Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-21

radial spread of twenty nine feet, and if you
go to Yale College you will see there model
of one OF these giants
They have terrible armament. The TN
der portion of the arms are lined with suck
ers, each one of which has a piston-like ar
rangement that, when the cup of the sucker is
pressed upon the victim, eXhausts the air,
and so clings with terrible and deadly force.
The effect of hundreds of these can be inn
agned
that resemble those of the parrot. They are
chestnut -colored and the upper fits into the
lower one, and with these they tear their
prey and kill it before swallowing
Have they ever been known to kill peo-
ple! asked Harry.
Yes" replied his uncle. "In Stka, some
years ago, an Indian woman was suddenly
missed by her companions, who were bathing
near her boat was procured, and the
unfortunate woman was finally found entwin-
ed IN the tentaces of one of these hideous
creatures.
81 have often found them in the South"
ne ne continued, but there they rarely exceed
three feet in width. They live under the great
with the spear, a small one will wind itself
about the branches, and lift pieces weighing
htteen or twenty pounds, the body sometimes
tearing away before the suckers will unclasp.
a. Ei saw very laughable incident on one #
the Florida keys, once, arising from this habit
OF cllnglng tightly. boat had been on the
reef after coral, the men wading along and
throwing the great lunches in Just as they
PICKED them up, and not looking to see what
they contained.
when they went ashore, the boat was run
up on the beach, and the coral lifted out by
the colored men, and placed above high-water
mark On one OF the trips, an octopus drop
ped from piece of coral that one of the black
boys was carrying, and Immediately assumed
very curious position. Lifting itself as high
as 1t could from the ground on its long arms
its body elevated, it began to scramble toward
the water.
Some one called out to the boy to stop
it, and without thinking, the latter stepped up
in front of the retreating octopus, and gave
| it a kick with his bare foot
But the octopus resented this insult, and
instead OF being frightened, it threw it's long
arms about the little darkey's leg and chung,
er every moment
"The boy roared with fright, and not dar-
| ing to touch the animal with his hands.
screamed to his comrades, who were shouting
with laughter.
"The octopus held on, and the boy began
to dance about and kick; but this only made
the spider-like. creature cling. the closer
Finally, in jumping around, the unfortunate
victim lost his balance and fell on the sand,
where he rolled over and over, until he reach
ed the water, and no sooner did the octopus
feel its native element, than it unwound its
arms and made off, none the worse for its
adventure.
rrhe boys ankles were badly cut by the
suckers, but otherwise he was uninjured.
Zone of the most remarkable features of
the octopus" said Harry's uncle, "is their
method of escape.
when disturbed or struck by a spear, they
Immediately throw out dense cloud OF ink
that pervades the water all about, so that
nothing can be done until it has cleared away,
and by that time they will have escaped, and
through such small places that it would seem
almost incredible.
"Some again are light-givers, their entire
body and arms emitting bright, lumirous
glow. that is supposed to either attract to
them certain prey, or serve to frighten away
| their enemies"