The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-11-01
TT INSPIRES HORROR.
A kloEoUs CREATURE TO ooNTEM-
PLATE is THE OCTOPUS.

fLAi / 10 ii1E OC OPUS.
The SnnkcIilsc Way In Which II At
tncLs Its Victims and Endcnvors TO
Crush Them In It's Shiny and With
Ing TcntacIcs.
One of the most disagrecahle animals
of the sea TO handle or contemplate ia
the octupus. The tangle of arms, the
snakellke movements, the strange
flashes of color, the green gllttering
eyes. are all features that arouse n
strong feeling of aversion on the part
of the observer. | have had under oh.
servatlon several octopl ut the Santa
Catalina aquarium, and 1t has been in
terestlng TO note the characteristic fea-
lures of the various individuals In
small tank were confined three indl.
viduals having Il radIal spread OF per
haps Is inches. one affected n light
yellow hue and was timld, sullng he.
hind rock. Another, of dark reddish
cast, was continually nourisling Its
tcntaclcs, rising and falling on the side
of the glass until an observer nick.
named II the skirt dancer" \ third
was almost hlack, and was a vindic
tive fellow, ready ut any time to make
an attack. When introduced my hand
into the tank, this octopus would
rs quick as flash send out one
long attenuated tentacle aud coll
about It; then IL an advance was made
1t would suddenly release its hold upon
the rock and quickly encompass my
hand with its eight arms, pressing the
round serratcd disks into the flesh
while II tremulons motion would he
felt
At the first attack of this kind the
sensation was one of horror. The hid
eous creature hnttcncd out, assimllat
Ing the color of the flesh TO n marked
degree and evidently endcayoring to
smother the hand with It's folds. MS the
tentacles We're dlstended to their ut.
most limit. To hold the hand firm
under such circumstances required
some effort, and confess when II was
first attempted, with Florida speci-
men, | beat II rapid and decided re-
iiNhit bui III tie lilltl tsSt NHlitl
10 see II the animals object was To
bite, knowing that the bill of so small
specimen could not make Il serious
wound. But the octopus merely pressed
Its mouth on the bnek of my hand. ap-
parently trying Ia intimidate the sup
posed enemy, While fastened To the
hand, II still held 10 the rock and Ii
ttsti ,lInf.,It,r 4
remained quiet the animal began to
creep along like huge spider, but ut
the first movement of my fingers IL
pouneed upon my hand again, onVclop-
ing II In the eight snakelike arms |
finally twisted out of It's grasp and
seized II firmly by the body, when Its
rage became Intense. Flushcs of color
passed over II In rapid succession. now
red, black, yellow and when at the
height of It's anger 1t was notified and
splashed with black IA frightful crcn-
ture, 1t made Il desperate effort to es=
cape, but when released elected II cloud
of ink, darting off rapidly under It's COW
or. This octopus resented amy intrusion
and advanced to the attack ut once
the tank. although much larger, II came
out of Its corner without hcslintlon
eyed the newcomer moment, then In
some lncomprchcnslblc way hurled IT.
self ut the enemy, ana In n second the
two were rolling over ana over In II
contest that was amazing to witness.
The 1d tcntnclos wound about each
other with the rnpldlty of light, and
both animals elected the inky fluid
from their sIphons. They rescmbled
n ball of snakes rolling along and
striking mt each other more than any
thing else. \ close examination of the
writing mass showed thnt the object
apparently was to smother the oppo.
ncnt Finally, the newcomer beat II
retreat; 1t was badly wounded and sue.
cumbed few hours later
The octopus Is favorlte subject
with popular writer's Oh natural his
tory, and many accounts have been
written of Its fcroclty, which are al
most Invariably denied by naturnlsta;
yet am Inclined TO think that In some
instances certain individuals are more
scores of them from the gulf Of MexE
90 and California and observed only
one Instance the one cited where the
animal deliberately rushed to the ut.
tack, though know Of two others.
One was observed by MIR. Ralph Ar
mold, n Rcologist Of Pasadena He was
wadng among the pools ut low tide
nj Paint Nam IbpIptt "A hon att,tInbIp hn
heard IA cry, and turning, saw Como
children In n pool wndlng. aud moving
toward them n large octopus. It's long
arms raised above the water Whether
the animal would have attempted to
attack them i5 II quest II, MS II was
interrupted Ia II more or less violent
manner. \ resident Of Washington
told me that once when visiting the
shore he WIS advised by the fisherman
with him 10 avoid the pools aud wien
II became necessary 10 cross them to
pass over rs quickly ns possible, as
large octopi frcqurutrd them He con
sidcred this He l-glatlon OF fish.
cluan and paid BAT little attention to
1t; but once In crossing pool, stepping
ilyid arm shot ont of the water and
reached inslnuatlngly for his legs the
entire animal moving rapidly toward
him. He, however. reached the rocks
safely aud bonbardcd the animal with
stones. lie estimated lts size AT -
feet lcross. iu tying the tcntacles to
have been II feet in length. Again. II
cannot be determined from ihis whcth
or the animal would have seized him.
though the observer WAS confident that
II would and that II was large enough
20 have held him under water Ind he
ipen pulled In. q. 4. Holder Ia Scien
illc American.
The Father Knew.
Mrs Worth John, | think this gold
pen would be the most appropriate ar
tlcle we could send Harvey for birth
A