HO A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEAS 



their tips. In some deep sea species the eyes are mounted 

 upon stalks, whilst one common abyssal form bears red, 

 blue and white luminous organs. As already stated, the 

 ink of abyssal species takes the form of highly luminescent 

 fluid. 



To the order of Squids belongs the largest of living 

 invertebrates, Archituthis princeps, which may have a body 

 length of ten feet and a girth of eight feet, with arms 

 thirty or more feet long. The short arms of such a monster 

 are as thick as a man's thigh, with suckers as big as tea- 

 saucers. Such creatures have inspired many a gruesome 

 tale, amply founded upon fact no doubt, although these 

 deep sea monsters are seldom seen. They are occasionally 

 washed ashore, chiefly on the coasts of Newfoundland and 

 North- West Ireland. The Giant Squid has probably 

 inspired many a sea-serpent story, and is the original 

 of the Norseman's legendary " Kracken " that dragged 

 small fishing vessels to their doom. In a church on the 

 French coast is a stained glass window commemorating 

 a boat crew's miraculous escape from such a disaster. 

 In spite of their large size and ferocity these Giant Squids 

 easily succumb to the heavily-toothed jaws of the Sperm 

 Whale, whose skin often bears marks of the giant Cepha- 

 lopod's suckers. 



The Octopus, beloved of the sensational story-writer 

 and news paragraphist, is at once distinguished from the 

 preceding by having only eight arms of about equal length 

 and horizontal instead of rounded eye pupils. The body 

 is globular in shape and the internal shell has been reduced 

 to two small stylets. In the majority of the species there 

 are two rows of suckers upon each arm, with a total 



