IN DEFENSE OF OCTOPUSES 297 



that my only thought was to get away. From underneath the 

 hehnet there arose a faint odor quite unhke anything else. 

 Fishy musk is the nearest description I can think of. The color 

 was most interesting, as I had always been under the impres- 

 sion that cephalopod ink was black. Rather, it appeared dark 

 purple which later faded to a somber shade of azure. I can 

 also remember, when it thinned considerably, seeing vague 

 shafts of reddish when the rays of sunlight far above caught 

 the substance at oblique angles. The ink spread out in a cloud 

 extending over several yards; and, in the still depths of the 

 ravine took quite a time to dissipate. Actually it floated away 

 as a hazy smudge before it evaporated. 



I was not able to continue my observations on color changes 

 until several days later when I netted a baby octopus from some 

 turtle-weed growing a few yards from shore near the place 

 where the reef reached its final termination in a mass of sandy 

 shoals. I transferred the mite, a youngster of seven or eight 

 inches spread, to the tidepool near my old house where I kept 

 it for several days. It took to its new surroundings very grace- 

 fully and made no attempt to escape but made life miserable 

 for the numerous small crabs and fishes that shared the pond. 

 The crabs were its principal prey which it captured by stealth 

 and by lying patiently in wait. Patience was its most evident 

 virtue, and much to my disgust it would sit for hours in one 

 spot without moving, staring endlessly at the moving forms 

 in the water. It used a great deal of intelligence in securing the 

 crabs and selected a spot to lurk where it had ready command 

 of an entire corner of the pool. 



The rocks of its dwelling were creamy brown, and this was 

 the exact hue it assumed while waiting to make a capture. It 

 had perfect control of its pigmentation. In comparison the re- 

 nowned chameleons are but rank amateurs. The mechanics of 

 this alteration of hue are very complex but are controlled by 



