34 THE OCTOPUS. 



get some of its huge arms over the side of the canoe, it could as 

 easily haul it over as a child could upset a basket. But we know 

 that a canoe is very crank, and easily upset. 



I have often been asked whether an octopus of the ordinary- 

 size can really be dangerous to bathers. Decidedly " Yes," in 

 certain situations. The octopus would not seize a man for the 

 purpose of devouring him ; nor do I believe that the act 

 would be prompted by a deliberate intention to drown him, that 

 his dead body might become an attractive bait for crabs, which 

 are the animal's favourite food ; but rather by an instinctive desire 

 to lay hold on anything moving within reach. The holding power 

 of its numerous suckers Js enormous. It is almost impossible 

 forcibly to detach it from its adhesion to a rock or the flat bottom 

 of a tank ; and if a large one happened to fix one or more of its 

 strong, tough arms on the leg of a swimmer whilst the others held 

 firmly to a rock, I doubt if the man could disengage himself under 

 water by mere strength, before being exhausted. Fortunately, it 

 can be made to relax its hold by grasping it tightly round the 

 " throat " (if I may so call it), and it may be well that this should 

 be known. 



That men are occasionally drowned by these creatures is, un- 

 fortunately, a fact too well attested. In August, 1867, the Genoa 

 Gazette mentioned that a carter of Sampierdarena, who had gone 

 to bathe near the reef of San Andria, was seized by an octopus, 

 which, in spite of all his efforts, dragged him under water and 

 drowned him. Not one of the bathers who witnessed the occur- 

 rence dared to go to the assistance of the unfortunate man. 



Admiral Baillie Hamilton has kindly furnished me with some 

 information on the subject. He tells me that in his time, many 

 years ago, it was an understood thing that there existed amongst 

 the rocks, of Gibraltar Bay an octopus of large size; and that 

 during the last half-century one soldier at least of the garrison has 

 been drowned whilst bathing there by being grasped under water 

 by one of these '"' devil-fishes." 



