II will continue TO attract attention and
be- n source of revenue. The body of this spcci-
men was 10 feet IN length, tho tcntnclcs 80 ieet.
and thu shorter arms IL feet Tho ten arms
had ON thcm not less than coo suckers
That specimen is now cclipsed by two which
have h,Tn recently captured nenr the head Of
Notre Dana BAY, but am. sorry to say that
both have bccn cut up nhd destroyed hy tho
November fisherman named stephen Shcr-
ring was, ~ 4 A. hoat With two other men qt a
from tho celebrated Iitilo Bay Coppar Nine.
which described IN the columns oi the GiObe.
They observed not far from the shore shhpe-
less mnss which appeared TO b. in notion On
approaching nearer they saw IL was an eX-
traordinary ilsh OF soniekind. which had been
lpft aground by the ebbugtide and was strug.
Cling hard to escape In is frantic efforts il
flung its huge arms about lashinp the water
into foam. and from funnel behind tho hcad
ScrHsonS %S 5"roPSd ORS on being rS, iesT
lot.
tho fishermen. aud Tor n time they
looked on in silent horror attho contnriiOns OF
had been driven by n heavy gallo Of wind into
the shallower whter and tho tdD hnving re-
ccded, II was powerlcss 10 escape. The spouts
of water were from the syplon, which is its
chief organ Of locomotion. II draws in the
water. then elects il through this tphe with inn
mense force, and tho reaction OF the surround
ing medium drives II backward with great ra-
pidiiy. Through the same tube II eircis an
inky nuid when attacked or alnrmed, aud dark.
ems the water all around. The fshermen Mt
length plucked up courage, ms they saw Il
getting exhausted, and Approached near enough
70 throw IN" small grnpn"i OF thcir boat whose
iiukes having barbcd points. sunk into its soft
flesh. A stout rope had been attached to the
grapnel, which they now carried ashore and
fastened To the trunk OF n tree.
The powerful devil llsh was thus. made
prisoner: and when the tidc rccoded com
petely no was lait dry ON the strand and soon
intcrestnow attaches to these marine monsters
they could have preserved i in brine and
sold i for $500 or $500. But they only know OF
L ~ n big squid.' and cut II up for dogs meat
The body WA twenty feet IN length and the
long arms thirty-nve feet. Its body was thus
cNnctly double tho size Of the specimen now in
New York; 40 that 1t is considerably tho largest
devil ish yet captured
second devil fish WINS taken NJ the South
Arm ot Green Fay. Nore Dame Bay. on the
- 81 last December, 10y n fisherman named
William Budgcl. resident in Three Arms !at no
great distance from the scene OF the former oc-
currcncr. He found IL on shore quite dead,
and no douht'it had been forced In on the hore.
on high tide. 10y n storm. and so stranded As
food for dogs. or for bait. My informant. how
over. was able TO make accurate measurements
10y putting the pieces together. and he found
the body. from tho hoax TO the extremity OF the
tail. 20 be 10 feet in length and - feet In cir
cumference at the thickest pnrt Only one OF
the shorter arms was found perfect. and this
measured lG feet. and was thicker than n man g
these are usually three times the length OF the
shorter arms. and so must have been over IS
fcet. Had the tcntaces. therefore, been
stretched out the monster would have
measured 65 feet from the extremity OF the
tentacles to the tip OF the tail. the body being
20 iect in length. The beak and port ons OF the
head and skin have been preserved in salt.
Judging 10y tho size OF the Thimblo Tickle
| specimen. compared with the proportions of
| the ono in New York. which had 1000 suckers
| great and small | should say that the former
must have had 1900 or 5000 suckers. and n
very powerful horny beak. in shane like that OF
! parrot, proportonately larger than that Of tho
latter hug in those hinge clammy arms. with
! their thousands OF suckers acting like euppinl.
glasses. and sinking into the nrsh. to say moth
ing Of tho powerful leak rending the victim
would produce a very uncomfortable sensation.