134 PROVISION FOR SEIZING TREY, 



server would say that it was of a fierce nature, and that 

 its appetite was voraciously carnivorous, nor would his 

 opinion be incorrect ; it is indeed one of the tyrants of 

 the waters, and fishes and Crustacea are its prey. The 

 body, which, when the animal crawls along, is elevated, 

 with the head downwards, is of a globosely oval form, 

 and is invested in a tough bag or mantle, constituting 

 a sort of sheath, from which the head with its long arms 

 emerges, together with a tube, or funnel, opening before 

 the neck, and giving passage to the excretions, and the 

 fluid taken in for respiration. The mouth, which re- 

 sembles the beak of a parrot, is placed in the centre of 

 the arms which radiate from it ; these are eight in num- 

 ber, long, narrowing to a point, and united at their base 

 (in the present species) by a thick web, or fleshy expan- 

 sion. By means of these arms, the animal creeps along, 

 swims with great velocity, and grasps its living prey. 

 On examining them, we find them furnished below with 

 rows of suckers crowded together, there being about one 

 hundred and twenty pairs — thus there are two hundred 

 and forty distinct suckers on the under surface of each of 

 these muscular, flexible, but most vigorous arms. None 

 for this purpose can be more formidable. Let but one 

 arm be thrown round the swiftest fish, the strongest 

 lobster, or crab, and it is enough. Vain is resistance ; 



