The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-21
WAYS OF THE OCTOPUS.
A Naturalist Says Some Show 9
Certain Degree Of Ferocity.

WA 4 , OE he OO1 OI y -
A Naturalist Says Some Show
Certain Degree Of Ferocity.
One of the most disagreeable animals
of the sea to handle or contemplate is
the octopus. The tangle of arms, the
snakelike movements, the strange flash
es of color, the green glttering eyes, are
all features that arouse strong feeling
of aversion on the part Of the observer
1 have had under observation several
octopi at the Santa Catalina Aquarium,
and it has been interesting to note the
characteristic features of the curious in
dividuals. In the small tank were con-
fined three individuals having a radical
spread of perhaps Is inches. One af-
-fected light yellow hue and was timid
sullSing behind rock. Another of
dark reddish cast, was continually
fiourishing its tentacles, rising and fall
ing on the side of the glass until an
observer nicknamed it the skirt dane
err" A third was almost black, and
was a vindictive fellow, ready at any
time to make an attack. When l in
troduced my hand into the tank, this
octopus would, as quick as a flash, send
out one long attenuated tentacle and
coil it about, then if an advance was
made it would suddenly release it's hold
upon the rock and quickly encompass
my hand with its eight arms, pressing
the round serrated disks into the flesh
while tremulous motion would be felt.
At the first attack of this kind the
sensation was one of horror. The hid
eous creature flattened out, assimilat-
ing the color of the flesh to a marked
degree and evidently endeavoring to
smother the hand in it's folds, as the
tentacles were distended to their utmost
limit. To hold the hand firm under
such circumstances required some eff
fort, and I confess when it was first
tempted with the Flopida specimen, 1
beat a rapid and decided retreat; but
in the latter case I waited to see if the
animals object was to bite, knowing
that the bill of so small a specimen
could not make a serious wound. But
the octopus merely pressed it's mouth
on the back of my hand, apparently
trying to intimidate the supposed
enemy. While fastened to the hand it
held to the rock, and it was with diff
Guilty released. When | remained quiet
the animal began to creep along like a
huge spider, but at the first movement
of my fingers it bounced upon my hand
again, enveloping it in the eight snake
like arms. / finally twisted out of its
grasp and seized it firmly. by the body,
when its rage became intense. Flushes
of color passed over it in rapid success
sion: now red, black, yellow, and when
at the hight if it's anger it was notified
and splashed with black-a frightful
creature. 1t made a desperate effort to
escape, but when released elected a
cloud of ink, darting off rapidly
under its cover. This octopus re-
sented any intrusion, and advanced
to attack at once. When a strange
octopus was placed in the tank.
although much larger, it came out of
its corner without hesitation, eyed the
newcomer moment, and then in some
incomprehensible way hurled itself at
the enemy, and in a second the two
We're rolling over and over in con-
test that was amazing to witness. The
sixteen tentacles wound about each
other with the rapidity of light, and
both animals elected the ky fluid from
their syphons. They resembled a ball
of snakes rolling along and striking at
~
close examination of the writhing mass
showed that the object apparently was
to smother the opponent. Finally, the
newcomer beat a retreat; it was badly
wound and succumbed a few hours
later.
The octopus is favorite subject with
popular writer's of natural history, and
many accounts have been written of it's
1T 7
denied by naturalists; yet 1 am inclined
to think that in some instances certain
individuals are more or less pugna-
cious l have handled scores of them
from the Gulf of Mexico and California,
and observed only one instance-the one
cited-where the animal deliberately
rushed to the attack, though / know of
two others. One was observed by
Ralph Arnold, a geologist of Pasadena.
He was wading among the pools at low
tide at Point San Pedro when suddenly
he heard a cry, and, turning, saw some
children in a pool wading and moving
toward them a large octopus, it's long
arms raising above the water. Whether
the animal would have attempted to
attack them is a question. as it was in
terrupted in a more or less violent man
ner. A resident of Washington told me
that once when visiting the shore he
was advised by fisherman to avoid
the POOLS and when it became necces-
sary to cross them to pass over as
quickly as possible, as large octopi fire.
quented them. He considered this the
eXaggeration of a fisherman, and paid
but little attention to it; but once in
crossing a pool, stepping from stone to
stone, suddenly a long livid arm shot
out of the water and reached insinuat-
ingly for his legs, the entire animal
moving toward him. He, however,
reached the rocks safely, and lombard
ed the animal with stones He estimat-
ed it's size as % feet across, judging
the tentacles to have been u feet in
length Again, it cannot be determined
from this whether the animal would
have seized him. though the observer
was confident that he would and that
it was large enough to have held him
under water had he been pulled in
Scientific American.
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