Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09

uniquely comprehensive aqua
rum in this city under the direc
ton of the government" remarked mem
Der Of the scientific staff of the bureau
Of fisheries, "opens up a fascinating field
not only to the scientist, but to the aver
age member of the general public, who
is by no means adverse to thrills.
''Oh, yes" continued the scientist
there surely are some possibilities OF
thrills at the spectacle Of some of the
monsters Of the ocean. Some OF the crea
lures that inhabit the sea seem veritablt
nightmare creations, more hoerifying and
grotesque than any emanatious from the
brains Of the most imaginative artists.
You may see, in our aquarium al
present, a specimen Of the ordinary 30
called skate. It is not large, and it is due
perhaps to this fact that it does not
despite its fiendishly malevolent eyes and
weird shape and movements, appall the
spectator.
size of an acceptance! Such is the giant
ray, which Is to be found along our
coasts from 30 degrees north latitude to
about the same number of degrees south
maine of 'devilf1sh,' term applied to
otper varieties of ocean monsters, and
lies on the sea bottom. covering square
yards Of coral sand. 1t is one Of the
tigers of the sea. in point Of ferocity, and
If attacked may prove not only COM
bative. but absolutely dangerous to the
occupants of small boat. 1t is said to
use its mouth in the manner Of a shark,
but its most unpleasant weapon is the
barbed lance. which. like the skate, it
projects rearward against it's enemies.
1t is said that. in some of the South Sea
islands a revengeful native will stick the
sleeping blanket or mat of his enemy full
of the small barbed points of bone from
has the points in his flesh, will never be
able to remove them. as they sink deeper
and deeper, ultimately causing a very
painful death. The desirability Of avoid
ing the similar weapon of the devitdsh.
vastly magnifed as it is, need scarcely
be enlarged upon"
Fishermen have averred that the devil
fish is able to thrust its Jagged lance
completely through a mans thigh. Owing
to the action Of the hideous barbed
spikes and also, it is said, to the poison
GUS nature Of the wound, the latter is
almost invariably fatal. In the southern
portion Of the Gulf Of Mexico specimens
Of the giant ray have been killed, the
reported sizes Of which have been we'll
nigh incredible. The ray has two horns.
one on each side Of its eyes. the latter
being green, hideous and cruel beyond
compare. A curious habit Of this fish
is to leap from the water to an astonish-
ing height and come down with q thun-
derous flap of its broad fiat body. which
can be often heard for miles.
In q room in the Smithsonian Institution
building there is a huge model Of an oc-
topus, which occupies quite a considerable
portion of the expansive and lofty cell
ing. To fancy such a creature living
would seem beyond the limits Of the
credible. as the specimens of this monster
preserved in the institutions museum
are very much smaller than the papier
mache model. the tentacles represent ed
by which spread to length of about
fourteen feet. Yet that such a living hor-
ror as this gigantic "devilhsh' might.
and probably does. exist. Is attested by
numerous witnesses. There was cast up
upon the Florida coast, in the neighbor-
hood Of st. Augustine, in 1897. the re-
mains of dead octopus, which. though
only a portion Of the living animal,
weighed no less than six tons, or, say,
twice the weight of an average full
grown elephant. 1t was estimated that
the living animal must have possessed
arms seventy-two feet in length, which
means that the creature. when alive. was
enabled to stretch a distance Of nearly