1875] A monstrous Cuttle-fish. 253 



somewhat over, the crew resolved to secure at least a portion of the 

 prize. Considering the great size of the monster, and knowing the 

 crushing and holding power of its arms, open hostility could not 

 be resorted to, and the fishermen shaped their tactics differently. 

 Paddling up with caution, a single arm was suddenly seized and 

 lopped off. The cuttle, hitherto at rest, became dangerously active 

 now, and set out to sea at full speed in a cloud of spray, rushing 

 through the water at a tremendous speed. The canoe immediately 

 gave chase, and was up again with the enemy after three quarters of a 

 mile. Hanging on rear of the fish, a single arm was attacked in turn, 

 while it took all the skill of the men to keep out of the deadly clutch 

 of the suckers. The battle thus continued for two hours, and while 

 direct conflict was avoided, the animal was gradually being deprived of 

 its offensive weapons. Five miles out on the open Atlantic, in their 

 frail canvas craft, the bowman still slashed away, holding on boldly by 

 the stranger, and steadily cutting down his powers. By this time the 

 prize was partially subdued, and the curragh closed in fairly with the 

 monster. The polished sides of the canoe afforded slender means of 

 grasp, and such as remained of the ten great arms slashed round 

 through air and water in most dangerous but unavailing fashion. 

 The trunk of the fish lay alongside, fully as long as the canoe, while, 

 in its extremity, the animal emitted successive jets of fluid which 

 darkened the sea for fathoms round. The head at last was severed 

 from the body, which was unmanageable from its great weight, and 

 sank like lead to the bottom of the sea. The remaining portions 

 were stowed away and carried ashore, to the utter amazement of the 

 islanders. ... Of the portions of the mollusk taken ashore, two of 

 the great arms are intact, and measure 8 feet each in length and 

 15 inches round the base. The two tentacles attain a length of 30 feet. 

 The mandibles are about 4 inches across, hooked just like the beak of 

 an enormous parrot, with a very curious tongue. The head, devoid of 

 all appendages, weighs about 6 stone, and the eyes were about 15 

 inches in diameter. 



The fragments of the great animal which were rescued 

 from destruction by the writer of the above, Sergeant 

 O'Connor, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and which 

 may still be seen in the Dublin Museum, were a valuable 

 prize, for no such monster was known to have been seen 

 on the Irish coast before. But the interest now aroused in 

 the great Squid led to the unearthing of some quaint old 

 tracts, which showed that a gigantic creature of the same 

 tribe had been stranded on the shore of Kerry in the reign 

 of Charles the Second. Both " Dinoteuthis proboscideus " 

 (the name Mr. More provisionally bestowed on the Kerry 



