650 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



THK A(,)l ARUM Kl II 

 ng by Edward Moran in the t 



dur cover in this position the e^es are forward, 

 the body and the other arms being behind. Tlie 

 immediate vicinity of its hole is kept clear of 

 debris for about six inches. 



While tlie water glass is necessary in search- 

 ing for it in deep water^ the animal sometimes 

 lies in a pool between tide marks, hidden of 

 course under a ledge, and its shell heap then 

 may be entirely out of water at low tide. 



The large Bermuda crayfish or spiny lobster 

 greatly fears it, and the fishermen can drive a 

 hiding lobster from its hole by placing a dead 

 octopus near it. It does not attempt to carry 

 home a large lobster, but making an opening 

 under the side of the carapace, cleans the flesh 

 out entirely, leaving the^empty shell intact. 



The octopus is also a crab eater, and frequent- 

 ly pursues a crab entirely out of water, follow- 

 ing it over the rocks for several feet. When 

 live crabs are thrown into the tank of a captive 

 octopus, they are seized by the suckers on the 

 arms and drawn under the web which connects 

 them at the base. Several crabs may be stowed 

 away under the web together. 



In captivity, and doubtless in nature also, the 

 octojjus is more active by night than by day. 

 In Bermuda the octopus is sometimes found 

 large enougli to measure seven feet across the 

 outspread arms, but tliose of the ordinary size 

 that come to the Aquarium, measure little more 

 than four feet in expanse. 



The octopus sometimes attains a mucli larger 

 size, and West Indian specimens have been re- 

 corded with a length of nine feet and a weight 

 of sixty-eight pounds. A species on our Pacific 

 Coast reaches a length of sixteen feet, or near- 

 ly twenty-eight feet across the outspread arms. 



AVliile octopi are known to be timid creatures, 

 there is probably no reason why very large spec- 

 imens should not be dangerous to man, although 

 authentic cases of unprovoked attacks are lack- 

 ing. 



THE AQUARIUM BUILDING IN 1871. 



FRO!M time to time the Bulletin has repro- 

 duced old prints or other pictures of the 

 Aquarium building. Tliis structure dating 

 back to 1807 and successively known as "West 

 Battery," "Castle Clinton," "Castle Ciarden" 

 and the "Aquarium," possesses for many persons 

 a decided historical interest. 



The picture presented in the jiresent number 

 is from a reproduction of a platinum print, of 

 the painting by Edward ^Moran in the Museum 

 of .\rt. Fairmount Park, Pliiladelphia. It shows 

 the building in its Castle Garden stage, shortly 

 after the extensive filling-in of eartli which 

 brouglit it within the limits of Battery Park. 

 According to Mr. Thomas Moran, the painting 

 was made in 1871 or 1872, prior to the building 

 of the present sea wall. 



