184 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



be estimated at about thirty feet long. This monster lias one of 

 these arms extended over a fishing boat, one of the occupants of 

 ■wbicli is drawn as in the act of striking with a large knife at this , 

 huge tentacle, as thick as a man's body, where it crosses the 

 gunwale. For my own part, I am inclined to suppose that the 

 picture is by no means an exaggeration, but that it is drawn from 

 actual fact. This Odoims is not longer than other specimens, 

 portions of which have recently been obtained and subjected to 

 scientific observation on the coast of the North-west Atlantic. It 

 will be seen that he is moving in the normal manner of his tribe, 

 backwards. The break of the sea around his body and arms is 

 plainly intended to indicate this. The colour of both body and 

 arms is a monotonous brownish-drab, very different from the 

 varied and beautiful tints of the smaller octoj^ods. As in these 

 latter their chameleon faculty of changing the colour of their 

 external surface is related to, or (as I should say) designed for, the 

 protection of the weaker individuals, one can readily understand 

 why in such Hydras as this under our eyes all shyness and 

 shrinking from public observation may reasonably have been 

 surrendered. I have entered into these details only because 

 they seem to corroborate the truthfulness of the general represen- 

 tation. 



Mr. Stephens exhibited the Block of Shale and the Japanese 

 Pictures referred to above. 



Mr. Q-. Masters. — a very large Fish-hook formed of wood, with 

 sinker of basaltic rock and line of coir fibre, used by the natives 

 of Fiji in catching the large rock fish. 



The President — a nimiber of shells from Western Australia, 

 and a Cams Achatina from Bass' Straits, previously known only 

 from Port Jackson. 



