New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1899-11-01
ITNsPIREs HORROR. a NYsTICAI.N JJll BIER
A HlDEOuS CREATURE TO coNTEM-
PLATE is THE OCTOPUS.

PLATES THE OCTOPUS. &
The snake1ike Way IN which It At.
tacks Its Victims and EndenvOrs to-
Crush Them In Its Shiny md With
ing TentacIes.
One Of the most disag reeable 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. I have had under OBJ
servation several octopi at the Santa
Catalina aquarium, and it has been in
teresting9 to note the characteristic fea-
lures of the various individuals. In a
small tank were confined three indi-
viduals having radial spread Of per-
haps Is inches. One affected a light
yellow hue and was timid, sulking. be-
mind rock. Another, of dark reddish
cast, was continually fouriahing it's
tentacles, rising and falling on the side,
Of the glass until an observer nick
named it the skirt dancer" A third
was almost black, and was a vindic-s
tive fellow, ready at any time to make
an attack. When introduced my hand
into the tank, this octopus would
as quick as flash send out one
long attenuated tentacle and coil
about it; then if an advance was made
it would suddenly release it's hold upon
the rock and quickly encompass my
hand with it's eight arms, pressing the
round serrated disks into the flesh
while tremulous motion would be
felt. i
At the first attack of this kind the
sensation was one of horror. The hid
eous creature fattened out, assimilat-
ing the color of the flesh to a marked
degree and evidently endeavoring to
smother the hand with it's folds, as the
tentacles were distended to their ut
most limit. To hold the hand firm
under such circumstances required
some effort, and I confess when it was
first attempted, with a Florida speci-
men, I beat a rapid and decided re-
treat; but in the latter case 1 waited
to see if the animals object was to
bite, knowing that the bill of so small
wound. But the octopus merely pressed
it's mouth on the back of my hand, ap-
parently irving to intimidate the sup
posed enemy. While fastened to the
hand, it still held to the rock, and it
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
bounced upon my hand again, envelop-
ing it in the eight snakelike arms. l
finally twisted out Of it's grasp and
seized it firmly by the body, when it's
rage became intense. Flushes of color
passed over it in rapid succession; now
red, black, yellow and when at the
height of its anger it was notified and
splashed with black-a frightful crea-
ture. 1t made desperate effort to es-
cape, but when released elected a cloud
of ink, darting off rapidly under it's 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
out of it's corner without hesitation,
eyed the newcomer a moment, then in
some incomprehensible way hurled it.
self at the enemy, and in a second the
two were rolling over and over in a
contest that was amazing to witness.
The Is tentacles wound about each
other with the rapidity 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
Wrlthing mass showed that the object
apparently was to smother the oppo-
nent. Finally, the newcomer beat a
retreat; it was badly wounded and sue
cumbed a few hours later.
The octopus is a favorite 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 naturalists:
yet am inclined to think that in some
Instances certain individuals are more
or less pugnacious. I have handled
scores of them from the gulf Of Mexi-
CO and California and observed only
one instance-the one cited-where the
animal deliberately rushed to the at
tack, though l know of two others.
One was observed by Mr.. Ralph Ar
mold, a geologist Of Pasadena. He was
wading among the pools at low tide
at Point San Pedro when suddenly he
heard cry, and, turning, saw some
children in pool, wading, and moving
toward them large octopus, it's long
arms raised above the water Whether
the animal would have attempted to
attack them is question, as it was
interrupted in 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
it became necessary to cross them to
pass over as quickly as possible, as
large octopi frequented them He con-
sidered this the exaggeration Of fish