The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-02-22
MANY OCTOPUSES,.
oountlass Hordes Of Them In,
wade the British Channel
TAEa n oRRlsLE CREATURES.

Is,Ss ts;isl g ~ Z y e X --,---------.--.--
TAEf toRRlsLE CREATURES.
Have Tontaclos that Spread s!ixg
tseo Feet and Have Et, q
syct!on ysi!e !. s'I. of rs Several .:.
|t.,.,.!. : Horse Power. 4. ..S.,
"A plague as horrrid in it's way as any
Of those from which tho anoient Egyp-
ttians suffered has assa;led the south
cosst, Of England. Countless hordes
Of ootopuses tho doyil fishes Of Victor
Hugo - have invaded tho English Chan.
mol. and havo swarmed along the shores
Of Devon and Cornwall in such numbers
as to beggar belief. Travelling about
in marauding armios, thoy hayo we'll
nigh destroyed tho local lobBtor and
oras. fisheries by dovouring those orus
taoeans whole salo and on the Fronoh
side Of tho strait, especially in tho Do.
partmeat of Finiatero, they aro thrown
up on tho bcaohes by tho sea after
storms in suoh quantities that their
loathsome bodies have boon gathered
up and removed by hundreds Of cart
loads to provent them from ondangor-
ing tho public health by rotting. -
| Many of those creatures have spread
of six feot or moro, tho tentaolcs being
three foot in length and covered with
suckers as b'g:as 80, cent pieoos. But
spooimons have been soen very much
greater in size, and individuals are
known sometimes TO attain measure.
!,mant Of sixteen feet frem arm tip &c
farm tip. That the larger ones will
readily attack human beings is well
known, the suoklng discs with which
tho arms are provided holding tho vic
tim with forco equal to some horse pow
or. Onoe faivly embraced by tho animal,
thelois small chance for tho strongest
man, unless ho 10 lucky enough to have
big knife or spear. &. .t,
The most surprising point about tho
plague referred TO- is that the octopus
| has rarely boon aeen hitherto in British
waters, 80 rarely, indeed, that during
many years past specimens GOULD only
20 obtainodrfor aquaria in England at
long intervals, aud half sovereign was
frealontly,paid for. q small ono alive
lt:ls ivory "A hnumerSNs in tho Mediterra.
n9sn, ard rangeg d. far north as tho
south side Of tha English Channel,
which ts. IT'S ',extreho limit ordinarily.
Seemipgly the prosent.soourge is duo to
a'Heries oftilot summers and mild win
tors. which have encouraged propa-
CATION Of tho disgusting molluek---by
nature o warm wator animal--and pos
abby other conditions M Ahayo .helr,ad
it to multiply III I'm preood dentod NUN:
bers. Its marked inoseaso was frat no.
tioed along the French shores in 1893,
and rooent Investigations 60 to show
that, after having exhausted the avail,
able food supply on that side of tho
strait, tho ovorplus migrated in sWarms
across the Ohannol TO England. .,
| First there was an abnormal multi
plioation oftho poups in the neighbor.
hood Of the Ohannol Island and along
tho Fionoh coast; then came oyerorowd.
ing and q consequent scarcity of food,
aud finally armies Of ootopods adyanood
across the Ohannol to tho English shore.
Ono OF the first signs ofits arrival upon
| tho shores Of Devon, and Cornwall was
tho. arpearopo.o 9 of :. great numbers. of
crabs which had oeen drivon into the
shallow watera by the marauding mol,
lusks. The lattorontor the traps of the
fishefmen and destroy the lobsters and
orabH which havo been caught. and
sometimes the soines are lito ally bur.
dened With the Rrithing, rulpy mon
sters. I1 aNrNH
| The female octopus makea her nest in
4 any sheltered and conve Mont hollow in
ths rocks. There sho lays hor eggs,
| which In due. time hatch out young CO.
/ topods. Ona of tho curious pheno ome:
ma incidental to tho recent plague has
tho finding Of. immense numbers Of
minute ,poulps, not long hatohod. and
hardl =, bigger than grains of rice Not
much is known as to thoir rate OF grow.
tn but it is boliovod' that thoy do not
reach full size until thcy are about.
years old. 9.:. a... !. ty 4. Z.
Tho preaenoo Of the devil 6shoq in
such great numbers IN tho English
Channel being due to tho unusual CON
ditlons, it is expcoted that the plague
will not last very long. Oao severe
winter would probably dostroy,a major.
ity Of them. Meanwhile, however, de.
vouring immense numbers Of oystors as
we'll as edible orustaccans, and soienti.
fic exports have been trying to find
somo means whereby the enemy may
bo Tough. In Plymouth Sound exi
periments have been made recently in
fishing for the'poulps with pots suoh as
are used In tho Mediterranean. 4. [, 4.
| lu the Mediterranean the octopus ia
regularly fished for and usod for food.
Pitoher-shaped earthern pots are attach.
ed'gt fixed intervals to o long line and
lowered tU tho bottom, + the cord I'd
whioh they are fastened being, :buoyed
at'theiends,so that it; may bo found
again. Every few days tho line 10 haul.
ed up and tits not .unoom mon to find
Syary, 9ne. ees !9f f tho pitchers occupied by
dse2ll tst .HFba nogIP, being . soft;
nqbls9q a4dlma!aD da!aD IT Ie,an easy, prey to many
qne!miiasu ! and apahig account: it eagerly
takes ,adYsntaReiofiany suitable sheltor,
kheijuge, yyAiok ares not baited in any
way, afford ideal places Of con6ealmont,
the octopus occupying the interior and
spreading its tontsoles, from tho mouth.
Honco the etfeotiyeneaa,,of these Queer
Tho octopus has eight tontaoles ot
equal length, raidiating from IT'D oGntfai
maab and armed With suckers. Its hab.
1t Is to lurk in some dark Granny In the