THE MOLLUSCA 95 



tains an ink-bag, the contents of which are ejected into the water 

 by the animal when alarmed. 



The Octopus generally spends the hours of daylight comfort- 

 ably concealed in a rock cranny, or he may sit at the entrance 

 to his grotto and fish for unwary crustaceans and other denizens 

 of the deep that may pass within reach of his long arms. Normally, 

 however, he does not start out to hunt his prey until the approach 

 of dusk, when he issues forth from his cave like a veritable dragon 

 of the deep, and steals silently and swiftly upon his unsuspecting 

 victim. In a moment it is pounced upon and wrapped around 

 by those long, writhing arms, from which there is no escape. The 

 powerful beak-like jaws are buried in the quivering flesh of the 

 victim, and the silent tragedy of the deep is soon ended. With 

 the approach of dawn the Octopus steals, like some dark, evil 

 shadow, back to his grotto to rest, and sleep the sleep of repletion. 



One would hardly expect such formidable and forbidding 

 creatures as the Octopus and Cuttlefish to be troubled with many 

 foes desirous of seeking combat, or coming within reach of those 

 Writhing, sucker-clad arms, yet such is the case, and certain species 

 of whales, giant congers, dogfish, and sharks eagerly hunt for and 

 devour them. To enable them to steal unobserved upon their 

 prey, and also in turn to escape the notice of their foes, both the 

 Octopus and Cuttlefish have considerable powers of changing 

 colour, so as closely to resemble the colour of their surroundings. 

 When alarmed, the play of colour over the body and limbs of the 

 Octopus is very rapid ; while should it lose one or two arms in 

 the course of an encounter, it has the power of replacing them 

 with new ones in the course of time. 



Mr. Henry Lee, F.L.S., who had exceptional opportunities of 

 watching the habits of the Octopus when kept in large aquaria, 

 gives the following interesting account of the spawning of the 

 animal : " Our Octopus fortunately selected as a suitable site for 

 her nest a recess in the rockwork, close to the front glass of the 

 tank, so that her movements could easily be observed. Her 

 body just filled the entrance to it ; and she further strengthened 

 ts defences by dragging to the mouth of her cavern two dozen 

 Dr more of living oysters, and piling them one on another to form 

 i breastwork or barricade, behind which she ensconced herself. 

 3ver this rampart she peered with her great, sleepless, prominent 



