THE KRAKEN. 341 



when a vacuum is formed, the keen, saw-like teeth are 

 pressed into the skin or scales of the unfortunate prisoner, 

 and deprive it of the slightest chance of escape. 



The manner in which the eight-armed and ten-armed 

 cephalopods capture their prey is ' similar in principle and 

 plan, but differs in action in accordance with their mode of 

 life. The ordinary habit of the octopus is either to rest 

 suspended to the side of a rock to which it clings with the 

 suckers of several of its arms, or to remain lurking in some 

 favourite cranny ; its body thrust for protection and conceal- 

 ment well back in the interior of the recess ; its bright eyes 

 keenly on the watch ; three or four of its limbs firmly 

 attached to the walls of its hiding place the others gently 

 waving, gliding, and feeling about in the water, as if to 

 maintain its vigilance, and keep itself always on the alert, 

 and in readiness to pounce on any unfortunate wayfarer 

 that may pass near its den. To a shore-crab that comes 

 within its reach the slightest contact with one of those lithe 

 arms is fatal. Instantaneously as pull of trigger brings 

 down a bird, or touch of electric wire explodes a torpedo 

 or a mining fuse, the pistons of the series of suckers are 

 simultaneously drawn inward, the air is removed from the 

 pneumatic holders, and a vacuum created in each : the crab 

 tries to escape, but in a second is completely pinioned : 

 not a movement, not a struggle is possible ; each leg, each 

 claw is grasped all over by suckers, enfolded in them, 

 stretched out to its fullest extent by them ; the back of 

 the carapace is completely covered by the tenacious disks, 

 brought together by the adaptable contractions of the limb, 

 and ranged in close order, shoulder to shoulder, touching 

 each other ; and the pressure of the air is so great that 

 nothing can effect the relaxation of their retentive power but 

 the destruction of the air-pump that works them or the 



