Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
CATCHING A DEVIL FISH
EXCITING EXPERIENCE SOUTH OF
CEYLoN.
How the Only Specimen Ever Taken
Alive Was Captured After
Hard Fight.
Prom The Plttshurg Dispatch.


We had gene out of the Solidar reefs fifty
miles TO the south of Ceylon. to capture, II
possible a living specimen of the octopus
or devil fish for the Bombay museum. Al
fer arriving and anchoring the bark safe
distance from the reefs we pulled in with
the yawl to look for signs of the prey we
were after. We had been pulling to ana FRO
over the reefs when. on the second day Oh
our search we came upon spot where the
bed of the channel was almost INSTRUCTED
with the bones of fish and turtles. We knew
by these signs that we had come upon the
lair OF devil fish. and without waiting TO
mako closer investigation of the locality
we marked the spot and pulled away for the
bark The Malabar coast fishermen we hau
brought along with us were certain IRON,
the great deposit of bones that the spot hau
been the haunt of octopus for long
time and that we should find him OF the
largest size. We might have developed him
then and there. as we had every reason to
believe that he was lat home in shallow
cave Mt the base of a big rock, but we han
orders not to go too close.
Next morning two boats approa ched the
rock from opposite sides. and Prof Grim
shaw. who had charge OF the eXpeoltion'
landed to make n close inspection. Our APP
proach was made as silently as possible,
and the professor removed his boots before
landing There was no danger of the octo-
pus running away If he was there, but we
had some plans to lay In advance After
some spying about he was located IN the
cavern spoken Of and the professor was
dismayed at the size of the creature. He
had counted five great tentacles. ana the
bulk of the octopus was that of a big bar
rel II was decided that its feeding time
would be about high water, and AT low Wa
ter It might come on to lie on the rocks OF
swim in the channel 1t was for low water
we waited. and before the tide had run our
we landed on the rock again and stretched
two large fish nets across " ana Welshteu
tbar, ut no
them being carried away.
Stretching the Nets.
In the channel we stretched other nets,
md Mt dead low water we hauled off to see
If ANYTHING would occur. Something did.
The octopus decided to take a little ram
bic and he came down channel toward our
notilla. When he reached the net ana
found his progress checked he was furious
in an instant. and did lust what we hoped
he would do He seized 1t and began pull
ing and hauling. and in minute or two he
was all tangled UP. For the next quarter
of an hour we were treated 10 rare eNlh-
bttion No whale could have made the fuss
that monster did. In his struggles he threw
water twenty feet high and for fifty feet
around him. and now and then he raised
an arm high in the air and swept ii around
him like a fail and with the hands of
giant. The net was of the strongest mate
rial. and when he ceased to struggle we re-
allied that he was pretty well tangled up
ture lust then. however. as the tide had
turned and he retreated to his lair, taking
the nets with him and making slow prog
ress If could get him on the rocks
next morning there was good chance OF
his CAPTURE.
At o'clock next morning we landed on
the rocks and found the nets all right. The
professor had brought along a big squirt
gun and large jar of chloroform and
when all was ready we made a circuit to
the west and got as near as we dared TO
the cavern and then began rolling stones
into 1t. We had not been at work over five
minutes when the octopus routed out.
We first saw one long tentacle shoot out of
the water and clutch the rock above. and
then the creature slowly and lahoriously
drew itself out The net had been bitten
and broken in many places. but still tangled
about him to greatly hamper his
movements. OF the five arms. only one was
entirely free The monster must have
thought the attack was being made on him
from above. for he had no sooner caught
sight of the spread nets that he went for
them I'm furious way. He was of course,
still further tangled up, and the exhibition
of the previous day was nothing to this.
He rolled over and over like a great ball.
striking and biting with his horrible beak.
and now and then getting a tentacle clear
and swishIng 1t around in search of an
enemy. He would writhe and twist and
strain until we could hear his joints crack
Quieted With Chloroform
Nothing living could have broken clear of
that tangle, but we had a good Idea of the
Creatures strength by the way he snapped
ropes and cords here and there. With one
free tentacle he picked up and hurled into
the sea a loose rock which two strong men
could not have moved. 1t a quarter of
an hour before'the octopus was so entirely
tangled in the nets that he could struggle
no more. and We waited at least ten min
utes before approaching him. Then the
professor advanced with his squirtgun,
charged from the jar of chloroform. and it's
contents were shot full into the monsters
face. In two minutes he lay as IL dead. and
we then got ropes and straps and made him
Secure Now and then there was a shiver
the full length of the tentacles, and we had
to stand back while the professor repeated
the dose. but at no time did the octopus re-
gain full consciousness. When all was
ready we put planks under the body and
slid ii down into the water, and after a
hard two hours work we got the mass
aboard the bark and into box prepared
In advance.
Few people have ever seen a full-gro-yn
devil-fish. as not above two or three have
ever been on exhibition, and those came
ashore dead and shrunken. The weight of