Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-01-18
The Devll-FIsh OF the Pacific Coast.


Octopi are found all along the upper
California coast to Alaska, some attaining
extraordinary proportions. Curious tales
are told concerning them, several instances
being recorded where they were supposed
to have caused the death of swimmers.
Some years ago an Indian woman disap-
peared from among some bathers and was
found held by huge octopus, but there was
no other evidence that she had been taken
by the animal. That they are powerful
enough to drown a man there is not the
slightest doubt. One of the size mention
ed could drown three or four men at a
time, assuming that they were swimming
and that it could attack them in that posi-
ton.
The writer once saw an octopus with a
spread of but four feet throw down man
who, with others, had been lifting rocks
into boat from reef, carrying them
ashore TO save the specimens found upon
them. As a piece was thrown upon the
beach a big greenish- brown octopus came
out and started for the water at which
the man in question, who was bare
foot, gave it kick Like flash
the animal resented the insult by throw
ing his eight sucker-lined arms about its
opponent clasping him in an embrace that
held his legs together so tightly that he
fell headlOng on the sand, shouting for
help and fearing to touch the animal with
his hands to tear it off. He was rel eased
only when one of the men inserted a knife
beneath the coils and severed the snake.
like arms.
To show the strength of a large one
taken at Kings Island it was landed in a
net, and after great difficulty secured by
party of six men, who by wrapping pieces
of sacking around their hands to protect
them from the suckers, each took an arm
and walked away, but the octopus writhed
like snake and actually pulled and haul
ed them about at will, so that they had to
exert no little force to prevent the animal
from fastening to them, which seemed to
be its intention.
The strength of the octopus is remarka-
Bile. The writer has taken scores of them
with the spear. and has known them to
bring up 20 or % pounds of coral, cingng
to it with their tentacles when pulled in.
and these Nere comparatively small ones,
the body being the size of ones closed
fist. 1t is easy to imagine what the strength
of large one might be- Even the small
specimens were not pleasant objects to
look upon. They were usually found
snugly ensconced in dead coral head,
looking like a bit of the bottom. as they
simulated it in color, only the tremuous
motion telling the story. But how quickly
this changed as the sharp prongs of the
spear struck it. The whole animal seem
ed TO come apart and turn into snakes that
started in every direction, wriggling coil
ing, and recoiing, changes of color follow
ing each other in rapid succession over the
body.
The octopus is found on almost all coasts
where rocky shores abound, but the Cali
fornia species is the largest. 1t is hunted
here as an article of food, and is much rel
ished by the Portuguese. On the Mediter-
ranean it is equally appreciated. The oc-
topus has a bagike BODY, from which radi-
ate eight sucker-lined arms-its feet. Be
tween these is the mouth, armed with two
beaks, which, like those of the parrot in
shape and color, are capable OF severng
the backbone of fish at a single bite.
The tongue is provided with teeth. The
animal crawls over the rocks by hauling
itself along with peculiar galloping mo-
ton, and can pass through crevices as
toundingly small, so that it often disap-
pears in the most mysterious fashion, The
average cuttlefish variety seldom leaves the
bottom, though there is species that has
weblike fins between the legs, and is able
to swim to limited eXtent.-Sdn Fran
cisco Chronicle.