BAITS 125 



scribed by Mr. Henry Lee, F.L.S., in his work on ' The Octopus, 

 or the Devil Fish of Fiction and Fact.' The curator of the 

 aquarium threw the octopus into a tank of congers. It at once 

 perceived its danger, and endeavoured to conceal its presence 

 by stretching itself along a rock the colour of which it immedi- 

 ately assumed. Apparently seeing it was discovered, it changed 

 its tactics, and shot backward in quick retreat, leaving behind 

 it a long black trail of turbid water, formed by the discharge of 

 its ink. Then it fixed itself to a rock with all its arms surround- 

 ing and protecting its body, presenting on all exposed sides a 

 surface furnished with suckers, and awaited the attack of its 

 enemy. A conger approached, and, having found a vulnerable 

 place, seized a mouthful of the living flesh. Then, straightening 

 itself up in the water, it turned round and round with giddy 

 rapidity until the arm was with a violent wrench torn away 

 from the body of the victim. Each bite of the conger cost the 

 octopus a limb ; finally nothing remained but a dismembered 

 body, which was devoured by some dogfishes. 



In aquariums octopods have been seen to build themselves 

 little grottos of oysters, where they dwell in peace and happi- 

 ness during the daytime, wandering at night, sometimes leaving 

 their tanks and travelling into others on voyages of discovery, 

 adventure, and depredation. In some parts of the world they 

 are attracted by white shells or stones spread on the bottom of 

 the sea, and rows of jars which act as traps are laid in which 

 they hide and are captured. 



The chameleon-like habit of changing colour when irritated 

 is one of the most remarkable features of several members of 

 the cephalopoda. I once happened upon a very fine specimen 

 of octopus in a rocky pool on the Welsh coast, where it had been 

 left by the receding tide. It was a bright red colour, and, on 

 my touching it with my crab hook, purple spots began to show 

 on the red. Interfering with it still further, the red ground 



