. i I'll M.OPOIIX 48 POOD. 



Mr. \ ice-< 'oii-nl (ireen, in :i recent report, fumi-hes >ome 

 DOVel :nnl intereMinu' pa rl iciil:i rs as to the iMiini: and trade in 

 eephalopods in tlir Tunis waters. ( )ct opodia ;IIM! polypi are 1 he 

 trade name- under which these cephalopods an- known in tin- 

 lit :m<l (Jreek markets, win-re they are solely import ed for 

 consumption during Lent, the orthodox Church not including 

 them in the prohibition against the use of llesh in aeaSOD 

 religions abstinen 



They prefer rocky shallows. ;md visit these waters, roming 

 from the open se;i. in the inontlis .of -January, February :tnd 

 March. A considerable number of octopodia, however, remain 

 permanently near the shores ; but it has been observed that when 

 their fry. locally called ' muschi," are numerous from the month 

 of .June to August, the fishing of the coining season is sure to 

 be abundant, whilst the reverse is the case if they appear in 

 numbers in November and December. In a good season, the 

 several villages on the Island of Karkenah supply about :j(HM) 

 cwi-., and the Jubah waters a third part of this quantity. On 

 the shores from the village of Luesa to that of Chenies, in the 

 (Julf of Khabs. the natives collect from 4 to 5 cwts. of cuttle-fish 

 a day, during the season; but this supply generally serves for 

 the consumption of the regency. 



The Tunisian (Jo\ eminent claims a third of all the polypi 

 fished upon its coast. The selling price varies from 25 to 50 

 shillings per ewt. Polypi are prepared for exportation by simply 

 salting and drying them. Malta receives the largest share of 

 tin- Tunisian polypi, but they are only sent to that island for 

 ultimate transportation to (ireece and other parts of the Levant. 



Portugal is one of the few countries that competes with Tunis 

 in supplying the (ireek markets with potypi. In Greece they 

 are either sold after bring pickled, at from 12.16., to 15.9., 

 the cantar of 17(5 Ibs., or in their original dried state, at il\'2 to 

 I'M, but these prices fluctuate according to the results of the 

 season's fishing. 



On the first arrival of the octopodia in the shallows, they keep 

 in masses or shoals, but speedily separate in search of shelter 

 among the rocks near tin- beach, covered by only one or two 

 of water, and in the stony localities prepared for t hem by t he 

 fishermen, in order to frustrate (!) the deposit ing of their spawn. 

 Polypi are taken in deep water by means of earthen jars 

 18 



