New-York tribune., 1907-06-09
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE. SUNDAY. JUNE 9. 1907

tbe creature goes Into this tube or funnel
opens by a special duct, the ink bag. and from
It is squirted at will the intensely black fluid
therein secreted. From the saclike body pro
trudes q head globose in shape and containing
q BRAIN, and furnished with pair OF strong
horny mandibIes, which bite vertically like the
beak of a parrot. The eyes are large, of livld
yellow color. and furnished with an inner trans
parent lid, and are also capable or being COW
cred with external lid.
From the head of the octopus radiate eight
arms prehense limbs by which their owner
can seize and hold its living prey. That this
may be perfectly accomplished, these arms
are studded along their inner surface with rows
OF sucking disks, in each OF which vacuum
be produced The consequent pressure OF
the outer atmosphere or water causes them to
adhere firmly to any substance to which they
are applied, whether stone. fish, crustacean or
HeSh of
The octopus. being a shore dweer has e
soft. plant but tough body, which is exactly
adapted for wedging itself among crevices OF
rocks The ordinary habit Of the octopus is
either to rest suspended to the side of a rock,
which 1t clings with the suckers of several Of
Its arms TO remain lurking in some favorite
Granny; its body thrust for protection and con-
Cealment well back in the interior of the recess,
its bright eyes keenly on the watch, three or four
OF its limbs firmly attached to the walls of its
hiding place. the others gently waving, gliding
and feeling about in the water, as If to maintain
its vigilance and keep itself always on the alert
and In readiness to pounce on any unfortunate
wayfarer who may pass near Its den.
ALL THE CoL0RS OF THE RAINBOW.
Like the professional beauty, the octopus
has the power OF blushtng to order, and how
many poor innocents alasl fall victims to the
deceit. But the octopus put the most skill
full human blusher in the shade with ease. for
it practically knows how TO blush in all the col
ors Of the rainbow. Thus, should the octopus
lie IN wait among ruddy cOlored rocks, crimson
blush will suffuse its sinister form ana counte-
nance; or should the rocks be covered with green
weed, then the blush VIII become green: or 1t
may change to blue, gray yellow or brown ac-
Cording to the color Of the surrounding op)ects.
ITO a shore crab that comes within Its reach
the slightest contact with one of those nthe
arms is fatal. InstantaneOuSly the plstons or
the series of suckers are simultaneously drawn
inward, the cir is removed from the pneum2tlo
holders and a vacuum created in each. The
crab tries to escape. but in a second is com
pletey pinioned; not a movement, not a struggle
is possible. Each leg, each claw, Is grasped
all over by suckers, enfOIded in them, stretched
out its fullest extent by them the back or the
oarapace is completely covered by the tenacious
disks. brought together by the adaptable con-
fractions Of the limb. and ranged in close order,
shoulder shoulder, touching one another, and
the pressure of the air is so great that nothing
effect the relaxation Of their retentiYe power
but the destruction OF the air pump mat WORKS
them or the closing OF the throttle valve by
which they connected with it. MeanWhlle
the abdominal plates OF the captive crab are
dragged toward the mouth, the black tip OF the
hard, horny beak is seen for single instant pro-
truding from the circular Orifce in the centre OF
the radiation of the arms. and the next has
crushed through the shell and is buried deep IN
the flesh Of the victim.
The octopus is able to navigate on dry land,
for while at least. l myself have seen them
floundering around on the beach frequently. The
director of the Brighton tEngIand) Aquarium
reports q most interesting case of this kind. IN
1873 they had In tank which used regu-
lary every night to quit its tank and make It's /
tance from IT, In which were some young lump
fish Day after day Of these was missing
until at last the marauder was discovered by a
night watch making the journey.