JSG GTOANTIC CEPITALOrODS. 



one could hardly have been less than 10 feet long when perfect, 

 the pen measuring (U inches. The Octopvs punctatun Gabl), 

 which occurs at Sitka abundantly, reaches a length of 1(5 feet 

 or a radial spread of nearly 2S feet, but the whole mass is ranch 

 smaller than that of the decapodous cei)halopods of lesser length. 

 In tiie Octopus above mentioned, the l)ody would not exceed (i 

 inches in diameter and a foot in lengih, and the :irms tittMJn ;iii 

 t'Xlrt'mc tenuity toward their tips. 



There can l)e no doubt whatever tliat some ceplialopods in the 

 warmer seas ati:iin an enormous bulk as well as lengtli. Capt. 

 E. E. Smith, an experienecMl sperm-whaler. :nid :\ careful and 

 intelligent oliserver. informs me liiat he has seen pcu'iious of 

 "squid" arms vomited up l)y wiiales in Iheir death-agony, as 

 large as a " beef-l)arrel," with suckei's on them "as big as a 

 dinner-plate." I have no doubt of the correctness of this state- 

 ment.— W. H. I) ALL, Am. Nniiirallst, vii, 484, 1873. ' 



It seems that the celebrated "Kraken " of Denys Mont fort has 

 wandered iuto the Central Pacific Ocean, for Mr. Dall. in the 

 above ai-licle. states that Mr. Henr}- ii. Hanks saAV. when on a 

 voyage in a trading schooner amo.ng the South Sea Islands, a 

 cuttle-fish, near tlie surface of the water, "as large as the 

 schooner! " Mr. ])all naively adds, •• while llns is ralber indefi- 

 nite, still it indicates that specimens mncli hirgei- than any yel 

 recorded may ju'obably exist in those regions." 



in the ".Mii'Jieilungeu der Deulschen (iesellschafl vou Voko- 

 liani.M. .Inpau." .May, 1878, is an account of a hirge OtuDiaMrcphen 

 fonnd in Ihe .lapanese Seas. Its dimensions are: — 



Lengtli of body to fi-oui edge of mantle. . {\ feet. 



Length of heii.l mid neck, ..... H feet. 



Ijougest arm, . . . .. . . Hi feet. 



TJii^ (IrrnI G<'.]>halopo(h of the Middle Allantic — It is to be 

 renin iked tlinl Denys Montfort relates several <>ombats with 

 gigantic Poidpes encountered iie;ir llie Africnn coast. The 

 positive jirest'iice to-day of these :iiiiin;iis in the same seas, le.-ids 

 one to believe that these fables h;id a foiiii<lalioii in fact. One 

 can see at Saint Malo. in the chapel of St. Th<unas, says our 

 <-rediiloiis natnralist.an ex-volo represeuling (he danger incnirecl 



