THE LERNEAN HYDRA. 



53 



Having ascertained that the octopus was a familiar 

 object in the very locality where the combat between 

 Hercules and the Hydra is supposed to have taken place, 

 let us compare the animal as it exists with the monstrous 

 offspring of Typhon and Echidna. 



It is a not uncommon occurrence that when an octopus 

 is caught it is found to have one or more of its arms shorter 

 than the rest, and showing marks of having been amputated, 

 and of the formation of a new growth from the old cicatrix. 

 Several such specimens were brought to the Brighton 

 Aquarium whilst I had charge of its Natural History 



FIGURES OF THE OCTOPUS ON GOLD ORNAMENTS FOUND BY 

 DR. SCHLIEMANN AT MYCEX.«. 



Department. One of them was particularly interesting. Two 

 of its arms had evidently been bitten off about four inches 

 from the base : and out from the end of each healed stump 

 (which in proportion to the length of the limb was as if 

 a man's arm had been amputated halfway between the 

 shoulder and the elbow), grew a slender little piece of newly- 

 formed arm, about as large as a lady's stiletto, or a small 

 button-hook — in fact just the equivalent of worthy Captain 

 Cuttle's iron hook, which did duty for his lost hand. It 

 was an illustrative example of the commencement of the 

 repair and restoration of mutilated limbs. 

 This mutilation is so common in some localities, that 



