conceived to cause consternation if not to strike 

 terror in its living prey. This creature had just 

 finished consuming a part of a fish, discarding a 

 goodly remainder, to attend to the little squid. It 

 was evident that an attack was imminent. Did it 

 know that the animal was dead? Did it intend to 

 devour it? . . . 



My contemplations were cut short. The larger 

 squid bore down upon the carcass, and with a half- 

 turn grasped it with its sucker-arms and brought it 

 to its mouth and swam away ... Its gluttonous 

 instinct had made it a cannibal as well as a 

 ghoul . . . 



IV 



In these circumstances began my acquaintance 

 with Loligo, the cephalopod which, barring per- 

 haps its brother, the octopus, is by popular consent 

 accorded the invidious distinction of being the 

 most unprepossessing creature belonging to the 

 sea. My own impressions upon first meeting with 

 the squid were those of repulsion by its appearance 

 and horror at its conduct. I have already touched 

 upon the cold stony stare, the wicked-looking 

 sucker-arms and the weapon-shaped body with its 



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