I D INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



oiice a few of these tenacious suckers get firm hold, the swift- 

 ness of the fish is unavailing, as it is soon trammelled on all 

 sides by the firmly-holding tentacula, and dragged to the 

 mouth of its destroyer. The shell of the lobster or crab is a 

 vain protection, for the hard and crooked beak of the Cepha- 

 lopod easily breaks to pieces the frail armour." * 



An instance of its powers, both of attack and escape, fell 

 under the observation of Mr. Broderip, of London. He 

 attempted, " with a hand-net, to catch an Octopus that was 

 floating within sight, with its long and flexible arms entwined 

 round a fish, which it was tearing to pieces with its sharp 

 hawk's-bill. The Cephalopod allowed the net to approach 

 within a short distance of it before it relinquished its prey, 

 when, in an instant, it relaxed its thousand suckers, exploded 

 its inky ammunition, and rapidly retreated, under cover of the 

 cloud which it had occasioned, by rapid and vigorous strokes 

 of its circular web."f 



Besides the power of thus escaping when pursued, it also 

 possesses, in common with others of its class, a protection 

 against being discovered, which, conjoined with the other, 

 surpasses the cloak of darkness in the fairy tale. It can 

 change its colour to that of the adjacent objects; so that, like 

 the Ptarmigan in the snow, it becomes comparatively incon- 

 spicuous. Mr. Owen remarks, that "the power which the 

 Cephalopods possess of changing their colour, and of har- 

 monizing it with that of the surface on which they rest, is at 

 least as striking and extensive as in the Chameleon, in which 

 it seems, from the latest observations, to be produced by a 

 similar property and arrangement of pigmental cells." } 



The prepared ink of the Cuttle-fish is capable of being made 

 into a pigment, and, even after being entombed for centuries, 

 preserves its powers. Dr. Buckland supplied some of this 

 fossil ink to an eminent painter, who immediately inquired 

 from what colour-man such excellent sepia might be procured. 

 The internal bone is used in making erasures, and is manu- 

 factured into the article known as " pounce "in the shops. 

 The flesh, especially that of the arms, is considered very 

 nutritious. It was highly prized by the ancients, and, though 

 not used in these countries, is still much sought for in other 



* Outline of tlie Animal Kingdom, page 431. 

 f Owen, page 346. f Page 343. 



