THE MOLLUSCA 



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gular, honeycomblike patches, or more like crocodile -skin. 

 First some of the patches are purple, others orange, then 

 these colours are reversed. 



When danger threatens, or even when the hand is moved 

 towards it, as if to strike, the animal winces, and turns to 

 an ashy grey. 



I have kept many of these animals in confinement in 



Fig. 94. Central Disc and Mouth of Octopus. ^ Natural size 



aquarium tanks, and also in kind of rabbit hutches, with 

 wire-netting tops, ballasted down in the rock pools which 

 were their once freer homes, and have under these con- 

 ditions carefully watched their ways. 



The octopus has an amount of intelligence which is 

 rather astonishing, when we consider it is a mollusc. 



I have seen one kill a little rock-fish, and place it in such 

 position that crabs which were attracted to it would be 



