The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-18

into the water, and with sharp poles
and boat hooks secured a number of
the animals.
The small squids are difficult to cap
ture, but | hive speared them in Flor
ida by having boat sculled carefully
along where they went floating on the
surface. One day, when the sun was
intensely hot, l took the oar and scull-
ed, the boatman lying on the forward
neck on the lookout for squids. We
suddenly came upon one lying upon the
surface, and before the boatman could
use the spear the squid directed Its
siphon upward and shot such volley
of ink and water into the mans face
that he rolled back into the boat, his
solemn visage dripping with sepia--a
very much abused man.
Between the squid and the octopus,
so far as appearances go, there is lit
tie choice of evils. They are equal
ly hideous and ugly. but the squid
is an open-water animal, NOV
ing here and there, covering long
distances. while the octopus clings to
one spot or lives within a certain ra-
dius. How large the octopus grows Is
not known, but that ii attains a spread
of fifty feet is believed by those who
have seen the rejectamenta of large
fishes and whales. have handled large
numbers of specimens fifteen feet
across, and believe that in the open
water a man would have little chance
against such an animal If entangled in
its snake-like arms. The largest au-
thentic specimens krisyn to science
have radial spread of about thirty
feet-that is, the arms, eight In num-
Der, are about fifteen feet long. Such
a N animal ha hndV a Itttl0 larger
than mans head, a small mouth, with
parot-like bills, ten long sucker-lined
arms, connected at their bases by Il
web-like integument, with which they
swim when the animals so desire: but
the usual method of swimming Is to
Wig orously pump the siphon by which
they dart through the water with great
rapidity, the sepia trailing behind, fill
ing the water with ink. On the Flor
ida reef the devilfish is very common,
and my first experience with them was
decidedly unpleasant l was reaching
beneath a bunch of coral, searching for
variety of cypraea--a shell common
there-when / felt my hand graspej,
as though snakes had coiled about it.
There was no pain beyond a smarting
sensation when the suckers set into
the flesh, and had / allowed my hand
to remain quiet the animal would I'M
doubleday have released me; but, start
led, i rose up, tearing the coral branch
from its roots and a large octopus
fl ON its ENHANCEMENT, which chung 20
me like a leech.
There is the greatest difference In
individuals. On the Pacific coast
kept a number of large specimens in
tank, with a view of tanning them,
and but one was amenable to treat
itself to be rubbed between the eyes,
but the others we're demoniac in looks
and appearance, and to plunge my
hand into the squirming, menacing
mass required more persistence and
pretended Indifference than anything
ever attempted. The devilfshes were
of all sizes, some OF the largest having
tentacles two feet in length and all
colors; and when l approached the
tank waves Of color would flash over
them, the fierce. stony eyes would
blaze with green and fiery tints, and
a trembling motion would be seen,
which meant that these gorgons of the
sea were preparing to pounce upon me.
One large individual was particularly
aggressive. 1t was a notified black
and white creature. a living thunder
cloud, implacable, resenting to the
last any attempt. When / introduced
my hand and arm into the tank dozens
of livid arms would dash up like flames
from the rocky crevices and every
siphon would be directed at it: but
none Of the octopi, with this single ex-
ception, would attack me until / made
the initial move. This individual stood
not upon the order of going, but with
eyes cleaning a baneful hue, every
muscle pulsating, 1t would fling itself
fIa 20.
encompassing 1t with a horrible,
smothering suggestion, then rapidly
fasten upon the rocks and endeavor 70
pun it down. When the animal Sc
cured its hold 1t was with difficulty
that released il, but when I allowed
il to retain its supposed prey in no IN
stance did IL attempt to insert it's bills
or bite; there was always a struggle
to release II. but beyond few scratch
es 1 escaped.
On the Florida reef, on the extreme
outer keys-Bird, Long, Sand and Log
gerhead-but little frequented, the
coral beds abound I'm good-sized devil
fishes, and one of the sports of the To-
cality at one time was to take them
with spear or grains. The boatman
would hook on to a branch of coral,
and with a sudden jerk, uproot it.,
devilishes and others--would go
spraying away. The strength exhib-
tied by these animals when struck was
remarkable; frequently in hauling one
in it would. seize a bunch of coral and
bring twenty or more pounds to the
surface, and when placed in the boat
dispel every evidence of rage; its green
eyes showing a lambert light, various
shades and colors following one an
other in quick succession over its body
truly a frightful object Occasion
ally stories are seen regarding the fe-
rocity of these animals, but they
should be taken cum grano sails, as
only on rare occasions will an octo-
pus attack a man. and then l believe
1t lis on the supposition that the ami
NAL is cornered. In Yale College is
the cast of an Alaskan octopus near
ly thirty feet across. Such an aimaI
could drown several men IL it were go
disposed. The story is told of q ma
tive woman found in the coils OF such
monster, doubtless an accident, as
by nature the animal is timid; but
when attacked the devilfish defends
itself with courage and vigor.
A friend in wading over the kelp-
lined rocks of San Pedro said that a
large octopus. caught by the tide in
one of the pools, came to the attack,
following several children, lifting it's
arms high out of the shallow water
as 1t moved along. A fisherman off
the Farallones hooked what he sup
posed to be large fish, but when it
reached the surface the arms of a huge
octopus seized the boat and were cut
away with difficulty. was informed