THE OCTOPUS OUT OF WATER, 47 



though the circumstances made such an hnpression that I have 

 often thought the matter over, and sought in books for confirma- 

 tion of what I witnessed, but without success." 



A similar instance was related in a letter to one of the mornino- 



o 



papers (I think, the Daily Telegraph), about eight months pre- 

 viously ; and the statement then appeared to me to be an attempt 

 to hoax the public ; for it seems impossible that an octopus can 

 travel over the ground at the pace described. But it is not to 

 be supposed that a gentleman of Dr. Owen's age and profession 

 would volunteer information intentionally erroneous. Amono- the 

 details given by him is one which is difficult to understand. The 

 genus Octopus is especially characterised by the smallness of the 

 eye. This is larger in Philoxeriis and Argonaiita ; but in all of the 

 family the iris is oblong, and not round. In the calamaries it is 

 larger, and always circular ; but the octopods alone of the cepha- 

 lopoda, are able, by the disposition of their arms, to walk, or pro- 

 gress, on dry land, or to return to the water if cast upon the shore. 



Marvellous as the above narrative may appear to the reader' 

 (and I confess I so regard it), it has been collaterally confirmed 

 by an officer of high rank in the Royal Engineers, whose veracity 

 is unquestionable, and who, without previous knowledge of Dr. 

 Brisco Owen's communication, related to me, first verbally, and 

 afterwards, at my request, in writing, a similar adventure which 

 happened to himself. 



"When at Bermuda," he said, ''in 1868, whilst sitting on a 

 rock near the water, I saw a curious instance of the power of 

 locomotion of these beasts. A small octopus emerged from 

 the water, apparently in great terror : in two seconds he was 

 followed by a larger one, evidently in chase. The little fellow 

 might have been ten inches over all, the larger one about 

 eighteen, or perhaps twenty, inches. Their mode of progression 

 was most singular: in position something like the 'arabs' of the 

 London streets, but not turning. Five arms seemed to be used 

 in walking, or, rather, progressive motion; the remaining three 



