The times., 1899-10-29
THE WAYS OF THE OCTOPUS.
A Naturalist Admits Tint Some Show
IL Certain Degree of Fcrocity.


From the Scientific American.)
One of the most disagreeable animals of
the sea to handle or contemplate is the oc-
topus. The tangle of arms, the snake-like
movements, the strange flashes of color,
the green glittering eyes, are all features
that arouse strong feeling of aversion on
the part of the observer. I have bad un-
der observation several octopi at the Santa
Catalina Aquarium, and it has been inter-
estng to note the characteristic features
of the various individuals. In a small tank
were confined three individuals having a
radial spread of perhaps eighteen inches.
One affected a light yellow hue and was
timid skulking behind a rock Another of
a dark reddish cast, was continually flour
ishing its tentacles, rising and falling on
the side of the glass until an observer
nicknamed it the skirt dancer" third
was almost black. and was vindictive fell
low, ready at any time to make an attack.
When l introduced my hand into the tank
this octopus would as quick as a flash send
out one long attenuated tentacle and coil
about it, then If an advance was made it
would suddenly release its hold upon the
rock and quickly encompass my hand with
its eight arms, pressing the round serrated
disks into the flesh while a tremulOus mo-
tion would be felt.
At the first attack of this kind of sensa-
ton was one of horror. The hideous Great
ure iattened out, assimilating 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 utmost limit To hold the hand firm
under such circumstances required some ef-
fort, and I confess when it was first at
tempted, with a Florida specimen, 1 beat
a rapid and decided retreat; but in the lat
ter case l waited to see if the animals OBJ
iect was to bite knowing that the bill Of
so small a specimen could not make Sc
rious wound But the octopus merely
pressed its mouth on the back of my
hand, apparently trying to intimidate the
supposed 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
q huge spider but at the first movement Of
my fingers it pOunced upon my hand again,
enyeloping il in the eight snakelike arms.
I 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 succession; now red, black, yellow,
and when at the height of its anger it was
notified and splashed with black-a fright
full creature 1t made a desperate effort to
escape but when released elected a cloud
of ink, darting of rapidly under its cover.
! 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 its
corner without hesitation, eyed the new
| conner a moment then in some incompTe-
hensible way hurled itself at the enemy.
and in a second the two rolling over ana
over in a contest that was amazing to wit
!
each other with the rapidity of lightning.
and both animals elected the inky fluid
! from their syphons. They resembled a
! ball of snakes rolling along and striking al
each other more than anything else. a
| close examination of the writhing mass
| showed that the object apparently was ia
smother the opponent Finally, the new
| conner beat d retreat; it was badly wounded,
| and succumhed a few hours later.
| The octopus is a favOrite subject with
! popular writer's on natural history, and
many accounts have been written OF its
! ferocity, which are almost invariably de-
| MED by naturalists; yet l am inclined to
| think that in some instances certain indi-
iduals are more or less pugnacious.
! have handled scores of them from the Gull
| of Mexico and California, and observed
| only one instance-the one cited-wheTt
the animal deliberately rushed to the at
tack though / know Of two others. One
was observed by Mr.. Ralph Arnold, a ge-
ologist OF Pasadena. He was Wading
among the pools at low tide al Point San
Pedro, when suddenly he heard cry, and
turning, saw some children in a pool wad-
ing, and moving toward them a large Oc-
topus. its long arms raised above the wa
ter. Whether the animal would have at
| tempted 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 it became
| necessary to cross them to pass over as
quickly as possible, as large Octopi fire.
quented them He considered this the eX-
aggeratiOn of a fisherman, and paid but lit
tie attention to il; but once, in crossing
a pool stepping from stone to stone, sud
denly a long liyid arm shot out Of the
water and reached iusinuaungly for his
legs, the entire animal moving rapidly to-
ward him. He. however, reached the rocks
| safely and bombaTded the animal with
| stones He estimated its size as "a fee
| across. judging the tentacles to have beer
II feet in length Again it cannot be de
| termined from this whether the anima
would have seized him, though the OBJ
server was confident that it would, anC
that it was large enough to have held hin
under water had he been pulled in.