Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-12-28
TT INSPIRES HORROR.
A HIDEous CREATURE TO coNTEM-
PLATE Is THE OCTOPUS.
The snakeIike Way In which IL At
tacks It's Victims and Endeavors to
Csush Them I'm It's Shiny and writh-
Ing TentacIes.

OG01n khGh IN hts ShtHut u
Ing T~entacies.
One of the most disagreeable animals
Of the sea to handle or contemplate is
the octupus. The tangle Of arms, the
snakelike movements, the strange
flashes Of color, the green glittering
eyes, are all features that arouse a
strong feeling Of aversion on the part
Of the observer. / have had under OBJ
scrvation several octopi at the Santa
Catalina aquarium, and 1T has been in
teresting to note the characteristic fea-
lures Of the various individuals. In a
small tank were confined three indi-
viduals having a radial spread Of per-
haps Is inches. One affected q light
yellow hue and was timid, sulking be-
hind a rock. Another, OF a dark reddish
cast, was continually iourishing it's
t~entacles, rising and falling oil the side
Of the glass until an observer nick
named ii the skirt dancer" A third
was almost black, and was a vindic-
tive fellow, ready at any time to make
an attack. When | introduced my hand
into the tank, this octopus would
as quick as a fash send out one
long attenuated tentacle and coil
about It: then if an advance was made
II 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 a tremulous motion would be
felt.
AZ the first attack of this kind the
sensation was one OF horror. The hid
eous creature lattened out. assimilat-
ing the color Of the flesh to a marked
degree and evidently endeavoring to
smother the hand with its folds. as the
tentacles were distended to their ut
most limit. To hold the hand firm
under such circumstances required
some effort, and confess when II was
first attempted, with a Florida speci-
men, | beat a rapid and decided re-
treas. but In the latter case l waited
to see IL the animals object was to
bite. knowing that the bill of so small
a specimen could not make a serious
"oihu. DuN ~ OttOHuo thNACAg ptCS6Cu
it's mouth oil the back Of my hand. ap-
parently trying to intimidate the sup
posed enemy. While fastened to the
hand. IL still held to the rock. and 1t
was with difficulty released. When I
remained quiet, the animal began to
creep along like a huge spider. but at
the first movement Of my fingers it
pouIced upon my hand again, envelop-
iry IL In the eight snakelike arms. !
finally twisted cot Of it's grasp and
seized 1t firmly by the body. when Its
rage became intense. Fiushes of color
passed yer 1t I'm rapid succession; now
red. black, yellow and when at the
height of It's anger 1t was notified and
splashed with black-a frightful crea-
ture. 1t made a desperate effort to ee-
cape. but when released elected q cloud
of ink, darting OF rapidly under its COW
er. This octopus resented any intrusion
and advanced to the attack at once.
When a strange octopus was placed In
the tank, although much larger. It came
! u OF It's corner without hesitation,
eyed the newcomer q moment. then In
some incomprehensible way hurled 10
self at the enemy. and In a second the
two were rolling over and over In q
contest that was amazing to witness.
The 10 tentacles wound about each
other with the raoidity Of light, and
both animals elected the inky fluid
from their siphons. They resembled
a ball Of snakes rolling along and
striking at each other more than any
thing else. A close examination OF the
writing mass showed that the object
apparently was to smother the oppo-
nent. Finally, the wco beat q
retreat; 1t was badly wounded and sue
cumbed a few hours later.
The octopus is a fayorite subject
with popular writer's on natural his
tory, and many accounts have been
written OF its ferocity. which are al
most invariably denied by n~aturalists;
yet ] Am inclined to think that In some
Instances certain individuals are more
or less pu~gnacious. have handled
scores of them from the gulf Of Mexi-
GO and California and observed oc,y
tame tire one cited-whare the
- Deliberately rushed t. he IT.
.lor2h now OF two others.
D. arred by M. Ralph Ar
= OF fasad na. lie w1E
the pools at low tide
Pedro when suddenly he
crg aad. .ugning, saw some
4 wading. and moving
{ ,atai Il large octopus, 'ts long
h IA J above the water. Whether
the animal would have attempted to
attack them Is a question, as IL was
Interrupted In a more or less violent
manner. A resident OF Washington
told me that once when visiting the
shore he was advised by the fisherman
with him to avoid the pools and when
II became necessary to cross them TO
pass over as quickly as possible. as
large octopi ~frequented them. He con
sidered this the exaggeration Of q FISH
Armar opS nal6 h,,k ltt<to oSxnuss~r A.