The Cuttle-fishes. 223 



greedily devour species of fish, mollusks and crustaceans. For 

 instance, the common Octopus (0. vulgaris) is well known 

 ruthlessly to destroy the crab tribe, and the lobster pots are their 

 fair game, besides shell fish, such as species of Tapes and 

 Psammobia, &c. Flocks of the little Scpiolce mingle with the 

 hordes of young shrimps, and play havoc among the brood and 

 accompanying lower marine forms. 



Little attention has hitherto been paid to the Cephalopods 

 of our District, hence their distribution and frequency of visita- 

 tion are but imperfectly known. Some, however, appear but 

 rarely, others are more regular in their advent. We know only 

 of two instances of the large, arrow-shaped FLYING SQUID 

 (Ommastrephes* sagittatus) ; one captured near Folkestone, the 

 other, a great-sized specimen,f found by Mr. Fitch stranded on 

 the causeway leading to Northey Island (Blackwater), end of 

 November, 1901. We have identified the northern Octopod, 

 the CURLY ELEDONE (E. cirrosa), in the Thames estuary, and 

 among some Octopods got by the trawlers (1899) (most 

 probably the same species), oue is said to 

 have " nearly filled a bucket, and grasped 

 dangerously with its arms ere being 

 thrown overboard." The COMMON OCTOPUS 

 (0. vulgaris), a more southern channel 

 form, is recorded from Ramsgate, Dover 

 and Folkestone. | 



The diminutive Sepiola Rondeleti, regu- 



larlv in midsummer and early autumn 

 Sepiola Rondeleti. J 



frequents the Essex coast and up the 



* Hoyle, "Catalogue of Recent Cephalopoda," Edinb. 1886, places this under the 

 genus Todarodas of Steenstrup. 



t Its total length, tentacles inclusive, was 2 feet 5 inches, the body 1 foot 3 inches, 

 and with head 1 foot 10 inches. 



1 "A plague of Octopus" occurred in 1899-00 on the South Devon and Cornish 

 coasts and the fisheries for edible crabs and lobsters were most seriously affected ; 

 even the small swimming crabs were almost exterminated by them. This excess of 

 octopus was attributed to previous hot summers and migration from the French coast. 

 Asa remedial measure, empty longish-necked pitcher pots were recommended to be 

 lowered and buoyed, wherein octopus entering would be secured in numbers. Garstang 

 in Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc., Nov., 1900. 



