THE OCTOPUS OUT OF WATER. 43 



exaggeration by a generally fair observer. Mr. Beale says : — 

 '* While upon the Bonin Islands, searching for shells, which had 

 just been left by the receding tide, I was much astonished at 

 seeing at my feet a most extraordinary animal crawling towards 

 the surf, which had only just left it. I had never seen one like it 

 under such circumstances before ; it therefore appeared the more 

 remarkable. It was creeping on its eight legs, which, from their 

 soft and flexible nature, bent considerably under the weight of its 

 body, so that it was lifted by the efforts of its tentacula only a 

 small distance from the rocks. It appeared much alarmed at 

 seeing me, and made every effort to escape, while I was not much 

 in the humour to endeavour to capture so ugly a customer, whose 

 appearance excited a feeling of disgust, not unmixed with 

 fear. I, however, endeavoured to prevent its career, by pressing 

 on one of its legs with my foot, but although I made use of 

 considerable force for that purpose, its strength was so great that 

 it several times quickly liberated its member, in spite of all the 

 efforts I could employ in this way on wet, slippery rocks. I now 

 laid hold of one of the tentacles with my hand, and held it firmly, 

 so that the limb appeared as if it would be torn asunder by our 

 united strength. I soon gave it a powerful jerk, wishing to dis- 

 engage it from the rocks to which it clung so forcibly by its 

 suckers, which it effectually resisted ; but the moment after, the 

 apparently enraged animal lifted its head with its large eyes pro- 

 jecting from the middle of its body, and letting go its hold on 

 the rocks, sprang upon my arm, which I had previously bared to 

 the shoulder, and clung with its suckers to it with great power, 

 endeavouring to get its beak, which I could now see between the 

 roots of its arms, in a position to bite. A sensation of horror 

 pervaded my whole frame when I found this monstrous animal 

 had affixed itself so firmly upon my arm. Its cold, slimy grasp 

 was extremely sickening, and I immediately called aloud to the 

 captain who was also searching for shells at some distance, to 

 come and release me from my disgusting assailant. He quickly 



