66 HABITS OK THE fErHALDPODA. 



11. Octopi of enormoHs size are occasionally met with among 

 the islands of the Meia-co-shimah (Jroup. I measured one, which 

 two men were bearing on their shoulders across a pole, and found 

 each brachium rather more than two feet long, giving the creature 

 the power of ex))loring an area of aliout twelve feet without 

 moving, taking the mouth for a cential point, and the extremities 

 of the arms, to describe tlu' circumference. Dorsal plates of 

 Sepia?, a foot and a half in length, are found strewing the l)eaches. 

 I have fre(piently observed the Sepia* and Octo})! in full i)reda- 

 tory activity, and have had considerable trouble and difficulty in 

 securing them, so great is their restless vivacity at this time, and 

 so vigorous are their endeavors to escape. They dart from side 

 to side of the pools, or fix tliemselves so ten:u-ious|y to tlie 

 surface of the stones, by means of their sucker-like acetabula, 

 that it requires great force and strength to detach them. When 

 removed, and thrown u])on tlie sand, they progress r:ij)idly in a 

 sidelong, shntlling uKunu'i'. extending tlieir long arms, ejecting 

 their ink-like fluid in sudden, violent jets, and staring al)Out with 

 their huge shining eyes, which at night are luminous, like a cat's, 

 in a very grotescpie and hideous manner. — Arthur Adams.* 



111. Sepiola Atlantica., Orb. — Resi)ecting this species, Mr. 

 Alder writes as follows from Menai Straits : " This is an odd 

 fish, cronching generally at the l)ottom,like a toad, with its great 

 goggle-eyes half-closed, and sometimes crawling aloug by means 

 of its suckers, pufling the water tlirough the Ciiiincl all (he time. 

 When it does take to swimming, il d:iils very (piicivly thi-ougii 

 the wiitcr and is (lilliciiit to calcli. \Viieii taken out ol'the water 

 and placed on the hand, it Imd recouisc to ;iii odd modi' of pro- 

 gression, turning two or tiirei" somersaults in regiil:ir Inmblcr 

 fasliion ; lirst laying hold with its arms, turning oxer. and laying 

 hol<l again, until it managed to get l»ack into the water.f 



l\'. I was much interested, on several oce:isions. by watching 

 tlie habits of an Octopns or cnttle-tisli. Altliongh common in 

 the pools of water left by the retiiing tide, these animals were 



* "Zool. Voy. Samarang," p. 1, 1850. 

 t '-Report Brit. Assoc," 73, 1852. 



