NO. 6 (igni) COMMON MOLLUSCS OF SOUTH INDIA 201 



call it so, because of the devilish restlessness which it exhibits 

 when taken from the water and the impression of concentrated 

 malignity which its appearance and habits make upon them. 

 Often on the pearl banks I have come across small ones hiding in 

 empty pearl oyster shells ; they certainly do appear uncanny in 

 their activity when attempting to escape ; they dash hither and 

 thither like some great fleshy spider of the sea, their arms writhe 

 and twist with a speed the eye cannot follow; small as these are, 

 the play of the little suckers closely set over the arms is unpleasant 

 on the skin and to restrain them is as difficult as to hold a globule 

 of quicksilver. Their eyes, huge for their size, are too human to be 

 pleasant, and it is no wonder the fishermen think they have a 

 devil's malevolence and ingenuity. They credit them too with a 

 great deal of sagacity ; amongst other clever tricks attributed to 

 them, is that when they enter an empty shell, they are careful to 

 close the entrance with a shell or piece of stone, as a screen against 

 their enemies, the crabs. I cannot vouch for the truth of this story, 

 but I think it quite probably true. They are also said to sham 

 death when they realize that they are finally cornered. Another 

 favourite trick is to eject a cloud of inky fluid from a special sac 

 within the body. This diffuses at once and forms a dense dark 

 cloud. Under cover of this the Octopus frequently escapes. 



Another species of small Octopus called Visha kanavai (lite- 

 rally " poisonous kanavai ") is occasionally caught in shell traps in 

 the relative proportion of one or two per hundred to the numbers of 

 the Pey kanavai. The fishermen make no use of it as they say no 

 fish will take it as bait. I have not seen it alive, but from dead 

 specimens it is seen to be a slender-armed Octopus, looking very 

 much like an immature example of the larger Octopod called 

 Kmidal kanavai at Tirupalagudi. 



The common belief is strong that it is endowed with marked 

 poisonous qualities ; when caught it is usually thrown overboard 

 at once. The fishermen say that it is equally active as the Pey 

 kanavai and if it has the chance will fasten on a man's leg or foot 

 and bite through the skin. The sensation is likened to the sting of 

 a scorpion and if a remedy is not quickly applied, the limb will 

 swell and a feeling of giddiness will be experienced. The accept- 

 ed remedy is a curious one ; betel juice is spat upon the place or 

 chunam (slaked lime) smeared over the wound as soon as possible. 

 Then when shore is reached, jaggery (palm sugar) is rubbed over 



